I was doing an inspection a while back and finished the outside first and entered the garage. Checked the automatic closers and electric eyes, no problems. I started to probe the sill(wooden) around the garage and found no soft spots, and no indication of bugs that I could see. I started to check out the roof rafters and joists above and my eyes followed down to the platform entrance to the home. Something looked odd when I studied the steps and platform. I noticed the home owner had placed his winter tires under the platform and then it hit me.
What was holding the platform up? Certainly not the tires!
Someone had neatly sawed off the corner support, of which there were two, as the platform was screwed to the rim board against the sill. The reason was obvious, to get the tires under the steps. Still not sure what was holding it up, perhaps a lick and a prayer! One post and the side against the house was not enough.
Moral of the story is keep on looking when something doesn't look right. I have followed that rule and always end up finding the problem, and sometimes the cause.
Homeowner insisted it was done by an unknown person...
Showing posts with label Home Inspection Daily. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Inspection Daily. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Selecting a Home Inspector on Price,Think twice!
Recently we've received calls, rather abrupt calls, asking for a price and when we could do a home inspection. The callers were not interested in anything else? They did not ask how many years of experience we had, did we do antiques, what our training was, or even if we were insured.
If you were going to have a carpenter or electrician do a remodel job in your home, wouldn't you ask a few questions to see if the people were solid and reputable? Similar to going to a doctor or lawyer, you need to get references before you engage the person. If all else fails, you check with the state registration, and groups like NACHI, that are professional groups who list their members and some of their training, etc.
If you get quotes on price alone, you will get what you asked for, a cheap home inspection! Yes the state of MA regs prescribe what needs to be looked at by all inspectors, but do all inspectors have their eyes wide open. Do they bring things to your attention, or do they bury things in detail and let you ferret out the important items.
When a home inspector asks questions before he/she quotes a price, they are trying to determine the complexity of the job, the skills needed, the length of time to do the work, and whether they have a willing partner to explore the home-you! So don't just ask for the price, ask for the detail om the professional you are about to employ. We all have different backgrounds and specialties, even though we are generalists. What you want is a quality inspection with no surprises, so ask questions and give answers that will paint a portrait of the inspector.Ask to speak to the inspector to see if he can talk with you easily, or is he tongue tied. Half of an inspection or more is verbal, so how an inspector communicates is critical to you getting what you payed for!
If you were going to have a carpenter or electrician do a remodel job in your home, wouldn't you ask a few questions to see if the people were solid and reputable? Similar to going to a doctor or lawyer, you need to get references before you engage the person. If all else fails, you check with the state registration, and groups like NACHI, that are professional groups who list their members and some of their training, etc.
If you get quotes on price alone, you will get what you asked for, a cheap home inspection! Yes the state of MA regs prescribe what needs to be looked at by all inspectors, but do all inspectors have their eyes wide open. Do they bring things to your attention, or do they bury things in detail and let you ferret out the important items.
When a home inspector asks questions before he/she quotes a price, they are trying to determine the complexity of the job, the skills needed, the length of time to do the work, and whether they have a willing partner to explore the home-you! So don't just ask for the price, ask for the detail om the professional you are about to employ. We all have different backgrounds and specialties, even though we are generalists. What you want is a quality inspection with no surprises, so ask questions and give answers that will paint a portrait of the inspector.Ask to speak to the inspector to see if he can talk with you easily, or is he tongue tied. Half of an inspection or more is verbal, so how an inspector communicates is critical to you getting what you payed for!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Water, Wet Basements, and Failing Mortar
I recently did an inspection where the basement was very damp and live water visible on the floor. The source appeared to be two fold, a sump pump and failing mortar in a rubble foundation with holes and cracks. The house was circa 1920, and the condition was what you would expect if little to no maintenance work had been performed, i.e., seeping water, rust stains, little piles of mortar on the floor along with actual pieces of rock.
Foundations of this era and earlier, built with rock or field stone, with generous amounts of mortar deteriorate over time, especially over 80 years. They are porous at best and will require a masonry contractor to decide whether repairs can be made to waterproof and more importantly whether there is a possibility of collapse. Indications of the foundation not supporting the weight are floor and joist separation, as well as bowing in the walls/siding above the affected area, etc. Luckily, there was no such signs in this particular home, though I have seen them before.
Be on guard when you are looking at homes of that era , the 60 years plus age, as this type of foundation can be problematic if it has not been upgraded or maintained. There are older homes with large blocks of granite that have considerably more support, and a lot less mortar, but these seem to have faired better over time. Be particularly focused on homes that have a combination of rubble and brick on top, as this was also popular in the old days and has issues as well to do with brick and mortar failure.
A dry basement and a solid foundation are essential for a good house, so keep a weather eye out for these items when shopping for your next home or inspecting one.
Foundations of this era and earlier, built with rock or field stone, with generous amounts of mortar deteriorate over time, especially over 80 years. They are porous at best and will require a masonry contractor to decide whether repairs can be made to waterproof and more importantly whether there is a possibility of collapse. Indications of the foundation not supporting the weight are floor and joist separation, as well as bowing in the walls/siding above the affected area, etc. Luckily, there was no such signs in this particular home, though I have seen them before.
Be on guard when you are looking at homes of that era , the 60 years plus age, as this type of foundation can be problematic if it has not been upgraded or maintained. There are older homes with large blocks of granite that have considerably more support, and a lot less mortar, but these seem to have faired better over time. Be particularly focused on homes that have a combination of rubble and brick on top, as this was also popular in the old days and has issues as well to do with brick and mortar failure.
A dry basement and a solid foundation are essential for a good house, so keep a weather eye out for these items when shopping for your next home or inspecting one.
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