Buyer Beware – Why You Need a Home Inspection

Do Not Buy a Money PitOver the course of the past fifteen years I have come across many homes which have had problems that would scare any rational buyer away.  Unfortunately not all buyers have a home inspection and find out the hard way about the true condition of their home.  Here are some deficiencies listed in no particular order which may give you some cause for thought.

 Potable Water –  Recently this past summer I was inspecting a home where the dug well was being inspected by a licensed well inspector.  Both Realtors had already performed their own well test and the water had passed the requirements for potability. the well inspector asked me to look at the well after he had removed the cover and there was feces floating on top of water.  The home had a UV light filter and a cartridge filter installed which removed enough contaminants to allow water to pass.  The clients walked away from this particular home.

WETT Inspections –  Many times individuals call to have a wood stove that they have been using inspected due to a request from their insurance company.  Wood stoves have to meet the required distances to combustible material as listed on a plate usually located on back of the stove.  Many older stoves were not Certified which then requires a minimum distance of 48 inches from front, back and sides to combustible material.  When buying a home always request a WETT Inspection to ensure you can continue to use appliance safely.

Asbestos – Many older homes had boilers and/or furnaces that was insulated with asbestos.  Over the years the boilers were removed and most of the visible asbestos was also removed.  Unfortunately many ducts which travel between floors or under floor boards still were wrapped with asbestos.  Your trained home inspector will usually detect this asbestos and often the seller will remove the asbestos at their expense.  If you fail to detect the asbestos then you will be responsible for the expense of removal.

Knob & Tube Wiring –  Homes built prior to the 1950’s usually had knob and tube wiring installed. Many insurance companies will not insure a home with any knob and tube wiring installed.  Many times during a home inspection I have found knob and tube circuits still in use and some which have even been used to extend an existing circuit during a home renovation.  Some home owners and some electricians will skip removing all the knob an tube wiring because it is hard to access or they just think no one will ever notice or detect the remaining circuits.

Galvanized Plumbing – Galvanized plumbing was used in built in the early 1960’s and earlier and was quite common.  Many insurance companies will not insure a home which has pressurized galvanized plumbing lines.  Galvanized plumbing can contain lead which has collected from old lead supply lines and is known for corrosion which can reduce water flow, especially in the hot water line.  Galvanized pipes are also known for corroding at joints and should be regularly inspected for potential leaks.

Vermiculite Insulation –  Vermiculite is a naturally occurring product which is treated with heat to create insulation.  One particular mine in Libby, Montana produced a lot of this particular product which was later found to contain asbestos.  The only way to determine whether asbestos is present is to have samples collected and then sent to lab for testing.  Removing and replacing asbestos for a small bungalow can start at around $15,000.00 and up.  Many people have just installed newer type insulation over existing vermiculite in an effort to make detection difficult.

Aluminum Wiring – Check with your insurance company prior to buying a home with aluminum wiring.  According to the US insurance company statistics having aluminum wiring in your home can increase the risk of fire by 55%.  Everyone has a different point of view on the issues of aluminum wiring and as a consumer it is advised you educate yourself on the implications of buying a home with aluminum wiring installed.

Foundations –  Earlier this year I received a phone call from an individual who had bought a recently renovated property.  After the purchase was complete, without a home inspection,  his neighbours informed him that there was no foundation for home.  The seller had constructed a fake foundation cover while the home was actually built on wood logs sitting on the ground.

Building Permits – Many Do-It-Yourself contractors think nothing of totally renovating a basement without obtaining a building permit.  If you buy such a home you are assuming responsibility for everything in the home.  I have inspected homes under 10 years old that have improper electrical wiring and plumbing that is visible in renovated basement.  If the home was ever inspected by electrical, plumbing or building inspector the walls and floors would probably have to be removed and all work redone.  There is no insurance for this type of problem and as the home owner you would be totally liable for all costs.

Flooding –  After buying a home a client of mine discovered mould on walls and flooring when she moved in to home.  She called me back to assist her in determining what had happened to cause this problem.  After thoroughly investing the basement I went to the exterior to find a probable cause and found nothing.  I then checked with neighbours to see if they had encountered a similar problem.  Bingo,  the one neighbour informed me that her daughter had to go over to house to mop up a flood caused by a sump pump failure which the seller would not acknowledge or disclose.  This eventually ended up in small claims court where settlement was reached in favour of my client.

Caveat Emptor –  Buyer Beware   Ultimately when buying a home the responsibility is solely that of the buyer.  That is why it is so important for potential home buyers to educate themselves prior to deciding what home to buy.

