Structural Damage in Walkout basement Wall

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Mar 28th, 2022 1:00 pm

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Mar 26th, 2022 9:54 pm

Gill905 [OP]: Newbie; Jan 27, 2019; 24 posts; 4 upvotes

Mar 26th, 2022 9:54 pm

Structural Damage in Walkout basement Wall

Been a home owner for about a year and recently noticed a big issue with the structure of the basement wall. A home inspection was done and this issue was not mentioned, as the previous owners hide the problem behind a piece of drywall. I recently was cleaning up and pulled this piece of dry wall out and noticed that a piece of one of the 2x4 was missing, and instead filled in with junk pieces of wood (that dont really fill the space). Worse part is it appears to be below a support beam.

I suspect that maybe the wood was rotted as the "weep holes in the brick vaneer wall have been filled in with spray foam" and water pooled and destroyed the wood (this is only my guess). This is super concerning for me, and I feel quite angry that the previous owner intentionally hide this, and that now the structure of the house is not sound. Could someone please kindly provide some advice concerning this, is this going to be super expensive to fix? I'm really worried, thank you for your help. Please see picture for reference.

Images

15 replies

Mar 26th, 2022 11:27 pm

fergy: Deal Fanatic; Sep 27, 2006; 5196 posts; 2039 upvotes; Not so easy there Ma…

Mar 26th, 2022 11:27 pm

With everything hidden behind the plastic vapour barrier, its very difficult to determine what you find wrong. It looks like there's a steel support beam at the top of the photo? You figure the missing 2x4 is supposed to run vertically underneath the support beam?

In regards to brick weep holes being filled with spray foam. there was an good discussion thread on this last year with some fixes.
did-i-mess-up-filling-these-brick-holes ... e-2481490/

+3

Mar 27th, 2022 12:02 am

SubjectivelyObjective: Deal Addict; Jun 26, 2019; 2013 posts; 1749 upvotes; GTA

Mar 27th, 2022 12:02 am

To echo what @fergy said, hard to tell whats really going on here. Is this an exterior wall with concrete behind it?

Seeing as that is what looks like an I beam on top of it, and assuming thats an exterior wall, would be that the I beam is resting either on the foundation or a post, in which case none of the 2x4s you see there are supporting.

When the basement was originally built, there was likely also zero wood. Probably just steel i beams from foundation to foundation with steel posts in between.

Again, massive speculation here.

+1

Mar 27th, 2022 12:53 am

James Stonehenge: Deal Addict; Dec 25, 2012; 1403 posts; 742 upvotes; Toronto

Mar 27th, 2022 12:53 am

Who takes drywall out when “ cleaning up”? What lead you to believe something is wrong?

+3

Mar 27th, 2022 8:33 am

Toukolou: Deal Fanatic; Dec 4, 2009; 7982 posts; 3810 upvotes

Mar 27th, 2022 8:33 am

Don't let your imagination run away. What Subjectively said is likely true, there wasn't any framing put in by the builder, so the building structure is fine. Basement framing doesn't usually bear loads.

"I'm a bit upset. I've been grab by the back without any alert and lubrification"
Lucky

+5

Mar 27th, 2022 10:07 am

projectman44: Sr. Member; Jun 1, 2017; 871 posts; 769 upvotes; Mississauga

Mar 27th, 2022 10:07 am

That knee wall framing is original as OP mentioned, it's a walkout condition in the basement - its structural.

The steel beam at top of pic should be bearing on a steel column and then onto that concrete nib at the bottom of the pic - no wood should be part of that load transfer.

The bottom sill looks like it has burn marks from when they did some welding work - but its hard to tell from the pics.

+1

Mar 27th, 2022 10:10 am

nielboy: Deal Addict; Jun 12, 2008; 3463 posts; 1030 upvotes; Ancaster

Mar 27th, 2022 10:10 am

So this was an unfinished basement when you bought it and your home inspector didn't think that little strip of lonely drywall stuck on there was a bit wierd?

+1

Mar 27th, 2022 10:14 am

projectman44: Sr. Member; Jun 1, 2017; 871 posts; 769 upvotes; Mississauga

Mar 27th, 2022 10:14 am

Also, if this is down the one side of the house, im not sure how water can pool at that one specific spot outside when the grade down the side of the house should be a slope to the back of the house.

