It is a topic that some of you will NOT want to talk about, or read about----let alone SEE. And I am actually going to tell you how they were USEFULL to me on a recent inspection.
Stretch Marks!
I know you probably think this is a "stretch," but I am serious. I did in fact use stretch marks to diagnose settlement----and not any of the kinds of settlement you might be thinking of.
In this case the front porch on the house was settling. It is a condition that is quite common with older structures. 
Older masonry entryway structures were often installed over inadequately compacted ground, and over time they would settle. The question I usually get is, "Is it going to get worse?" Often times there are many different vintages of patches where people have tried to keep the "grand canyon" from developing between the structure and the house. It can get so bad that the whole structure has to be rebuilt.
As you can see in this picture the Stretch Marks in this heavy coating applied over the wood deck structure graphically shows how there has been some settlement of the supports under this deck since the "skin" was installed. So in this case the settlement is ongoing and will have to be taken into account when repairs are made.
Believe it or not, the gap at the left of the brick did not use to be there. Over the years the brick support structure has settled and pulled away from the house that much. In this case the entire walking surface had been rebuilt to compensate for the gap that would otherwise exist at the doorway.
Time to call the plastic surgeon.
Charles Buell
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