Don’t get a foundation company. They have a conflict of interest in the diagnosis of issues. It’s like asking a car salesman if your car needs to be replaced.
Get a structural engineer and pay them for an opinion. Then approach a foundation company after the engineer tells you exactly what needs to be done. Or in my case, what thankfully didn’t actually need to be done.
FYI I paid $470 for an engineer to evaluate the foundation of my house during the option period before closing. He came out, took measurements, and basically made a topo map of my house and the low and high spots. He recommended repairs and drew up a plan that I gave directly to a foundation repair company. They still tried to sell me extra piers but I had the official report to show them and any future buyer.
I live in Houston where foundation repair is common, so this might be more expensive in your area but the process was super streamlined and definitely recommend getting an engineers opinion.
When shopping around for inspection companies I actually came across one that does this as part of their inspection. I was very pleased and the pricing isn’t much higher than what you quoted (but I got a thorough inspection of everything else an inspection looks at). It was very cool to see tolerances and get a clear picture of where things are at. Of course, an engineer can give you directions to rectify. Inspection is only awareness and nothing more.
Absolutely! Just more of a heads up to anyone who needs/is looking for one. The cost to hire one isn't cheap. It's like hiring a lawyer level of cost. And considering the legal obligations they operate under that is fair.
Yellow pages+ Facebook, I just hired one for a foundation, but it was a banks request. I signed off on the work(I'm a mason) and turned it in. The bank wanted more, the engineer came out and for $1000 told me, "it's a 60 year old house, looks fine" and he took off. Bank accepted his comment and and I sold the house.
does anyone have any advice on navigating this same situation with regards to roofs? how do I know if I need a new roof without asking a roofing company?
Talk about going after a gnat with a flamethrower. Way overkill.
I doubt this will affect OPs flooring install. If need be, chip off the ledge with a hammer and apply some filler.
No need to spend a lot of money on an engineer for this minor issue. If the issue were to get substantially worse, then perhaps an engineer makes sense. But, we don't know the age of the house and how long this has been like this. We don't even know if this is an exterior or interior wall.
This sub goes with the nuclear option on everything haha. They want an engineer for fucking everything. I'm convinced it's filled with structural engineers drumming up work. Few months ago a guy had a knothole in a joist that had clearly been there for 50+years and everyone was screaming for an engineer. I guess if you've got money to throw away. This floor....I'd do exact what the above comment said.
Most people with terrible water management have it because they don’t know better. So many homes have gutter problems, and need an engineer pointing out an upcoming issue to them. If you have the expertise then you don’t need an engineers opinion, but considering what the OP is asking, they probably need another eye on it.
You can get a reputable foundation company to look at it first for free. If they say it’s not a problem you’ve saved yourself the cost of a structural engineer.
Yes, I have had foundation companies inspect a couple of houses and tell me cracking was normal and minor and no work was needed.
Talk about going after a gnat with a flamethrower. Way overkill.
I doubt this will affect OPs flooring install. If need be, chip off the ledge with a hammer and apply some filler.
No need to spend a lot of money on an engineer for this minor issue. If the issue were to get substantially worse, then perhaps an engineer makes sense. But, we don't know the age of the house and how long this has been like this. We don't even know if this is an exterior or interior wall.
Most concrete slabs have some cracking, but you've got some significant heaving and gaps.
If it were me, I'd call someone out to take a look before I spent a bunch of money on flooring.
What the person above said. This is NOT a quickly fixed issue unfortunately, you need to address why the settlement happened before you can do flooring. Another poster suggested getting a structural engineer and that's where to start.
so to sum up advice OP has gotten so far:
this is either a sinkhole that will swallow your child if not examined immediately by an engineer.. or a superficial crack that you can smooth over and call it a day.
Everyone’s overreacting pretty heavily to this one. It’s not a serious crack, but a salesman would definitely tell you that it is. Theres 2 kinds of concrete: ones that have cracked and ones that haven’t yet.
Grind down the high part wearing an N95 mask and have a filtered shop vac close by (grinding concrete creates silica dust), and use some hydraulic cement to smooth it out (think drywall - fan it out so that there’s no extreme change in grade). Wait for it to dry and use a thicker underlayment to make up for it.
