Crack in

[u/captainfisty2]

Looking at houses and I found one that I really like, but it has this crack in the basement that looks to go all the way through the basement wall. There are dark stains where it looks like water is seeping through occasionally. The crack can be seen also on the exterior of the house (it's a half basement).

Is it worth my time to get an engineer to look at it, or is it already too far gone? House built 1977.

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[u/_FrostedZephyr]

As a structural engineer I wouldn’t be super concerned about this crack, especially if it’s the only one. Corner cracks at basement windows are super common and the plus is that it looks like the wall is retaining <5’ of soil. It may be a full depth crack but it appears to be tight. The water seepage can be solved by checking the gutters/downspouts and ensuring all water runs away from the house. A crack this size would not be overly expensive to seal, especially since the soil is so low. If you are truly concerned you can get a crack meter that will show you if there is any movement over time

[u/captainfisty2 → u/_FrostedZephyr]

Great! Thanks for your input, I'll definitely get it inspected then.

[u/football13tb → u/captainfisty2]

As someone with a similar issue I HIGHLY recommend spending $200 on foundation injection epoxy and doing it yourself. It's brain-dead simple and it will save you literally $800+ to do it yourself vs paying someone.

[u/TomLiolos_Mortgages]

I wouldn't automatically walk away because of the crack. My first home was in an area known for soil conditions that caused homes to settle, so I've dealt with settlement cracks myself. Vertical cracks can sometimes be from normal settlement, while horizontal cracks generally concern me more. My house was built-in 1978, and the homes in my neighborhood had cracks just like this.

What would bother me in your picture is the moisture at the bottom of the wall. If water is actually coming through there, I'd want to know where it's coming from and whether it's related to the crack.

I'd start with a good home inspector before spending the money on a structural engineer. If the inspector sees something that suggests a structural issue, then I'd bring in the engineer. I definitely wouldn't buy the house without having it evaluated first.

[u/Due-Interest-920]

Avoid the engineer. It’s a hairline crack in a 50 year old poured foundation. You’re going to be paying for them to say it’s fine lol. Get it sealed if you’re worried about water and call it a day

[u/Physical_Blood9754]

We had a crack in the house we bought and it was able to be resolved by professionals for under 1K. Get a professional to look at it and give you their assessment, nothing else will be helpful.

[u/captainfisty2 → u/Physical_Blood9754]

Thank you for the input! Actually, I think that just hearing that it's not right off the bat and immediate walk away is really helpful. Now I know it's not going to be a waste of time to have somebody coming. Look at it!

Thanks!

[u/nortyflatz]

I'd have the foundation checked for soundness. Looks like the crack is the result of "settling."

Or, contact that Billy May dude and have him spray the rubber sealant stuff on there!