CYPRESS INSPECTIONS

When performing a Property Inspection for a home buyer or seller, the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) Standards of Practice requires an Inspector or Professional Inspector to render a written opinion as to the performance of the foundation and generally report present and visible indications used to render the opinion of adverse performance such as; binding, out-of-square doors; framing or frieze board separations; sloping floors; window, wall, floor or ceiling cracks or separations; rotating, buckling, cracking or deflecting masonry cladding. Does one 6-inch long interior sheetrock wall crack with no nominal separation, a brick cladding mortar joint crack with no nominal separation, an uneven door frame or a minor floor slope constitute adverse foundation performance? Maybe the interior sheetrock crack is due to wall stud shrinkage; the brick cladding mortar crack is due to poor mortar bonding; an uneven door frame due to poor craftsmanship; and a floor slope occurred when the concrete was set-in-place. Without performing a soils test, in general soils in the greater Houston area are expansive soils. Foundations are required to be engineered based on the foundation design for expansive soils of the International Building Code (IBC), Chapter 18, Section 1805 that states; Footings or foundations placed on or within the active zone of expansive soils shall be designed to resist differential volume changes and to prevent structural damage to the supported structure. Deflection and racking of the supported structure shall be limited to that which will not interfere with the usability and serviceability of the structure. Foundations placed below where volume change occurs or below expansive soil shall comply with the following provisions: 1. Foundations extending into or penetrating expansive soils shall be designed to prevent uplift of the supported structure. 2. Foundations penetrating expansive soils shall be designed to resist forces exerted on the foundation due to soil volume changes or shall be isolated from the expansive soil. What does this mean? Per IBC Chapter 18, Section 1805 foundation movement can occur and cause cracking to interior and exterior walls, so as “to prevent structural damage to the supported structure.” Keep in mind that interior sheetrock and exterior claddings are not structural. Structural damage would be to the wood frame (most common form of construction in the greater Houston area). “Deflection and racking of the supported structure shall be limited to that which will not interfere with the usability and serviceability of the structure.” I interpret “usability and serviceability of the structure” as capable of opening all doors and window frames without binding or walking across the foundation floor without feeling like it has a down-hill slope or bulge that would effect usability or cause a trip hazard. Too often an Inspector or Professional Inspector observes one or more deficiencies and recommends client consult a Structural Engineer without reporting their professional opinion of foundation performance; an opinion which is required by TREC. Hiring an experienced Professional Inspector to evaluate the foundation performance can give you peace of mind and save you money. Greg Genser, owner of Cypress Inspections is a Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) licensed Professional Real Estate Inspector #2962, International Code Council (ICC) Residential Combination Inspector #5186780-R5 and a Texas Master Electrician (TMEL) #12817. Visit www.cypressinspections.com for additional information.