Again, Not enought info & pics

Mar 27th, 2022 10:20 am

projectman44: Sr. Member; Jun 1, 2017; 871 posts; 769 upvotes; Mississauga

Mar 27th, 2022 10:20 am

Toukolou wrote: ↑ Don't let your imagination run away. What Subjectively said is likely true, there wasn't any framing put in by the builder, so the building structure is fine. Basement framing doesn't usually bear loads.

Basement framing does bear loads in a walkout condition - and this is a walkout basement as per OP

Mar 27th, 2022 10:45 am

Toukolou: Deal Fanatic; Dec 4, 2009; 7982 posts; 3810 upvotes

Mar 27th, 2022 10:45 am

projectman44 wrote: ↑ Basement framing does bear loads in a walkout condition - and this is a walkout basement as per OP

I don't see where the OP mentioned walk-out.

"I'm a bit upset. I've been grab by the back without any alert and lubrification"
Lucky

Mar 27th, 2022 10:53 am

networksend: Deal Addict; Nov 24, 2015; 1569 posts; 1290 upvotes; Durham Region

Mar 27th, 2022 10:53 am

That steel beam is either resting on a column or on the concrete foundation. The wood framing in those photos is not structural

Mar 27th, 2022 11:16 am

projectman44: Sr. Member; Jun 1, 2017; 871 posts; 769 upvotes; Mississauga

Mar 27th, 2022 11:16 am

Toukolou wrote: ↑ I don't see where the OP mentioned walk-out.

Read both headings

+1

Mar 27th, 2022 11:21 am

Toukolou: Deal Fanatic; Dec 4, 2009; 7982 posts; 3810 upvotes

Mar 27th, 2022 11:21 am

Lol, noted.

"I'm a bit upset. I've been grab by the back without any alert and lubrification"
Lucky

Mar 27th, 2022 4:34 pm

Gill905 [OP]: Newbie; Jan 27, 2019; 24 posts; 4 upvotes

Mar 27th, 2022 4:34 pm

nielboy wrote: ↑ So this was an unfinished basement when you bought it and your home inspector didn't think that little strip of lonely drywall stuck on there was a bit wierd?

Yah i guess he figured he couldn't touch anything, he didnt even mention it. But I've figure out there is no structural issue. I guess I panicked a bit, but when things are patched up in a mishmash way, you figure they were trying to hide something.

Basically under the red support beam is a vertical support beam, and at the very bottom under the vertical support beam there is a space (where they shoved in thin pieces of wood and ?spray foam and painted it over). They then nailed a junky piece of red board across to cover it and then a thin strip of drywall across that. In terms of the water pooling due to the covered up weep holes, this may be a non issue at the moment.

I just don't get why people try to cover up holes/spaces with junk instead of leaving it, or doing it properly. Thank you and everyone on the board for their input.

Mar 27th, 2022 9:04 pm

Gill905 [OP]: Newbie; Jan 27, 2019; 24 posts; 4 upvotes

Mar 27th, 2022 9:04 pm

projectman44 wrote: ↑ That knee wall framing is original as OP mentioned, it's a walkout condition in the basement - its structural.

The steel beam at top of pic should be bearing on a steel column and then onto that concrete nib at the bottom of the pic - no wood should be part of that load transfer.

The bottom sill looks like it has burn marks from when they did some welding work - but its hard to tell from the pics.

Your interpretation of the picture was quite accurate, except the thing that looks a burn mark was some dark junky wood they nailed to connect the two bottom sills together. Thank you for your input.

Do you happen to know how the vertical steel column is held onto the concrete nib at the bottom?

Mar 28th, 2022 1:00 pm

RCLapCar: Sr. Member; Dec 21, 2020; 632 posts; 560 upvotes

Mar 28th, 2022 1:00 pm

Gill905 wrote: ↑ I just don't get why people try to cover up holes/spaces with junk instead of leaving it, or doing it properly. Thank you and everyone on the board for their input.

Because people will often do that to save money especially when it won't be visible. Probably not nefarious, just being cheap with stuff that doesn't serve a purpose other than to fill a void and not be visible.

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