Bought an old house with many cracks

[Berc Er]

Happy new year everyone, I felt like I made a mistake by buying this house at the beginning of 2020, the lady owner who sold this house to me obviously couldn’t look after it as the house was in a such condition where i had to replace the roof the gutters, the sewer cast iron pipe, water heater, there were drainage issues along the left side of the foundation, overflowing downspouts etc.. lots of things were wrong, I hired a house Inspector before buying and I didn’t care about the cracks as the property inspector even didn’t think that they were important, after i bought the property I then decided to bring a structural engineer which i should have done this before buying but hey this is a lesson.

Structural engineer basically said those cracks were result of a slight differential movement, he added that there are no cracks on the bricks which is good, so keep monitoring those cracks.. since I bought the property I have spent around $25K to replace roof and anything and everything, i am working with a property management company as well as a very experienced contractor, no sloping floors, no new cracks or cracks in the repaired cracks appeared since I bought the house ( around 3.5 years) None of the cracks are wider than 1 / 4 inch, i think they are about 1 / 8 , but one crack has allowed water inside and it can be seen from inside of the property, but those cracks been repaired by DWYER, this rental house is in Cincinnati so the weather is very cold in the winter, hot in the summer. lots of rain, my contractor assured me that this is not a structural issue, so the structural engineer told me that the house has no structural problems

Cracks are mainly on the corners and under windows , on the side there are 3 cracks, and there are some at the (garden side) back of the house, i am posting some photos also, my question is that i was very concerned about these cracks, but it has been 3.5 years and no sign of movement, if there was a bad case of settlement, how long would it take to see some more cracks around the house, do you think that 3.5 years of any new crack is a good sign? we are still monitoring those cracks, many thanks for all the advice & answers in advance

[Thomas]

On Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 7:45:10 PM UTC-5, Berc Er wrote:

20 years now and no noticeable new cracks to worry about. My house is about 50 years old now. It is on a steep hill where on one side the ground level is on the first floor ish and the opposite side is a full walk in basement.

[trader_4]

On Sunday, January 29, 2023 at 7:15:36 AM UTC-5, Thomas wrote:

Agree. He even has a structural engineer telling him not to worry. Just need to deal with the exterior ones as needed to keep them filled so that water doesn't get inside. it doesn't take much movement to crack concrete. If there was a serious, major problem it would be apparent by now.

[HomeOwnersHub Advisor]

It's great to hear that you have taken steps to address the issues with your property and that your contractor and structural engineer have assured you that there are no structural problems. Based on the information you have provided, it seems like the cracks you're seeing are likely due to cosmetic settling and not structural settling.

If there was a significant structural settling problem, you would likely see new cracks appearing within a relatively short time frame, typically within a few months to a year. The fact that you haven't seen any new cracks in 3.5 years is a good sign and suggests that the house is stable.

It's always wise to continue monitoring the cracks and if you notice any new cracks or changes in the size or appearance of the existing cracks, you should have a professional inspect the property to ensure that there are no structural problems.

Additionally, if you are experiencing water infiltration through the cracks, you may want to consider installing a waterproofing system, such as a French drain or an exterior waterproofing membrane, to prevent further damage.

In conclusion, based on the information provided, it is unlikely that the cracks you are seeing are a cause for major concern. However, it is always good to be vigilant and keep a close eye on any changes or new developments.

[Berg]

first of all many thanks for your answer, it is always great to have expert opinion, the good news is that no water infiltration occurred since DWYER repairs, as i have many cracks around the house especially on the left side and the rear garden side, the only thing i would like to do is painting the basement walls to cover those cracks with a special paint so it can protect the walls.

I was thinking about parging but my contractor advice me to go for paint, i know it is a cost but at the end house will look better.

[Berg]

many thanks, no water intrusion anymore since DWYER repaired that particular crack, i am thinking of painting the foundation wall to cover the cracks, so house will look refreshed hopefully

[Berg]

hopefully it will stay without cracks for years to come, i hate cracks but at the same time i do understand there is always a reason behind, all i can do is to keep the house very well maintained and hope for the best really, but also have plans to paint the walls

[micky]

What's a DWYER?

[Thomas]

[Berg]

Dwyer is one of the largest foundation repair, concrete lifting, deep foundation and earth retention companies in the US.

[micky]

Thanks. They should know what they're doing.

[Scott Lurndal]

Another spammer. That is quoted directly from their home page, word-for-word.

[Berg]

i copy pasted as i thought this explanation would be much better than my own description to be honest, thanks for checking them, good general knowledge :)

[Berg]

fingers crossed