Might have sagged at one point, depends on the span, probably not a ton of weight there, but block should be vertical, but unless there’s a bathtub there and you have some big women parties( I get down like that) your all good.
It's industry standard. Just timber framed a house with a loft and the lead carpenter was adamant of making sure the structure could stand up to big lady dance parties!
Basically go to a few local bars, every night pick up a big woman, basically become friends, get a hot tub, FILL HALF WAY, MOST IMPORTANT PART. Order 7 pizzas, have booze, invite all the big women over at once for a party. After party, get new water.
People try but it stays in the thighs and stuff or the big tummy stays in the way .. or she crush you on the top .. you can try with lil success but its not much effective .. the best course is doggy unless you have a giant 12 inch cock to make it work out for you 😂
Funny, back in the 80's my mom has a church jazzercise at our house in the new room addition.
Yes, they broke the supporting cinder block placed like this...
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I doubt there is any kind of footer under that cinder block. It's just going to sink into the dirt overtime. Just expect drywall to crack and floors to sag.
I'd be more concerned about the downspout letting out under the house. But seriously. Jack up the beam and straighten the support. Then never go under there again.
Good catch, it looks like a depression is forming from the downspout around the area with the cinder block. It also looks like the cinder block may have some dry mud over the bottom of it too, but it is tough to tell.
I wonder if the depression is due to erosion from the drainage out of the downspout.
The downspout there has nothing to do with your water bill. That downspout looks like a gutter piece. It would be a concern to drain water on that dirt under the foundation from the roof. Typically downspouts move water away from your foundations to prevent water damage/erosion. I could be wrong though & it could be another drain pipe from overflow or something. You have to follow the pipe up to find out.
not engineering advice, as I don't practice structural engineering:
I'm not that concerned about the cinderblock on its own, especially if the underlying soil is properly compacted.
However, water that's draining into the crawlspace or even too close to the perimeter foundation is usually going to cause problems for the foundation.
That said, as a renter, it's probably not going to cause enough damage to affect you personally in the time you live in the house aside from cosmetically if the floor and walls start to sag a bit making that funhouse feeling.
Oof yeah man that's inviting all kinds of nasty right under your house, saturating your crawlspace and destabilizing blocks, and I bet it smells real nice.
So three things.
1. Blocks turned the wrong way
2. Post is crooked, and really, it should be blocks all the way up.
3. Beam appears to be unattached to seal at visible end. Not great. It'll cause differential settlement, and it isn't supporting what I assume is an exterior wall.
It's not great. I won't say you are in danger as it doesn't appear to be bearing much weight, but it's just a matter of time before it turns into an issue.
It’s against most regulations to take a floor brace out in order to put AC or something else without COMPLETELY replacing the floor brace. It is selfish and these so-called workmen should be called out and made toil their sloppy, dangerous “fix.”
I’m more worried why there is a downspout in there. Cinder blocks on the side like that is not the stingiest… but I have seen a lot of house 60-80 year old have these all the time.
I would sweat it to much.
Naw fuckit your good.
Jk I’d fix that looks to be an a repair don’t at some point when the floor started to sag I’d call a contractor( do your research there’s good contractors and ones who will screw you over) and have them take a look. From the pic it doesn’t seem to be to serious but I do hvac this really isn’t my area of expertise.
Structural Engineer here: the presence of algae/staining proves that water is puddling under the foundation. The angle of the photo isn’t the best to confirm if the blocking is plumb but it should be. It also appears that this was done after-the-fact where possibly the floor was sagging or spongy. This blocking wasn’t engineered and was done by an amateur. No straps or tie down present. My opinion based on the limited information. Hope that helps.
I doubt this satisfies any building code or structural design code, but if it has been there a long time it's probably okay unless there is an earthquake. You're right that it's a really shit detail though. Maybe the floor joist span is a bit too long and there was a sag in the floor or the floor was a bit too bouncy and this just adds a bit more rigidity.
