Nicholas 's Blog

So you purchesed a foreclosed house, now what?

2008-03-26T15:04:24Z

As some of you know there is "smart" people buying up distressed and foreclosed homes at great prices. They did all their homework, they listen to all the "flipper" CD's and now they have jumped into a foreclosed property with both feet. So the next question is now what?

Foreclosed homes are bought and sold everyday in this market but what condition are they in? Even the best home inspector misses stuff (no offence too home inspectors).

So what about the concrete at the home?

Concrete comprises a large amount of the materials that make up a house. Some homes not only have a concrete foundation, but they have concrete walls as well. Here in lies the problem, all concrete needs to be maintained and care for just like any other product in the home, unfortunately most people do not take the time to look at their concrete product that makes up a majority of their home.

To be a savoy buyer you should consider the following items

Interior:

-Cracks in the drywall:

There could be two things going on, the tile roof is settling or the foundation could be moving due to expansive soils or even tree roots.

Most cracks are minor and not life threatening to the home, but they should be considered and mention on the walk though.

I personally have seen cracks in foundation (not mine work) that extended from the foundation to the drywall. This crack was almost 4" wide at the widest part!

-Stuck doors:

-Over time due to settling of the concrete or moisture in the home can make the doors not move and stick.

A quick fix for that is a hand sander and a vacuum, just sand the door down (wear a mask) and after a minute or two you will free the door from its prison.

Exterior concrete:

Most people overlook the quality of the exterior of the concrete, however the exterior concrete is one of the first glimpse in what the quality of the home is going to be. If the builder went cheep on the concrete, then he/she must of went cheep on the interior of the house. How this is not always so, I have a lot of builder/homeowner that put a majority of their budgeted money into the interior of the home, without counting the cost of the exterior concrete work. Then when it is time to finalize the concrete work at their home, there is not much money left over to install their custom concrete that they wanted, now they are left with a driveway that is "broomed finish dirt" in stead of nice stamp Bomanite concrete.

I really believe that concrete is the best investment in your home. It brings value and beauty to your home, without a lot of fuss.

Here are some items to consider for Exterior concrete:

-No joints:

In the past most concrete companies did not install deep joints (lines in the concrete) due to cost or ignorance. This practice has caused a lot of driveways to fail, and most are in need of repair

-Wood joints:

Another popular way in the past was to install wood joints. Wood joints may look nice, however they fail, and caused a huge trip hazard, as well as lead to termite damage. No who wants to put termite food in-front of their home, really?

-Displaced concrete:

Overtime concrete can and will displace, either at a crack or at a joint. This is caused by a multitude of circumstances:

-expansive soil

-heavy directed loads (think forklift)

-Movement of adjacent structure (i.e. house foundation)

-Most common is tree roots. Tree roots are the a enemy of concrete, trees look nice but they are so powerful that they can destroy concrete over time

-Concrete finish:

-inconsistent broom finish

-Crooked joints

-Wood forms still left after the pour, pet peeve!!!! :(

-Exposed rock in the concrete when you are not supposed to have a "exposed driveway"

-Trowel marks

If you are in the market for a foreclosed home, or if you have just bought a foreclosed home, take some notes and/or thought on what you are getting into especially if there is a lot concrete involved.

You can also contact me if you need some help with any concrete issues you may have.

Unlicense

2008-03-17T09:58:13Z

On KCRA.com today they had a video of unlicensed contractors trying to give bids for paint, and fence work at a undercover CSLB (California State license board) sting house. I was shocked at how many unlicensed contractors that came to give bids to said sting operation. Most were given a misdemeanor charge, however some had drugs and other warrants for their arrest. One individual was a "non-registered sex offender". In the report they again warned the public about the dangers of unlicensed contractors in your home. I mean really do you want a non-registered sex offender or at that fact a registered sex offender in your home? When will homeowners learn, that just cause you can get a 10%,20%,30%..etc off a estimate by hiring a unlicensed contractor, is it worth your family safety?

I am not surprised due to the economy that there is a lot of unlicensed contractors out there. With massive layoffs here in Sacramento, everyone is desperate for work. If you are layed off and you have a certain skill set, and all you are doing is watching reruns of "The View" all day and you need to feed your family, what are you going to do...of course you are going to try to put food on the table and pay the rent at any means.

What we need in Sacramento, CA is something new, something that is rescission proof, that can take advantage of the large labor pool that is located in this area. I have been putting a lot of thought into this idea, it might be far fetched, however any great economic boom that has happen, has happen due to technology or new industry. For instance Automobiles in the 20th century changed how we did everything. Look at computers from the late 70's to the late 90's. Personal computers has changed every aspect of our lives, (for good or bad).

In conclusion please response with some of your ideas of a new industry that maybe up and coming that can change our current economic situation

Have a great day!

Why Does concrete crack?

2008-03-14T15:14:50Z

As a Concrete Professional for the last 11 years I have been asked time after time, "Why does concrete crack". There is a multitude of reasons that concrete cracks.

Here is a quick list of reasons that concrete cracks:

1. Too much weight applied to the surface of the concrete via a truck, or a forklift

2. Soil conditions, as you may know clay soil is highly expansive, and can damage concrete, if not engineered properly

3. No crushed rock or A.B (aggregate base) underneath the concrete

4. Tree roots (very common) as trees grow roots grow and then they push up the concrete

5. improper installation of joints in the concrete, if the expansion joints are too far apart, then a crack will want "jump" out of the joint that it is supposed to be in

6. Poor finishing technique, if you do not finish the concrete fast enough or too fast (depending on weather conditions) you can get a crack

7. Dry winds, anytime you have low humidity and even moderate winds can lead to cracking into your concrete

8. The wrong aggregate, too many sharp edges on the aggregatte can lead to cracking

9. Expansion Joints not being deep enough into the slab. You want to be in control of the concrete and not the concrete in control of you. Putting expansion joints where they need to be will help you mitigate most issues of cracking

10. Most important! hire the best, when you hire a concrete contractor take three bids and choose the Medium to highest bid, and expect the best:

-Quality

-Safety

- Consistency

Too many times people choose the cheapest price and it only hurts them in the end. Concrete work is for 20 years plus, when you purchase concrete it is a commitment. Go cheep on a meal before you go cheep on concrete. It is better to spend your hard earn money on something that will last for a generation.