Big long crack in garage - what does it mean?
March 7, 2010 7:34 PM Subscribe
On a recent home inspection, we saw a scary crack running the whole length of the detached garage. The garage is about 25 feet from the rest of the unit. Yes there's a drainage problem on one side of the garage. How horrific is this crack and what is the worst case scenario for the foundation? How much does it cost to repair?
Here are photos of the crack:
http://imgur.com/Xwh4B.jpg
http://imgur.com/l2mhT.jpg
http://imgur.com/TWF2N.jpg
http://imgur.com/G2aS7.jpg
Here are photos of the crack:
http://imgur.com/Xwh4B.jpg
http://imgur.com/l2mhT.jpg
http://imgur.com/TWF2N.jpg
http://imgur.com/G2aS7.jpg
Ha, what are you doing inspecting my garage? Let me guess, one side is on the alley, one side on a grade? It sure looks like my garage, in which case that slab is cracked because the side of the garage on the edge of the hill is sinking. You can try putting a spirit level on various parts of the floor and seeing whether the floor is slanted. In my case the side entry door of the garage keeps getting out of true (in 8 years I've rehung it twice) and I'm starting to see it take the first little signs of a toll on the garage itself as the level side of the garage is starting to strain against the dropping side. That's not a worst case scenario but it's not great.
It's really hard to answer how bad it is, impossible from just the pictures. If you want to take it into account making an offer or something, you would really need to get a pro to look at it and get some quotes. How much it will cost to repair it depends on the exact situation, the size of the garage, what sort of situation is causing the break and who you want to deal with it, which could range from knocking it down and starting over to trying to shore up the foundation by injecting a stabilizing mixture under it (look into mudjacking or slabjacking).
On the plus side in our situation it is really a slow process. It will be many years before we're really forced to deal with it (probably be the level getting sufficiently out of whack that the main car-entry door will start getting hung up by slight warpage of its rails). It would be many, many years after that that it actually became structurally dangerous and there would be plenty of warning of that apparent in the wood structure. Basically I'm wavering between trying a repair job to bring the side back up to true versus letting it fall apart for 10-20 years and then starting from scratch. It's old and small, but on the other hand it's a very decent little building, really, so it isn't an easy decision. Remediation would definitely be cheaper but it's less certain.
If it were in the house I would be totally freaking out but the garage, eh. I hate the idea of the expense but that's home ownership. You're looking at something from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, long story short, no way to know what for sure without getting quotes on various options.
posted by nanojath at 8:16 PM on March 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's really hard to answer how bad it is, impossible from just the pictures. If you want to take it into account making an offer or something, you would really need to get a pro to look at it and get some quotes. How much it will cost to repair it depends on the exact situation, the size of the garage, what sort of situation is causing the break and who you want to deal with it, which could range from knocking it down and starting over to trying to shore up the foundation by injecting a stabilizing mixture under it (look into mudjacking or slabjacking).
On the plus side in our situation it is really a slow process. It will be many years before we're really forced to deal with it (probably be the level getting sufficiently out of whack that the main car-entry door will start getting hung up by slight warpage of its rails). It would be many, many years after that that it actually became structurally dangerous and there would be plenty of warning of that apparent in the wood structure. Basically I'm wavering between trying a repair job to bring the side back up to true versus letting it fall apart for 10-20 years and then starting from scratch. It's old and small, but on the other hand it's a very decent little building, really, so it isn't an easy decision. Remediation would definitely be cheaper but it's less certain.
If it were in the house I would be totally freaking out but the garage, eh. I hate the idea of the expense but that's home ownership. You're looking at something from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, long story short, no way to know what for sure without getting quotes on various options.
posted by nanojath at 8:16 PM on March 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
Don't ask us, ask a structural engineer. I had one check out my foundation and garage and give me a written report, with pictures, for about $300.
posted by maudlin at 8:17 PM on March 7, 2010
posted by maudlin at 8:17 PM on March 7, 2010
Best answer: Oh, a crack in the slab. I was worried it was serious.
Really, this is common enough and while it's a real problem, and that's a major crack with measurable height differential, it does not by itself mean imminent collapse and might be simple to complex to repair depending on what's underneath.
(For structural concerns you should have shown us the side views of the garage inside and out, e.g. if the framing is getting stressed or separating from the slab. Photos of the drainage problem would have assisted as well. We could tell if it's a slab or foundation issue, perhaps.)
Probably the worst case is they jack up your garage, jackhammer out the old, and lay a new slab. It might even be cheaper just to replace the whole shebang, garage and all. Best case is it isn't really moving, as nanojath suggests, and you can wait N years before it becomes a problem.
In the middle options are repair of the existing slab. They would want to level the slab using a technique like mudjacking (not without risk), then epoxy the crack so it holds together. This type of repair could last many years, especially if the cause of the subsidence leading to the cracking is also dealt with. The DIY method would use epoxy or hydraulic cement, but it doesn't sound like that's where you are -- you're thinking of buying. So, estimates, and if possible a range of options.
posted by dhartung at 8:47 PM on March 8, 2010
Really, this is common enough and while it's a real problem, and that's a major crack with measurable height differential, it does not by itself mean imminent collapse and might be simple to complex to repair depending on what's underneath.
(For structural concerns you should have shown us the side views of the garage inside and out, e.g. if the framing is getting stressed or separating from the slab. Photos of the drainage problem would have assisted as well. We could tell if it's a slab or foundation issue, perhaps.)
Probably the worst case is they jack up your garage, jackhammer out the old, and lay a new slab. It might even be cheaper just to replace the whole shebang, garage and all. Best case is it isn't really moving, as nanojath suggests, and you can wait N years before it becomes a problem.
In the middle options are repair of the existing slab. They would want to level the slab using a technique like mudjacking (not without risk), then epoxy the crack so it holds together. This type of repair could last many years, especially if the cause of the subsidence leading to the cracking is also dealt with. The DIY method would use epoxy or hydraulic cement, but it doesn't sound like that's where you are -- you're thinking of buying. So, estimates, and if possible a range of options.
posted by dhartung at 8:47 PM on March 8, 2010
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Repair cost? Probably $50K
posted by ged at 8:08 PM on March 7, 2010