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inspectors perform
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inspections in NJ.
HILLSIDE / CUT AND FILL LOT (slight / moderate / steep)
The intent of this item is to acquaint the prospective buyer of a
hillside site with some visible conditions which may be indicators of
future site problems Erosion problems are usually the major concerns of
hillside property owners, however, buildings constructed on cut and fill
lots can experience damage at the edge of the cut where the fill begins
if the fill has not been properly compacted. Watch for signs of
settlement such as cracked siding, cracked foundations or slabs, even
cracks in the surrounding grounds, that appear to be over or near the
fill and cut juncture. Often personal items will cover cracks in walls,
slabs, and other areas. These cracks may not be visible to the inspector
and will not be reported. It is highly recommended that you look closely
during your final walk-through for any evidence of settlement or
movement Cracking over doors and windows can be an indication of
settlement or lateral movement. Impending mud slides on the slope face
below the structure are often visible as small or large cracks on the
level pad above Where these cracks occur, they should be covered with a
plastic sheeting held in place by sand bags. The plastic sheet should be
placed over the slope face as well and anchored with sand bags. Water
entering earth cracks on or above a hillside can quickly accelerate a
potential slide Provide proper drainage and check drainage devices each
autumn Uncontrolled water is the enemy of the hillside property owner.
The rain runoff must be collected and directed to the paved street or
storm drain or into leach systems The level pad area should have free
flow to the street by either positive flow or area drains and pipes.
Yard drains are often seen in the lawn area and can be identified by
their cover grates Yard drains should be checked each year to see that
water is flowing to the street. This can be easily accomplished with a
garden hose. Water should be seen exiting into the street in a few
minutes. If the grate is above the level of the yard, or water is not
seen flowing to the street, there may be problem which could produce
severe damage to the property Roof gutters and down-drains should be
provided on all hillside structures. If you don't have roof gutters,
they should be installed prior to the next rainy season Older gutters
should be replaced, if damaged, and downspouts checked to see that water
is flowing in the down-drain pipes and not onto the pad or over the
slope. The gutters need to be cleaned each year of leaves and other
debris Eliminate rodents and gophers. Animal burrows and tunnels leading
from the level portion of the building site can conduct water to the
slope face below resulting in a mud slide. Gophers are the most common
pest and should be exterminated Plant all slopes with approved ground
cover. Good planting, however, will not prevent a slope failure. The
ground cover roots are only a few inches deep, whereas the failure
surface of a mud slide is usually three feet or more. The ground cover
will prevent erosion and carrying away of the soil cover which can fill
the terrace drains and down-drains and, in turn, promote a slope
failure. Raw slopes should be covered with plastic during the heavy
rainy period Do not over-irrigate slopes. Restrict watering on the slope
so as not to promote saturation. An equivalent one inch a week during
summer should be sufficient to fully promote a healthy growth Construct
and maintain debris walls. Canyon dwellings suffer the most damage due
to mud slides. Where a retaining wall is already on the property, it
should be checked for leaning and weep holes. If the wall is more than
three percent out of plumb, it is in danger of collapse Some old walls
are not drained because the weep holes at the bottom were omitted. If
your wall has no weep holes, have a contractor install some, especially
if adverse conditions are noted The area behind the wall should be free
of recent slide material, and water should not be entering the backfill
New walls should be constructed with a paved drain so that the backfill
is not saturated. A licensed contractor should be employed on all
hillside construction. Avoid contractors who avoid permits. Qualified
inspection by the Municipal Building Department and a professional
engineer can save you money and possibly your property Again, we suggest
you consult a Professional Engineer or Geologist when purchasing your
hillside property. The Professional Hillside Engineer/Geologist can
point out the drains and other devices which should be maintained and
may have suggestions for improving stability Note: This inspection,
being a visual inspection, cannot possibly reveal whether soil
contamination exists from fuel tank leakage or from any other source.
Further, the inspection, being a visual inspection, cannot ascertain the
stability of the site. If this item concerns you it is recommended that
you contact the owner of the property or previous owners for further
information or you may Of course, properly compacted cut and fill lots
will pose no problem Older lots which are cut and filled, which have not
settled, apparently have stood the test of time The inspector will
usually indicate one of the three slopes, steep, moderate, or slight.
Slight to moderate slopes are generally of little concern provided there
are no retaining walls on the property and provided there is adequate
drainage Some of the conditions that the buyer of a steep lot should be
aware of are as follows: The most important thing for the buyer to keep
in mind is to be concerned with the location of slopes on the site and
how close the building is located to these slopes Obviously, the higher
the slope and the closer the building is to the slope, the greater the
chances are for problems Carefully examine the provisions for drainage
on the slopes and around the building area to insure that site drainage
is positively diverted from the property without ponding or erosion.
Also, the condition of slope drains is very important, and unfortunately
the inspector cannot check this for you, inasmuch as their condition may
not be entirely visible The severity of mudflow problems from natural
slopes seems to be directly related to the proximity of the building to
an ascending slope Most problems occur on steeper slopes which have a
heavy accumulation of soil On sites where the building is located in an
area adjoining a natural slope, caution should be exercised concerning
the soil-slump and mudflows into the building area. Denuded or grass
covered portions of slopes surrounded by normal native plants may be
indicators of past areas of slump or mudflow The portion of a natural
slope found most susceptible to slump failure and mudflows is within a
swale or small natural canyon area where moisture concentrates during
periods of rainfall The property should be checked for visible cracks
within the building and surrounding grounds. While there are numerous
causes for cracks in the ground or structure, none of these causes are
beneficial, but could be attributed to many causes varying in importance
from nuisancetype expansive soils to the more hazardous deep-fill
settlement and soil/bed rock down-slope creep Other than cracks,
evidence of down-slope creep is observable in bowed or tilted trees,
hummocky or bumpy appearing terrain, fence posts and poles tilted from a
vertical position, and broken or displaced retaining walls or street
curbs If such evidence is observed, a qualified engineering geologist
and/or a qualified soils engineer should be consulted prior to purchase
of the property. The geologist could be requested to investigate the
surface conditions of the lot and to discuss areas of potential problems
with the prospective buyer On properties where long driveways or private
streets are used for vehicular access to the building areas, a careful
examination of the road pavement for cracks or recent repairs should be
made In addition, the condition of the slopes above and below the
roadway should be inspected for possible slope problems and provisions
for adequate drainage controls on the slope and roadway The occurrence
of abundant burrowing rodents such as gophers may indicate that a loose
fill or weathered soil/bed rock condition underlies the site. The
combination of loose earth materials and the network of rodent holes
usually provides a slope highly susceptible to saturation and slump-type
failure On downhill properties the condition of the curb and sidewalk at
the top of the slope can usually provide some insight into the
performance of the slope The existence of a wooden-bulkhead below the
street can be a sign that erosion problems have already occurred
PROTECTING YOUR HILLSIDE PROPERTY Check for cracks. Disturbance to the
soil and rock which support your hillside property is often manifested
in the form of cracking of patio flatwork and floor slabs desire to
order a Technical Inspection from the inspection company.
The above information was provided by TWI Systems Copyright 1995-2005 1-800-553-5660
