FOUNDATION INSPECTIONS
Thorough & Detailed Residential Inspection Services
CRUMBLING FOUNDATIONS
The State of Connecticut is providing financial assistance to homeowners who have a crumbling foundation, due to pyrrhotite, where the home, condo, Planned Unit Development, or home addition was built after January 1, 1983 to the present.
We have inspectors certified by the state to perform a separate foundation inspection for the crumbling foundation issue plaguing areas of our state. The purpose of this inspection is to solely use the separate report that is needed to apply to the state insurance company for reimbursement of some costs associated with foundation replacement.
CRUMBLING FOUNDATION INFORMATION
Upwards of 35,000 homes in a radius of Stafford Springs, Connecticut, are facing the potential for a failed concrete foundation due to the possible presence of a naturally occurring iron sulfide, pyrrhotite, in their concrete foundation. The concrete originated from the JJ Mottes Concrete Company in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, during the years 1983 – present. The mineral is found in a Willington, Connecticut, quarry that no longer supplies aggregate for residential foundations.
Pyrrhotite causes the slow deterioration of the concrete when exposed to oxygen and water. While the presence of pyrrhotite indicates the potential for concrete deterioration, its existence alone does not necessarily cause it.
The cracking starts small and may take more than 10 years to over 30 years to appear. Horizontal cracks or cracks that splinter out like a web are the most concerning. A rust color residue or white powder may appear. The sheetrock walls of a finished basement may need to be removed to examine the concrete. As the concrete deteriorates, it often becomes structurally unsound.
The damage is irreversible. The repair is to fully replace the impacted foundation with a new foundation that does not contain pyrrhotite.
WHY IS THIS SERVICE SO IMPORTANT?
HERE IS WHAT THE SOLUTION LOOKS LIKE
ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PROGRAM
1) The home was built on or after January 1, 1983.
2) The home was built before 1983, but an addition was constructed during the years 1983 to to the present, then the foundation of the addition is eligible for testing under the program.
3) The home is in Connecticut and within 20 miles radius of J.J. Mottes Concrete Company in Stafford Springs. A waiver application for homes outside of the 20 mile radius is available.
INSPECTIONS FOR PYRRHOTITE
Homeowners who suspect their foundation may be showing signs of cracking should have the foundation tested by a VISUAL inspection and/or a CORE test. At this time, the only test that can definitively confirm the presence of pyrrhotite is a CORE test. However, there is a visual examination that might reveal symptoms of foundations that might have the mineral in your concrete:
-A VISUAL inspection by a licensed professional engineer (PE) -OR- a licensed home inspector certified to perform this type of foundation inspection. They provide their expert opinion based on education, observation, and prior experience that the foundation’s cracking is due to incompatible materials in the concrete mix. This visual report describes the current condition of the concrete and cannot predict if un-cracked concrete will deteriorate at a later date.
-A CORE test determines the presence, or absence, of pyrrhotite and the percent of pyrrhotite that exists in the sample. It requires drilling out a 4 inch diameter cylinder from the concrete which is sent to a lab for analysis. The concrete is plugged after the core sample is removed.
