The Seller Disclosure Form probably said that the house had a new roof - new decking and new shingles. Yes, but...
When I arrived at the house to begin my inspection, seeing bundles of new shingles piled up on the side of the house made me suspicious that the homeowner might have done the roofing himself. My client happened to be a former roofer, so he came up on the roof with me to check things out. Wow.
No "starter row" had been done when the shingles were installed. The valley between different levels of the roof was installed incorrectly with the shingles being cut improperly. The flashings were installed in such a way as to allow water to get under the shingles. In one area, no flashing was used at all, a glob of black tar was slathered on instead. And the new decking wasn't anchored properly, we kind of bounced as we walked across the roof.
It would be easy for you to read on the Disclosure Form, "new roof installed a month ago", and figure that everything was okay. But, you really wouldn't want a roof like this over your head. That's why it's so important for you to give your potential new home a Complete Home Inspection. It gives you the peace of mind that comes from knowing the condition of the property at the time of the inspection.
This was the second inspection I had done for this particular client. He and his wife decided not to buy the first house I inspected for them. There were simply too many things wrong with that property. Now, after looking at this roof this week, there's a good chance I'll be doing a third inspection for them soon.
Whole house inspections, condo inspections, radon testing, mold testing, and more, we do it all for you. Call or E-mail today to schedule your Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Saturday, September 14, 2013
"Rehabbed" doesn't mean "fixed"
We've talked about the importance of having a newly constructed house inspected before you buy and the importance of having a condo inspected before you buy. The same is true for a house that has just been rehabbed. It's easy to think, since many aspects of the house have been changed, fixed, and updated in a rehab project, that you don't need to have it inspected. Think again.
Recently, my client was buying an "as is" property that had just been rehabbed. She hired me to find out just how "as is" it was. And she is very happy to have made that decision. The new granite kitchen counter tops looked great. But the brand new dishwasher underneath them wasn't connected to either water or power. And the dishwasher's power cord wasn't going to reach the under-the-sink outlet some four feet away. The brand new kitchen range, still showing most of its packing material, was plugged into a circuit that arced when turned on at the breaker panel. And the crawl space, an area you probably wouldn't visit when you're looking at a house, had drooping wires hanging down everywhere. And, a plumbing pipe that should be supported every four feet had, instead, one support in the middle of its nearly thirty-foot run.
So, though the house you're looking at may have been recently rehabbed, the work wasn't necessarily done by skilled professionals. Find out what shape the property is in before you buy. It could be the best you investment you make when buying a home.
Whole house inspections, condo inspections, radon testing, mold testing, and more, we do it all for you. Call or E-mail today to schedule your Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
Recently, my client was buying an "as is" property that had just been rehabbed. She hired me to find out just how "as is" it was. And she is very happy to have made that decision. The new granite kitchen counter tops looked great. But the brand new dishwasher underneath them wasn't connected to either water or power. And the dishwasher's power cord wasn't going to reach the under-the-sink outlet some four feet away. The brand new kitchen range, still showing most of its packing material, was plugged into a circuit that arced when turned on at the breaker panel. And the crawl space, an area you probably wouldn't visit when you're looking at a house, had drooping wires hanging down everywhere. And, a plumbing pipe that should be supported every four feet had, instead, one support in the middle of its nearly thirty-foot run.
So, though the house you're looking at may have been recently rehabbed, the work wasn't necessarily done by skilled professionals. Find out what shape the property is in before you buy. It could be the best you investment you make when buying a home.
Whole house inspections, condo inspections, radon testing, mold testing, and more, we do it all for you. Call or E-mail today to schedule your Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Air conditioners are killing furnaces
No, it's not a new horror movie, it's the Defect of the Week. And the current heat wave is really making it a critical issue. Check the drainage on your air conditioner. If the water flow is clogged, it can flood your furnace and kill it.
This week, even in a million-dollar condo, clogged drainage hoses or pipes were causing water to flood furnaces and floors. This unseen problem can cause all kinds of damage. Here's what to do. If you're looking to buy a new property, have Complete Home Inspection check out the property for you BEFORE you buy. My client buying the million-dollar condo simply said, "This inspection just paid for itself" when I opened the closet door to the air conditioner and found the drain pan overflowing, flooding the furnace and the floor, and starting to get the carpet wet. Their downstairs neighbor is probably grateful, too, as that water would have to eventually go somewhere.
If you're not in the market for a new home, check the one you live in now. First, see if water is draining out of your air conditioner's drain hose or pipe. Make certain that the hose/pipe is near a floor drain or whatever your system is supposed to drain into (for example, the condo on the fifteenth floor didn't have a floor drain). Sadly, simply seeing water flow doesn't necessarily mean that everything's okay. Remove the furnace's access panel and look for water. Remove the drain hose from the air conditioner and check for current or future clogs. Do everything you can to make certain that the water from the air conditioner is draining only into the floor drain or whatever.
As air conditioners have been running almost constantly lately, the condensation builds up rapidly. And, as you know, water will always end up going where you least want it to go.
Whole house inspections, condo inspections, radon testing, mold testing and more, we do it all for you. Call or E-mail today to schedule your own Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com. Your furnace will thank you.
This week, even in a million-dollar condo, clogged drainage hoses or pipes were causing water to flood furnaces and floors. This unseen problem can cause all kinds of damage. Here's what to do. If you're looking to buy a new property, have Complete Home Inspection check out the property for you BEFORE you buy. My client buying the million-dollar condo simply said, "This inspection just paid for itself" when I opened the closet door to the air conditioner and found the drain pan overflowing, flooding the furnace and the floor, and starting to get the carpet wet. Their downstairs neighbor is probably grateful, too, as that water would have to eventually go somewhere.
If you're not in the market for a new home, check the one you live in now. First, see if water is draining out of your air conditioner's drain hose or pipe. Make certain that the hose/pipe is near a floor drain or whatever your system is supposed to drain into (for example, the condo on the fifteenth floor didn't have a floor drain). Sadly, simply seeing water flow doesn't necessarily mean that everything's okay. Remove the furnace's access panel and look for water. Remove the drain hose from the air conditioner and check for current or future clogs. Do everything you can to make certain that the water from the air conditioner is draining only into the floor drain or whatever.
As air conditioners have been running almost constantly lately, the condensation builds up rapidly. And, as you know, water will always end up going where you least want it to go.
Whole house inspections, condo inspections, radon testing, mold testing and more, we do it all for you. Call or E-mail today to schedule your own Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com. Your furnace will thank you.
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