It is very common for inspectors to find issues with homes that are not acceptable by either past or present building standards and yet have stood the "test-of-time." These kinds of issues are difficult for the inspector because the standard reaction from the seller is likely to be that it has "been that way for 100 years and I ain't gonna fix it."
Unfortunately, that doesn't let the inspector off the hook.
Sometimes I get the feeling that just because something has been the way it is for a long time, and hasn't failed, that we as inspectors have no business bringing it up. Things that are not right, and have not failed, means only one thing: it hasn't failed YET. Things that are wrong, and haven't failed, necessarily have a higher probability of failure than something that is constructed properly.
I had such a condition in the crawl space of a 52 year old home the other day. Concrete blocks, when used as support columns of homes, must be installed vertically to provide any real strength. As you can see in the picture these blocks installed on their side, are in perfect condition, in this really nice "closed-crawl" space. (Closed crawl spaces are ones that have concrete floors and no vents to the exterior and the crawl space is used as a giant air return for the heating system----an awesome way to install a crawl space----and the subject of a blog to come.)
So the inspector must call for repairs to ensure that the floor system will stay where intended. In this case it might be as simple as having the contractor fill the voids of the blocks or install additional wood posts next to the concrete blocks. Neither solution is likely to be costly and could perhaps be done by a qualified repair person in conjunction with other repairs necessary around the home.
Charles Buell
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)
all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Click on the Rose 
to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)
all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
My WORDLESS WEDNESDAY pictures and some selected POEMS & STORIES.
Oh the problems you inspectors create! If it wasn't for you, nothing would every be wrong with a home! (Please don't take these comments seriously!)
You have to point out problems. After all you are being paid for the inspection.
Charles, people should just listen to you and not fight you. These repairs are not that costly.
Ron, kind of funny how that happens---we show up and all of a sudden there are things wrong:)
John, that is the way I see it
Gary, good point, I think the problem is that sometimes inspectors don't communicate whether it is a big deal or not and the next thing you know the buyer thinks the thing is going to fall down.
Charles, you 'deal killer'... I have run across the same thing several times and write it up to cover my a$$est. People will sue a the drop of a hat today, and naturally some unhandy man always says that the home inspector should have mentioned that in their report...
Wow, a deal breaker for sure! LOL Charles, wouldn't it be Really Easy just to temporarily jack up the weight off the beam, s l i d e the block out, and s l i d e it back in the correct way?? HMM? (no material required).
Kevin
Michael, maybe true----sometimes I wonder what it would actually take to break a block installed in that direction.
Kevin, if you look close you will see that these blocks have been "floated" into the footer when the concrete was still wet----so getting the sucker out would likely be difficult
Charles, I wasn't able to tell from the photo that the block was mudded in, but I can tell you that a block placed on its side like that one, has approximately 1/4 the crush strength of one placed properly ((the opposite way). That is according to my mason friends little handbook.
Either way, I don't want my home supported by concrete blocks. I know, they make foundations out of them all the time. I saw some being made in Mexico a few years ago. They used a way high sand to Portland cement ration. In my opinion, those blocks couldn't support their own weight.
David, you mean to say you would be critical of something that has stood the test of time:) I am not a big fan of concrete blocks either---even though the first house I built in 1975 had a cmu foundation (the last cmu foundation I did I would add).
Charlie,
This is really sad. It has been so long since you posted that I am forced to going back to read your old material. I would have mentioned the block too, then the person would ignore it. But at least I told him or her.
Steve, at least you aren't going back and reading your own:)
I wonder when they did this. We don't have a lot of crawl spaces in Omaha. Pictures like this are few and far between for me.
Tony, 1952
You shoulda given the web of the block a good whack with your hammer to illustrate the point. Oh, and roll away REAl fast too.
Welp, I can say that I would not have known any better myself until I read this blog.
Sean Allen
David, now there is an idea:)----I don't move so fast on those concrete slabs!
Sean, glad to be of help
Wnen you find a problem and point it out, you need to educate the Buyer on how serious it is and how much it is going to cost to fix as well as if it even needs to be fixed. The one problem I really have with Inspectors is when they make a comment like "The seller needs to fix this before you buy it." I think that is a very unfair statement because the inspector has no idea what price or terms were negotiated on the home. If the home is selling at an amazing low price, the seller should not be expected to make any additional repairs.
Raylene, good points----I don't think it is my job at all to recommend that the seller fix anything. Most of my recommendations for repairs are directed at professional trades persons----or the builder if it is new construction. It is up to the agent to arm wrestle with the seller regarding repairs-----if it is being sold "as is"----that pretty much says it all----usually:)
Raylene,
You stated that the inspector should tell the client how much it should cost to fix the problems. I disagree, and so do the National Inspection Standards that most inspectors go by. No where are we required to tell how much it should cost to repair a problem. As a matter of fact, it shouldn't matter. Our job is to report defects and to point the client to specialists to further diagnose problems and corrections. Now, some inspectors include prices, but that goes beyond the Standards and that opens them up to more liability. It puts them in the position of being a Specialist in those fields instead of being a Generalist. So, don't get down on inspectors who don't provide prices - because we aren't required to.
Charles,
I report it everytime. I usually tell the client that the support is installed using non standard methods. Since I am not a structural engineer, I can't say whether this will fall down today, next year, or never. That is why I recommend further evaluation by a qualified professional to determine if (and what) repairs are necessary.
Then I move on to the next item in the house.
Brandon, I would add that the structural engineer isn't going to be able to tell them whether it "will fall down today, next year, or never" either:) They will just tell them what to do to fix it.
Good point Charles, but they are the "subject matter experts". I try to just report on deficiencies.
There are lots of things like this that can come up in a house during an inspection. I try to help my buyer as much as I can and I reserve calling for further evaluation for things that truely need evaluating. This block installed the wrong way simply needs repair. I will sometimes say something like: "I recommend repairs by a licensed general contractor that utilizes the services of a licensed engineer to design the repair if necessary. I would hope that even a mediocre builder could put a proper support under this beam----but at least it would be in their court.