The Basement and Crawl Space

Basements and crawl spaces are always a challenge. An experienced inspector will be looking for several items in the lower level of your home. The basement or crawl space is the only place the inspector can see the underside of your floors to check your trusses and support system. First of all basements and crawl spaces come in many different "flavors". Anywhere from wooden to cast-in-place concrete. Older homes sometimes have a foundation system made from whatever is on the land at the time of construction. As an example, some are made from stone, or rock or some just built on top of the ground. No matter what the material, the basic items that need to be inspected remain the same. Secondly, the footings must be able to support the building. If the building is built within the past 30-40 years the footing probably are fine. Rock or older wooden timber foundations probably do not sit on a footing of any kind. If your house has a timber or rock foundation you should have a qualified foundation contractor look at your foundation to determine if a footing is under it. Third, the foundation walls will be checked inside the home to make sure there no cracks wide enough to allow moisture to invade the space or to check for foundation insulation. Other items inspected inside foundations are such things as, covering up of foam insulation, wide cracks in the floor, seepage or water infiltration, mildew or mold growth, and finally making sure the house is fastened to the foundation in a workmanlike manner. Basements and crawlspaces are very important. If the foundation is weak, the structure will be weak. It all starts with a strong foundation system. If you have any questions make sure you contact Inspector Tom. Until next week-we will start on the inside of the house with the Mechanical. Thanks, Inspector Tom