A1 Foundation Crack Repair routinely gets called in for a second opinion, especially when a homeowner receives a repair quote in the tens of thousands of dollars. In this episode, Adam shares another interesting case study about how he helped a homeowner avoid an unnecessary and hefty repair bill.
Narrator: It's time once again for the crackman podcast, hosted by A1 Foundation Crack Repair. I'm Darren Kincaid, and I'm here with the crack daddy himself, Adam Tracy. Adam has 20 years of experience in the construction industry, and as a civil engineer, A1 Foundation's resident engineer on staff, solving a plethora of unique foundation problems every day. This podcast provides expert basement waterproofing, concrete repair, and preventative maintenance tips for homeowners and businesses. A1 Foundation's valuable insight will help avert the disaster of a flooded basement, health problems that are water infiltration, and protect your biggest investment, your home. The topic of today's podcast: Foundation repair nightmares – avoiding the $40,000 trap.
Narrator: So Adam, A1 Foundation Crack Repair routinely gets called in for a second opinion, especially when a homeowner receives a repair quote in the tens of thousands of dollars. You have another interesting case study about how you helped a homeowner avoid a hefty repair bill. What happened there?
Adam: Yeah, this was a case in Swampscott, Massachusetts, where we had a new homeowner—a first-time homebuyer—who had been living in the house for a couple of months.
During the home inspection, a few foundation cracks were identified, but they really weren't presented as a major concern. The report simply recommended having them repaired, so the issue could be addressed and closed out as routine maintenance.
After settling into the home, the homeowner decided it was probably a good idea to have someone take a closer look at the cracks since they had been mentioned in the inspection report.
Unfortunately, the first company she called used fear-based sales tactics. They came in and told her, "Oh my God, your house is falling. It's off by all these inches. I don't even know if it's safe for you to live here."
As you can imagine, this poor woman had just purchased her first home, and suddenly she was convinced she'd made a terrible investment. She thought she was facing a massive structural repair project on top of all the expenses that come with buying a new house.
After receiving a quote for tens of thousands of dollars, she decided to get a second opinion instead of taking that company's word for it.
When I spoke with her, we went through everything together. We reviewed the photos, looked over the home inspection report, and I told her, "These cracks really don't line up with the kind of issues we typically see with major structural movement. They look much more like normal settlement cracks—routine maintenance repairs that we can fix and warranty."
I asked her what specifically the other company was so concerned about.
She said, "Well, when we go upstairs, one of the hallway doors in that area doesn't close properly."
I told her that while a sticking door can sometimes be related to structural movement, it certainly isn't proof of it. So we scheduled a site visit.
Once we got there, we inspected the foundation. The cracks were typical settlement cracks. Everything was still in the plane. Nothing had twisted or shifted, and when we compared everything with older photos from the previous homeowners, there had been no meaningful movement over the years.
At that point, we really didn't think the door issue was connected to the foundation at all.
So we went upstairs to take a look at the door.
It took about three seconds to figure out the problem.
The hinges had simply worked themselves loose. The screws had backed out slightly over time.
Luckily, I had a Phillips-head screwdriver in my truck. I tightened the screws, and the door immediately closed perfectly. That was it.
The scare tactics surrounding a door that wouldn't close properly could have cost this homeowner more than $40,000 in completely unnecessary repairs.
Instead, we repaired the foundation cracks, provided our warranty, and most importantly, gave her peace of mind. She was relieved to learn that her house wasn't slowly drifting off into oblivion and that it was perfectly safe to live in.
The lesson here is simple: if you're hearing questionable sales claims or someone is telling you things that don't really match what you're experiencing in your home, get a second opinion.
A lot of the time, the real solution is much more straightforward. Things that may appear connected on paper aren't always connected in the real world.
This was a perfect example. It took about three seconds to square up that door, and suddenly all the concerns about a sinking house disappeared.
Narrator: Thanks, Adam, for sharing this all-too-familiar story about a homeowner who was almost fleeced. Once again, A1's integrity and professionalism shine through.
Narrator: If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or if you'd like more information on foundation crack repair and basement waterproofing topics, please visit A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call Adam at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email Adam at info@A1FoundationCrackRepair.com. Thanks for listening, and keep that basement dry.