Puzzling TH Collapsing Slab
Copyright (c) 2011, Deanna and Jim's GOLD Team
Over a year ago one of our investor evaluated an interior townhome priced substantially below the prevailing market. They decided NOT to make even a low offer on the property because it had a very significant and very puzzling structural defect.
The main floor slab was sagging substantally in the center of this two level TH built on a slab. The perimeter party walls and front and back walls were not sagging, but the central portion of the main floor had dropped 3-5 inches, pulling away from the both structural and curtain walls with predictable consequences in transmitted sagging of the second floor.
There was no evident exterior problem with the grade and no visible water sources were nearby.
The best we could conclude was that there was either a leaking water main or an underground spring which had eroded away the ground under the slab.
Diagnosing and repairing this would have required building tempory jacking support based on steel beams supported at the perimeter for the 2nd floor, then jackhammering out the main level slab and excavating until the source of the problem could be found and fixed. Then the foundation could be re-established. All this would have to be done without disturbing the neighboring properties.
Sometimes even a bargain isn't.
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