Know what to expect - INSPECT sm

In our last issue, we promised to take you along, on paper that is, with a home inspector. So, enter the home inspector, an impartial person who provides a detailed analysis of the home and its systems. After all, who else would spend so much time in the . . .

Basement. Prospective home buyers are understandably more concerned with the aesthetics of the finished part of the home than with the basement. An experienced home inspector, however, learns a wealth of information from an unfinished basement, since it contains the life lines that feed power, water, heating, and cooling to the home's living areas. The home inspector performs a general check of these major systems of the home, while watching for red flags which may indicate larger problems. From the basement, the inspector can also discern the building contractor's quality of workmanship, the soil conditions, grading and drainage problems, substandard do-it-yourself projects, improper electrical connections, plumbing leaks, chimney and heating system back drafting, foundation settlement, and wood destroying insect damage.

But what if the home inspector finds cracks in the walls or floor of the basement?

Cracks. Some cracks are typical and are found in most basements of similar construction, while others indicate current or future structural instability. Discerning the difference takes experience, training, and a thorough knowledge of the construction methods employed. Making a big deal over a commonly found crack can cause a buyer to walk away from an otherwise sound house and is unfair to all parties involved.

Now let's look in on our home inspector. He has found a 20-foot-long, horizontal crack in a block wall. Now what? How can he tell if the crack will affect the structure of the home?

(A little disclaimer at this point: No one can foretell the future regardless of how much experience they have, so at best, any report on a crack is a well educated guess. Furthermore, this newsletter is not intended to be an instruction guide. If you use this information to perform your own inspection, you do so at your own risk. With that out of the way, let's go back to the crack.)

One of the first steps is to analyze possible reasons for the crack's presence. What's on the other side of the wall? If it's a below grade wall, the crack may simply be from backfill at the time the home was constructed. Minor cracks caused at the time of construction may never adversely affect the structural integrity of the home. While the home inspector may note these cracks on the report, the purpose is for aesthetics only.

Suppose the crack was twice filled with caulking and is showing signs of further cracking. Now a more serious condition exists. The crack is in a state of movement. If the source of the movement is not eliminated, structural failure can result. In such a case, the next step, if not already noticed by the inspector, is to check the grading outside the home. Most cracks showing movement are caused by im-proper grading. Freezing water expands creating pressures of sufficient force to break any materials used in construction. The only solution is to keep water away from the foundation. Negative grading around the home needs to be corrected in such cases.

In what area of the home do we find the most problems?

Electric. Without a doubt it is the electrical system. Most of the serious problems are from do-it-yourself wiring. Open air splices, overloaded circuits, and overloaded panel boxes are the most common. Reversed polarity, double taps, and improper routing of wires are less hazardous, but also very common.

With an older home where the wiring has not been upgraded, the home inspection report will likely note the absence of modern safety features such as Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) or, for early and pre-1970's homes, the absence of a safety ground. Such items in themselves are not defects since the wiring is performing as it was originally intended. It could be likened to a car that never had seat belts. The car may run fine, but in a crash, the seat belt might save your life. The same is true of a safety ground or GFCI if you drop your hair dryer into the bathtub. The GFCI might save your life. Consideration should be given to upgrading such systems.

Join our home inspector in our next issue of NewSplash!, when he will examine stains in the attic and on the interior walls.

The Suburban Property Inspections home inspection far exceeds ASHI standards. In fact, we cover over 300 different points. While price alone should not be the determining factor in a home inspection, our price is about the same as someone who only performs the ASHI standards.

One Call Does It All When you call Suburban Property Inspections, you have at your fingertips a team of highly skilled professionals. In addition to home inspectors, you have access to a PADEP certified laboratory, PADEP certified radon testing individuals, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Pest Control Technicians, Pennsylvania Sep-tage Management Association (PSMA) trained septic inspectors, along with an array of computer programmers and managers who make the operation run smoothly.

In most cases, the order can be taken and the work scheduled on the first call. Our technicians arrive in marked vehicles and in uniform. There is no doubt who is at your door. We carry a variety of "key" and "electronic" lock boxes, and we appreciate the needs of the real estate community. One call does it all, but most importantly, one call does it all correctly.

Vol. 4 No. 1
1-800-433-6595