Essential Tips to Home Inspection

Congratulations! Your Offer has Been Accepted.

After the offer has been accepted, the next most important part of the process, perhaps THE most important part of the process for Denver real estate, is the inspection. A certified (ASHI or NASHI) home inspector should know everything below… and hopefully a lot more, but knowing these basics can help you assess a property before paying for a formal home inspection.

Tip 1 – The Roof

• Important to give attic ventilation via vents and fans to prevent moisture buildup and to reduce temp and to reduce wear on roof. Watch out for mold in attic or on roof. Basic soffit vents might be fine, but a Continuous Ridge Vent is preferred. Some fans are temp controlled.
• Flashings are a major cause of problems, and are not usually covered in a roofing quote.
• Ditto for skylights, usually from bad seals.
• Fiberglass asphalt shingles are the new shingle of choice for life and look
• Look for ASTM D-3462 certified

Tip 2 – The Plumbing System

• Pressure should not exceed 60-80 PSI from the municipal supply, or a pressure reduction valve might be needed.
• Functional Flow Test = turn on all COLD water at once, then flush toilet. There should be no major decrease in pressure.
• Plumbing types
  • Copper: Best
  • Galvanized steel: No longer used… corrodes on inside. Reduced water flow when flushing a toilet is a sign. NEVER PUT GALVANIZED AND COPPER PIPES TOGETHER… this leads to ‘galvanization’ and can lead to rusting and leaking.
  • Polybutylene plumbing – From 1975 to 1995, used for pipes, etc. May qualify for free repiping (www.pbpipe.com)
  • Terra cotta was used for sewer pipes pre 1975. These are succeptible to root invasion and must be inspected and cleaned.
• Water hammer: When pipes knock due to pressure built up on inside. Will lead to bursting.
• Use low-flow fixtures
• Use pressure regulator
• Use Water Hammer Arrester
• Water heaters.
• Electric heats 50% slower than gas, hence must have 50% more capacity. Oil-fired are high quality, but need maintenance.
• Common for relief valve to be improperly installed. This can lead to bursting. Have inspector check out!
• For mineral buildup due to water electrolysis, use WD-40 on a wire brush

Tip 3 – The Electrical System

• One of the highest deficiency rates (~50%) in homes 30 years or older. Aluminum wiring being the major issue.
• One of the best sites for details on aluminum wiring: http://www.alwirerepair.com/whats_the_problem.htm
• Aluminum wiring has more resistance than copper, hence overheats quicker. Need one gauge larger wire for same power rating.
• 100A is minimum service, but 200 is common in most modern homes.
• Each major appliance should have its own circuit
• Should have GFCI on
• Bathroom, kitchen, garage, basement, outdoors, wet bar, crawl space
  Circuit breakers should have no more than one wire attached

Tip 4 – Furnace Systems

• Usually lasts 15 years.
• Common problem is cracked heat exchanger. Hard to see with eye. Test by looking at flame pattern with fan on and off. Any changes=hole or crack in exchanger. $500-900epair.
• Replace air filters frequently (2x/year at least). Makes furnace work less hard, extending life, and preventing it from overheating.
• AFUE rating for efficiency. Higher the better.
• May need to bleed lines of baseboard or radiant heaters if not enough heat is coming out.
• Install programmable thermostats to increase efficiency (esp common areas of apartment)

Tip 5 – Doors and Windows

• Doors and windows that are warped or not square are “out of plumb”. This could mean serious structural problems. Bad things also=damaged weatherstripping, damaged/rotting wood.
• Double-pane windows can be a problem if seal between the windows breaks. Moisture concentrates, and eventually mold builds up
  Graphite powder in window slides makes them slide easier. Never oil/WD-40

Tip 6 – Walls and Floors

• Walls
  • Look for recently spackled/painted walls that have cracking. Could be a recent problem.
  • Look for sloping or buckling walls.
• Floors
  • Sag or dip in 1 area might be OK, but a sloping floor may be a structural problem.

Tip 7 – Basement and Foundation

• 75% of foundation movement occurs within first 15 years
  Water penetration can cause soil to erode and become unstable, leading to foundation problems
• Look for later flowing inwards, or water pooling after a rain. Need to slope water away from structure.
• Trees close to the home can collect moisture, and large roots can damage foundations
• Horizontal cracks in the basement are a complete structural failure. From water pressure or expansive soil. Wall can no longer bearing weight of house.
• Diagonal cracks are usually a result of natural ground settling and are OK If less than 1/8”.
• Check crawl spaces for moisture buildup
• Check for ‘termite bridges’ = wood stacked up against house that can transfer termites

Tip 8 – Bathroom and Kitchen

• Bathroom
  • Ceiling stains– bad plumbing stack flashing
  • Peeling paint – mold/mildew problems due to venting problems
  • Sagging/creaking floors – esp around toilet can mean bad wax ring seal
  • Loose or missing tiles – tap on them to find loose ones
  • Rock the bathtub back and forth
  • Check for proper caulking around all
  • Look under all sinks for leaks, make sure drain traps are present on all drains
  • Make sure bathrooms are vented outside, or moisture problems can occur.
    
  • Check all toilets for flush cycle. Rock back and forth for seals.
  • GFCI outlets should be mandatory
• Kitchen
  • Make sure appliances are vented to the outside. Esp stove.
  • GFCI outlets. DON’T plug fridge into GFCI.
  • Run dishwasher through complete cycle and check for leaks

Tip 9 – Garage and Driveway

• 70% of fires start in garage. Important to have fire retardant 5/8’ walls and 60 minute burn rate doors with self closers
• Downspouts should be at least 5’ away from foundation to avoid soil erosion
• Garage door pressure
• Should just depress a role of Bounty paper towels laid sideways, or ‘hold arms at 90 degrees… door should push arms down no more than 6” before reversing’