A Closer Look At Home Inspections
By Coleman M. Greenberg

Reprinted with permission of the Employee Relocation Council from the June issue of MOBILITY

The sight of an inspector going around a home inspires different feelings in different people. Sellers experience a sense of nervousness, perhaps, about what the inspector may discover. Real estate agents may be apprehensive about the possibility that the home inspector will find one too many flaws. Home buyers usually have hopeful anxiety that no major problems will turn up.

Despite their differences, however, the one feeling all of these individuals have in common is curiosity. Exactly what is the home inspector doing? What is he or she actually looking for with that probing flashlight?

To answer this question, allow me to invite you to come along on a typical home inspection. I would like to share with you some of the observations and thought processes that take place during a home inspection conducted according to the American Society of Home Inspectors' Standards of Practice. With a heightened awareness of what home inspectors look for, you will better understand the home inspection process.

The Exterior

Like most inspectors, I begin by taking a long, careful look at the property and the outside of a home in order to get an impression of the age and condition of the structure.

Some of the conditions I find may be clues as to what to look for along the way. When all the pieces of the puzzle are in place, I can develop an idea of the seriousness of a condition.

When an inspector walks around the exterior of a home, it may seem he or she is merely wandering from one place to another. However, while walking, an inspector notices many clues about the condition and safety of the property including:

• sidewalks that have heaved or buckled from expanding tree roots, causing tripping hazards;
• frayed electric service cables that may allow water to enter the meter socket and main panel and may create a fire hazard;
• undersized or too few wires to the home, which might mean inadequate service to the home and/or overloaded circuits;
• leaves or debris collecting against a side or corner of the home, which could lead to a seepage problem on the inside;
• windows, particularly with southern exposure, that may have paint or glazing problems; windows facing north showing rot or mildew; and
• earth touching siding or wood, a condition conducive to pest infestation or rot.

One of the most common problems, water in the basement or crawl space, can be apparent even before the inspector sets foot inside the home. Exterior signs of a wet basement include:

• surrounding ground or a patio that slopes toward the home, possibly directing water there;
• missing or broken gutters;
• disconnected downspouts; and
• poorly arranged or maintained window wells.

The surest way to identify roof leaks, another common problem, is by examining the underside of the eaves and the roof sheathing during the attic inspection. While outside, however, there are several things I look for to anticipate this:

• missing roof shingles and improper flashing;
• loss of granules in the joints between roof shingle tabs;
• cupped, cracked, or bowed composition shingles, indicating advanced age or an overheated attic; and
• tree branches touching the roof.

The Interior

Home inspectors typically conduct their interior inspections methodically; from the bottom up or vice versa, checking each level as they go. I like to start in the attic and pick up clues from the living area as I work my way down to the basement or crawl space.

My examination of the attic allows me to confirm or refute suspicions I may have developed about the integrity of the roof while outdoors. It also provides clues about the adequacy of the home's insulation, ventilation, and exhaust venting. With my flashlight and sometimes a moisture meter, I scan the attic looking for:

• water stains around the chimney, vent pipes, or other roof penetrations;
• rust on roofing nails and dark stains on adjacent wood;
• stains on the attic floor or eroded patches of insulation;
• excessive discoloration and delamination of decking;
• sufficient attic openings (screened windows, louvers, or vents) to prevent summer heat build-up and winter condensation;
• exposed wiring connections; and
• improperly vented plumbing or fan ductwork.

The presence of any of these conditions does not automatically indicate a current problem. They often are signs of previous problems that have since been corrected. A well qualified home inspector knows how to tell the difference.

As might be expected, the problems that appear in bathrooms are related almost entirely to water finding its way to where it does not belong. Aside from noticing the obvious—water stains or a bucket sitting unceremoniously under a sink—I always check for:

• evidence of supply pipe leaks, such as greenish pinholes on copper or rust (oxidation) on steel pipes;
  toilets that "give" when rocked, indicating poor connections and possible water seepage beneath or behind floors and walls;
• a "spongy" feeling in the walls around shower faucets and bathtub enclosures, which can indicate a failure of the wall material behind the tile;
• rust stains on porcelain tubs and sinks, created when water carries with it the debris of deteriorating pipes; and
• insufficient water flow and pressure, judged by running a number of tub and sink faucets simultaneously.

