What is the best time to do the structural repair?

Most structural problems in Huntsville-metro are due to preliminary engineering to create structural framing plans for large, complex structures and the sole reliance upon untrained home builders or framers for such structures.

It can lead to:

• Inadequately-supported load-bearing walls
• Non-load-bearing walls that are not well supported
• Floor-joist and beam spans that exceed the limit
• Excessive roof-joist or roof-rafter spans
• Construction of the entire wood-frame structure on an inadequate foundation or foundation constructed on poor soil such as extensive clay soil, poorly-compacted soil or wet/organic soil.
• Differential bearing on soil and bedrock that is poor or unstable, steep hillsides which can be unstable and moving slowly downhill under the pull gravity.

ALSO:

• Wood decay and fungal infestations can cause long-term damage to the wood.

Common Denominator of Structural Repair Needed: BUILDING DISTORTION

All these problems can result in or boil down to one thing: building distortion. Cracks can form in the finish materials when one component of a building is affected by the rest or surrounding structure. Windows/door frames may move or distort relative to other parts, walls and floors wobble, and ceilings and roofs might deflect.

Building Distortion leads ….. CRUCKS!

Cracks in finished materials can overwhelm us humans, both inside and out. Cracks in brick veneer/stucco and cracks within foundation walls, cracks inside drywall, cracks between ceramic tile, glued-down wood flooring, cracks within concrete slabs, cracks throughout drywall, cracks on brick veneer/stucco, cracks outside the home, cracks that are in drywall and cracks through drywall scare us to death. We seek experts to determine the cause and importance of cracks in brick veneer/stucco, foundation walls, cracks in drywall, cracks in ceramic tile or glued-down wood flooring, and cracks within concrete slabs. Home Inspection Service in Huntsville AL should be consulted.

Who can determine if structural repair is necessary?

We assume that anyone we call is a structural engineer/architect, and we can trust them to be competent, knowledgeable, and honest. We hope/assume that he/she will advise us to seek additional advice from an engineer/architect who is licensed, educated, and trained to resolve the issue, if they are unable to explain it.

This is unfortunately not often done. Why? Please tell me.

Instead, we typically rely on the assessment and advice of a foundation/structural repair contractor who makes his/her living repairing homes. We don’t ask about their education or training, nor do we know if they have any vested interests in structural repairs.