Fernando’s Story: How to Not Spend Money On Your House Part 1

Last summer, I performed an inspection for Fernando, a really kind guy, a baseball fan from the Dominican Republic. He bought a standard neighbourhood house in Mississauga. Brick veneer, poured concrete foundation walls.

For those of you who do not know this, concrete is ‘the stuff’. It is the best kind of foundation wall money can buy (not including those one might see at a well-constructed century home, school house or church; I love those wide, beautiful stone walls!).

One of the key lessons that Fernando kind of missed during the inspection (no offense Fernando) was that you don’t need to carry out significant digging or spend major dollars if water enters through a crack at concrete foundation walls.

Such cracks can (almost invariably) be fully sealed by poly urethane injection (inside face) or patching with compounds (exterior face).

Fernando’s neighbour (not a genius, at least not relating to houses) spent $17,000 allowing a contractor to dig around his entire home, install drains and apply face-coating systems, etc.

The neighbour’s work inspired significant terror in the hearts of Fernando and his wife Maria.

“Andy, I have to do the same as my neighbour, no?” (Fernando showed me a water stain at the inside face of a normal crack at the right foundation wall in the utility room. All cracks had been observed and discussed during the inspection.)

“No, Fernando. Continue enjoying life. Let’s hope the Blue Jays draft some excellent Dominican-born baseball players. Do not allow anyone with a big shovel machine on your property. Call me anytime to discuss your home further.”