rebar exposed on foundation
 

people,

wanting to buy this house, but the garage foundation has exposed pcs of rebar showing about every 2-3'. About 12-20" of bar showing/poking through, and repeats every 2-3', where the neaxt rebar was placed. This has probably scared many porospective buyers in the past (its a foreclosure), and I dont want to buy this house and have big problems selling it in the future.

Would you stay away from this? And is this a serious problem with foundations? (its a 1948 house, and heck- it hasnt collapsed...LOL)

Thanks!

Oh, the garage is built into the side of a hill-the back part of thegarage is quite high- say, 7-8' of concrete foundation UNDER GROUND while the front is of course, down to ground level.

Depends on how much more rebar is in there that you can't see.

No picture?

Often long lengths sticking up indicate plans for a masonry wall on top of the foundation--

Could be the budget changed and they went for a framed structure instead of the planned brick or block --picture could help explain it--Rebar could be cut back so it doesn't allarm future buyers.

Thanks, Mike, but I think you have the wrong idea- the bars are not sticking up/out/through, they are exposed- like after pouring, they cut the tops off, built the house, done. But after , I guess, they removed the plywood forms, rebar was showing on the SIDES of the wall.

I kniow a picture is a good idea- hmmm, maybe I can get it.....lets see......

without seeing whats physically there its hard to say.. as mike mentioned it could be do to a change over in materials to reduce costs.. it could have also been because the rebar was just dropped into the forms without cutting it to length so now its sticking out of the concrete. it can easily be cut off with a mini grinder and a cutting wheel

I think what he is describing is rebar that was too close to the side of the pour and is exposed on the walls.

Probably something similar to this.

http://homerepair.gregvan.com/founda...foundation.jpg

Right!! thats it! except repeated many times- say, a few feet apart. On a wall thats a full 7-8' high. (still waiting to recv that pic so I can post it, if it still helps). Also, difference being the rebar is inside the garage, not outside like here.

Thanks, joed.!

Unsightly but not a big deal--that wouldn't be a deal breaker for me---

If you can't stand looking at it--Parge the walls and bury it---

Is the rebar rusting?

couldnt tell by the pictures, but I would say no way steel can not rust after 60+ yrs, eh? Anyway, good to know its maybe not a deal breaker from Mike. Mightbe able to treat it/patch/paint/cover up somehow for future, if I wanted to. Hate to cut it with a disc, and then patch as I willbe weakening the whole wall, right?

Darn- server error ......

I put that as 'funky by functional' and would not cut out the exposed rod---

Like you said--it's been there since it was made and hasn't fallen down---

Still doesn't sound like a deal breaker.

Do you have a skilled contractor that you could call in to assess the house for you?
Not an inspector--that is needed perhaps --but a person knowledgeable in older homes that could quickly go through the place and give you a thumbs up or thumbs down on the structure--and mechanical of the house?