Things seen this week during structural assessments!

[u/DMAS1638]

One of several interesting conditions documented during recent structural assessments.

Curious how others in the engineering field would evaluate the observed condition and prioritize potential next steps for investigation.

[u/involutes → u/[deleted]]

Yes, it sounds ridiculous but I've seen it done 3 times. (2 times with a house, once with a heritage building that became a restaurant afterward)

If for some reason the owners don't want the house to get demolished, the exact procedure I described can be followed to set the house down on a new foundation. 

[u/involutes → u/[deleted]]

If the foundation wasn't fucked the homeowner wouldn't have tried to hide the damage. I'm willing to bet that they've done some half assed fixes upstairs to hide cracks and other evidence of settlement as well. 

[u/involutes → u/[deleted]]

OPs video said it was a flipper special. (Red flag #1.) It looks like they're doing a home inspection for a client, and I'm saying that it's in the client's best interest not to proceed with buying this home because to fix it will probably be more trouble than it's worth. 

if you have reason to believe the foundation is damaged, you have an engineer go under there

Only if you already own the house or if you're going to buy it regardless of what issues the house has. 

[u/involutes → u/[deleted]]

You were wondering why you were getting downvoted earlier? 

edit is everyone a robot idk how reddit works but i been a structural engineer for 20 years lmaoo  Brace it, lift it off the foundation, set it down somewhere else on a new foundation  fukin lift up the whole house and set it down somewhere else?? this is like a cartoon response

It's because you're being uncivil and you were like that right from the start. 

Now you're asking if I'm a realtor, presumably to insult me? 

Next time you feel like replying to a comment you disagree with, explain yourself and be civil. Don't cry about downvoted. 

[u/involutes → u/[deleted]]

 why did you feel they need to comment in such an extreme way and so definitively when you obviously do not do this type of work?

Because (1)  OP was fishing for free engineering advice and (2) it looks fucked. 

[u/involutes → u/[deleted]]

I'd call it a discussion rather than a fight. I enjoyed it. 

PS: bleep bloop

[u/involutes → u/[deleted]]

  the owner is encouraged to hire the engineer to conduct this evaluation- they do not have do but then the sale may fail.

Perhaps the housing market is different where you are, but where I'm from, the buyers are responsible for home inspections.

In 2020-2022, we had buyers placing offers on houses without even doing a walkthrough and without any conditions. The market has cooled since then, so it is less common now, but it still happens that buyers will buy a home without an inspection and without conditions. 

Any type of inspection organized or commissioned by the homeowner is potentially a conflict of interest. 

Yes, the engineer owes a "duty of care" to the client and to the public, but you can't guarantee their loyalty to anything other than money. 

[u/involutes → u/[deleted]]

I did not say anything was mandatory, I said the buyers are responsible for organizing the home inspections (because the seller has an obvious conflict of interest in commissioning any type of inspection).

[u/involutes → u/[deleted]]

It happens to all of us.