Lot and Roof Drainage
Keeping water out of your house in one of the most important areas to be considered in building design and annual maintenance checklists. Eave troughs collect large amounts of water, average is 160 gallons per hour, which is then directed down to ground level to be dispersed. This is where most systems have problems, from missing extensions to reversed splash pads, and it is important to ensure all water is directed away from your home. I have actually come across homes where the sump pump was pumping water out into the exterior corner of the house where the water ran right back down the foundation to be re-cycled again. Areas around foundations are prone to settling and should be built back up to ensure that any water will flow away from home.
Foundations
The primary function of the foundation is to transfer the load of your house unto your footings. Water can enter your home through cracks and holes in your foundation. Cement block foundations are required to be parged and then coated with damp proofing product to prevent this. Poured concrete foundations are required to have form holes sealed to prevent water entry. Minor cracks in foundations can be attributed to settlement of building or shrinkage cracks which would appear in poured concrete foundations. Any crack in your foundation is a potential source of water entry into your basement. If your area has excellent drainage and surface water is not an issue then sealing your cracks yourself could be an option, if not then a professional will seal poured concrete cracks using injected foam or epoxy for around 300 to 600 dollars. Sealing with epoxy will make the cracked area stronger than surrounding untouched area. Horizontal cracks in basements are stress cracks and usually should be inspected by engineer to ensure safety of the home.
Cladding
There are so many different types of cladding available on the market and many new ideas on product application. Two of the most common types in the Barrie and local area are Brick Veneer and Vinyl Siding. Brick - There are two common types of brick in use today, clay and cement bricks, clay being the most expensive and more durable of the two. The most common defects in brick are caused by poor workmanship and settling of the house or foundation. Checking the brick work for cracks in mortar is very important part of your home inspection. Finding cracks prior to moisture and freezing damage occurring can drastically reduce the amount of work required to repair problem. Corbelled brick corners are an area where cracked mortar is very common but is an easy fix. Step cracks with vertical crack through the brick usually indicated movement of foundation in area directly under bricks. This is a visual clue for home inspectors to look from signs of foundation movement. Building planters or covering brick with uni-stone pavers is another cause of brick damage. Covering brick will allow constant contact with moisture which typically leads to brick spalling. Cracks brick window sill mortar or concrete split sills can allow water to enter mortar and freeze in the winter. This cracks and breaks the mortar allowing water to attack the brick surface. The subsequent damage is known as spalling.
Windows
Windows come in all sizes and shapes with many different types of opening models. We are going to concentrate on mainly the casement style window, as this is the type of window, which commonly has defects. Casement windows commonly have problems with the cranking mechanism. Stripped windows cranks are commonly found on windows in children's bedrooms and are mainly due to the fact that in the winter these windows tend to freeze up and then when the crank is operated, a stripped mechanism results. Broken seals in thermal units are another common defect found in windows. Windows around 15 years, and older, are usually found to have problems with leaking thermal units. There is a process that involves inserting tiny one-way vents into these units which can eliminate the moisture problem and save you money. The "R" value of windows is not so high that this procedure would create a huge heat loss. Then there are the common defects in windows, which can include, no caulking, cracked glass panes, improperly trims, sagging headers above windows, require painting and last but not least cracked or rotting wood.
The Roof
Asphalt shingles are by far the common material of choice for homes in Canada. Asphalt composition shingles are the most common type of roofing material used today. They vary in weight, color and design. The weight of a standard asphalt composition shingle before 1973 was 240 pounds per square (of coverage); modern standard shingles weigh approximately 190 pounds, depending on the manufacturer. Shingles can last anywhere from 15 to 25 years depending on quality of product and environment that they endure. Proper roof venting is essential for the health of your roof. This allows moisture and heat to build up in your attic and will dramatically reduce life of shingles. Inspecting flashing, valleys, skylights, vents and eave trough are another important factor of your home inspection. Ensure your inspector has a ladder and walks your roof if he is able.
