Hello all,
I am about to buy my first house. The one I have settled on was built in 1969. I fell in love with it and are in the buying process. I love the old
furniture and antiques. My biggest concern is the brick. The house is a ranch style with a half basement. The exterior walls of the main floor are brick from the ground up about four feet. The rest is permanent aluminum siding. The problem is where the concrete steps meet the brick veneer at the front door the brick is cracked diagonally on one side and is pulling the brick on the other side out. The problem seems to be that where the concrete steps meet the sidewalk the concrete is cracked. The steps are mortared to the brick. It looks like the steps are no longer level and are pulling the brick with it. My plan is to eliminate the stairs and put a wood porch on. Any advice if this would work? I know what you are going to ask, and the basement and foundation look excellent. Everything else passed inspection with flying colors. Any advice to put a first time home buyer's mind at ease?
I hope you will like the forum. 
more posts...