old house problems august 2013

Common Problems in Older HousesOrange County Association Of Realtors August 07, 2013

HomePro New YorkM. Douglas Myerswww.HomeProNY.com 1-800-724-7088

What is an Old House?

Over 10 Years?25 Years?50 Years?100 Years?200 Years?400 Years?

Ageing An Old House

Timber Frame – Roman Times to Today.Balloon Framing – 1880’s – 1950’sPlatform Framing – 1950’s – TodayModern Era – 1960’s - Today

Timber Framing

Balloon Framing

Platform Building

Ageing A House By Its Plumbing

Ageing A House By Its Electrical

Knob and Tube – 1880’s – 1940’sCloth NM Cable – 1940’s – 1960’sPlastic NM Cable – 1960’s – PresentBX or Armored Cable – 1950’s – Present.Fuses – 1880’s – 1960’sBreakers 1950’s - Present

Common Old House Problems

StructureElectricalHeating and Air ConditioningPlumbing

Basement and Crawl SpaceAtticExteriorsEtc.

Common Home Problems

Top 10 Problematic Concerns

Surface Grading and Drainage:

Not correctly installed. This problem is the most frequent in number of occurrences. Water problems in basements are found to be mostly as a result of incorrect grading and drainage.

Poor Ventilation

Insufficient roof vents, blocked soffit ventilation and no air circulation in basement areas are most prevalent. Many basement areas require dehumidifiers. Low insulation levels are often found.

Incorrect Electrical Wiring

Undersized electrical services are the number one concern here.

Additional problems include Old wiring Exposed live wires Open boxes No GFCI or AFCI protection

Roof Damage

Roof leakage or shingles nearing their rated life and caulking on flashing not attended to every year are the biggest culprits.

Heating Systems

Dirty filters, no annual servicing, seized humidifiers, blocked chimneys and unsafe exhaust systems. This could lead to high CO levels.

Old boilers and furnaces

Old buried fuel tanks.

Plumbing

Galvanized pipes and lead soldering could lead to problems, possibly needing correction.

Old and unsafe water heaters

Old septic systems with steel tanks

Dug wells and springs

Poor water quality

Structural Related Problems

As a result of problems in other areas, spillover onto roof structure, floor joists, beams and foundations may occur, requiring serious alterations. Foundation cracking is often present but seldom of a serious nature.

Poor Maintenance

Exterior paint, wiring, plumbing and minor masonry repair.

Landscaping, grading, gutters and leaders.

Cleaning

Miscellaneous

Minor interior items, not affecting the integrity of the house.

Structural Problems

FoundationRoofingFraming

Bowed Foundation Wall

Cracked Foundation Blocks

Failing Block Foundation

Collapsed Block Foundation

Brick Foundation Failure

Improper Block Column

Braced Block Foundation Wall

Braced Block Foundation Wall 2

Braced Block Foundation Wall 3

Deteriorated Foundation Blocks

Amateur Repairs

Floor Framing Rot

Wood Column Rot

Fire Damaged Floor Structure

Split Roof Rafter

Cut rafter improperly supported

Cut rafter properly supported

Cut Floor Joist

Cut Floor Joist For Door

Collapsed Timber Frame

Floor Rot From Leaking Plumbing

Crawl Space Damage

Insect Damage

Powder Post Beetles

Termite Damage

Termite Damage

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter Ant Frass

Termite Control System

Carpenter Ant Damage

Very Large Termite Problem

Electrical Problems

• Undersized services

• 30 and 60 amp services

• 110v services

• Old style wiring

• Knob and Tube

• 2 wire cable

Deteriorated wiring

• Electrical Hazards

• Poor connections

• Missing junction boxes

• Aluminum wiring

• Etc.

Knob and Tube Wiring

Knob and tube wiring with over fusing

Knob and Tube Wiring

Old Fuse Panels

BX Cable

Burned Service Cable

Poor Connections

Over fusing And Double Taps

Double Tapped Circuits

Service Entrance In Contact With Downspout

Improperly Located Bathroom Switch

Knob And Tube In Attic

Knob And Tube Fire Damage

Over fusing

Secure Service Wire

Frayed Electrical Service

Improperly Installed Tandem Breakers

Neutral Wires Used As Hot Wires

Bundled Neutral Wiring

Improperly Located Wiring

Heating And Air Conditioning

• Oil Heat

• Gas Heat

• Electric Heat

Poor Vent Location

Furnace Fire

Back drafting Boiler

Boilers In Trouble

Energy Efficiency

Furnace’s In Trouble

Cracked Furnace Heat Exchanger

Asbestos On Heating Systems

Underground Storage Tanks

Leaking Buried Tank

Evidence Of Buried Fuel Tank

Evidence Of Buried Fuel Tank

Buried Tank Removal

Leaking Above ground Fuel Tank

Plumbing

Corroded gas piping

Frozen Pipes

Water Heater Vent Pipe

Too Many Vents In Chimney

Leaking Drain Line

Improper Drain Line Connection

Cracked Main Sewer Drain

Leaking Shower Drain

Improper Extension Pipe On TPR

Exteriors

Chimneys

Exterior Chimney

Chimney Never Completed

Deteriorating Flue Liner

Chimney In Need Of Rebuilding

Roof Concerns

Asbestos Shingles

Failed Asphalt Shingles

Failed Asphalt Roof

Improper Valley Flashing

Wind Damaged Roofing

Failing Built Up Roofing

Improper Flat Roof Flashing

Failing Paint On Aluminum Siding

Rotting Porch Structure

Rotted Window Sills

Window With Interior Damage

Window With Wall Removed

Drainage and Grade

Downspout misdirecting water

Old Cast Iron Drains

Water Signs In The Basement

Poor Yard Drainage

Failing Retaining Wall

Water Damaged Sheathing

Interior Concerns

Leaking Flashing In The Attic

Rot And Mold In Attic From Poor Ventilation

Broken Window Seals

Improper Electric Eye Location

Proper Electric Eye Location

Missing Insulation

Thank You!!!HomePro New

York

M. Douglas Myers

1-800-724-7088www.HomeProNY.com Doug@HomeProNY.co

m