SuperBalla Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 So our Inspector is incredibly anal (for our new home) and looks under every carpet fiber and pine needle outside. He finds a crack in a 25' brick wall on the master bedroom side of our home. It starts from the ceiling and follows the bricks, stepping down, "staircase" pattern down to your knees height. The Inspector says it is Cosmetic. How should I react? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 So our Inspector is incredibly anal (for our new home) and looks under every carpet fiber and pine needle outside. He finds a crack in a 25' brick wall on the master bedroom side of our home. It starts from the ceiling and follows the bricks, stepping down, "staircase" pattern down to your knees height. The Inspector says it is Cosmetic. How should I react? It depends on a multitude of factors. I believe the house we bought was already a deal. Our inspection resulted in a $100 dollar sellers service of the furnace and $900 off the asking price, as is; I was good to go. I would have been fine with the $100 furnace service/evaluation on the sellers dime. React as you think is necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double Agent Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Those "cosmetic" cracks can cause problems when trying to get homeowners insurance. If the company inspects the exterior, some tend to freak over those things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Those "cosmetic" cracks can cause problems when trying to get homeowners insurance. If the company inspects the exterior, some tend to freak over those things. Houses settle. It may or may not be a big deal. On our last house we found a crack on the foundation in the concrete. I paid a structural engineer about $100+ to come in and look at and write a one-page signed and stamp letter that concluded it wasn't a big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBalla Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 It depends on a multitude of factors. I believe the house we bought was already a deal. Our inspection resulted in a $100 dollar sellers service of the furnace and $900 off the asking price, as is; I was good to go. I would have been fine with the $100 furnace service/evaluation on the sellers dime. React as you think is necessary. I am buying this house for a lot of money...no "real deal" here. Just curious if anybody knows about cracks in a brick veneer wall and will it cause problems? Will it get worse? TIA Those "cosmetic" cracks can cause problems when trying to get homeowners insurance. If the company inspects the exterior, some tend to freak over those things. State Farm, especially in Louisiana, has been a mother slut when being cool with people that pay premiums. Unlike, Bush, I feel that this Inspector put his kok in the seller of our home. He gave many "Marginals" in areas that I wouldn't show my doctor. So...I am just a little scared of pulling the trigger on such a massive purchase if my bedroom is going to fall while I am drooling in my sleep. Again...TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chappy Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I am buying this house for a lot of money...no "real deal" here. Just curious if anybody knows about cracks in a brick veneer wall and will it cause problems? Will it get worse? TIA I'm not really sure what will happen with the crack, however, I have two cracks in my house, up by the ceiling, that are very visible during the warmer months and not nearly as visible in the colder months. It's just a matter of settling in my case and nothing to be concerned about and it may very well be the same thing in yours. However, I understand your concern over this matter. Good Luck with the big purchase and congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 (edited) Hard to say. The mortar will crack with a little settling over the years. Back in Houston, houses settled all the time due to the nature of the soil (no bed rock; lots of flooding) so that was normal. But that was like over a 10 year period of time. So that kind of stuff is typikal with older homes. If you've got a "new" house it should not have cracks like that right away, though. Edited March 28, 2008 by yo mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBalla Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 Foundation checked out...according to this freak "problem magnet". He found missing light bulbs, a window that seemed fogged, a ground wire not connected outside, the attic ladder with loose screws, and an attic beam not attached. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I am buying this house for a lot of money...no "real deal" here. Just curious if anybody knows about cracks in a brick veneer wall and will it cause problems? Will it get worse? TIA If you are concerned about it, pay someone who is an expertise in their field to evaluate it. Not that any of the following are guarantees...but how old is the house? Are the neighboring houses built similarly? Where they built by the same contractor? If so, are they having significant structural problems? When we paid for our structural evaluation I was already convinced it wasn't a big deal but I thought it was worth the piece of mind and thought it might be valuable when we sold (but the people who bought our house never inspected it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chappy Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Foundation checked out...according to this freak "problem magnet". He found missing light bulbs, a window that seemed fogged, a ground wire not connected outside, the attic ladder with loose screws, and an attic beam not attached. Missing lightbulbs- what are you going to do? Fogged window- possible busted seal and moisture inside, therefore possibly requiring it to be replaced. Ground wire- not sure maybe some type of lighting which has since been removed? Attic beam- a quick fix. Maybe I'm just an optomist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double Agent Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 State Farm, especially in Louisiana, has been a mother slut when being cool with people that pay premiums. Unlike, Bush, I feel that this Inspector put his kok in the seller of our home. He gave many "Marginals" in areas that I wouldn't show my doctor. It's late and I may not be understanding what you're saying because of it. State Farm is typically a hard ass when it comes to inspections. As far as Louisiana goes, they got hammered after Katrina and ultimately were sued for not paying claims. So if they're being lenient on inspections in LA it would really surprise me...considering the lawsuits and major losses not too long ago. They're not lenient in Texas...I know that first hand. Does the section of wall with the crack have an expansion joint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I didn't spend the time to read the responses to your post, Balla, but knowing where you live.... I think this is a very minor issue and I don't think it's that big of a deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outshined Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 (edited) Those "cosmetic" cracks can cause problems when trying to get homeowners insurance. If the company inspects the exterior, some tend to freak over those things. I assume that they have an agreement in place since they have scheduled the inspection. In my experience (Minnesota), it is not the Insurance company that will have issue with that, it will be the mortgage company. They will send out an appraiser and that will get flagged if it is serious. Depending on what loan program you are financing with, it might require a "work order" meaning it needs to be repaired before closing. I am buying this house for a lot of money...no "real deal" here. Just curious if anybody knows about cracks in a brick veneer wall and will it cause problems? Will it get worse? TIA State Farm, especially in Louisiana, has been a mother slut when being cool with people that pay premiums. Unlike, Bush, I feel that this Inspector put his kok in the seller of our home. He gave many "Marginals" in areas that I wouldn't show my doctor. So...I am just a little scared of pulling the trigger on such a massive purchase if my bedroom is going to fall while I am drooling in my sleep. Again...TIA The inspection is for you to know if there are any hidden problems. At least here in Minnesota, the buyer is the only one who sees the inspection report. Foundation checked out...according to this freak "problem magnet". He found missing light bulbs, a window that seemed fogged, a ground wire not connected outside, the attic ladder with loose screws, and an attic beam not attached. All that stuff is good info. Next you need to decide if you want to have those items fixed by the seller prior to closing, price reduction and you will fix them after closing. Everything is negotiable...If you get too picky, they may agree to another offer if it is a hot property. Edited March 28, 2008 by Outshined Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 They will send out an appraiser and that will get flagged if it is serious. As mentioned in a previous thread; our appraiser didn't even step foot inside our house. Real estate agents, mortgage loan people, and appraisers are generally spawns of Satan. Again, Balla; if you have legitimate concerns, take care of it before you make a significant purchase. Your general question is getting a query of answers because it lacks specifics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundaynfl Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 If you have concerns about any inspection issues ask the seller to throw in a home warranty which is similar to a used car warranty. This may help alleviate some concerns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Cracks can allow water to get in behind the veneer. It is not a structural issue, but freezing and thawing cycles will make it worse. It should be repaired. Its probably not an expensive fix, but I'd get an estimate just to be sure I knew what I was getting into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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