Most people have a home inspection prior to purchasing a new home and home sellers know this.  A home inspection cannot protect you from sellers who knowingly hide or fail to disclose material defects in a home.  For example,  say the subject property has a water issue in the basement every spring.  The home sellers paint the walls with a fresh coat of paint and sell their home in the fall when there is no water issue.  There is no moisture or water present to be detected by the home inspector and everyone  is satisfied that the home is safe and sound by all appearances.  The next spring you find water staining on your basements drywall and you want to find out why you were not told about this prior to purchasing home?  You call your Realtor who will refer you to your home inspector, but what can he do?  There was no water or moisture at time of inspection!  If you talk to your neighbours and they inform you that this was an ongoing problem you could go after the sellers and recoup costs for repairs but that can be expensive and very stressful.

If you require a WETT Inspection of your fireplace or wood stove in the Barrie or Simcoe County area call Roger Frost at 705-795-8255 or Email Roger

Common Issues Found During Home Inspections

Common Issues Found During Home Inspections

This is a list of problems, in random order, that I have encountered during a home inspection and some are important enough to change a buyers mind.

Visible signs of water running through a basement.  Although most new home buyers will not encounter this problem, you would be surprised at how many older homes may have this problem.  Personally I think this problem would prevent me from buying that home every time.

Visible structural movement of masonry or poured concrete walls.  Unless the structural movement was caused by being hit by a vehicle, this is again one of those deficiencies that would make me walk away.  If there are problems with a home’s foundation then it will cause problems with the whole house.

Galvanized plumbing is mainly found in century type homes and can be a major headache.  The biggest problem is that many insurance companies will not insure a home which has galvanized plumbing installed.  One reason is the it is already long past its life expectancy and could fail at any time.  Some home owners have all visible galvanized replaced but leave it in place in service chases up to first and second floor fixtures.

No Building Permit for Renovations can be very detrimental to the sale of a home.  Depending on the size of the renovation and the amount of plumbing, electrical and HVAC work done, the financial implications can be quite daunting to a home buyer.  No permit indicates that none of the home systems were inspected prior to covering with finished product.  The cost of removing drywall and / or flooring to replace or repair any of the systems would probably be greater than the cost of the original renovation.

Vermiculite insulation is present in many older homes and may or may not contain traces of asbestos.  Although there was only one mine in Libby, Montana, which produced the contaminated insulation, it was sold under many Trade names.  You cannot tell if a particular batch of vermiculite has asbestos without laboratory testing.  An attic full of asbestos would be considered a Class Two hazard and is expense to have removed.  Read more …..

Aluminum wiring was commonly used in place of copper in the early 1980’s due to high price of copper.  Many insurance companies will not insure a home that has aluminum wiring due to its susceptibility to corrosion which causes heat and could potentially cause a fire.  Many home owners go to great lengths to try and hide the fact that there is aluminum wiring.  Usually any accessible aluminum wire is replaced with copper.  Read more…..

60 amp Services are not acceptable to most insurance companies in Canada.  Many older homes, especially cottages which have been turned into four season homes, will often have a 60 amp service unless it has been upgraded.   I have inspected many homes that have a 100 amp service panel but are supplied by a 60 amp switch.   The size of the panel on the wall is not the governing factor, the size of switch controlling the power coming in determines what amperage is available.

Pony Panels connected to bus bars in main panel .  You are not allowed to take a electrical feed directly off the bus bar in the main panel.  The feed for the sub panel must come from a breaker to provide protection for the feed.  Many older panels are found to have had one or two pony or service panels hooked directly to the bus bar which is not permitted.

Sump pumps are sometimes hooked directly into municipal drains.  This may be permitted by the municipality in exceptional circumstances but is typically not allowed.  Some municipalities have hefty fines if they find someone discharging sump pump into municipal drain.

Reversed polarity on wall outlets is quite common when homeowners do their own electrical wiring.  Since electrical outlet now have holes in back of outlet where you can just insert the bare electrical cable the amount of reversed polarity deficiencies has increased dramatically.  When using the outlet screws to secure the wire most people figured out that the black wire went on the dark screw and the white wire went on the light screw, but when using the push in the hole method, it became a 50/50 crap hoot.  Unless you have a electrical tester you would never know the difference.  When a circuit has reversed polarity the light fixture socket where the bulb screws in would now become live and if you touched it while screwing in a light bulb you would get a shock.

Basement stairs not protected on open side.  Most people are completely un-aware that when your basement is un-finished your basement stairs is allowed to have an open side.  Technacally as soon as you finish part of your basement you are required to protect the open stairs with wall, partial wall or guards to within 600 mm of floor.  Height of guards or wall is to be a minimum of 900 mm.  Also when basement is finished you should have a 3 way light switch which can be operated from either the top or bottom of stairs.

