Issues with newer build, advice?

6 years ago

We built our house through a builder 2 years ago. Recently we've started noticing quite a few issues with our foundation/slab and possible settling issues. They came after 1 year and patched cracks, etc in our exterior stucco but within 6m they all reappeared. We have screws popping everywhere inside our house now, several areas that now sound like they're hollow under the slab, our garage floor will actually shift up and down when you stand on the corner of one slab, etc. Our warranty covers "structural issues" for 10 years. Are these considered structural?

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User

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

No one here can say with certainty that these are structural issues. They sure don't sound great. You need someone on site who is a structural engineer to do a full inspection and present you with the findings in a report. It will cost a few hundred to a thousand or so depending on your area but its money well spent.

This is why I only buy old houses. If settling occurs after 100 years its expected, and the build quality/materials is/are typicalyl not achievable today. I see houses go up around me that are literally glued together. They are not built to last ten years much less a century or more.

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Comments (6)

Izzy Mn
6 years ago
My nephew had some serious water intrusion issues. The builders would barely respond. When they did the did a minimal ineffective "fix". He hired his own private inspector to list problems and possible fixes. It was the only way he got any action... but that included a law suit. Hire your own structural professional to inspect.
PRO
Charles Ross Homes
6 years ago
Your question is really twofold: 1.) Do the symptoms indicate a structural issue that should be remedied? 2.) Will the remediation be covered by the builder's warranty?

I recommend you hire an independent inspector to evaluate the defects. A structural engineer (licensed to practice in your state) will serve you well for this purpose because they can serve as an expert witness in court if it gets to that.

With respect to your builder's warranty obligation, some states have statutory requirements builders need to meet. Here in Virginia, for example, home builders are obligated to warranty the foundation of a new home for five years. A quick call to the office that licenses contractors in your state should provide an answer to what obligations your builder has.

Best wishes for a successful outcome.
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Bruce in Northern Virginia
6 years ago
If your garage floor shifts up and down from just the weight of a person, you need to hire someone ASAP to figure out what is going on. I can't even picture that happening with a cement slab and only a couple hundred pounds of weight.

Bruce
PRO
Virgil Carter Fine Art
6 years ago
Call a structural engineer for a site visit and report. Ask the engineer to bring a foundation water level to check the foundation levels inside the house to see if there is subsidence.

Does the exterior grading slope away from the house and prevent "ponding" against the foundation? Do you have gutters and downspouts, which have splash blocks to route water away from the foundation?
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Excessive settlement is structural. What supports a slab is structural. Some cracking is structural. A lot of screw pops could be other things like using screws that are too long or green lumber. Take one out and measure it; it's a common mistake.