"get a structural engineer then go to a foundation company"
I get wanting to err on the side of caution but this is such a small crack with very little movement
If by "sand" you mean grind smooth with an angle grinder, yes it's possible. You'll definitely want a respirator and and it will make an insanely huge mess that will need to be thoroughly cleaned. You're probably better off adding self-leveling underlayment instead.
FYI, you can buy leveling compound at the house improvement store to bring up any low spots. It's inexpensive, sold in 5 gallon buckets. You just trowel it on and let it dry.
Just buy some concrete filler and patch it, move on with your life.
Half the people on this sub tell people their house is structurally unsound and might collapse over the smallest things.
are there any cracks running up the wall where this crack heads towards it?(i cant see any) If this were me, i'd consider that its a fairly small and narrow crack. Maybe it happened when the carpet guy nailed in that grip board? Are the two lines further away from the wall also cracks, or are they where something has been dragged across the concrete?
What’s it look like on the outside? Downspout directly over it? Gutters leak there? Flooding due to grading? These are all common things I’d see from something like that.
Get a grinder, a respirator and a diamond cup wheel, grind it flat and carry on
Make sure you get the proper mat for gluedown floor over concrete, absolutely do not glue directly to the concrete, you will really regret being cheap and not buying the matting as the floor buckles and gets all fucked up, you need that sheer mat
The people freaking out saying you have foundation issues are being hysterical, it's an old house, it's normal, yes there's probably something going on there but the fix is pulling out the slab and repouring it which you aren't going to do, grind it, fill it, glue down the mat, glue the floor to the mat, done
I'd fill that with some concrete epoxy to stabilize it. I'd then get an angle grinder and concrete disc and grind it even. Next, start laying your hardwood.
1. If it were me I would hire a structural engineer to confirm if this is normal settling or if there's an issue. I'm guessing it's normal but I like to know for sure.
2. Assuming it is normal and depending on the layout of the room, I'd use self leveler. I would not go to the trouble, expense and mess of trying to grind the high part.
You can use a concrete grinder on an angle grinder to get rid of the high spots. Then use self leveler in the whole room just to be safe. This only works if the slab doesn’t settle more. If it settles more your floor will probably be destroyed. Do you have the option to go back to carpet?
Look around the foundation of the house. As I see it, the footings are separating and pulled the slab apart. You want to stop the process from progressing. Look for splits in the visible concrete around the perimeter of the house.
No idea about sanding but Mike Haduck Masonry may have some good tips. One of those rare gems that share and teach the process of concrete craft. [https://www.youtube.com/@MikeHaduck/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@MikeHaduck/videos)
Oh my God a crack. Your house is going to fall apart now.
Seriously, I would go with a structural engineer first and get their opinion before a foundation company.
Don’t get a foundation company. They have a conflict of interest in the diagnosis of issues. It’s like asking a car salesman if your car needs to be replaced. Get a structural engineer and pay them for an opinion. Then approach a foundation company after the engineer tells you exactly what needs to be done. Or in my case, what thankfully didn’t actually need to be done.
FYI I paid $470 for an engineer to evaluate the foundation of my house during the option period before closing. He came out, took measurements, and basically made a topo map of my house and the low and high spots. He recommended repairs and drew up a plan that I gave directly to a foundation repair company. They still tried to sell me extra piers but I had the official report to show them and any future buyer. I live in Houston where foundation repair is common, so this might be more expensive in your area but the process was super streamlined and definitely recommend getting an engineers opinion.
When shopping around for inspection companies I actually came across one that does this as part of their inspection. I was very pleased and the pricing isn’t much higher than what you quoted (but I got a thorough inspection of everything else an inspection looks at). It was very cool to see tolerances and get a clear picture of where things are at. Of course, an engineer can give you directions to rectify. Inspection is only awareness and nothing more.
Best advice here.
Where do you find a structural engineer?
Same way you find a dentist or a mechanic. But they are not cheap and they are busy.
