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 New Jersey
home inspection NJ home
inspectors perform
Certified New Jersey home
inspections in NJ.
RAISED / BELOW-GRADE
FOUNDATION SYSTEM:
In modern construction raised foundations are
commonplace in many parts of the country and in
older structures everywhere. A characteristic of
raised foundations is that they almost always
have wooden floors. In association with raised
foundations are "grade beams" and/or
"posts and piers" utilized to support
the interior walls and floors of the structure.
. In some areas with excessive moisture and/or
alkaline soil it is common to see this type
foundation disintegrating or exhibiting heavy
efflorescence which leads to disintegration.
Generally the disintegration can be slowed or
halted with proper lot drainage, especially next
to the foundation. After you have established a
routine for lawn irrigation and/or are
comfortable with the lot drainage of your
property, you should review the foundation under
the house. Heavy moisture or efflorescence may
be an indicator of improper drainage or
irrigating techniques and should be corrected
accordingly. It is recommended that you annually
check for damages to this type foundation and
closely monitor any adverse conditions. Some
raised foundations are stepped. A stepped
foundation means that the foundation has various
elevations. Usually this type is used on
hillsides or other rough terrain. Stepped
foundations usually have minor hairline cracks
at the inside corner of each step and these
cracks are usually not reported by the
inspector. Some foundations which are built on
slight incline slopes may be sloped instead of
stepped. This method is obvious because the
framing members are not perpendicular to the
foundation top edge. Stepped foundations usually
have poured concrete footings with poured
concrete foundations or concrete blocks forming
the steps. Check for damages to this type
foundation yearly and closely monitor any
adverse conditions. "Below-grade"
means part of the foundation is below-grade or
below the ground surface outside the foundation
perimeter. This application may invite moisture
at some time during the life of the structure.
Try to control moisture around the building if
"below-grade" has been checked. The
inspector cannot possibly determine whether
water problems exist under raised or below-grade
structures unless water is present at the time
of the inspection. The presence of a "water
mark" on the inside of a foundation is not
necessarily an indicator of an ongoing water
problem but may be mentioned as evidence of past
moisture.
The above information was provided by TWI Systems Copyright 1995-2005 1-800-553-5660 |