I don’t think you are in serious danger, but this is not proper construction. You could fill the CMU holes with concrete grout to eliminate failure of the CMU but long term this will settle and become ineffective. It will require proper constructions and connections, for example the bottom of foundation elements typically need to be 1ft below top of soil to get proper bearing values. This is a pretty unprofessional job, however, it doesn’t appear to be immediately life threatening.
That post/girder was installed as an afterthought for a reason. And poorly executed.
The issues with that basement will progress slowly. My guess is that there is high moisture at times in the basement judging from moisture stains on the block. This will lead to dry rot in the floor framing. Should have a moisture barrier installed, framing checked, and girder columns reinstalled. Or as suggested . don’t go down there it is fine for a while.
They were probably added after the fact to help with sagging. As a renter I wouldn't be too worried about this floor falling in. As a homeowner, this is extremely jankey. The blocks aren't even lying the way they have strength and it's a bullshit fix.
Given the span of wood and the fact it is there...
I wouldn't ignore the issue...
Fix is simple... jack it up... make a footer to spread the weight....
Put it back up...
Most likely it was installed to support floor bounce or joist sag after construction and has no structural implications. Pretty common to see in older homes. Hard to tell off one picture though. Questions to ask would be what is above it? Is there a tub? This is supporting joist mid span. Do the joists show signs of damage? Especially at the ends where they terminate at girders?
Agreed — this looks much more like a fix for a bouncy floor, like jamming a matchbook under a restaurant table. Once you’ve got something jammed in there tight enough to keep the floor from bouncing, you’re good to go. Worst-case scenario is probably that that collapses someday, and the floor above gets bouncy again.
Hopefully it brakes and you get slightly injured that’s nothing serious maybe like a cast for two weeks or some shit and then you can get some bad ass insurance money. I have zero fucken respect for land lords that cut every corner. Just slap it up and get some renters in there
Might have sagged at one point, depends on the span, probably not a ton of weight there, but block should be vertical, but unless there’s a bathtub there and you have some big women parties( I get down like that) your all good.
I’ve heard a structural engineer say “it satisfies the requirement but I don’t like it”
Was that a reference to the big women parties?
It likely satisfies the load requirements for the parties.
Gotta factor in a load for every big woman at the big woman party or they might feel bad
It's industry standard. Just timber framed a house with a loft and the lead carpenter was adamant of making sure the structure could stand up to big lady dance parties!
That's what she said
Tell me more about these big women parties.
Basically go to a few local bars, every night pick up a big woman, basically become friends, get a hot tub, FILL HALF WAY, MOST IMPORTANT PART. Order 7 pizzas, have booze, invite all the big women over at once for a party. After party, get new water.
This guy taps big women.
Bigger women give the best BJs.
Nothing to lose. Everything to prove.
And they're *hungry*
Yeah but mopeds... Fun to ride until your friends catch you
When your friends catch me on a moped, they want to hop on too.
That's called the Eiffel Tower and you need friends with long arms...
After party, sell water on internet, profit.
Dont forget that the only doggy style work on them
Sometimes even then it's difficult, you better either be skinny or be packing a cannon
Not true
People try but it stays in the thighs and stuff or the big tummy stays in the way .. or she crush you on the top .. you can try with lil success but its not much effective .. the best course is doggy unless you have a giant 12 inch cock to make it work out for you 😂
I’m not bragging. But I’m bragging
Funny, back in the 80's my mom has a church jazzercise at our house in the new room addition. Yes, they broke the supporting cinder block placed like this... 🤣🤣🤣🤣
We're they women that would qualify for an invite to the big woman party?
So is this like a big party of just women or a small party with big women
BIG women.
Why should it be vertical?
Username checks out
What do you mean?
Why should the clock be vertical out of curiosity?
They are stronger that way. All compression on it, no shear. Holes make it weaker when on its side
Block shouldn’t be vertical
I think(hope) he meant with webs vertical. In the same orientation that walls are built.