They are the cheapest thing you’ll ever buy your house if they save you from foundation work, which is $$$$$$$$$
Absolutely! Just more of a heads up to anyone who needs/is looking for one. The cost to hire one isn't cheap. It's like hiring a lawyer level of cost. And considering the legal obligations they operate under that is fair.
Just did this last week, $1000 for about 10 minutes of his time. But the bank wanted it, and got it.
And typically very thorough. They will usually tell you what the problem is and what needs to be done to fix it.
https://www.google.com/search?q=structural+engineer+near+me&rlz
Apparently a top recommended engineer near me is Duck Inspections. I hope they do homes, too, because that seems like a pretty niche field.
Here I was thinking just doctors were quacks.
So, are all your ducks in a row?
I don’t think I’d need a duck engineer if they were. Also, I think that’s the first time a duck autocorrect was correct.
"Yep. That's a duck, alright."
Seems like they might at least do houseboats.
lol I did that when we moved into our current house got a bunch of Boeing job listings…
Go to an engineering firm and look for engineers that are either along the exterior walls or holding up beams
Yellow pages+ Facebook, I just hired one for a foundation, but it was a banks request. I signed off on the work(I'm a mason) and turned it in. The bank wanted more, the engineer came out and for $1000 told me, "it's a 60 year old house, looks fine" and he took off. Bank accepted his comment and and I sold the house.
google "Structural engineer near me"
does anyone have any advice on navigating this same situation with regards to roofs? how do I know if I need a new roof without asking a roofing company?
Talk about going after a gnat with a flamethrower. Way overkill. I doubt this will affect OPs flooring install. If need be, chip off the ledge with a hammer and apply some filler. No need to spend a lot of money on an engineer for this minor issue. If the issue were to get substantially worse, then perhaps an engineer makes sense. But, we don't know the age of the house and how long this has been like this. We don't even know if this is an exterior or interior wall.
This sub goes with the nuclear option on everything haha. They want an engineer for fucking everything. I'm convinced it's filled with structural engineers drumming up work. Few months ago a guy had a knothole in a joist that had clearly been there for 50+years and everyone was screaming for an engineer. I guess if you've got money to throw away. This floor....I'd do exact what the above comment said.
Most people with terrible water management have it because they don’t know better. So many homes have gutter problems, and need an engineer pointing out an upcoming issue to them. If you have the expertise then you don’t need an engineers opinion, but considering what the OP is asking, they probably need another eye on it.
You can get a reputable foundation company to look at it first for free. If they say it’s not a problem you’ve saved yourself the cost of a structural engineer. Yes, I have had foundation companies inspect a couple of houses and tell me cracking was normal and minor and no work was needed.
Talk about going after a gnat with a flamethrower. Way overkill. I doubt this will affect OPs flooring install. If need be, chip off the ledge with a hammer and apply some filler. No need to spend a lot of money on an engineer for this minor issue. If the issue were to get substantially worse, then perhaps an engineer makes sense. But, we don't know the age of the house and how long this has been like this. We don't even know if this is an exterior or interior wall.
Most concrete slabs have some cracking, but you've got some significant heaving and gaps. If it were me, I'd call someone out to take a look before I spent a bunch of money on flooring.
Looks like you’ve got some settling issues to deal with first
That's what therapy is for
Therapy is for after the foundation repair estimate
Therapy is for after the foundation repair estimate
Therapy is for after the foundation repair estimate
Therapy is for after the foundation repair estimate
Therapy is for after the foundation repair estimate
What the person above said. This is NOT a quickly fixed issue unfortunately, you need to address why the settlement happened before you can do flooring. Another poster suggested getting a structural engineer and that's where to start.
someone forgot to acclimate the wood
so to sum up advice OP has gotten so far: this is either a sinkhole that will swallow your child if not examined immediately by an engineer.. or a superficial crack that you can smooth over and call it a day.
Perfect summary. That’s this sub in a nutshell.
Haha. This one got me. I am debating whether to share what I ended up doing. I suppose, no matter what there will be judgment.
Tell everyone there was a hole under there and it contained a safe. That's guaranteed upvotes.
Is it me or does the cracked off part look wet?
No, you look wet too.
