Archive for November 29, 2011

How to Prevent Water Damage to Your Foundation

The foundation of a home is the first part of a home built when one is constructing a home. If the foundation is not constructed correctly the integrity of the rest of the structure will be compromised and can lead to major issues and very costly repairs. Here are the reasons this happens and then tips to help prevent damage to your homes’ foundation.

Home owners primarily need to be able to control and limit the amount of water that can accumulate near the homes foundation. This can be done in several ways. The installation of a french drain system, proper grading of the soil and paved areas, and the proper use of gutters and downspouts.

The first method of protecting a foundation listed was the installation of a french drain system. This is better done at the time of construction when the area near the base of the foundation is still exposed. It basically consists of a drain line that will collect water and then direct that water away from the home to a lower level or to a storm drain. If planned at time of construction this is easier to do. After the home is built and a lower area of the yard is not readily available the water can be directed to a gravel filled pit in the ground in which the water will then be absorbed in to the soil at a location away from the foundation.

If the home is already constructed with the foundation base not easily accessible then then controlling rain runoff is the next best method for foundation protection. Even if a home is constructed with a drainage system near the foundation it is important to control rain.

Water weights approximately 8.5 pounds per gallon. An average rainfall can result in hundreds of pounds of water running down gutters and downspouts. Hundreds of pounds of weight pushing against your foundation can result in cracks,leaning and bowing. If the water pooled up against your foundation freezes the problems are worse. Water expands when it freezes so the pressure against your foundation is even greater.

To control water runoff from the roof every home should have gutters and downspouts installed. The important aspect of the gutter system that is often ignored and frequently found during home inspections is that the downspouts do not direct the water away from the foundation far enough. Downspouts without proper extensions will focus runoff to specific parts of the foundation. Always have downspout extensions that take the water far from the foundation.

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Property Inspections: What Are The Reasons Why It’s Important

Buying a home is a huge investment and making sure it’s up to par with your expectations is extremely important. If we pay a mechanic to double check our cars, why can’t we pay an expert to double check the homes that we purchase? It does make sense to do this because, although it will cost you a few hundreds, you’ll save thousands of dollars in the future. What are the reasons why a pre-purchase building inspection is important?

When a pre-purchase building inspection is done, you’re able to know the defects of the house as well existence of illegal building practices that can cost you a fortune in the future. A property inspector will examine your house for presence of defects or structural problems. They may be able to identify several structural defects, such as:

1. Water damage
2. Leaks
3. Termite damage
4. Timber decay
5. Moisture in sub-floor
6. Poor brickwork
7. Cracks in walls
8. Roof and floor defects

But remember that it’s not only limited to these. There are other structural defects out there that a property inspector can identify. In addition to these, he or she may be able to identify illegal building practices.

Other reputable companies will even offer pest inspections that identify presence of ugly and horrible-looking cockroaches, mice, termites and wasps. Did you know that these pests have the ability to damage houses before you even realized their presence? And since it always is hard to notice them, an expert can help you do this.

These property inspection companies have the appropriate gadgets and equipments that will help them identify these damages. Examples of these are:

1. Moisture meters
2. Listening devices
3. Thermal cameras

Between the three, the latter is more capable at identifying termite infestations. It recognizes the presence of termites through presence of higher temperatures in certain parts of the property.

A property inspection is a must prior to buying a property. Never sign anything prior to an inspection. Don’t think about the cost that you have to shell out rather the savings that you will enjoy once all these damages have been clearly identified by the inspector. You know why? You can actually ask for the price of the property to be lowered than the selling price due to the presence of these damages. Not only that, the information that your inspector gathers can also be used when settling unpleasant disputes between neighbors and buyers and sellers.

After the inspection, expect a detailed report of their activity. From this report you will understand the damages discovered inside the house including the approximate repair costs. The report may also include photos of these damages.

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So You Think Your House Is Radon Free?

The other day I performed a home inspection. It was your typical home inspection of a nice little house that had a few updated amenities. As I was walking around the outside with my client, I noticed there was a radon mitigation system installed. I commented on it and my client said “oh that’s what that is”. As I looked at it I noticed the top of the PVC stack was broken (not a big deal, all it needed was a new elbow installed to carry it above the eave).

A little while later my client says to me, “well I guess we don’t need to do the radon test so how much less will the home inspection be now”. I replied back to him, “just because there is a mitigation system here doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do the test”. My client looked at me and said “well there shouldn’t be a radon problem since this system is here so why should I pay for a test I don’t need”.

Instead of arguing the point with my client I said “I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do. I always want the test to be done, especially here as it is evident there is a radon problem. Just because there is a system doesn’t mean it’s working properly or addressing the obvious problem. I am going to do the test anyways. If it comes back and there is no problem and the system is doing its job, I’ll pay for the cost of the test myself.” My client looked at me and said “OK – you’ve got a deal”

A few days later I went and picked up the radon test canisters and sent them to the lab I use. The next day I get the results back from the lab and I forward it off to my client with a note attached.

About an hour later I get a call from my client that goes like this: “Hi Dave, thanks for doing such a great job on the inspection, the report was excellent by the way. I’m glad you insisted on doing the radon test, even though I was pushing you not to – just to save a few bucks. I can’t believe the radon levels were so high – even with a system installed. I called the company that installed the system and they informed me that they haven’t been out to the property to service the system in over 3 years. I called my realtor who in turn called the sellers realtor and they are having the company come out first thing tomorrow to service the system. When they are done, can you come back and do another test to make sure the system is operating properly and that the levels are within normal standards.

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