Furnace & Air Conditioning
Most homeowners absolutely depend on their home's heating system to function properly and keep them warm during the colder months. But like everything else, if not properly maintained, your home's heating system can, and will, malfunction. Furnaces have an estimated life span of 15 to 20 years and this can vary greatly with maintenance being the biggest factor in extending life of your furnace. Your furnace cannot have any holes, be rusted through in any area and must be hooked up to an approved venting system. If connected to a "B" vent, a one-inch clearance must be maintained from combustibles. Check your flame color, yellow or orange flames indicate incomplete combustion which may be fixed with a simple tune up from your furnace technician. When a heat exchanger cracks or fails, there are two points to consider, involving air pressure. When cracks and rust, etc. are located at air pressure points, such as at turns and/or at the top of the heat exchanger (where the direction of the exhaust is not directed toward the flue), you may get combustion gases forced into the flow of the air in the plenum and duct-work. Central air conditioners are essentially a sealed unit. Using a temperature gauge can determine if unit is operating at a level that is acceptable. I use 58 degrees F as a bench mark in testing in hot weather. This ensures that unit will maintain your home at a comfortable temperature.
Electrical Panel & System
Aluminum wiring and 60 amp service panels are two areas where insurance companies may refuse to insure your property. Knob and tube wiring is still being used in older homes and should be replaced. Most knob and tube wiring is found in attics and other hard to access locations. Adding pony panels, which allowable and recommended, is a great way of expanding your main panels resources. I came across one pony panel, a full sized 100 amp panel, which was powered off supply cables in switch box. This panel was noted in listing as an asset! There are a myriad of minor electrical problems to be checked in your home. Another main panel observation is that many people rather than add a breaker just attach two or more wires to an existing breaker, this is a not permitted and is a potential fire risk.
Plumbing
Your supply piping and fixtures maintenance are important factor in ensuring water damage does not occur inside your home. Lack of caulking and sub-standard products or workmanship is the major cause of problems when it comes to keeping your house dry. Galvanized pipe is another item that insurance companies may be concerned about. Galvanized pipe tends to corrode from the inside out leaving any visible signs of impending failure, which tends to make insurance companies a little nervous about insuring homes with galvanized plumbing.
Insulation
Homes today have a much higher insulation R-value than older models, the standard for your attic insulation is R-40. Coupled with vapor barriers this is a very important part of your homes building envelope. Many homes have lots of insulation but it has been compromised by workmen installing products such as pot lights and ceiling fans and never remedied. The un-suspecting homeowner never realizes the loss of heat and release of moisture that is taking place. I have inspected homes where there has been a sun room added on and for a period of two or more years that complete area has not had any insulation. Vermiculite insulation is receiving a lot of attention due to asbestos hazard. Most vermiculite was produced from Libby mine in Montana and contains trace amounts of asbestos. There is some type of vermiculite that has no asbestos risk, which can only be determined by laboratory testing. Homeowners are obligated to disclose any vermiculite insulation that they know of. This is another area where your home inspector can help and possibly save you a lot of money and headaches. Having Vermiculite professionally removed can range as high as $20,000 for a typical home.
Mould or Mold
Mold has been a inspection headliner for quite a number of years. Mold is present everywhere, outside, in your home and sometimes even in the wood you are building with. Moud requires three items to grow, they are; warm environment, protein supply (paper on drywall will do) and moisture. As you can see if you have any water or moisture problems in your home for any length of time then you probably have mold somewhere in your home. That is why it is so important to keep water out of your home and control the water you do have in your home by the proper use of exhaust vents, HRV units and humidity control. Mould testing can be expensive and proper clean up of any water leaks can prevent the need for expensive remediation.
Structure
The structural component of your home includes all the items that comprise the supporting elements of your home, which include but are limited to; footings, floors, foundation, walls, columns and piers and roofing system. Visual inspection involves looking for cracks, missing supports, under-sized support construction, twisted or cracked beams, joists, rafters, trusses or support members. Consider your structure as the exterior and interior framework that encompasses your home. Your homes structural support starts with the footings and foundation walls. The supporting walls are then built up over supporting foundation. Knowing how your house is supported will allow you to modify walls etc without affecting the integrity of your home. Defects in this system can be considered serious and should not be taken lightly as you whole home depends on this system.
