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.

Components to a Home Inspection: Structure

What is a structural inspection?

A structural inspection is a detailed report of all the aspects of the structure's integrity. A Peace of Mind certified inspector will inspect the slab or pier and beam foundation, inspect the interior walls, exterior veneer, and roof system.

The key components that a Peace of Mind certified inspector will inspect during the structural portion of each home inspection are the foundation, floors, walls, columns, piers, ceilings, roof structure and attic. We also check for signs of abnormal or harmful water penetration into the building as well as signs of abnormal or harmful condensation on building components.



The inspector shall inspect:

• the structural components including the foundation and framing.
• by probing a representative number of structural components where deterioration is suspected or where clear indications of possible deterioration exist. Probing is NOT required when probing would damage any finished surface or where no deterioration is visible or presumed to exist.

The inspector shall describe:

• the methods used to inspect under-floor crawl space and attics.
• the foundation.
• the floor structure.
• the wall structure.
• the ceiling structure.
• the roof structure.
  

The inspector is NOT required to provide any engineering or architectural service or analysis or offer an opinion as to the adequacy of any structural system or component.

Copyright © 2011 Peace of Mind

Components to a Home Inspection: Appliances

What is an appliance inspection?
To identify an appliance’s general condition, correct installation, and apparent function.

The home inspector shall observe and operate the basic functions of the following kitchen appliances:
A. permanently installed dishwasher, through its normal cycle
B. range, cook top, and permanently installed oven
C. trash compactor
D. garbage disposer
E. ventilation equipment or range hood
F. permanently installed microwave oven

The home inspector is NOT required to observe
A. clocks, timers, self-cleaning oven function, or thermostats for calibration or automatic operation
B. non built-in appliances
C. refrigeration units

The home inspector is not required to operate
A. appliances in use
B. any appliance which is shut down or otherwise inoperable

Copyright © 2011 Peace of Mind.

12 Components to a Home Inspection

There are 12 components to a home inspection by Peace of Mind, in which we cover a wide variety of aspects of the home to provide information for buyers and sellers.

Over the next 12 months, we will be detailing each of these components with important information and insight into how you can make that part of your inspection go as well as possible.

The following are the 12 components of an inspection:
1. Structural
2. Roofing
3. Exterior
4. Electrical
5. Heating
6. Cooling
7. Insulation/Ventilation
8. Plumbing
9. Interior
10. Appliances
11. Fireplace/Wood Stove
12. Pool/Spa

Follow our blog today or “like” us on Facebook to stay tuned for the 12 detailed components of a home inspection. Next, will be the strutural aspects of a home inspection.

The Team at Peace of Mind Home Inspections
(866) 757-8480
www.peaceofmindhi.net

Copyright © 2011 Peace of Mind.

Why Should I Get a Home Inspection?

More and more we hear of Americans purchasing homes without purchasing a home inspection. Why not spend just a few hundred dollars more when you are purchasing your home and be prepared for the future? For it is known, that purchasing a house is one of life’s largest expenses and it would be at your best interest to know what exactly you are getting yourself into when you turn the key to your new home!

A Peace of Mind certified inspector conducts a home inspection of a structure's condition as it exists, both interior and exterior, and then provides the home owner with a comprehensive written report.

Now the question is why getting a home inspection, would be of value to you?

1. Can you be objective?
Many home buyers get emotional when looking at a house. Home inspectors, fortunately, aren't distracted by pretty drapes; they're looking for problems because that is their job. We look at the house, while you look at the location and the potential.

2. Your biggest investment.
Purchasing a home is a huge investment, whether it is for first time home buyers, previous homeowners, rentals, or flip houses. Instead of Americans investing into their piggy banks, it is well known Americans invest into homes. With such a large amount invested into a home, you wouldn't want your newly purchased home to be full of unexpected surprises and expenses causing your investments to belly up, would you?

3. A Home Inspection Gives You Extra Room to Negotiate
If your home inspector informs you that the back porch is rotting or the roof needs to be replaced, you may opt to only purchase the home if the seller agrees to fix the items in question. A seller is always free to refuse your offer or respond with a counteroffer, but knowing exactly what is wrong with the property you wish to purchase allows you additional negotiation room with the seller. Even if the problem will be expensive to fix or the home is a foreclosure, it never hurts to ask the owner for a little bit of wiggle room.

4. Home Inspections Let You Prepare for the Future
If you obtain an inspection report that lets you know that the home needs work that you hadn't originally anticipated and the seller refuses to remedy the situation in order to close the deal, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn't buy the home. It does, however, let you know that at some point in the future you will need to make these repairs to the property. By getting a home inspection, you can prepare yourself for any additional costs that may arise.

5. A Home Inspection Lets You Walk Away
In some cases a home that is beautiful on the outside can be falling apart on the inside. A faulty electrical system, extensive crawlspace mold, or termite damage can all cost you thousands of dollars to fix. Provided that your original offer was made contingent on an accepted home inspection, you don’t have to try to plead with the seller to share the cost of repairs or start cashing in your investments to get the home fixed. You have the right to drop your offer and search for another home that is lower-maintenance than your first choice.

6. Newer Homes Don't Have Problems.
One of the big misunderstandings is that newer homes don't have problems. Many times hidden things aren't apparent like modified electrical wiring you can't see or broken roof tiles that haven't started to leak yet. Even in a new home it is a good idea to have a home inspection due to the fact that most of the trades (foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing drywall, roofing, etc.) are sub-contracted out to the lowest bidder and it is nearly impossible for the builder to personally monitor all phases of home construction.

To sum it all up, you wouldn't buy a used car without having it checked out by a mechanic, so don't purchase a new or used home without ordering a home inspection report.

Key Questions to ask when choosing a Home Inspection Co

When you are choosing a home inspection company for your next property, be sure you get a home inspector who is not only professional, but has experience. We have developed a few questions to consider when you are shopping around for your future home inspector.

• How long have they been doing home inspections full time?
• What is their experience? How many home inspections have they completed?
• Where did they receive their training from?
• Are the inspectors certified and how long have the inspectors been certified for?
• Do they carry E & O insurance or general liability to protect themselves?
• If you needed referrals, can they provide you with a variety of referrals from the past few years?

Feel free to visit our website at http://www.homeinspectornow.com/ to learn more about our business and to schedule your next home inspection online!