Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Engineers (or wannabes) Unite!

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • #1

    Engineers (or wannabes) Unite!

    I discovered a small crack in my foundation. It's literally not much more than 1/6 of an inch for most of it and then at the base of the wall it opens just a bit more, but not much. It seems minor to me, but I've got someone coming tomorrow to sprayfoam insulate the basement and the attic, which means it will be covered and nobody will see it for years and years. Should I put off the sprayfoam guy and call in an engineer to look at it? Football season is nigh and delaying the spray foam guy will delay my media room by at least a few weeks, more likely until October. What should I do?


    There are pictures in the links below. All have the capability to be seen in great detail

    [ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/79482917@N02/7774100954/sizes/l/in/photostream/"]All sizes | 001 | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]
    [ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/79482917@N02/7774104856/sizes/l/in/photostream/"]All sizes | 002 | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]
    [ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/79482917@N02/7774109122/sizes/l/in/photostream/"]All sizes | 003 | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]
    [ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/79482917@N02/7774113942/sizes/l/in/photostream/"]All sizes | 004 | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]
    [ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/79482917@N02/7774118490/sizes/l/in/photostream/"]All sizes | 005 | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]
    [ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/79482917@N02/7774122366/sizes/l/in/photostream/"]All sizes | 006 | Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]
    Last edited by pellegrino; 08-13-2012, 08:29 AM.
    Dio perdona tante cose per un’opera di misericordia
    God forgives many things for an act of mercy
    Alessandro Manzoni

    Knock it off. This board has enough problems without a dose of middle-age lechery.

    pelagius
    Tags: None
  • #2
    No offense pilgrim but I'm less interested in your foundation, that will resolve itself. I want to hear every last detail about your media room! Let's get the scoop!!!
    Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
    sigpic

    Comment

    • #3
      They don't look big enough from the pictures to be concerned about. Can you wedge a penny in the cracks? If not, I wouldn't worry about it. If you are still concerned, they sell DIY epoxy injection kits to fill it.
      "Nobody listens to Turtle."
      -Turtle
      sigpic

      Comment

      • #4
        From the photos you've posted I don't see a problem there. Which direction does the crack run - it looks vertical? Is it near a corner of the basement?

        You will want to make sure that you have good drainage away from your foundation on the outside of the house, but you should make sure of that regardless of any cracks in your foundation walls.
        "It's devastating, because we lost to a team that's not even in the Pac-12. To lose to Utah State is horrible." - John White IV

        Comment

        • #5
          Originally posted by TripletDaddy View Post
          No offense pilgrim but I'm less interested in your foundation, that will resolve itself. I want to hear every last detail about your media room! Let's get the scoop!!!
          will post pictures when done, but it will be sweet! just got the wiring for the surround system today!
          Dio perdona tante cose per un’opera di misericordia
          God forgives many things for an act of mercy
          Alessandro Manzoni

          Knock it off. This board has enough problems without a dose of middle-age lechery.

          pelagius

          Comment

          • #6
            Originally posted by kccougar View Post
            From the photos you've posted I don't see a problem there. Which direction does the crack run - it looks vertical? Is it near a corner of the basement?

            You will want to make sure that you have good drainage away from your foundation on the outside of the house, but you should make sure of that regardless of any cracks in your foundation walls.
            It does run vertically and it is uniform throughout. I can fit my fingernail in there, a penny is a little too big for it. It is on a corner but it's the corner of a bay window (if you're looking at the window it's the first corner on the left, the one that begins the bay, not the deepest part of it).

            I agree that it seems minor and likely isn't a problem, I just don't want this to come back and bite me in the behind. It's clear there has been some settling and this explains why the bay window above it on the main floor is slightly out of level, but I don't want this to get worse after I finish the basement and then have to tear it all out to repair it.
            Dio perdona tante cose per un’opera di misericordia
            God forgives many things for an act of mercy
            Alessandro Manzoni

            Knock it off. This board has enough problems without a dose of middle-age lechery.

            pelagius

            Comment

            • #7
              I wouldn't be too worried (given that it is common especially with a vertically crack) unless you are getting water seepage and seeing wet spots. In that case you most likely have a drainage problem outside and that should be fixed before you start to finish out your basement. Of course, even if there is not water coming in and depending where you live it might be a problem with radon gas. Therefore, if it was my house, I would get some polyurethane or epoxy crack injection stuff and fill that crack before they cover it with the spray foam. You could do this yourself in a couple of hours and give it four hours to dry before the sprayfoam guy shows up.

              Of course, like 3D said, the more important issue here is the media room details. Let's hear them.
              "If there is one thing I am, it's always right." -Ted Nugent.
              "I honestly believe saying someone is a smart lawyer is damning with faint praise. The smartest people become engineers and scientists." -SU.
              "Yet I still see wisdom in that which Uncle Ted posts." -creek.
              GIVE 'EM HELL, BRIGHAM!

              Comment

              • #8
                Originally posted by pellegrino View Post
                will post pictures when done, but it will be sweet! just got the wiring for the surround system today!
                Tease!!!

