Basement Structure Inspection

There are several different ways that the support structure of the home is built .  They include steel I-beams, steel lally columns (or steel screw jacks), wood support walls, laminated beams, floor joists, and block or poured concrete support posts.  All of these different systems work very well if they are properly installed. 

Properly installed I-beam	New installation of a laminated beam	Properly installed support post
Engineered floor joists	Web floor joist	Standard floor joist

While it is difficult to specify exactly what to look for, we will provide several different ideas of common problems.

Look closely to where homeowners may have cut out some 2×4 or 2×6’s in a supporting wall to add some additional space.  We recommend looking at every floor joist for cracks or home owner cutting. These can generally be repaired fairly easily by sistering another board to them.  If several have been cracked in a row then you will need to hire a licensed contractor to make repairs.

Many times steel I-beams are installed and not properly fastened to the wall above them. This can cause a weakness in the overall structure if the beam begins to slip out of place.

Another very common area to find problem is in the basement or crawlspace under every door & sliding doors.  Most doors will leak at one time or another and directly below them in the basement and the crawl space should be checked closely. Look behind the insulation in the rim boxes area (we don’t recommend removing blown or Styrofoam insulation to view rim boxes) as this is a common place for moisture and termites.

Below are pictures of common problems:

Supporting beam has settled in the center due to being undersized	Floor joist damaged by PowderpostBeetle or termite infestation	Cracked floor joist
Supporting beam is overspanded andsagging in the middle	Cracked laminated beam	Wood supporting beams should be standing straight up and down, not twisted in either direction
Waterstain/damage eminating from leaking sliding door above joist	Rotted floor joist found underneath entry door	Support post has too much weight onit and is bending under the pressure
Homeowner has cut floor joists whichcauses overall weaknesses to thestructure	Termite infested floor joist	Termite damaged floor joists
Car jack in crawlspace	Carjacks are not sufficient supportdevices	Main beam improperly supported by cinder block