There are three common inspection issues with older homes. We find them repeatedly with the thousands of homes that Jo Ann and I have inspected since 1998. They can be attributed to the over 3,000 components necessary to build an average house in America. The component count is according to an article I read a while back at the National Association of Home Builders. The list did not include nails, screws, adhesives, caulking, and other necessary parts. The home inspector’s task is assessing the condition and performance of all those components over only a couple of hours.
A Common Inspection Issue With Older Homes Is A Lack of Foundation Maintenance
The first of the three most common issues found while inspecting older homes is the lack of foundation maintenance. That issue can also cause the most damage to the home’s structural components. For the most part that’s because of the unstable soil on which we must build in this part of the country. I discovered that fact as a custom homebuilder, remodeling contractor and custom pools builder even before we began inspecting homes. I encountered every type of soil and building conditions you can imagine while working all over Texas. The fact is houses need a stable foundation and there’s no bedrock in southeast Texas. Most of the area from Houston to the south is expansive clay. The soil west of town is sandy, with some perched areas. There is a mixture of soil types as you go north and east. None of them are great.
Therefore, the recurring question is “how do you keep a foundation stable and prevent unwanted movement and resultant damage?” Most homeowners don’t realize it, but movement of the soil supporting the house is usually the cause of the damage. The real culprit is inadequate drainage and irrigation around the foundation. Those conditions often occur over time because the homeowner was never educated in the connection between Site Drainage and Foundation Performance. That type of damage can include cracks in the brick and drywall found in so many homes in our area. Heaving and settlement is the result of irregular wetting and drying of the soil. That’s true whether the soil is expansive clay or collapsing sands. It has been my experience that poor foundation construction is rarely the cause of foundation failure.
Amateur Repairs Is a Common Issue Found While Inspecting Older Homes
The Wildcat Inspection Team finds another common inspection issue with older homes. It is amateur repairs and are common throughout most of those thousands of components. A recurring issue we find is hidden danger in kitchen backsplash renovations. The worst part of that problem is with inept contractors hired by the homeowner in good faith. They were paid with hard-earned money and are still responsible for most of those botched repair jobs. I guess we can thank the internet and big box stores for much of that.
I believe the most expensive of those repair mistakes can be found on the roof. That’s because the average homeowner and most handyman-contractors are not skilled in those types of repairs. The fact that most homeowners can’t go up there and check the handyman’s work is another reason. Damaged pipe flashing (also called jacks) is a common defect we see while inspecting roofs. Squirrels and other critters love to sharpen their teeth on the lead jacks. The result is holes in the flashing where water can enter the home. Worse damage can occur if an unskilled worker tries to remove shingles and replace the flashing. In worst case scenarios, that can result in total roof replacement. All because they didn’t know the best way to repair pipe flashing on a roof.
The same goes for repairs made in the attic. Sometimes it’s just minor things, like insulation not put back after the cable guy ran new cables into the wall. It can also be issues that can result in expensive consequences. Incompatible materials coupled with older pipes to make plumbing repairs come to mind. Unsafe venting of replacement gas appliances can also be a costly repair if not properly done the first time. In fact, that can result in the occupants’ death.
Common Inspection Issues With Older Homes is No Safety Upgrades
As you might imagine, outdated systems are very common issues found while inspecting older homes. The main reason for that is because building codes change quite often. There are separate groups of codes that apply to different licensed contractors. They include the IRC for structural contractors, the NEC for electricians, the UPC for plumbers, the IMC for HVAC contractors, and the IEEC for the energy portions related to all those trades. The cycles for new codes change every couple of years for each. Codes constantly evolve because of new materials and techniques. For the most part, those new codes make homes stronger, more comfortable, more efficient and perhaps most importantly, safer.
However, a homeowner is not required to upgrade their home every time the code changes. That means there is a good chance that you can buy a one-year-old house, and it would not meet the current code for some components. On the other hand, some codes do require components and even whole systems to be upgraded. The trigger for that is certain levels of remodels and equipment replacements or repairs. For the most part though, you will find many safety-related components will show up on your inspection report as deficient. The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) requires the inspector to show missing and inoperable safety related components as a defect. That is true even if they were not required by code at the time of construction.
Some of the most common examples of those issues are electrical. They include missing GFCI and AFCI devices, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, grounding, bonding and a host of others. There are safety components in other codes as well. For instance, safety glass, stair and balcony systems, fire rated doors, emergency escape and rescue openings in bedrooms, and improperly installed appliances.
Closing Thoughts
This article addresses only three of the common inspection issues with older homes. TREC delegates responsibility to the home inspector to indicate an issue as Deficient (D) according to the SOP. Firstly, if a condition exists that adversely and materially affects the performance of a system or component. Secondly when a condition constitutes a hazard to life, limb or property. You can get a copy of the SOP at TREC.com Look for Real Estate Inspector Standards of Practice (SOP) – Online Version.
Keep in mind that items identified as Deficient (D) in an inspection report DO NOT obligate any party to make repairs or take other actions. The parties to the contract for the sale or purchase of the home must make the decision to correct a hazard or any deficiency identified in an inspection report. Just remember that not all home inspectors are alike. There is a wide range of training and experience. Therefore, you will want to hire the best inspector you can afford. Home inspectors are also not required to provide the same level of reporting even though they must adhere to the basic SOP and applicable rules. If you want more than a quick view of two different levels of a TREC inspection report you can compare samples of our Basic report to our Pro report.
