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March 2004
By: Arthur S. Lazerow
Ask Mr. Home Inspector
What
does a home inspection entail?
Priscilla
G. from Mt. Airy, Maryland, emailed the following question: ÒI
have selected a local Realtor and reviewed with her all
aspects of purchasing my
first home. I have saved for the
down payment, and with todayÕs interest rates, I can finally afford my own
place. We visited a loan officer
who has pre-approved a loan amount, so thatÕs done. I
plan to start house hunting this summer. But
I am worried about the condition of any home that I may purchase. My
Realtor said not to worry because my home inspector will investigate the home
thoroughly. I am still
worried. Please tell me what you
do
during a home inspection?Ó
Answer: Priscilla,
a home inspection is a visual inspection of all readily accessible
areas of the home to determine its structural condition and
both a visual survey of installation and an operational inspection
of all mechanical systems, including heating, air conditioning,
electrical components and plumbing. Condition
and life expectancy of major systems will be investigated. Finally, a written report will be furnished you identifying
the components of your home and listing major structural
or mechanical deficiencies.
Better
than defining a home inspection, follow me around on an inspection. Remember
that each inspector will have his or her own routine, but
if your inspector complies with the Standards of Practice
and Code of Ethics of the one of the major home inspection
societies, you can be assured of having a quality inspection.
First,
we need to discuss some paper work. Maryland
law requires the home inspector to present you with his or
her written resume for you to understand your inspectorÕs
qualifications and to present you with the mandatory Maryland
home inspection disclosure. Furthermore,
the inspectorÕs Pre-Inspection Agreement will outline what
will be included in the inspection and also discuss limitations,
but more about limitations later. In
general, your inspection will be an educational experience
first and only secondarily will it be to find deficiencies.
HereÕs
how I conduct an inspection. At
the exterior of the home first, we will observe grading,
the exterior walls, trim, windows, the roof, gutters, downspouts,
and all other items out there, looking for improper installation,
deterioration and/or abuse. Moving
inside, we start with heating, air conditioning and the water
heater. I will
then remove the front cover of the electric panel box to
observe the interior, with its wires, breakers and main disconnect
fully exposed. Next
we will observe the structure, looking for visual clues of
structural problems, such as wall or floor cracks.
After
spending time in the kitchen, we will check bathroom fixtures
and components, looking for leaks and other plumbing problems. As
we walk from room to room, I check a representative number
of electric outlets and windows to determine that they are
operating properly. Finally,
we observe the attic conditions for ventilation, indications
of water leaks or structural failures, insulation, and animal
or pest intrusion.
With
the inspection completed, any problems or concerns observed
will be included on the list of deficiencies and your written
report will be delivered on-site. (Other
inspectors may handle this differently.)
Priscilla,
as you can see, the home inspection process provides you
with a thorough investigation of your prospective new residence. There are limitations, however, and I will address those next
month.
Deficiency of the Month: Louise
emailed me about a malfunctioning Ground Fault Interrupting
Circuit (GFCI) breaker in the bathroom of her newly constructed
home. It was
tripping repeatedly every day. The
builderÕs electrician could not find any cause for such a
problem but did not replace the actual GFCI outlet. The
builder told her that if anyone else performs work on the
electrical system, the builderÕs warranty would be voided. She
asked for my advice.
Maryland
law requires every builder to warrant the home at minimum
of one year. Accordingly,
I advised Louise to ask the builder to replace the GFCI apparatus,
and if the builder did not respond, to arrange with an electrician
of her choice to do so. I believed that in front of a judge, the builderÕs claim of Òvoiding
the warrantyÓ would not be persuasive. I received a very nice thank you soon thereafter. Louise
was elated. The builder finally responded with a replacement GFCI and
the new one has not tripped once. Apparently,
the original GFCI was internally defective. For
the record, during new home inspections, it is not uncommon
for me to find defective electric outlets and GFCIs that
do not trip as safety disconnects.
Tip of the Month. LouiseÕs
email was a reminder to test my homeÕs GFCIs. Homes
built after about 1980 have GFCI protection in the baths
and exterior outlets, which are typically all on one circuit
with one GFCI breaker. Some
may be located in the electric panel box and there will have
a button marked ÒtestÓ to push. Many
homes have the GFCI outlet in one of the bathrooms with a
red reset button and black ÒtestÓ button. Nonetheless,
locate your safety GFCI breaker and test it periodically.
April column: Limitations
of the home inspection process.
Have a question relating to a housing problem? Email it to
aslaz@erols.com. Each question will be answered and some will
be included in this column.
Arthur Lazerow, president of Alban Home Inspection Service,
Inc., was a homebuilder for 25 years and is now a nationally
certified ASHI home inspector, having performed more than 5,000
inspections during the past 10 years. He can be heard every
Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. as co-host of Real Estate Today
on WMET 1160 AM.
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