Typical Barrie Home Defects at Inspections. Poor grading is a typical landscaping issue which is commonly found during a home inspection. Sidewalks are especially prone to settling and directing water against the foundation of the home. Directing water away from your home should be your number one outside priority. Check all downspouts and other sources of water to ensure that all water is directed away from home.
In my experience roof shingles last on an average of 18 to 20 years on the average home. The south side roof shingles will typically deteriorate first as they are in contact with more sunlight than the remaining sides. Curling of shingles is the first sign that they will require replacement. Although there are many shingles which are advertised as 25 or 30 year shingles, it is unusual to see them last more than a couple of extra years when compared to regular shingles.
Electrical wiring issues is by far the most common problem found in most older homes with a renovated basement. The wiring issues are usually un-supported electrical cables, missing junction boxes and adding circuits to existing breakers in main panel. This is always an indication that the home owner has done the work and a licensed electrician should be called in to inspect and repair all the wiring. I will typically recommend that potential buyers ask for an electrical certificate for home which indicates that all wiring has been inspected and passed by licensed electrician.
Any renovation in your home is required to have a building permit. Part of the building permit process is having plumbing, structure, electrical and insulation inspected by your local building officials or electrical authority. When a renovation is done with out taking out a building permit you run the risk of un-seen problems coming back to haunt you and most likely costing a great deal of money to repair.
Exterior maintenance of your home can prevent thousands of dollars in needless repairs. Caulking seams in window sills and ensuring mortar is still in place on brick window sills can save a lot of repairs for a couple of dollars. Just caulking your asphalt driveway at joint where it meets your garage can prevent separation and sinking of driveway.
Attic insulation is commonly found to have been disturbed by trades people and home owners. When you do work in the attic and compact your blown insulation you should add insulation to ensure even coverage and un-necessary heat loss. Improperly installed pot lights are another commonly found issue which can create a huge energy loss in your home. It is important to install the proper pot light when installing in your insulation. The possibility also exists of starting a fire if not properly installed.
Exterior chimney flues are often cracked and brick is spalled simply because home owner did not install a rain cap on their chimney. Water can penetrate small cracks and in the winter season this water freezes and expands causing further cracking. If left un-checked eventual you will be replacing your whole chimney. Older masonry chimney caps do not have a drip edge and this allows water to get underneath cap and start penetrating your brick. It is a wise investment to have your chimney check every year to find cracks before they become expensive repairs.
Call Roger Frost, the Barrie WETT Inspector for all your insurance company inspections.