Floor slopes in house

1,280 Views | 11 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by Quito
Quito
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AG
We are looking at buying a house built in 1997 here in Kansas City.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/5009-W-149th-St_Leawood_KS_66224_M83804-92541

We noticed the floor slopes slightly when walking into the kitchen. I even put a pool table ball on the floor to confirm the slope...it rolls towards the wall. The inspector wasn't concerned as he says older houses do that...especially houses this size.

The deck outside is sloped in similar direction but pretty easy to see it's sinking into the ground due to the back support pole not being set properly. We are tearing down and building new covered deck anyway.

The lip from the garage to the driveway has also sank and need to be leveled...the driveway actually sank below the lip slightly. This one I can understand more than the others.

What are your thoughts? Is this something we should be concerned with?
Builder93
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AG
What kind of foundation?
Quito
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Concrete
Walkout Basement
ABATTBQ11
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I wouldn't buy a $750k house with foundation or settling issues, but I'm also not going to be in the market for a $750k house without settlement issues anytime soon.
BrazosDog02
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I'd take advice from the builders on here like JP76 and others on this thread. I'm not a builder, just a roofer. So I see stuff but I'm not a Pro for this area. With that...

I've seen perfectly level and well done foundations show up "crooked" after tile or wood flooring is installed. Is it possible your foundation is fine but the floor on top is screwy?
one MEEN Ag
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AG
Have a structural engineer come look at it. Everyone you are currently interacting with (not on this board) wants that house sold. Your agent, their agent, the sellers, and even probably your wife.

23 years is enough to show settling, but also start revealing larger underlying problems. Foundation problems don't go away, and that house was level when it was poured. What do you think the house is going to look like in 15-20 years of your ownership? Your probably going to see continued dipping in the direction you already do.

Walkout basement means your built on a slope. Is the house sinking 'down' the slope?

Best of luck. Spend the money on a PE.
Builder93
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I would get an engineer to look at it if you are serious. There is no way to diagnose that online.
The Fife
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BrazosDog02 said:

I'd take advice from the builders on here like JP76 and others on this thread. I'm not a builder, just a roofer. So I see stuff but I'm not a Pro for this area. With that...

I've seen perfectly level and well done foundations show up "crooked" after tile or wood flooring is installed. Is it possible your foundation is fine but the floor on top is screwy?
I could see it with tile, but how would hardwood do that? Outside of where the tar paper layers meet up it's all pretty uniform underneath.
BrazosDog02
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AG
The Fife said:

BrazosDog02 said:

I'd take advice from the builders on here like JP76 and others on this thread. I'm not a builder, just a roofer. So I see stuff but I'm not a Pro for this area. With that...

I've seen perfectly level and well done foundations show up "crooked" after tile or wood flooring is installed. Is it possible your foundation is fine but the floor on top is screwy?
I could see it with tile, but how would hardwood do that? Outside of where the tar paper layers meet up it's all pretty uniform underneath.


I havnt a clue. I've only seen it change when wood is fastened to sleepers but it's impossible to cause it on a "room wide" scale. I think In this guys case the whole damn thing is creeping downhill. What does the sellers disclosure say? It has to be on there. This isn't like painting over a leak and hoping no one finds out.

I don't believe "older houses do this" and I'm disappointed to hear an inspector say it as thought it's ok. My 20 year old house is built on straight up Brazoria clay. The foundation footprint is 5,000 square feet alone. When it was poured they also poured about 35 bell bottom piers 20' into the ground for that foundation beams to sit on. It hasn't moved since it was poured and it is two stories with 12" poured concrete walls. I was just hoping for the guy above there was an easy explanation other than "they f up the pour."
Quito
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Nothing in disclosure and inspector wasn't concerned. He was concerned about deck, but explained that with improper footings. He was concerned with driveway sinking, but said that's common.

I could see the joists or main support beam being off slightly and causing this. It's a large house.

We are looking into an engineer.
ABATTBQ11
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AG
BrazosDog02 said:

The Fife said:

BrazosDog02 said:

I'd take advice from the builders on here like JP76 and others on this thread. I'm not a builder, just a roofer. So I see stuff but I'm not a Pro for this area. With that...

I've seen perfectly level and well done foundations show up "crooked" after tile or wood flooring is installed. Is it possible your foundation is fine but the floor on top is screwy?
I could see it with tile, but how would hardwood do that? Outside of where the tar paper layers meet up it's all pretty uniform underneath.


I havnt a clue. I've seen slopes change after installation when wood is glued or fastened down. If it's floating there isn't a way it's possible except when tile was removed and it wasn't cleaned up. I think I'm this guys case the whole damn thing is creeping downhill. What does the sellers disclosure say? It has to be on there. This isn't like painting over a leak and hoping no one finds out.


To really know if there was any actual change you'd need to compare the floor installations before and after, as well as the foundation surface.

Like you said, a poorly removed or installed layer of thin set could cause a slope. Or, the original thin set could have made up for imperfections on the foundation surface that the new thin set or floor does not. I could also see overly aggressive sanding on specific areas on a new hardwood floor causing slight issues, but nothing too major.

A foundation could be poured level with uneven thickness causing a sloped floor. You could also have flatness issues where a floor bulges or sinks in spots. These could be imperceptible or unnoticed until a new floor is installed and checked. It hasn't changed, you just know it's there now because you looked.
ABATTBQ11
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AG
Quito said:

Nothing in disclosure and inspector wasn't concerned. He was concerned about deck, but explained that with improper footings. He was concerned with driveway sinking, but said that's common.

I could see the joists or main support beam being off slightly and causing this. It's a large house.

We are looking into an engineer.


I would expect a giant, heavy house to sink before a driveway. The driveway could be moved around by soil expansion and contraction with poor base installation or tree roots, but I don't see it sinking before the house.

I'm also not an engineer though. I could be totally wrong.
Quito
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AG
ABATTBQ11 said:

Quito said:

Nothing in disclosure and inspector wasn't concerned. He was concerned about deck, but explained that with improper footings. He was concerned with driveway sinking, but said that's common.

I could see the joists or main support beam being off slightly and causing this. It's a large house.

We are looking into an engineer.


I would expect a giant, heavy house to sink before a driveway. The driveway could be moved around by soil expansion and contraction with poor base installation or tree roots, but I don't see it sinking before the house.

I'm also not an engineer though. I could be totally wrong.


I agree. There was a rather large tree recently removed and stump grinder right next to driveway where it sank...about 2-3 years ago. I can tell from google maps
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