KURT - I don't have a photo presently but I'll try to remember to take one tonight. Although I fear after you all see it, you'll tell me I must run (not walk) screaming out of the house b/c it will be falling down at any moment.

also check the drain/pitch of the water flow of the driveway. looks like it goes from front to back and the next time it rains, just monitor that dip/pool of water....... it could be more than a bad downspout... but as i know, once water gets a flowing, its hard to get it to stop.maybe dig up that area and see whats wrong.....

Oh, not even close, Melt -- I'm the one who's betting you've got a pretty straightforward, contained problem.

If you do take more photos, put in few 'snook-dude' props...!!!

Wow, people get touchy on this thread....must be the crack. Remember folks, Crack is Whack!

Clearly a crack like that will cause the inhabitants to develop swine flu.

Can I have a donut too?

"...more cracks than Whitney Houston..." - Sarah FTW!!!

Be nice if we could gather around the offending crack with coffee and donuts for all...

Her Meltiness has a lovely house...perhaps she could host the party? Although I would prefer to gather around the stained glass window upstairs for coffee and donuts, which would likely exacerbate the crack problem, LOL.

****melt: I'll contact you privately later today when I have time.

In the meantime, my parents still keep in touch with our former neighbors in Fort Thomas, and if you want, I could probably get some referrals for the engineers and/or contractors who have helped them with the issues on their property. Let me know if you're interested.

Thanks for the help Gin, but I've already got some referrals from ppl around here.

there is a crack a crack in everything. that's how the light gets in...

it seems a parge coat is a screed to us Anglophone (versus Los Anglophones?)

But I agree with Wonder K - you should host a party. I'll be over later to help set up the bamboo supports if you make it down the hillside fast enough. Should I bring coffee or booze? A bit of both seems appropriate... granted I do have that crack pot hmmm

btw, I hope you are less worried now since the team of archinects uhmm I mean architects have decended on your issue and come up with a mariad of diagnosis and solutions.

i'm not an architect.... disclaimer

I AM NOT AN ANIMAL... (disclaimer)

i've rarely seen such enthusiasm for crack. y'all are a bunch of crackheads.

melt -- Ok i looked at the other photos. First things first, very nice house! And, from what I can see, you don't appear to have any problems above the foundation in that area... I can't see any signs of unusual cracking or sagging. Things appear to be in basically great shape. Even the lintel over the garage is only slightly deflected.

so, two or three ways to proceed -- one is assume the cracking in the foundation is the result of long-term normal settlement, as some suggested above, in which case you need to do nothing.

Or, if the assumption is that the cracking is new, and that there is, say, a developing water/drainage/possible failure/'something else' problem, then that needs to be dealt with before it creates new problems elsewhere on the house.

Or third is my true suspicion, and I've seen this before, and that is that those cats are somehow working together to systematically dismantle the foundation of your entire house. (Have you noticed any behavioral changes lately?) Look closely at the crack -- are you telling me you don't see those little claw marks? Like I say, those cats appear innocent -- just keep an eye on them.

LOL!!! Thanks Kurt. I guess I'll just keep an eye on it for now. As it's under the bay window and the area is paved, I've never noticed any water seepage.

Thanks all for all your comments. It's put me much at ease.

Sorry, Melt; this has nothing to do with your crack, but I didnt see the point in making a new thread.

Suppose a building of tilt wall construction was built. Suppose many years later some work was done and a tension cable in the slab was cut causing it to explode out of the slab. Suppose this was never repaired. Now suppose a year or so later bolts staer sheering from the top steel plates that hold the rooof on. What happens next?

You call a structural engineer to come do a site visit at hourly rates and make a suggestion as to how to repair it.

SH,
Simply from the point of view of a layman.
That sounds like it could be trouble. Hope it isn't your house.

Also, melt what ever happened re: yours. Did you get a professional verdict?

pics?

No, its not a house at all. And the owner has decided the best solution is to have one of his employees water the foundation. I will try to post pics later.

could be lack of cross-bracing forcing shear point loads.

Well, the last two bolts sheered a while ago. Thats four bolts in one day. A guy came to look at it, and said that the wall went 3 feet into the ground. Um, I'm no expert, but I thought tilt wall construction was based on walls being tilted up on an already poured slab.

so the wall 'slipped' 3 feet into the ground, or it was designed and is resting on a foundation that is 3 feet into the ground, or the wall has no foundation?

fyi- the slab doesn't have to be where the wall ends up. often contractors will pour a simple casting bed or two nearby if, for example, they can't layout all of the wall panels on the interior slab of the building.

they just demo the casting bed once they've tilted-up the panels.