Curios
COMMON PROBLEMS FOUND WHILE INSPECTING OLDER HOMES
LANDSCAPE GRADE SLOPING BACK TOWARD THE HOME:
- Negative grading toward the home can lead water into the basement or crawlspace, foundation movement, settling and/or cracking.
- If water begins to wick up through the foundation it can also lead to water damage and wood rot to the building materials, as well as mold.
*Some signs indicative of foundation movement are: Doors and windows out of square, uneven floors, and cracks in the foundation.
ROOFING MATERIALS:
Asphalt
- As a roof ages it becomes prone to leaking.
- The average life expectancy for a well maintained asphalt roof is between 20 and 30 years.
- As a roof ages, the shingles become brittle and more prone to damage during severe weather.
- An older shingle roof will show signs of cupping, curling, and granular loss.
- It is better to replace a roof too soon than wait until it is too late.
- You don’t want to be in a position where you will not only have to replace your roof, but pay to have interior water damage fixed as well.
Wood Shingles and Shakes
- Wooden shingles are machine cut while wooden shakes are traditionally hand split or mechanically split.
- Wood shake/shingle roofs will show some of the same signs of aging as asphalt roofs.
- Curling, cupping, insect damage, wood rot, and splitting.
- Wood shingled roofs last between 30-40 yrs.
- A shingle/shake roof life expectancy can be extended by performing routine maintenance.
- If you see any shingles that are badly damaged, you should have them replaced.
- It is also important to keep your roof clear of organic debris, moss, and algae.
Slate tiles
- Slate tiles have a life expectancy of 35-100+ years.
- Typical life span; Pennsylvania slate 35-75 yrs, Vermont Slate 100 yrs, Virginia slate 175 yrs.
- Lower quality slate begins to flake and shale.
- The biggest problems with slate roofs is that the nails that hold the tiles in place rot and the tiles slide out of place.
- Any material used to repair these roofs should be of the highest quality because it will have to last an extremely long time.
- Copper and stainless steel nails last longer than galvanized nails.
- Walking on this type of roof is extremely harmful to the material, therefore the entire roof inspection should be done from a ladder or with binoculars.
Concrete and Clay Tiles
- These are high quality roofing systems with 50-100 year life expediencies.
- This roofing system has many of the same problems as slate roofs.
- The common problem with this roofing system is the fasteners wear out before the tiles.
- Expansion and contraction caused by the seasonal change in the North East can cause these tiles to crack or become loose.
- Walking on this type of roof is extremely harmful to the material, therefore the entire roof inspection should be done from a ladder or with binoculars.
ELECTRICAL WIRING
- A common cause for house fires is faulty electrical wiring.
- Older homes were not wired for today’s power needs.
- If a home’s interior doesn’t look like it has been updated since “Leave it to Beaver” was on the air, you can be sure the electrical wiring hasn’t either.
- Extension cords are not an answer to a lack of outlets.
- Homes should have a minimum of 100 amp service.
- If you are frequently forced to turn your circuit breaker back on, it is time to call an electrician.
- *It is important to realize that when you decide to finish your attic and/or your basement, you are expanding the livable space in your home. Your electrical, heating, and air conditioning systems should all be upgraded in order to handle the extra living space.*
- I commonly find electrical wires spliced together with only electrical tape, in garages, attics, and crawl spaces. This MUST be fixed by a licensed electrician.
- Houses that were built between 1880 and 1950 use knob and tube wiring.
- Knob and tube wiring is considered inadequate to cover today’s electrical loads and can be a safety hazard.
- Houses that were built in the 60’s and 70’s generally used aluminum wiring.
- Aluminum wire expands and contracts significantly more then copper wires, this can lead to or arcing at the aluminum wiring connectors. As a result, connections will begin to overheat and cause a fire hazard.
- According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, fires and even deaths have been reported to have been caused by this hazard.
HEATING AND COOLING
- Having your HVAC system serviced yearly is a great way to prolong its life.
- It is also a good way to show your prospective buyer that you are a responsible home owner.
- Improper installations, improper venting, under sized units, inadequate maintenance, and aged components are very common.
PLUMBING
- When someone decides to add extra plumbing fixtures themselves, they very rarely properly vent their drains.
- As a result you have very slow drainage.
- Heavily corroded shut valves are very common.. You don’t know how bad you need them to be in working order until it is too late!!
- Leaky shower pans are very common. If you ever notice an access panel on the ceiling it is usually right under the drain of a shower pan.
- Galvanized steel piping was common until roughly 1950.
- This type of piping typically lasts 40-60 years.
- If you see it in your house, you should call a plumber.
FIREPLACES
- Common problems with fire places are creosote build up in the chimney.
- Disregard of combustion clearances around the fireplace opening (example: combustible molding to close to the heat source.)
- Damaged damper.
- Cracked fire bricks and missing mortar.