# Basement Concrete Ceiling problems advice please



## mikegp (Jul 17, 2011)

Those always scare me. Parking a car above somewhere people may stand is something that I like to avoid. Is there any way to find out what reinforcement is in the ceiling?


----------



## deemoore333 (Mar 31, 2016)

@mikegp It scares me too, and I guess the only method I have is to go to the real estate agent and have her ask the other agent. I know there is two steel beams installed and rebars


----------



## danpik (Sep 11, 2011)

Ask the inspector if he is willing to put his comment in writing.

The only real way to know for sure is to have a structural engineer assess it and issue a written report.


----------



## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

What are your plans for that space? If you are thinking of converting it into usable or living space, then you would definitely want an engineer (as Dan said) to certify it is safe. But, even with that, it looks like it is definitely unstable where chunks of concrete could fall at any time. Along with the structural report you will need a "how to" report to finish off this space.

Not a pro in this field, but there is something going on with the concrete breaking up like that. Add that question to the list for the engineer.

Bud


----------



## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Run, do not walk. Not worth the money to fix that mess. Unless the property is really great and you can save money by just buying the land, tear the old place down and build your own. There is no money in the world that would allow anyone to buy it and then find out that there are more issues that they are not disclosing.


----------



## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

danpik said:


> Ask the inspector if he is willing to put his comment in writing.
> 
> The only real way to know for sure is to have a structural engineer assess it and issue a written report.


There is no home inspector that is going to sign off on that. Even a Engineer like Daniel would be skeptical getting involved.


----------



## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

As soon as those Rebars were exposed the place became unsafe.

You need an Engineer, not a Home Inspector.


----------



## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

gregzoll said:


> There is no home inspector that is going to sign off on that. Even a Engineer like Daniel would be skeptical getting involved.


Which show's your only real construction expereince is derived from the internet, and not real life. I see things far more dangerous and likely to fail that involve concrete on a regular basis.

The most important thing in the picture is the steel deck and the concrete ABOVE it. The concrete below was likely never necessary, and certainly doesn't add to the strengh of the floor above, but actually hinders the floor spand by adding additional dead weight with no structural gain. I can't imagine why it was even installed in the first place.

OP, try to find a local structural engineer that specializes in structural concrete, and have them assess the situtaton as it is now. This will cost you a few hundred dollars minimum, but it could save you ten's of thousands down the road "IF" there is an issue. I certainly wouldn't run away from a house like this simply because of the picture you posted.......


----------



## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

what exposed rebar ??? you obviously have a better monitor than mine - all i see are galv stay-in-place forms & dribble


----------



## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

jomama45 said:


> .
> 
> The most important thing in the picture is the steel deck and the concrete ABOVE it. The concrete below was likely never necessary, and certainly doesn't add to the strengh of the floor above, but actually hinders the floor spand by adding additional dead weight with no structural gain. I can't imagine why it was even installed in the first place.
> 
> OP, try to find a local structural engineer that specializes in structural concrete, and have them assess the situtaton as it is now. This will cost you a few hundred dollars minimum, but it could save you ten's of thousands down the road "IF" there is an issue. I certainly wouldn't run away from a house like this simply because of the picture you posted.......





stadry said:


> what exposed rebar ??? you obviously have a better monitor than mine - all i see are galv stay-in-place forms & dribble



this ^ . how cracked up is the floor slab. how thick and rebar. and is it tensioned.

what is below was probably blown up there like the stuff they use for in ground pools. to make it look nicer.


----------



## woodchopper65 (Mar 28, 2016)

that is what is left to the corroborated tin that the concrete was poured on, and the rebar falling out of the crumbling concrete...the tin has rotted away, at the edges of the pic you can see whats left of the grey colored steel.. NOT SAFE...


----------



## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

I am no expert, but the only thing I see that is wrong is that they put the rebar on the bottom of the pour (should be in the middle). The rebar helps to hold the concrete together when it cracks (and concrete pretty much always cracks).

I don't see how anybody on an internet chat-room is going to determine if that ceiling is at risk of caving in. 

(Not sure if you are simply asking if a piece might fall off and break a bottle in your wine collection -- you did not answer what your plan for the room was) 

Unless the home inspector has the initials P.Eng. on his business card, his opinion is not worth the paper its written on, and he is likely not even a good home inspector if he is not aware that he should not be giving opinions on items that he is not qualified to evaluate. You should have asked the contractor "why is this bad?"

Having said all that, if it were my house, I would be worried about that too. I am sure there are ways to safely build a garage over a room, but I would guess that most of those methods involve steel or concrete beams, and I don't see any.


----------



## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

From just looking at the pics, my guess is that steel decking and the exposed rebar is the cause of the underside of the deck failing, the decking should have been removed a week or so after the pour.

When steel corrodes, the resulting rust occupies a greater volume than the steel, and the expansion creates tensile stresses in the concrete, which will cause cracking , delamination, and spalling, and that i believe is what has happened here, steel reverting back to it's natural state, iron oxide or rust.

I would agree with jomama and see if you can get a structural engineer to have a look at it.


----------

