She also had what turned into a virtual laundry list of “other” issues that included:

• No attic insulation
• Poorly installed and improperly installed A/C system
• Torn finished floor covering
• Loose plumbing fixtures.
• and more…

The flooring video you see above was the result of no footing concrete under the floor supports. The columns that held the home were sitting directly onto the ground. No Concrete. No Steel. No Support.

Contact me here.

The south side of my yard is considerably lower than the north. Therefore my flower beds on the south side are more “raised”. We want to lower the beds by removing dirt but it will make the actual foundation of the house visible under the brick, 6-10 inches.

Would this be something that you as an inspector would call out on an inspection for any reason?

We bought this house as a foreclosure and the repairs made prior were shoddy at best. We are trying to make sure all improvements we make will be  within the scope of a good inspection.

Thanks in advance.

Adam

Concrete is porous and allows for heat exchange, both infiltration and ex-filtration. From an energy loss stand point it would expose the building envelope (the protective shell of the home that shelters you from the elements) to temperature changes, both hot and cold. The floor surface nearest the exposed slab will transfer heat. Since a south facing wall is exposed to a rather large amount sun in the summer, you’re risk will be that the slab will begin to act as a radiant heater near the area of the slab that’s heated by the sun. This will begin to effect your electric bill as your A/C will most likely make an attempt to cool it down.

From a pure visual home inspector standpoint, I doubt most inspectors will notice anything unusual about it unless you have fairly obvious cracks in the slab. Generally speaking, that’s not an area of the home most visual home inspectors will ever see. If you have siding as exterior cladding the added space will help prevent moisture intrusion. If you have brick the space will certainly expose the bottom of the brick ledge and the weep holes that either have been properly installed or (in most cases) have completely been left out. So the space may increase the opportunity for the inspector to notice “other” specific details of the bottom of the wall covering.