Extension Cords used as permanent wiring.  The electrical code does not allow extension cords to be used as permanent wiring.  70% of garages I go into have an extension cord powering the auto door opener.  Recent changes in Ontario requires outlets to be installed for each door for new construction, which makes sense and you have to wonder why it took so long, it’s not like they just invented the auto door opener.

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Why a Home Inspection

Why a Home Inspection – Protect Your Investment

Your offer has just been accepted on your dream home, now you need a home inspector.  Many Realtor’s will supply you with the names of their favorite home inspector or recommend as many as three local home inspectors. Whether you take your Realtor’s advice or you find your own home inspector, through friends advice or online, there is some information you should verify before hiring a home inspector.

In Ontario there is no requirement for a home inspector to be licensed.  There are professional associations that most professional inspectors belong to, you  can go online to view their

Wasaga Beach Home Inspector
The Best Home Inspector in Barrie ON

requirements for membership.  Prior experience is a good starting question when interviewing a prospective home inspector, a registered builder obviously will have more knowledge than a factory worker.  Professional qualifications from Provincial Organizations are also indicate a higher level of professionalism than some online courses which issue great looking certificates but are a little short in actual knowledge.  The number of home inspections and years in business are absolutely the most defining question you can ask.

Because buying a home is one of the biggest investments that most people will make you should plan to attend the home inspection and bring a pad and pencil with you.  A good home inspection also gives you invaluable details about your new home in addition to information about the condition of the property. You’ll learn where the main shutoff valves to the utilities are located, how the house operates and more!  Asking questions during the home inspection will ensure you are completely aware of any issues that may have come up after you moved in.  Remember a educated consumer is a smart consumer.

Some of the items your home inspector looks for which can affect the sale of the home are:

Drainage Issues –  Poor landscaping can cause wood rot, wet basements and crawlspaces and even mould growth.  Most drainage issues are caused by poor downspout location or damaged gutters.  Simply re-grading area around the house can repair most drainage issues.  Most home owners are un-aware that water is a natural compactor of soil and will continually lower the grade in an area where it is allowed to pool.

Foundations – Responsible for distributing the houses load to the footing, this is an important part of your home structure.  Crumbling or large cracks in the concrete can signal expensive repairs maybe required.  Wet or leaking foundations can indicate high water tables or drainage issues.

Roofs –  Builders grade roof shingles rarely last much beyond 18 years and typically will always fail on the south side of roof first.  Homebuyers buying a home that is around 15 years old can expect to pay for shingle replacement in near future.  Replacing shingles on a home is a required maintenance expense that should be budgeted for by home owners and buyers.  Beware of double layer shingles, although legally acceptable in Ontario, the added cost of removal and dump fees will just be passed on to the next roof re-shingling.

Electrical Wiring –  Aluminum wiring in a home, although still legal, cannot be insured by some insurance companies.  Some insurance companies will require it be completely removed prior to issuing a home policy.  Some older homes still have older two wire copper wiring with no ground wire or even worse, knob and tube wiring still installed.  It is amazing how many times a house will have a new panel, new romex wiring throughout the house and when the attic is inspected there is still one or two live knob and tube circuits.  This are exactly the type of things homebuyers need to know prior to purchasing a home.  The absolute worst case scenario for home buyers is the renovated basement with no electrical permits and all the work done by homeowner.  This is where you will typically find poor workmanship and even life safety issues which could have shocking results.

Plumbing –  Water runs downhill, should be pretty simple, but that is not always the case.  Although seeming a pretty simple task plumbing is definitely beyond the scope of some people.  Improper venting is probably one of the most common deficiencies found when inspecting a home which has had renovations.  Missing traps on plumbing drain lines is also quite a common occurrence even though it can allow sewer gas into your home.  Many people are unaware that your washing machine is required to have an air gap at the drain to prevent siphoning.  Improper Tee used on toilet drain lines are also quite common, the list just goes on and on.

Building Permit –  If a home has been renovated and no building permit was taken out, you can safely assume that the hidden electrical, plumbing and building envelope were not inspected prior to being enclosed.  Your home inspector will advise you of the possibilities but ultimately it is your decision, which you base on information given to you.  Remember, CAVEAT EMPTOR – BUYER BEWARE, once you move in it is hard, if not impossible,  to get any repairs done or money back from the seller.

As part of your home inspection you can have a wood burning appliance WETT Certified for only $75.00.   Most insurance companies now require you to have your Fireplace, Wood Stove or Pellet Stove inspected by a WETT Certifed Inspector prior to issuing you a home insurance policy.

Call Roger at 705-795-8255 or Toll Free at 888-818-8601