The Most Common IssuesFound During A Home

Inspection

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In this resource you will see some of the most common issues that home inspectors identify when assessing the condition of a home.

Thinking about having a home inspection performed? Consider taking a look at this checklist and how you should prepare for a property inspection.

Other, excellent resources to consider taking a look at to educate yourself by are:

http://www.nahi.org/

http://www.homeinspector.org/

Damaged, Outdoor Heat Pump

One of the most common issues that so many housing inspectors run into is the dreaded, damaged, outdoor Heat Pump. You may be wondering how such a device can become damagedin the first place.

A heat pump is an efficient device that can be used for either heating or cooling your home. It pulls outside air in and processes it as needed, depending on the temperature outside.

Understandably, many homeowners wish to hide their heat pumps behind shrubbery as not todistract from the charm of their home. What the home owner may not realize is that having shrubs or fencing too close to a heat pump can actually cause the device a restriction in airflow. This may burn up the motor and obscure the detection of a problem.

Although not as common, having shrubs too close to the heat pump can also attract rodents that can nest in and around the device and eat through the wiring.

Suggestion: Keep any plants or obstacles at least 3 feet away from the surrounding sides of the heat pump. Make sure to keep all shrubbery trimmed throughout the year. Doing so ensures that there is a good flow of air. Also make sure to periodically clean your heat pump

Bad PlumbingAny typical home will have plumbing all throughoutits construction, but this also means a higher chance of something going wrong in this department.

Commonly, house inspectors look for plumbing issues and many times find leaky pipes. The first sign and what they usually check for is mildew and/or mold around the potentially offending area.Sometimes a presence of fungus is even found, depending on the condition of the home.

Another issue that is all-too-often seen is the use of the wrong kinds of pipes in plumbing andsometimes in an illegal manner.

Suggestion: If you ever decide to take care of your own plumbing – just don't. Even if you are capable of a DIY plumbing fix, it's best to hire a professional with a lot of years behind him/her. This way you can insure that it will be done according to code and you can have the work documented to present to the inspector.

Dry Rot

The term dry rot can be a bit misleading. In actual fact this does not occur when wood gets dry, but rather moist. Dry rot is actually caused by a type of fungus and the biggest problem lies in the fact that although this fungus is a living organism – it can lie dormant for some time regardless of the outside temperatures.

But this type of fungi can turn out little, thin strings called hyphae; which eventually group together to form what is known as mycelium. Mycelium can also interfere with mortar and bricks as well and it looks like a white cotton that spreads around wood.

Once present – this dry rot can crack lumber and eat large gouges into timbers.

Electrical

Newer homes usually get a pass when it comes to wiring issues, but not always. The knowledge of the electrician who was responsible for installing the electrical requirements for the home will always be where the buck stops.

In older homes electrical issues are more common and one of the biggest issues that home inspectors face is underground wiring. But perhaps the biggest culprit in defeating the sale of a home is something called “knob wiring”.

This was a common practice in homes that first introduced electricity and that were built fromthe late 1800s until the 1950s. It is viewed as a dangerous way to wire a home and many lenders have a policy against even taking a look at homes that have this kind of electrical work performed.

Solution: Try to have the knob wiring removed and having the electrical work in you home updated as not doing so may prevent buyers from being able to consider purchasing your home an option.

Drainage

Drainage problems are just a huge mess for so many homes and this makes it one of the number one issues that an inspector can encounter. Grade sloping is a big problem and eventually affect even your wallsand other parts of your home.

Trees growing within 6 feet of a foundation (regardless of size) can be pulling in as much as 200 gallons of water a week in the summer time when theleaves are green. This also means big trouble for your

foundation if you don't have the proper drainage systems in place.

Perhaps even worse is the fact that trees that don't have roots long enough to reach water will steal it from anywhere. As a result, even throughout Spring and Autumn these types of botanical headaches can be pulling water straight to your home's foundational structure.

Noticing a very large presence of mold in your basement? Chances are that poor drainage around your home has caused this to happen.

Solution: Focus on your downspouts and gutters so that they carry as much water away from the home as possible and make sure clean your gutters regularly. Also do not have an sprinklers installed close to the home.

Also consider installing a dry well. A dry well can be used to store excess water. They aren't particularly expensive, but you can also build your own. The good news is that they can be filled with various sizes of rocks to allow drainage into the ground need your foundation's wall, but also covered over with topsoil so that you can continue maintaining your lawn.

Roofs

The state of the roof is very important for a home inspector to take a look at. This isthe very part of a home that keeps everything dry; including us!

The problem lies in the fact that the materials that make up a roof age with the rest of the home and can lead to expensive problems on down the road. Plus if the roofing materials were not

properly installed when the home was constructed then this can obviously be problematic as well.

Asphalt shingles have a longevity of anywhere between 15 and 40 years. They tend to curl once they are worn out. This eventually exposes the matrix; which is the material that hold the shingles together. If this happens then water can penetrate through the shingles and cause serious damage and wood shingles have very similar problems.

While although looking nice; Terracotta and slate shingles don't come without their own problems as well. Although it's true that they can last for up to a century – in the meantime they can be quite brittle and can easily shatter or crack.

Solution: Have your home assessed by a professional roofing company and consider their suggestions for addressing the problem.

Walls

There is plenty that can go wrong with how the walls are put together in a home. One unsuspecting issue is actually insufficient insulation wedged between the drywall and frames of the walls.

Another all-too-common issue is cracking in drywall and stucco. If stucco is on the exterior walls of the home and it was applied correctly then it can last for years. If not then it can allow water to gain entry of your home from underneath.

Identifying settling in the ceiling is also important, but it's also relative to note that not every, little crack or blemish is cause for alarm. As a home settles over time the walls may show signs of this and these can be quite minor. It's also not as relevant to identify tiny dings in thethe drywall caused by the home owner. Mainly anything that is structurally alarming should benoted.