Your New
Home Home Inspections are an Important
Step in the Process
While an inspection report can change the selling price of a home by
thousands of dollars, inspectors have also improved the quality of
homes and made them safer places in which to live. Concerning
electrical hazards, most inspectors check for visible problems in
the service-entrance cable and also ensure that the meter base is
securely fastened to the siding and that the rubber seal on top of
the base is intact.
When inspecting a home's siding, professionals are searching for
areas where water is most likely to enter and become a source of
rot; stucco exteriors are especially vulnerable. Inspectors
typically check the roof from the ground with a pair of binoculars
and ensure that shingles are not missing or cracked, that the roof
is straight, and that the flashing has not failed; and they also
view cracks through the mortar joints of a brick- or stone-face home
as a sign of potential foundation problems. Inspectors give special
attention to water heaters, which should have a properly installed
temperature-and-pressure relief valve.
Because garages pose fire threats, inspectors check to make sure
doors and walls will efficiently keep a fire from entering the
remaining areas of the home. When an inspector examines forced-air
heating and cooling, he or she ensures the voltage between the metal
duct and any ground point is no greater than 20v. Finally,
inspectors will look to see that there is no shortage of water in
the well, that sinks drain properly, and that heat or weight has not
caused horizontal plumbing pipes to sag or bend.
"Ten Tips From a Home Inspector," Fine Homebuilding (09/01) No.
141, P. 104; Cauldwell, Rex.