Keeping water out of your house in one of the most important areas to be considered in building design and annual maintenance checklists. Eave troughs collect large amounts of water, average is 160 gallons per hour, which is then directed down to ground level to be dispersed. This is where most systems have problems, from missing extensions to reversed splash pads, and it is important to ensure all water is directed away from your home. I have actually come across homes where the sump pump was pumping water out into the exterior corner of the house where the water ran right back down the foundation to be re-cycled again. Areas around foundations are prone to settling and should be built back up to ensure that any water will flow away from home.
Foundations
The primary function of the foundation is to transfer the load of your house unto your footings. Water can enter your home through cracks and holes in your foundation. Cement block foundations are required to be parged and then coated with damp proofing product to prevent this. Poured concrete foundations are required to have form holes sealed to prevent water entry. Minor cracks in foundations can be attributed to settlement of building or shrinkage cracks which would appear in poured concrete foundations. Any crack in your foundation is a potential source of water entry into your basement. If your area has excellent drainage and surface water is not an issue then sealing your cracks yourself could be an option, if not then a professional will seal poured concrete cracks using injected foam or epoxy for around 300 to 600 dollars. Sealing with epoxy will make the cracked area stronger than surrounding untouched area. Horizontal cracks in basements are stress cracks and usually should be inspected by engineer to ensure safety of the home.
Cladding
There are so many different types of cladding available on the market and many new ideas on product application. Two of the most common types in the Barrie and local area are Brick Veneer and Vinyl Siding. Brick - There are two common types of brick in use today, clay and cement bricks, clay being the most expensive and more durable of the two. The most common defects in brick are caused by poor workmanship and settling of the house or foundation. Checking the brick work for cracks in mortar is very important part of your home inspection. Finding cracks prior to moisture and freezing damage occurring can drastically reduce the amount of work required to repair problem. Corbelled brick corners are an area where cracked mortar is very common but is an easy fix. Step cracks with vertical crack through the brick usually indicated movement of foundation in area directly under bricks. This is a visual clue for home inspectors to look from signs of foundation movement. Building planters or covering brick with uni-stone pavers is another cause of brick damage. Covering brick will allow constant contact with moisture which typically leads to brick spalling. Cracks brick window sill mortar or concrete split sills can allow water to enter mortar and freeze in the winter. This cracks and breaks the mortar allowing water to attack the brick surface. The subsequent damage is known as spalling.
Windows
Windows come in all sizes and shapes with many different types of opening models. We are going to concentrate on mainly the casement style window, as this is the type of window, which commonly has defects. Casement windows commonly have problems with the cranking mechanism. Stripped windows cranks are commonly found on windows in children's bedrooms and are mainly due to the fact that in the winter these windows tend to freeze up and then when the crank is operated, a stripped mechanism results. Broken seals in thermal units are another common defect found in windows. Windows around 15 years, and older, are usually found to have problems with leaking thermal units. There is a process that involves inserting tiny one-way vents into these units which can eliminate the moisture problem and save you money. The "R" value of windows is not so high that this procedure would create a huge heat loss. Then there are the common defects in windows, which can include, no caulking, cracked glass panes, improperly trims, sagging headers above windows, require painting and last but not least cracked or rotting wood.
The Roof
Asphalt shingles are by far the common material of choice for homes in Canada. Asphalt composition shingles are the most common type of roofing material used today. They vary in weight, color and design. The weight of a standard asphalt composition shingle before 1973 was 240 pounds per square (of coverage); modern standard shingles weigh approximately 190 pounds, depending on the manufacturer. Shingles can last anywhere from 15 to 25 years depending on quality of product and environment that they endure. Proper roof venting is essential for the health of your roof. This allows moisture and heat to build up in your attic and will dramatically reduce life of shingles. Inspecting flashing, valleys, skylights, vents and eave trough are another important factor of your home inspection. Ensure your inspector has a ladder and walks your roof if he is able.