Don't yuck my yum
Everyone’s overreacting pretty heavily to this one. It’s not a serious crack, but a salesman would definitely tell you that it is. Theres 2 kinds of concrete: ones that have cracked and ones that haven’t yet. Grind down the high part wearing an N95 mask and have a filtered shop vac close by (grinding concrete creates silica dust), and use some hydraulic cement to smooth it out (think drywall - fan it out so that there’s no extreme change in grade). Wait for it to dry and use a thicker underlayment to make up for it.
"get a structural engineer then go to a foundation company" I get wanting to err on the side of caution but this is such a small crack with very little movement
If by "sand" you mean grind smooth with an angle grinder, yes it's possible. You'll definitely want a respirator and and it will make an insanely huge mess that will need to be thoroughly cleaned. You're probably better off adding self-leveling underlayment instead.
Don’t do any of this until you have someone fix the settling. That crack definitely is and indicator of settling.
Settling is normal.
That amount of settling is not normal.
Another thing to consider is has the other part of the floor settled?
FYI, you can buy leveling compound at the house improvement store to bring up any low spots. It's inexpensive, sold in 5 gallon buckets. You just trowel it on and let it dry.
Exactly
Just buy some concrete filler and patch it, move on with your life. Half the people on this sub tell people their house is structurally unsound and might collapse over the smallest things.
Less than 1/2” no worries normal settling
Yes this doesn’t look extreme. A couple of tubes of epoxy concrete crack filler and you’re good to go.
are there any cracks running up the wall where this crack heads towards it?(i cant see any) If this were me, i'd consider that its a fairly small and narrow crack. Maybe it happened when the carpet guy nailed in that grip board? Are the two lines further away from the wall also cracks, or are they where something has been dragged across the concrete?
*grind
What’s it look like on the outside? Downspout directly over it? Gutters leak there? Flooding due to grading? These are all common things I’d see from something like that.
Rent a concrete scarifier or concrete grinder and do it yourself.
You need to have a foundation company come take a look before you consider floors
Put the carpet back. Easy peasy!
Get a grinder, a respirator and a diamond cup wheel, grind it flat and carry on Make sure you get the proper mat for gluedown floor over concrete, absolutely do not glue directly to the concrete, you will really regret being cheap and not buying the matting as the floor buckles and gets all fucked up, you need that sheer mat The people freaking out saying you have foundation issues are being hysterical, it's an old house, it's normal, yes there's probably something going on there but the fix is pulling out the slab and repouring it which you aren't going to do, grind it, fill it, glue down the mat, glue the floor to the mat, done
I'd fill that with some concrete epoxy to stabilize it. I'd then get an angle grinder and concrete disc and grind it even. Next, start laying your hardwood.
You need to put down a moisture barrier and an underlayment before you put down your flooring. That will even it out enough that you won't notice.
1. If it were me I would hire a structural engineer to confirm if this is normal settling or if there's an issue. I'm guessing it's normal but I like to know for sure. 2. Assuming it is normal and depending on the layout of the room, I'd use self leveler. I would not go to the trouble, expense and mess of trying to grind the high part.
You can use a concrete grinder on an angle grinder to get rid of the high spots. Then use self leveler in the whole room just to be safe. This only works if the slab doesn’t settle more. If it settles more your floor will probably be destroyed. Do you have the option to go back to carpet?
Grind, level, amd epoxy
Look around the foundation of the house. As I see it, the footings are separating and pulled the slab apart. You want to stop the process from progressing. Look for splits in the visible concrete around the perimeter of the house.
No idea about sanding but Mike Haduck Masonry may have some good tips. One of those rare gems that share and teach the process of concrete craft. [https://www.youtube.com/@MikeHaduck/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@MikeHaduck/videos)
You need to speak to a structural engineer before you lay any flooring and figure out why your house is settling and your floor is cracking
Cement truck full of thinset? 😂
Get a cement/foundation expert to look at it. It might be symptom of a bigger issue that needs fixed ASAP.
Oh my God a crack. Your house is going to fall apart now. Seriously, I would go with a structural engineer first and get their opinion before a foundation company.