The Turbulences of Home Inspections
Having your dream home inspected is like taking an airline flight cross-country. When you start on your trip you have no idea how the trip will go. Neither does the pilot! You could run into many different types of turbulence, or you could have a smooth flight and land on time. Certainly, the pilot will try to use his or her experience to navigate around storms and go for the smoothest flight plan, but if they’re honest they can’t promise a turbulence-free trip. Their job is simply to get you to your destination in the least amount of time and with the least aggravation while keeping you informed throughout the trip.
As your personal building consultants, inspectors see themselves as the pilots of your plane. The home inspector's job is to find the problems and potential problems with your home, explain what they find and how each problem will affect you, and put the inevitable problems in perspective. They can’t promise you a flight with no turbulence, but they can promise that they will utilize their experiences and expertise to take you on the smoothest flight. Make sure that if you do hit turbulence, your home inspector won’t bail out on you! They should be with you throughout the flight and get you safely to your destination.
Eight Types Of Turbulence
Foundation: Anyone who has lived in the Houston Area for any length of time understands that the majority of the area is located on “gumbo” soil. Houses move when the moisture levels of the supporting soil change dramatically, causing the soil volume to sink or swell. You should accept the fact that most houses in the Houston area move. Your inspector can help determine if that movement is excessive.
Roof: Average Lifespan – Roofs age quickly in the extreme Houston area climate. The average serviceable life of a roof in the gulf coast is about 15-18 years. A 35-year warranty roof does not last 35 years in this area, just as a 100,000 mile tire does not last 100,000 miles. Roof Overlay On Wood Shingles – Due to the insurance company financial crisis of the last few years, many insurance companies do not want to issue a policy on a house where the composition roof has been installed over the previous wood shingles. Insurance can be obtained on a residence with a roof overlay atop wood shingles, you just might have to do a little more leg work to find it.
Central Air Conditioning: The average serviceable life of a central A/C system is 12-15 years. Sometimes a small house is equipped with a large capacity A/C unit. This is commonly referred to as Over-Tonning a house. The system runs for a short time, cools the house quickly, and shuts off, thereby saving electricity. Since the system doesn’t run (cycle) long enough to remove the humidity you are left with a cold, damp house and set the stage for mildew. Reality Bites – Most home buyers want, and expect, an operational A/C system at closing. Additionally, most want a system that will give years of trouble-free and efficient service. If you are buying a house with a 10 year old HVAC system that is operational you should expect to have a few years left, with higher maintenance costs than if it was new. Just like a car that has not been properly maintained, an A/C system that has not had routine maintenance will cost more to repair.
Heating System: Newer technology furnaces have fewer problems with heat exchangers than do older units. Older systems that have not been properly maintained tend to have a higher chance of needing complete replacement.
Electrical System: If you are buying an older house (50+ years) in the Heights or Montrose area you may have Knob & Tube wiring. This type of wiring is generally considered antiquated by today’s standards. Just like a composition roof overlaid on a wood shingle roof, this type of electrical system causes insurance companies to look twice. You might need to put more effort into finding an insurance carrier for a home with Knob & Tube wiring. Lack of GFCI Protection – Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) act like ultra sensitive circuit breakers that trip when potentially hazardous current flows improperly and could cause electrical shock. Like smoke alarms, these inexpensive devices have saved many lives. Inspector licensing laws require all inspectors to call these out as “recognized safety hazards” and recommend repair or installation.
Plumbing: Galvanized Water Lines – Over time galvanized water lines tend to corrode from the inside out. The plumbing can be repaired when a leak appears or, if finances permit, the entire system can be replaced. Plumbing Issues To Expect are dripping faucets, small leaks below sinks and tubs, loose commodes, hot/cold reversed at faucets, etc. These are all small issues that can be rectified by a plumber and should be expected on any house.
Sewer Lines: Houses built prior to the 1970s tend to be plumbed with cast iron drain lines. Due to the nature of cast iron and the amount of soil movement in the greater Houston area, the chance of leaking drain lines below a house increases with age. The cost of a separate sewer line test by a licensed plumber is well worth the investment as replacing a severely deteriorated sewer line below even a small house can cost $10,000.
Termites: In the gulf coast region of North America there are two types of houses, those that have had termites and those that will have termites. Termite damage can be classified as structurally insignificant or structurally significant. Because the framing of a house is a system of structurally redundant members, a single frame member totally destroyed by termites usually is not structurally significant. The amount of structurally significant termite damage can only be determined by opening the walls and exposing the wood framing members for inspection. This is usually recommended only when there is evidence of significant activity or activity for prolonged periods of time.
Related Links: Fox Inspection Group
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