You guys are great. One Geotech on order!

Thanks!

The property is worth all this. It sits above an historic spring called Coker Spring and abuts Hitchcock Woods, a land preservation trust that is spectacular.

Aiken is an amazing place and we are interested in having a winter place to hang out when I get tired of the farm :cool:

The property is straight up from where the young man is standing.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1396878972.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1396878991.jpg

[QUOTE=Seahawk;8001932]

The crack runs the entire length of the basement slab and has migrated to the left corner of the house (looking from the street). A large crack has formed and the window casement has begun to separate on the basement level.

The crack has also migrated to the right side of the house and the cinder block foundation shows cracks on the rear of the house.

Upstairs, there are cracks on the rear side of the longitudinal load bearing wall, the side facing down the hill.

QUOTE]

From the sounds of it the foundation is done. Yes it can be patched, reinforced or under pinned but those costs sometimes add up to the cost of a new home and you can still be left with a leaky, weak foundation afterwards.

FWIW, one trick to ID a slow moving hillside is found the trees. That is, If the trees are bent at the base, the hillside is moving.


extreme case...
http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mgs/hazard...ts/slide-6.jpg



and this should help...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1396887037.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1396887051.jpg

Just some observations (not an engineer):
-The 5' of cantilevered roof/walkway looks to be completely unsupported.
-Building over a natural spring might be trouble. Check the county records for previous findings.
-The fix might be as ea$y as an uphill fortified trench diversion, new slab on pilings, and a supported beam.

The weight is on the brick wall on the cantilever decking, the overhang almost supports itself.

With a displacement crack like the one in the pic, you need serious investigation. By the pic it has moved both horizontal and vertical. One is bad enough. With the crack in the slab on grade you have compromised moisture protection from below and clearly there is movement. You could put a telltale on it to see if it continues to move

My advice, this from an architect with 40 yrs experience. Get a structural engineer over pay him his fee and have him do investigations. My worry would not necessarily be the fix but the long term prognosis. Once it moves it will continue unless a significant intervention is performed

I'm just saying