Useful Tip - Structure

Behind every home is a solid structure or is there?

Every house moves, but the question is whether the movement is typical or represents a structural problem. This month's tip is regarding the structure of a home and what areas you should inspect when showing a home to buyer or listing a home for a seller.

How to Inspect for Structural Issues:

Inspecting the structure of the home is the most important concern to buyers because much of the structure of the home is buried below the ground or hidden behind the coverings, it is important to inspect these hidden structural components by looking at clues to what is going on under the surface. Such clues would be inspecting the following areas:

• Flooring: To check the floor, walk around the room with stocking feet to feel for sags and slopes. Sagging or buckling can indicate failing structural members.
• Ceiling: To check the ceilings, walk around the home looking for any cracks in the Sheetrock and/or plaster. A ceiling crack can indicate deflection of the floor above or movement of a wall where it intersects with the ceiling.
• Interior Walls: To check the interior walls, walk around the home looking for any cracks on the walls or signs of movement. Movement in interior partition walls is more common and less troublesome than in exterior walls. When walking around the home, look for door misalignments; door frames that are no longer square and cracks starting at the top corner of door frames and running diagonally to the ceiling.
• Exterior Walls: To check the exterior walls, walk around the home looking for any cracks or signs of movement. When walking around the exterior of the home, look for any walls that are not vertical, gaps more than 1/4-inch wide or wider at the top of where interior and exterior walls meet, and any cracks on the interior finishes that show up on the outside of the wall.
• Chimneys: Check around chimneys for cracks in the brick, separations at nearby windows, and repaired mortar joints. At areas where brick and siding meet, check the original paint line on the brick to see if the brick and siding are still aligned where they were when paint was applied.

Additionally, many people go to great lengths to hide foundation settlement indicators, so these guidelines are no substitute for a professional inspection by a qualified and experienced Peace of Mind Inspector.

How to Avoid Structural Issues:

The structure is a fancy sounding name for a house and it’s components. The key components of a home’s structure are the foundation, floors, walls, columns, piers, ceilings, roof structure and attic. Every home has a structure and there are quite a few things a homeowner can do to reduce the chances of structural damage to their home. These things include:

1. First, is having proper downspout drainage directing the water flow away from the foundation. With this being said, it is important to monitor moisture in the crawlspace and basement. Often time moisture issues occur due to improper drainage and over watering.
2. Monitor wood structural members such as joists, beams, columns to be sure wood is solid and free from decay. You may want to hire a licensed Peace of Mind pest inspector yearly to be sure your home is free from wood destroying organisms.
3. Monitor the driveways and walkways for cracks, breaks, or erosion that may cause damage. Be sure to pay attention to any growth in the cracks and/or length of the cracks.
4. HVAC systems circulate the air through your home, however; with brush and debris blocking the unit the air movement around the home may be blocked.
5. Regular Yard Maintenance can also have an effect on the structure, it is important to trim all shrubs and bushes at least one foot from the foundation walls.
6. Monitor masonry walls, looking for cracks or weakened, crumbling mortar.
7. Monitor fences, gates, and retaining walls for ease of operation, condition of structure, and materials will also benefit you in the long run to ensure there are no new changes to these areas.
8. Continuous cleaning of the foundation walls and doorways from debris and leaves will also reduce the potential of moisture problems arising.
9. Lastly, cracks will occur because homes do move, but what is most important is to monitor these cracks and confirm the cracks are not growing larger or increasing in length.