No Floating walls where there should be!

DIY Master

I am looking to purchase a 1993 home - with a basement that was finished in 1996. I live in Colorado where, due to expansive soils, floating walls are required when finishing a basement. That being said, when the basement was finished in 1996, no permits or inspections were ever done on the home and the walls were NOT floated (at least from what we can tell from the small portion of the basement by the furnace that is not finished).

In any event, I have a couple of questions.

In an area of expansive soils, how potentially detrimental is it to not have floated basement walls? (Even if the home has had the basement finished since 1996).

There is a slight bump underneath the carpet where some expansion has taken place. But the inspector came through the other day and was not concerned it at all. The exterior walls of the foundation (in viewing from the outside) are flawless, and the interior shows no sign of structure stress whatsoever.

How would you all feel? I don't really care about the code as long as I have a wonderful basement. It was finished with steel studs. Is it possible for the house to still settle/move after 18 years and cause foundational/structural issues with the house due to non-floated basement walls applying pressure to the structural supportive I-Beams of the house?

I also assume floating the walls would require nothing short of redoing the entire basement correct?

Appreciate your thoughts!

oh'mike

Someone familiar with Colorados expansive clay soil will be along soon--

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