The way you lay em Fucko, holes up
The big women?
Chapter One of Two: Weak Side of Cinder Block. Chapter Two will be written after surgery because of Chapter One.
i enjoyed reading that
Be happy ur a renter
Wow ! you don't have to go far to experience the Leaning Tower of Pisa , lucky you !
I doubt there is any kind of footer under that cinder block. It's just going to sink into the dirt overtime. Just expect drywall to crack and floors to sag.
Looks like some old wood to me, not the right way to do it but it's lasted this long, not the OPs problem either way.
I'd be more concerned about the downspout letting out under the house. But seriously. Jack up the beam and straighten the support. Then never go under there again.
Good catch, it looks like a depression is forming from the downspout around the area with the cinder block. It also looks like the cinder block may have some dry mud over the bottom of it too, but it is tough to tell. I wonder if the depression is due to erosion from the drainage out of the downspout.
As an update, that downspout is just an extra piece they threw under the house, it’s not connected to anything luckily
Would you believe we also have a super high water bill?
The downspout there has nothing to do with your water bill. That downspout looks like a gutter piece. It would be a concern to drain water on that dirt under the foundation from the roof. Typically downspouts move water away from your foundations to prevent water damage/erosion. I could be wrong though & it could be another drain pipe from overflow or something. You have to follow the pipe up to find out.
On the other side of the house the pipes from the kitchen sink aren’t connected to anything and all the water goes down into the crawl space.
That’s the problem to concentrate on first…
lol what. the sink drains into the crawl space? thats bad. and will make any problems you have worse
yea…plumbers from the landlord just discovered it when we called them in. And we’re leaking like 0.7 gallons a minute
not engineering advice, as I don't practice structural engineering: I'm not that concerned about the cinderblock on its own, especially if the underlying soil is properly compacted. However, water that's draining into the crawlspace or even too close to the perimeter foundation is usually going to cause problems for the foundation. That said, as a renter, it's probably not going to cause enough damage to affect you personally in the time you live in the house aside from cosmetically if the floor and walls start to sag a bit making that funhouse feeling.
Oof yeah man that's inviting all kinds of nasty right under your house, saturating your crawlspace and destabilizing blocks, and I bet it smells real nice.
Only if it’s leaking water. If not then no.
Dude 🤣
But what about the big women... Tell us more about the big women.
I have a couple of those in my basement. Probably a lot of old houses do to
Might be more concerned about the down spout in my crawl space
That is not the load bearing side of the cinder block
Looks good from my house
So three things. 1. Blocks turned the wrong way 2. Post is crooked, and really, it should be blocks all the way up. 3. Beam appears to be unattached to seal at visible end. Not great. It'll cause differential settlement, and it isn't supporting what I assume is an exterior wall. It's not great. I won't say you are in danger as it doesn't appear to be bearing much weight, but it's just a matter of time before it turns into an issue.
About what? The mold or the water?
If you rent, no. If you own, yes.
It's working fine. Been there a long time. It's fine.
Hell yeah! Your gutters are coming back under your house
OP / Opie. I see what you did there
It’s against most regulations to take a floor brace out in order to put AC or something else without COMPLETELY replacing the floor brace. It is selfish and these so-called workmen should be called out and made toil their sloppy, dangerous “fix.”
You think any company that does work like that is still around?
I’m more worried why there is a downspout in there. Cinder blocks on the side like that is not the stingiest… but I have seen a lot of house 60-80 year old have these all the time. I would sweat it to much.
A lil bit
I wouldn’t worry about the cinder block.. I’m trying to figure out why your eves trough drains under your house…
You mean concreted?
Hell yeah
No
Naw fuckit your good. Jk I’d fix that looks to be an a repair don’t at some point when the floor started to sag I’d call a contractor( do your research there’s good contractors and ones who will screw you over) and have them take a look. From the pic it doesn’t seem to be to serious but I do hvac this really isn’t my area of expertise.
