Misaligned Foundation Wall

[zero1238]

I inspected a house today with a pretty interesting issue. The house is 2 years old and the builder screwed up the foundation. He jogged it outward about 18" for 10' in the middle of the font wall, right below the front door. The town missed it when they went to inspect so the builder tried to cover his mistake by putting an 11-7/8" beam in to catch the joists and front exterior wall. I didn't observe any deflection but the owner said it leaks constantly whenever they get wind-driven rain. They actually fiberglassed, sealed, and flashed the entire length of the beam between the beam itself and the slab that runs up to it and that cantilevers over the block wall (which you'll see is being supported by angle iron now). He's wondering what the correct permanent fix would be and is ready to bump out the front section of the house so that it rests correctly on the foundation wall. Any thoughts on a good way to handle this. I'm thinking they didn't flash it correctly or maybe the fiberglass cracked from the weight of the concrete.

 

[dik]

Do you have a cross-section of the foundation wall, floor, and wall above to see what the condition is.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[zero1238]

I don't at the moment, But I know that the beam is carrying those joists and the exterior wall is sitting on top of the beam. The angle iron was put there to catch the front porch concrete slab and the block is 12"x16" masonry block.

 

[dik]

The issue is likely the building envelope, and a section is required to see how to keep the in 'in', and the out 'out'. Loading may not be an issue...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[jayrod12]

The issue is likely the building envelope

More often than not, this is the case. Unfortunately in most scenarios it isn't caught until the structure has suffered significant deterioration. Luckily in this case it appears to be caught early enough because the wood that is visible doesn't look to be in rough shape yet.

 

[dik]

Give it a bit... I'm interested in Brown Rot, too...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[kipfoot]

I wouldn't expect you to find a section that shows this... because if there was a section that was drawn right and followed, the owner wouldn't be in this situation. With that in mind, your next step is probably some selective demolition to determine exactly what's there before you can figure out a solution.

I think the door trim and some siding will need to be removed on the outside. On the interior, remove the angle and whatever else you can to expose the underside of the slab. If there was formwork left in place, it will rot first so get that out.

If the answer is to try to get better flashing across the joint, the door may also have to come out to get flashing tape where you need it around the opening. you might need to cover or disguise your new flashing with some type of paver on the porch.

 

[dik]

Because it's an 'as constructed' issue, it is a matter of drawing a section. You need an accurate section to address all the envelope issues, assuming they can be addressed. It may be a difficult fix to do it properly...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[zero1238]

What I actually decided on doing was to have the owner use a garden hose to saturate the front part of the door to see if he could pinpoint exactly where the leak was coming from. Still waiting to hear the results but figured this would be a good place to start. I'll keep everyone in the loop as this progresses.

 

[dik]

Need a section... hard to locate leaks and also the location of leaks...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik