What is the foundation?

Building a foundation is the first step in building a house!

The first step of building a foundation is to make a space of about 1m depth on this land, and then pile up cement piers around the space.

The interior of the space is hollow and is used to lay the house's sewer pipes and electrical circuits, etc. So the cement piers are the load-bearing part of the house, called the foundation wall.

The cement piers contain steel reinforcement, which is earthquake-proof. When an earthquake occurs, these reinforcement bars advance with the cement of the foundation so that the foundation does not break.

Without these rebar, the cement piers would break into pieces even in a minor earthquake.

Next you can build a wooden structure directly on the foundation.

What is crawslspace?

Simply put, a cavity in the foundation wall is crawslspace.

There will be a separate item on crawslspace in the home inspection report, and it is important to understand the focus of the report on termite/pest infestation.

If the crawlspace reveals a large number of wood fragments or if you see wood that is breaking, then it is likely that dry wood termites are living in the wood.

If a large number of white crystals are found in crawlspace, it is not necessarily a big deal and does not mean it is okay.

The first thing a home inspector should do is tell if this is crystal salt or mold. Salt dissolves in water, but mold does not, so you can use a brush dipped in water to identify it.

Crystallization is a common occurrence that indicates your crawslspace is too wet. Only by testing the drainage system can you tell if the crawslspace is badly damaged by drainage and if the drainage system needs to be repaired.

Of course, we can also take moisture-proof measures for crawslspace. But such crystals will still appear from time to time, so cleaning the surface of the crystal salt is more of a routine maintenance than a once and for all approach.

Removing mold is not difficult and can cost between $500-$4,000 depending on the severity of the mold.

First, you can look for cracks in the walls or foundation walls of your home.

Finding cracks in the foundation during a home inspection is not terrible. After all, the movement of the earth's crust and changes in temperature can cause tiny cracks in concrete piers or walls.

All the more reason to observe whether these cracks are getting larger to determine whether the foundation needs immediate repair.

Large cracks, generally speaking, transverse cracks are more serious. There are three types of cracks:transverse cracks, diagonal cracks and longitudinal cracks.

Longitudinal cracks are common, usually vertical, or no more than 30 degrees off vertical, and are usually caused by foundation settlement.

You can imagine the foundation wall cracking into several complete concrete piers, but the load bearing capacity of each concrete pier remains unaffected because the vertical direction is still full of rigidity.

These cracks are relatively easy to repair, just fill the cracks and the cost is not high.

Oblique cracks are generally 30 -75 degree cracks. This type of crack is usually caused by the height difference of the foundation. This crack may be as thin as a hair or as wide as a hair, and the severity varies greatly depending on the situation.

In some cases, installing a better canopy may be sufficient because too much rain and too much moisture in one part of the soil can lead to uneven foundation heights. But sometimes, after the cracks are filled, there is a big cost to solve the problem of different forces on the foundation at different heights.

Transverse cracks are very serious. It is usually the change of earth pressure or hydrostatic pressure that causes the displacement of the foundation wall mentioned above, and the reinforcement in the concrete also deforms a lot. This kind of crack is very difficult and expensive to repair, and it is better not to buy it.

If the stairs of this house are very inclined, the foundation may have large cracks that may cause uneven foundation on all sides.

Also, doors and windows that won't close, or cracks in the tiles in the house are things to look out for. All of these require you to study the part about the foundation carefully during the home inspection.

The cost of repairing the foundation?

If you just fix the cracks in the foundation, it may cost a few thousand dollars, but replacing the foundation is expensive and troublesome to do.

For a small house, a simple foundation repair can cost $30,000-$40,000, while for a large house on a hill, foundation replacement or repair can cost up to $200,000!