.There are also tile roofs, metal roofs, cedar shake roofs, hot-rolled roofing, tar and gravel roofs and always a few new high-tech roof coatings. I feel my main concern is whether the decking or the roof support structure has been undermined by water, insects, rodents, poor materials, poor design or craftsmanship, a lack of fasteners, strapping, etc.Shingles and coatings can be replaced.
Just know what is underneath. That’s my criteria. Negotiate lower for needed replacement of roof coverings if you can. I dwell on roofs because it protects everything else!Next on the list of deal killers is the foundation. The same thing applies to the foundation. I will start by standing back from it and looking at it from a distance. Does this place look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Or are the seams coming apart? Do the windows and doors look square? Are porches, stairs and additions on firm ground as well?Block homes can tell you very quickly if they are stressed out just by the appearance of the mortar joints.
Those giant unsettling cracks can and do tell a story. This does happen and mortar cracks maybe 10-years old. You need to investigate further.Once again, water is a sign of trouble with foundations because it leads to erosion, rot, mold and mildew. It washes out foundation materials and slabs will crack. It rots sill plates and your walls are no longer firmly attached to a base.If you have a crawl space, it’s time to get your coveralls on and get in there. Now, let’s use our heads here and I mean this! Before you enter a dark, supposedly uninhabited, infrequently entered, dark and restrictive to movement area, assess the situation. Ask someone who has knowledge of the dwelling if there has been any animal activity that they know of. You may also encounter bees, wasps, ants, spiders, snakes, slugs, mosquitoes, rats, mice and a host of other inhabitants. Beware and be prepared. It’s truly another world in some cases.If you don’t want to do it, hire a professional and I do mean a pro, not some Joe who says he is one. For goodness sake, use a licensed professional home inspector to protect yourself in all areas if you’re just not sure!OK, you’re a trooper and you’re going in. Good for you, Rambo! You’ll make it in this business because it takes faith, guts and determination. By getting into this type of situation, you’ll learn a lot more about every part of the homes you inspect.You should have a strong flashlight, your trusty screwdriver, maybe some insect repellent and a safety observer standing at the access entry to give you piece of mind.
Now you can go to the perimeter walls and inspect where the walls meet the foundation. Look for rot, misalignment, cracks, separations, water damage or any other condition that doesn’t appear normal.While you’re down there, look at the other foundational supports, you will see pier blocks and posts, other concrete support pillars and walls, beams, joists and cross bracing, and the underside of sub-flooring. Check this stuff’s condition. Does it look original? Is it structurally sound? Or are there some discrepancies that need further investigation? Take a good look and smell!Don’t leave yet. You also will want to look at all that plumbing and electrical that is there as well. Scan the perimeter.
Do you see any sunlight coming in from where it shouldn’t be? That might be a hole that needs repair. This is common sense land, not computer a chip lab. You can inspect for general condition. Simply follow everything to its logical end, looking mainly at the condition of the different components.OK, you’ve made mental and physical notes. Now dust yourself off and go inside the house if everything has checked out so far.So the roof and foundation have passed your keen eye. Let’s look at the rest of the house with respect to its structural integrity. More than half of your structural integrity check at this point is already complete as the roof and foundation are two of the most important components and those have been done.
Now you are left with the interior spaces of the structure.Here’s what I do once inside. I stand at the front door with a checklist in hand and I begin to scan the walls, ceiling and floors. I’m looking for water stains on all three surfaces, as well as patches that were used to repair or conceal damage. I go through every room and look for signs of damage or concealment.Any flat floor is a good candidate for my scientific marble test. I’ll drop my marble; if it rolls to a corner, that floor ain’t level, Buckwheat.
https://www.hmisting.com
Just know what is underneath. That’s my criteria. Negotiate lower for needed replacement of roof coverings if you can. I dwell on roofs because it protects everything else!Next on the list of deal killers is the foundation. The same thing applies to the foundation. I will start by standing back from it and looking at it from a distance. Does this place look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Or are the seams coming apart? Do the windows and doors look square? Are porches, stairs and additions on firm ground as well?Block homes can tell you very quickly if they are stressed out just by the appearance of the mortar joints.
Those giant unsettling cracks can and do tell a story. This does happen and mortar cracks maybe 10-years old. You need to investigate further.Once again, water is a sign of trouble with foundations because it leads to erosion, rot, mold and mildew. It washes out foundation materials and slabs will crack. It rots sill plates and your walls are no longer firmly attached to a base.If you have a crawl space, it’s time to get your coveralls on and get in there. Now, let’s use our heads here and I mean this! Before you enter a dark, supposedly uninhabited, infrequently entered, dark and restrictive to movement area, assess the situation. Ask someone who has knowledge of the dwelling if there has been any animal activity that they know of. You may also encounter bees, wasps, ants, spiders, snakes, slugs, mosquitoes, rats, mice and a host of other inhabitants. Beware and be prepared. It’s truly another world in some cases.If you don’t want to do it, hire a professional and I do mean a pro, not some Joe who says he is one. For goodness sake, use a licensed professional home inspector to protect yourself in all areas if you’re just not sure!OK, you’re a trooper and you’re going in. Good for you, Rambo! You’ll make it in this business because it takes faith, guts and determination. By getting into this type of situation, you’ll learn a lot more about every part of the homes you inspect.You should have a strong flashlight, your trusty screwdriver, maybe some insect repellent and a safety observer standing at the access entry to give you piece of mind.
Now you can go to the perimeter walls and inspect where the walls meet the foundation. Look for rot, misalignment, cracks, separations, water damage or any other condition that doesn’t appear normal.While you’re down there, look at the other foundational supports, you will see pier blocks and posts, other concrete support pillars and walls, beams, joists and cross bracing, and the underside of sub-flooring. Check this stuff’s condition. Does it look original? Is it structurally sound? Or are there some discrepancies that need further investigation? Take a good look and smell!Don’t leave yet. You also will want to look at all that plumbing and electrical that is there as well. Scan the perimeter.
Do you see any sunlight coming in from where it shouldn’t be? That might be a hole that needs repair. This is common sense land, not computer a chip lab. You can inspect for general condition. Simply follow everything to its logical end, looking mainly at the condition of the different components.OK, you’ve made mental and physical notes. Now dust yourself off and go inside the house if everything has checked out so far.So the roof and foundation have passed your keen eye. Let’s look at the rest of the house with respect to its structural integrity. More than half of your structural integrity check at this point is already complete as the roof and foundation are two of the most important components and those have been done.
Now you are left with the interior spaces of the structure.Here’s what I do once inside. I stand at the front door with a checklist in hand and I begin to scan the walls, ceiling and floors. I’m looking for water stains on all three surfaces, as well as patches that were used to repair or conceal damage. I go through every room and look for signs of damage or concealment.Any flat floor is a good candidate for my scientific marble test. I’ll drop my marble; if it rolls to a corner, that floor ain’t level, Buckwheat.
https://www.hmisting.com
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