Although it is impossible to check every square inch of each room and hallway, the inspection of the general living space can produce some very specific indicators about the function of the home's basic heating/cooling and electrical systems. For example:

• Insufficient air flow or dark stains on the wall at the duct registers will prompt me to check for dirty furnace filters and improperly sized or disconnected ductwork when I get to the basement.
• The presence of temporary baseboard or space heaters often is a sign of an inefficient furnace or boiler or distribution system.
• An abundance of extension cords leads me to suspect an inadequate number of electrical outlets and a possible circuit overload, a serious safety hazard.
• Condensation on the interior of windows can be caused by inadequate ventilation and/or a lack of exhaust venting from bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.

Once I have completed my inspection of the living space, I am ready to look around in the basement or crawl space to confirm the impressions I may have gotten upstairs or outside, and to look for evidence of other problems. While inspecting the basement or crawlspace, I pay particular attention to

• signs of water or moisture, as well as structural weakness. Some of the conditions I might encounter here include:
• efflorescence, a whitish mineral deposit, left by receding water or leached through foundation walls;
  triangular stains in corners, which often indicate water seepage caused by a downspout discharging outside, against the wall;
• unusual crack patterns or severe bowing or shifting of the foundation;
• rust stains at the base of support columns; & debris collecting at or around the floor drains, which might interfere with their proper function; and
• sagging floor joists.

Looking more closely at the mechanical equipment located in the basement, I watch for:

• excessive rust, soot, or cracks at the bottom or lower walls of the heating unit, which often indicate a failed, and dangerous, heat exchanger;
• puddles of water near a boiler or water heater, perhaps indicating a flawed relief valve and/or excessive pressure;
• a supply of extra fuses beside the fuse box may support my suspicion of an inadequate electrical service and overloaded circuits; and
• burnt paint or rust on the water heater, which may signal a problem in the burner compartment;
• a look in the tank flue with a small mirror and flashlight may reveal a distorted baffle.

Sometimes the defects we find on an inspection, rather than indicating a serious problem, simply demonstrate a consistent pattern of deferred maintenance or amateur workmanship. Although they may not necessarily require major repairs, they often indicate the need to generally improve regular maintenance.

Samples of these include:

• open electrical junction boxes or unsecured wiring;
• dirty furnace filters;
• "do-it-yourself" store labels on plumbing or electrical components; and
• plumbing or exhaust vents that empty into the attic rather than through the roof to the open air.

When all the evidence is gathered, the next phase of the inspector's job begins: writing the report. The report should provide the client with information about the condition of the property, calling attention to those systems or components that do not function or that need major repair.

In some cases, the cause and remedy of a problem will be identified and specified. In others, the inspector may recommend further evaluation by an expert in the appropriate specialty. Either way, the relocation professional and, ultimately, the homebuyer will be better prepared for the transaction, and more satisfied with the purchase.

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Coleman M. Greenberg was president of the American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc. in 1993 and currently serves as president of the AZ-ASHI chapter. He was formerly licensed as a Real Estate Broker in Nebraska, where he operated a property management company. He was also previously licensed as a Real Estate Broker in New York, where he owned and operated a full-service real estate office. A former Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser in Arizona, Greenberg is ASHI Member #373, a full-time Real Estate Consultant and Home Inspector and can be reached at Dominion Real Estate Services - 928-204-1608.

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Coleman M. Greenberg
Professional Home Inspector
Certified Member #373, American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc.®
Arizona Certified Home Inspector #38576
Arizona Casualty and Property Insurance Producer #1213456

928-204-1608
1-800-998-1608 toll free from anywhere
Fax: 928-204-1597
Sedona, Arizona