Structural Inspection –  Home Inspection is Visual Inspection Only

The structural inspection of your home is an important part of the home inspection process.  As a Professional Home inspector we can only note any visual deficiencies and comment on probable cause of any visible damage, such as; cracked framing, sagging support beams, rotted or damaged supporting components or damaged foundations.  Typically we do not provide a professional opinion as to the degree it has affected the structural condition of the building.

The Barrie Home Inspector looks at every home from top to bottom for unusual structural distress or deflections in the exterior framing of the roof, exterior facades and foundations which could indicate professional repair or assessment is required. Uneven floors, cracking drywall, water penetration – may be signs of structural problems. Cracked foundations, settling corners, angled exterior walls – may likewise indicate issues with a building’s structural integrity and could be indicators of movement.

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Roof trusses, for example, are designed under Part 4 of the Ontario Building Code.  When a roof truss is damaged,  a detail is required showing method of repair, the detail must be signed by accredited designer or engineer.

Homes built on expansive soils are required to have footings that are double size of normal footings.  Although this is a requirement for modern day homes, foundations built in the fifties and sixties probably would not have had to comply with this requirement.  Current requirements call for a minimum bearing pressure of 75 kPa.  A subsurface investigation may require a designer, in  conjunction with a geotechnical engineer, to determine size of footings.

Foundation slabs that are within 600 mm of exterior ground level are required to have perimeter insulation that extends 600 mm below exterior ground.

Air barriers are now required in all assemblies that separate conditioned ( heated areas ) from unconditioned area, such as garages etc.

When looking for a Risk Free home inspection, call  Barrie Residential Property Inspections at 705-795-8255

When buying a new home often there is a wood stove, fireplace of pellet stove that requires inspection.  The Barrie WETT Inspector provides Site Basic WETT Inspections for $50.00 when included as part of home inspection package.