Need advice on foundation repair.

[Turtle13]

The wife and I are looking at new houses. Since the market is so bad right now we have a shot at a house for less than 10k. The property is pretty overgrown but with some TLC that's easy to take care of. Someone has obviously put a lot of work into making the inside nice.

Anyway, my main point. The basement walls have cracks here and there and from the looks of it there's some water issues due to the cracks. I'm currently poking around on the internet to get an idea of what can be done and for how much money. Anyone out there know exactly what I'd be getting into? If I should even bother? Keep in mind if its a few thousand dollars to get it fixed I may be able to use that for leverage and get the house really cheap. (It's not uncommon in this area right now for a house to be sold for a 2 to 5k if theres something wrong with it.)

So any factoids, ballpark prices or advice of any sort is appreciated.

[troy96]

Are the walls bowed in?

[Turtle13]

Are the walls bowed in?

One wall looks as if it may be a little. If it is bowed, it's so slight at this point its hard to notice. It so happens that this wall is the one with the driveway just outside.

[larry_minn]

Call a local business that does this kind of work. Have them come and give you a estimate. (you will have the realitor along I assume) They won't let you have a expert evaluate it WALK AWAY.

[Mnukedude]

Yup, foundation repairs can be huge money. I've dropped $7000 on mine so far.

[Turtle13]

It looks to me that the one wall that has a slight tilt needs steel beams sunk and a partial wall built then fill with cement (I learned that in my internet travels). The other ones can be sealed. The basement isn't really big either. I guess the real question is, if I can get the house really cheap is it worth fixing the foundation? They want $9900 for it, due to the foundation I'm sure I could work them much lower.

[Glock 19 God]

It looks to me that the one wall that has a slight tilt needs steel beams sunk and a partial wall built then fill with cement (I learned that in my internet travels). The other ones can be sealed. The basement isn't really big either. I guess the real question is, if I can get the house really cheap is it worth fixing the foundation? They want $9900 for it, due to the foundation I'm sure I could work them much lower.

It is Flint. Why would you ever spend any amount of money on a house in Flint? Don't people give houses away in Flint just so they can leave? :tongueout:

I am kidding. I really think your best option is to have a professional come in and inspect the wall. People online can speculate all they want, but that will be the only way for you to truly know how much money it will cost to repair this houses foundation. Best of luck to you, though. I hope you end up getting a nice deal on a house. I am about to be going through the same process up here in Saginaw.

[troy96]

What I used to do is dig around the house down to the footers. Push walls back to their position then place a beam. Seal the walls on the outside cover with a heavy mill plastic. Fill the trench with stone.

Its a do it yourself job. If its a small house it would take a few days.

[Turtle13]

It is Flint. Why would you ever spend any amount of money on a house in Flint? Don't people give houses away in Flint just so they can leave? :tongueout:

I am kidding. I really think your best option is to have a professional come in and inspect the wall. People online can speculate all they want, but that will be the only way for you to truly know how much money it will cost to repair this houses foundation. Best of luck to you, though. I hope you end up getting a nice deal on a house. I am about to be going through the same process up here in Saginaw.

We are only searching certain neighborhoods that we know are ok. The north side is completely out. You can literally by a jacked up house stripped of copper plumbing and wiring on the north end for under 1k. I've seen one particular house for 350 bucks. We're looking on the eastern side basically on the edge of Flint. I was pleasantly surprised when several neighbors came up and asked if we were thinking about buying the house, introductions, shaking of hands...our current neighborhood is alright but this sort of neighborly attitude doesn't exist there.

I'm really torn on this house. The entire house has been upgraded and had some care taken to make it nice. The back patio room needs carpet, as does the master bedroom and a teeny hallway upstairs. My kids are thrilled with it (a small factor). It's about 500 sq feet larger than what we have. That foundation is going to make or break our decision on the house. It's a gem sitting on a turd and it may be had for a very cheap price. That means no mortgage payment and the ability to LIVE again...not simply exist.

How's Saginaw's housing market? Same as Flint? Good luck on your hunt over there in Saginaw.

[m2hmghb]

There is supposed to be a type of epoxy that fills in cracks, I've heard about it but don't know much about it. It seems that you may have more issues though. I'd call in some contractors after exposing it and get some opinions.

[Turtle13]

What I used to do is dig around the house down to the footers. Push walls back to their position then place a beam. Seal the walls on the outside cover with a heavy mill plastic. Fill the trench with stone.

Its a do it yourself job. If its a small house it would take a few days.

The wall in question I wouldn't want to mess with. The cement driveway is right snug with the house on the other side of it.

[Turtle13]

There is supposed to be a type of epoxy that fills in cracks, I've heard about it but don't know much about it. It seems that you may have more issues though. I'd call in some contractors after exposing it and get some opinions.

I read about the epoxy, but if theres already a bit of a moisture problem that might be a bad deal.

I'm simply being an armchair speculator right now. As soon as the funds come in I'll be on it. Talk to someone about basement repair and the realtor.

[Glock 19 God]

How's Saginaw's housing market? Same as Flint? Good luck on your hunt over there in Saginaw.

I am not quite sure how it is compared to Flint. Saginaw has been on an exponentially increasing decline in the past 5-10 years. We have a horrible crime rate, drop-out rate, and un-employment rate. Most of the problems used to be fairly isolated to the East-side of Saginaw, which was across the river. However, it has slowly crept across the river and polluted many of the old lumber baron themed neighborhoods. What I mean by lumber baron neighborhoods are a block with a extremely large old mansion on it surrounded by what used to be very nice "normal" houses.

It seems like people have been continually moving west by a few blocks. The homes they leave to the east are then bought up by slum-lords and/or just plain lazy idiots and they have decayed beyond repair. The decay which not only ruins the houses and blocks, but brings the crime further west is slowly taking over the actual city of Saginaw. Most of the houses in downtown Saginaw are just plain garbage now. And, the problems surrounding those neighborhoods make them impossible to live in for law-abiding hard-working folks. The prices in the city of Saginaw for homes reflect everything I have stated.

There is Saginaw Township which is very nice. It is a very stereotypical suburb. The prices are not so bad on the homes in the Township. Unless you are looking at some of those little "we have money" subdivisions. The problem with the Township is that the taxes are extremely high.

There is quite a few decisions I am going to need to make, which will require me to weigh the pros and cons of the different neighborhoods, social problems, and taxes.

[Turtle13]

There is quite a few decisions I am going to need to make, which will require me to weigh the pros and cons of the different neighborhoods, social problems, and taxes.

I hear that! The north side of Flint is where its really bad out here. The other areas seem to be getting better. That fact is probably making the north end worse (they gotta go somewhere), but I'm not about to venture into that neighborhood to find out.

My parents live in Carrollton (sp?) just east of 675. Their neighborhood is pretty nice. I used to live on Michigan ave. near the hospital.

[armorplated]

It's foolish to solicit such opinions on something like GT re structural issues. It you're thinking of spending (what sounds to me like $20k, give or take) thousands, then go ahead and spend a couple hundred for a housing inspector/structural engineer to look at it.

[Turtle13]

It's foolish to solicit such opinions on something like GT re structural issues. It you're thinking of spending (what sounds to me like $20k, give or take) thousands, then go ahead and spend a couple hundred for a housing inspector/structural engineer to look at it.

What's foolish is to tell someone that their probe for information is foolish. Opinions don't cost hundreds of dollars, which is something I currently don't have anyway. That's why I'm here and not on the phone with an inspector or a basement repair company. You greatly underestimate the Glocktalk brain trust. It can be a good point in the right direction.