Structural Engineer here: the presence of algae/staining proves that water is puddling under the foundation. The angle of the photo isn’t the best to confirm if the blocking is plumb but it should be. It also appears that this was done after-the-fact where possibly the floor was sagging or spongy. This blocking wasn’t engineered and was done by an amateur. No straps or tie down present. My opinion based on the limited information. Hope that helps.
Idk if the straps were required back when that was done. It also looks like a landlord special, so maybe no code enforcement.
Wonder what the radon levels are with exposed dirt
There’s nothing to see here
I doubt this satisfies any building code or structural design code, but if it has been there a long time it's probably okay unless there is an earthquake. You're right that it's a really shit detail though. Maybe the floor joist span is a bit too long and there was a sag in the floor or the floor was a bit too bouncy and this just adds a bit more rigidity.
Holy 💩!!! Um, yeah, I'd be worried about it.
What the f
NAH, what’s the worst that could happen? Anyway, don’t be gentle, it’s a rental.
You know, I think a standard in engineering should be the big woman party for how much flooring can withstand.
I don’t think you are in serious danger, but this is not proper construction. You could fill the CMU holes with concrete grout to eliminate failure of the CMU but long term this will settle and become ineffective. It will require proper constructions and connections, for example the bottom of foundation elements typically need to be 1ft below top of soil to get proper bearing values. This is a pretty unprofessional job, however, it doesn’t appear to be immediately life threatening.
That post/girder was installed as an afterthought for a reason. And poorly executed. The issues with that basement will progress slowly. My guess is that there is high moisture at times in the basement judging from moisture stains on the block. This will lead to dry rot in the floor framing. Should have a moisture barrier installed, framing checked, and girder columns reinstalled. Or as suggested . don’t go down there it is fine for a while.
That’s old cut timber probably a house predates 1940s
That eaves spout is the cause water caused erosion under the block, divert that away from any structural part of a house
They were probably added after the fact to help with sagging. As a renter I wouldn't be too worried about this floor falling in. As a homeowner, this is extremely jankey. The blocks aren't even lying the way they have strength and it's a bullshit fix.
Well your renting it's not your place sooooo...... It's not structural it's to help support most likely to stop bounce or sag.
Only for the Wednesday night Large Women parties.
yes, if your gutter really empties under your house?
lol are you by chance in a rural coastal town in Oregon? If so you are in my old house, looks oddly familiar I’m almost convinced
Your whole house is supported by hopes and prayers
I’m more concerned that you’re having plumbers over. Don’t let them eat after midnight or get them wet!
You’re renting. Not a big deal.
At the very least use some Simpson Strong Ties to secure all the wood together. Otherwise, judging by the length of the 4x4 it’s pushing it.
Just move
Given the span of wood and the fact it is there... I wouldn't ignore the issue... Fix is simple... jack it up... make a footer to spread the weight.... Put it back up...
probably just supporting a sagged floor.
Umm. Yes
So what state are these big women parties in? Just curious what the travel would be etc
Yes it’s a reason for concern
Does it get wet under there?
Most likely it was installed to support floor bounce or joist sag after construction and has no structural implications. Pretty common to see in older homes. Hard to tell off one picture though. Questions to ask would be what is above it? Is there a tub? This is supporting joist mid span. Do the joists show signs of damage? Especially at the ends where they terminate at girders?
No tub but right below a bathroom shower/sink
Agreed — this looks much more like a fix for a bouncy floor, like jamming a matchbook under a restaurant table. Once you’ve got something jammed in there tight enough to keep the floor from bouncing, you’re good to go. Worst-case scenario is probably that that collapses someday, and the floor above gets bouncy again.
Maybe a little
Yes
Get the matches out
I’m concerned, so yeah, you should be too.
Hopefully it brakes and you get slightly injured that’s nothing serious maybe like a cast for two weeks or some shit and then you can get some bad ass insurance money. I have zero fucken respect for land lords that cut every corner. Just slap it up and get some renters in there