We want to purchase a home in Marathon, Ontario. The raised bungalow built in 1991, has an attached garage on a slope of a hill which is sandy. The basement floor has a crack approximately 1 inch wide going from the garage corner to the opposite side the house. The crack is an even one with both sides at the same height. It does not appear to have any white residue or water marking around or in the crack. Will this crack cause any structure damage to the home? Can this be repaired? How do we repair it? Is it expensive to repair? Marathon is a small town & there are no building inspectors in town! Please advise as we love it.
Answer:
I am concerned for a crack that is an inch open and that, in a house that is built into the side of a sand hill. Now you insinuate that the foundation walls are clad so there is no way of telling (short of disassembly) if the crack goes up the wall. Before going any farther in your purchase, I would want a local handyman or other renovator to see if the crack continues up the wall as that may mean that the footings are cracked. One does not repair footings; one sells the house! Even if the crack is just in the floor, I would want to know why a 9-yr. old slab has opened up one inch.