                At least walk us through the setup. HD Projector? What size screen? Terraced seating platforms? Recliners?

                Vanilla Ice (of all people) has his own home resto show now, of course based in Miami. He actually does a really nice job of fixing and flipping repos. In one episode, he does this insane home theater setup....cost about $250K! But wow, was that thing posh. My fave thing about it was the chair setup....amazingly comfortable chairs with this really cool chaise lounge right in the middle.

                [YOUTUBE]gr4oJ9w1ZWw[/YOUTUBE]
                Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
                sigpic

                Comment

                • #9
                  Seal it with tar if you are concerned, but it probably is ok to conceal.
                  "The first thing I learned upon becoming a head coach after fifteen years as an assistant was the enormous difference between making a suggestion and making a decision."

                  "They talk about the economy this year. Hey, my hairline is in recession, my waistline is in inflation. Altogether, I'm in a depression."

                  "I like to bike. I could beat Lance Armstrong, only because he couldn't pass me if he was behind me."

                  -Rick Majerus

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Uncle Ted View Post
                    I wouldn't be too worried (given that it is common especially with a vertically crack) unless you are getting water seepage and seeing wet spots. In that case you most likely have a drainage problem outside and that should be fixed before you start to finish out your basement. Of course, even if there is not water coming in and depending where you live it might be a problem with radon gas. Therefore, if it was my house, I would get some polyurethane or epoxy crack injection stuff and fill that crack before they cover it with the spray foam. You could do this yourself in a couple of hours and give it four hours to dry before the sprayfoam guy shows up.

                    Of course, like 3D said, the more important issue here is the media room details. Let's hear them.
                    It looks like there has been some seepage in the past, but I'm having 2.5 inches of closed polyurethane foam sprayed on the entire wall, plus functioning there is a sump pump system in place throughout the whole basement. In three years we've never had any noticeable water come in the basement from that spot. I'm not really worried about water getting through it. I'm worried about the crack growing to the point that it compromises the integrity of the wall. It looks like that's not going to happen.

                    like I said, I'll post more pictures of the various phases of the media room as we get closer. I've got some wire to run right now.
                    Dio perdona tante cose per un’opera di misericordia
                    God forgives many things for an act of mercy
                    Alessandro Manzoni

                    Knock it off. This board has enough problems without a dose of middle-age lechery.

                    pelagius

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Yeah, I don't see it as a concern. As suggested, you could fill it with epoxy if you want some added peace of mind.
                      "It's devastating, because we lost to a team that's not even in the Pac-12. To lose to Utah State is horrible." - John White IV

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by TripletDaddy View Post
                        Tease!!!

                        At least walk us through the setup. HD Projector? What size screen? Terraced seating platforms? Recliners?

                        Vanilla Ice (of all people) has his own home resto show now, of course based in Miami. He actually does a really nice job of fixing and flipping repos. In one episode, he does this insane home theater setup....cost about $250K! But wow, was that thing posh. My fave thing about it was the chair setup....amazingly comfortable chairs with this really cool chaise lounge right in the middle.

                        [YOUTUBE]gr4oJ9w1ZWw[/YOUTUBE]
                        you're thinking way bigger than the space and my budget allow. The ceiling is only 7 feet and some change so no terrace and no projector. Basically we're talking about a box that is about 16 x 16. There will be an L shaped sectional in one corner opposite a wall that will have a cabinet containing my trusty Samsung 42" HDTV and for now an old insignia receiver connected to some old aiwa speakers. I'm wiring the room for future upgrades. It will be sweet, but it won't be epic.
                        Dio perdona tante cose per un’opera di misericordia
                        God forgives many things for an act of mercy
                        Alessandro Manzoni

                        Knock it off. This board has enough problems without a dose of middle-age lechery.

                        pelagius

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Originally posted by pellegrino View Post
                          you're thinking way bigger than the space and my budget allow. The ceiling is only 7 feet and some change so no terrace and no projector. Basically we're talking about a box that is about 16 x 16. There will be an L shaped sectional in one corner opposite a wall that will have a cabinet containing my trusty Samsung 42" HDTV and for now an old insignia receiver connected to some old aiwa speakers. I'm wiring the room for future upgrades. It will be sweet, but it won't be epic.
                          I was just getting carried away and remembered the Vanilla Ice episode. You and I are in the same boat as far as being able to build a $250K media room

                          Still, nothing wrong with your own dedicated space to rock out, veg out, and watch football!
                          Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
                          sigpic

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            I thought this one was interesting.

                            2 million dollars interesting.

                            Look around that site, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" one is also interesting.

                            http://www.elitehometheaterseating.com/#batcave

                            Gallery of others they've done.

                            http://www.elitehometheaterseating.com/gallery_new.html

                            Last edited by Devildog; 08-18-2012, 10:21 PM.
                            "We should remember that one man is much the same as another, and that he is best who is trained in the severest school."
                            -Thucydides

                            "Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men."
                            -Miyamoto Musashi

                            Si vis pacem, para bellum

                            Comment

                            Previous template Next
                            Working...
                            X