Furnace & Air Conditioning
Most homeowners absolutely depend on their home's heating system to function properly and keep them warm during the colder months. But like everything else, if not properly maintained, your home's heating system can, and will, malfunction. Furnaces have an estimated life span of 15 to 20 years and this can vary greatly with maintenance being the biggest factor in extending life of your furnace. Your furnace cannot have any holes, be rusted through in any area and must be hooked up to an approved venting system. If connected to a "B" vent, a one-inch clearance must be maintained from combustibles. Check your flame color, yellow or orange flames indicate incomplete combustion which may be fixed with a simple tune up from your furnace technician. When a heat exchanger cracks or fails, there are two points to consider, involving air pressure. When cracks and rust, etc. are located at air pressure points, such as at turns and/or at the top of the heat exchanger (where the direction of the exhaust is not directed toward the flue), you may get combustion gases forced into the flow of the air in the plenum and duct-work. Central air conditioners are essentially a sealed unit. Using a temperature gauge can determine if unit is operating at a level that is acceptable. I use 58 degrees F as a bench mark in testing in hot weather. This ensures that unit will maintain your home at a comfortable temperature.
Electrical Panel & System
Aluminum wiring and 60 amp service panels are two areas where insurance companies may refuse to insure your property. Knob and tube wiring is still being used in older homes and should be replaced. Most knob and tube wiring is found in attics and other hard to access locations. Adding pony panels, which allowable and recommended, is a great way of expanding your main panels resources. I came across one pony panel, a full sized 100 amp panel, which was powered off supply cables in switch box. This panel was noted in listing as an asset! There are a myriad of minor electrical problems to be checked in your home. Another main panel observation is that many people rather than add a breaker just attach two or more wires to an existing breaker, this is a not permitted and is a potential fire risk.
Plumbing
Your supply piping and fixtures maintenance are important factor in ensuring water damage does not occur inside your home. Lack of caulking and sub-standard products or workmanship is the major cause of problems when it comes to keeping your house dry. Galvanized pipe is another item that insurance companies may be concerned about. Galvanized pipe tends to corrode from the inside out leaving any visible signs of impending failure, which tends to make insurance companies a little nervous about insuring homes with galvanized plumbing.
Insulation
Homes today have a much higher insulation R-value than older models, the standard for your attic insulation is R-40. Coupled with vapor barriers this is a very important part of your homes building envelope. Many homes have lots of insulation but it has been compromised by workmen installing products such as pot lights and ceiling fans and never remedied. The un-suspecting homeowner never realizes the loss of heat and release of moisture that is taking place. I have inspected homes where there has been a sun room added on and for a period of two or more years that complete area has not had any insulation. Vermiculite insulation is receiving a lot of attention due to asbestos hazard. Most vermiculite was produced from Libby mine in Montana and contains trace amounts of asbestos. There is some type of vermiculite that has no asbestos risk, which can only be determined by laboratory testing. Homeowners are obligated to disclose any vermiculite insulation that they know of. This is another area where your home inspector can help and possibly save you a lot of money and headaches. Having Vermiculite professionally removed can range as high as $20,000 for a typical home.
Mould or Mold
Mold has been a inspection headliner for quite a number of years. Mold is present everywhere, outside, in your home and sometimes even in the wood you are building with. Moud requires three items to grow, they are; warm environment, protein supply (paper on drywall will do) and moisture. As you can see if you have any water or moisture problems in your home for any length of time then you probably have mold somewhere in your home. That is why it is so important to keep water out of your home and control the water you do have in your home by the proper use of exhaust vents, HRV units and humidity control. Mould testing can be expensive and proper clean up of any water leaks can prevent the need for expensive remediation.
Structure
The structural component of your home includes all the items that comprise the supporting elements of your home, which include but are limited to; footings, floors, foundation, walls, columns and piers and roofing system. Visual inspection involves looking for cracks, missing supports, under-sized support construction, twisted or cracked beams, joists, rafters, trusses or support members. Consider your structure as the exterior and interior framework that encompasses your home. Your homes structural support starts with the footings and foundation walls. The supporting walls are then built up over supporting foundation. Knowing how your house is supported will allow you to modify walls etc without affecting the integrity of your home. Defects in this system can be considered serious and should not be taken lightly as you whole home depends on this system.
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Want to find out more about 12 Common Home Defects, then visit the Barrie Home Inspector's site on Professional Home Inspections
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