anyone in OOT know anything about old house structures?

[Slow Play Ray]

I am thinking of putting an offer on a house, but it is old (built in 1897) and therefore has some associated quirks. Most of them I can deal with (uneven floors, etc), but a couple worry me.

First, I noticed a beam in the basement (10x10 maybe?) is notched where it meets the sill, and a horizontal crack runs from the notch down a little ways. The column the other end rests on is also notched for a sewer pipe to pass through.

Second, the living room ceiling/spare bedroom floors flexes pretty easily - it's bouncy. The joists are exposed on the ceiling, and are only 4x4s. I suspect they are undersized for the span. I think I can probably live with it since it's in a room I won't really use anyway, but I am concerned about the integrity.

So, is anyone here any kind of structural expert, home inspector, or know anything about old constructions in general?

[PokerintheI]

I am a Property Tax Assessor, and former building inspections supervisor so I know a little.

1. Notches in a support beam aren't always a big deal. However it depends a lot on where the notch is. A notch in the bottom of a support beam that then has weight being placed on it somewhere near the notch is not a good thing. It might not be enough of a problem to make it a deal breaker, but it isn't good. A hole through the center of a beam or joist doesn't actually affect the structural integerity all that much. I would strongly advise getting an engineer to inspect any old home before purchase to get an idea if it has structural problems.

2. Likely as not, the ceiling was not designed to be a floor. The upstairs was meant to be unfinished attic space, but some future owner finished it of without paying attention to that. As far as I know, 4x4's were never "properly" used as joists meant to support a floor. I would ask the engineer to take a look at that as well. It may well be that by crossbracing the existing joists or attaching some sisterboards you could reinforce this enough to take out the spring.

3. Old homes in general: take a close look at the foundation to make sure it is sound. Look for evidence of water seepage around the foundation and window wells. Plaster cracks are very difficult to get rid of permanantly. (they come back).