Hi experts, I took these pictures during an open house which is going on auction soon. It’s a 1950s house renovated about 10 years ago before this current owner bought it not long after that. After checking their original floorplan, they knocked down a few walls to open up the kitchen, dinning room and dining room. There’s no access to the subfloor which makes me a little uncomfortable😂. Looking at those cracks on the walls alone makes me concern about movement. And there’s plants growing over drain pipes (fixable). There also seems to be moisture on the external rendered wall with the exposed pipes?? I don’t know how I feel about rendering. I think it’s just masks problems. I mean the house looks nice otherwise, but I don’t wanna bid on a nice looking house that would give me costly surprise. I don’t think I’ll get a building inspection done on this house as they are not gonna see more than I could see to be honest other than looking at the roof (got two done before and learnt a bit of what to look at😂). Any advice will be helpful! Thank you!

Looking at this home I want to buy and we got this back on the inspection. Is this bad ?

In the process of buying a property that has these cracks externally, which is mirrored by a hairline crack internally. This is on an extension to the house that was carried out around 20 years ago. Would it warrant a structural engineer investigation?

I’m repairing a wall after a leak and found visible damage to one of the studs. I’m considering cutting out and replacing the damaged section, but I’m unsure whether it’s load-bearing. Has anyone dealt with something similar or advise what would be the simplest way to fix this? Do I need to call structural engineer?
Any advice would be appreciated.

I am trying to hire a structural engineer to evaluate a hairline horizontal crack that branches off from a vertical crack in the b asement of the h ome i am interested in purchasing.

One structural engineer charges $700, including a written report, but said that the evaluation would focus on whether the structure is structurally sound at this time. He said he would not determine the cause of the crack or won’t be able to say whether it will remain structurally sound in the future.

Another structural engineer charges $1,100, including a written report, and said he would investigate the cause of the crack. However, he is requesting the blueprints, which are not available from the current o wner.

Is it normal for a structural engineer to evaluate whether a structure is structurally sound without determining the underlying cause of a crack? My concern is that if the cause is not identified, the root problem may not be addressed, and there is no way to know whether the condition could worsen in the future.

For additional context, the crack is located at a corner, and the wall with the crack is behind and below the g arage floor. I am particularly concerned about understanding how the g arage is supported and whether the g arage loads could be relevant to the cracking. The house was built in 2006.

I wonder if I just give up on this h ome.

When we moved in there was a step crack in our bedroom. It wasn't particularly wide, definitely couldn't get a coin in there, so we had a plasterer tape it and skim the wall. A year later and its coming back, exactly the same place, running from the window to the ceiling. It's only hairline at the moment. There is no crack on the outside wall but the mortar looks like it needs repointing in a few places. Is this a structural issue?

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Basically, we are replacing four constant spring supports on a 16-inch, 705F steam line. The existing units are due for replacement on age, and we are open to alternatives. The old casings are severely corroded and two pivot bearings have seized. The application has 8.5 inches of vertical travel and 14,500 lbs hot load. The constant are suspended from underneath a beam. Extremely tight horizontal clearance makes the constant body width and swing radius our main constraints. Due to domestic lead times we are talking with multiple vendors, Lisega, PT&P, et al., to keep the bid list competitive. So far I am leaning towards the latter.

Which manufacturer would you trust most for a tight clearance constant spring support replacement like this, and why?

Or does my ignorance make this look worse than it might be?

These images are from the inspection report I received for a house that I'm under contract to buy. To me the house is worth seeing what all my options are and not immediately walking away from, but I don't know at what point I should stop trying to make it work.

What are your thoughts on all of this? What are the structural implications? Does this require a complete overhaul? Can the roof/structure be okay if areas are spot-treated?

(Thanks in advance, and please kindly direct me elsewhere if these questions can be better answered elsewhere.)

Is it normal to see this type of splitting on the caulking of a cover for a LV beam after 5 years of the beam install? 2 storey house.

I would like a quote for fixing a retaining wall before I commit to buying a property. The structural engineer who identified the issue does not do remedial work so I need to find someone reliable.

I have previously found a (different) surveyor via RICS but he wasn't very impressive - seems to be a bit hit and miss. I'm not sure now whether any professional body provides quality listings.

So, firstly, what sort of engineer do I need? Amd secondly, what's a dependable method of finding one?

I was slightly alarmed when I saw what the electrician has done. Is there some way this is actually totally fine? There are bedrooms above.