Home Inspections

Step 2
The Inspection
General Observations

General Observations | Basements | Home Systems | Kitchen and Bath | The Exterior

Floor Plans
When inspecting a home, consider its layout and the following factors

In large homes with only one bathroom, you should consider the cost of installing a second bath on the bedroom level or a powder room on the first floor.
Look at the amount and quality of storage space. Does it fit your needs?
Check to see if the home plan provides separation between personal and shared areas. The room layouts and circulation patterns should allow for flexible furniture arrangement.
Notice whether the parking space is convenient and provides for guest parking.
Check for convenient layout. For example, the laundry room should be close to where the laundry is generated, ideally, on the second floor. Also, the refrigerator door should open toward the counter and work space of the kitchen.

Walls & Ceilings
In nearly all homes built before World War II, the walls and ceilings were made of plaster. While the exterior walls in a brick home built before 1935 are usually built with the plaster directly on masonry, the walls are very solid, though they don't provide for air space or prevent condensation.
The interior walls and ceilings in a home built before 1935 are usually made of plaster on wood lath. Over time, wood lath loses its resilience and pulls away from the studs or joists, causing waves in the walls or ceilings. This condition is usually more pronounced in ceilings because the weight of the plaster plus walking on the floor above creates movement. In addition, wood lath is easily affected by any moisture from a roof, plumbing leak or humidity in the attic.

Check to see if wallpaper over wood lath and plaster has been painted. If you try to remove the painted wallpaper, you may damage the plaster.
Check for walls and ceilings that are made of rock lath and plaster, which is common in homes built between 1935 and 1950. Typically, these are very high quality.
Check the condition of drywall walls and ceilings. Pay particular attention to the condition of taped joints.

Windows
As you conduct your home inspection, be aware of the many different types of windows in the home and their condition. In some jurisdictions, fire codes require that windows operate and that bedroom windows be large enough to escape through in case of fire.
Steel casement windows, for example, are not generally considered to be quality windows because they become sprung, readily conduct cold air into the home and will only take piggyback type storm windows. Replacement hardware is available but is becoming increasingly expensive. Steel casement windows can easily be replaced with new, double­hung vinyl replacement windows.
Wood double­hung windows are very common, especially in older homes. They're likely to be in good condition and storm windows will usually make them more energy efficient.
Aluminum sliding windows, which were often installed in the 1950s, are inexpensive but serviceable. They are now available with insulated glass, but storm windows are usually less expensive.
Jalousie windows do not provide adequate insulation and leak air at a tremendous rate.

Open the windows to ensure that they are not painted shut.
Check the casement window to see if the hardware is working properly and whether double­hung windows have broken sash cords.

Doors
Exterior doors should be the solid or panel type and should have good weather­stripping and thresholds.
Check interior and exterior doors to see if they are level, easy to open and close, and have hardware in good condition.
Check aluminum and wood sliding doors to see if they have single pane or insulated glass; the latter is much more energy efficient.
Check bi­fold closet doors throughout the home. They may be steel, wood or masonite. Wood is the best quality.

Closets
Note the number of closets, their condition and depth.

Fireplaces and Wood­Burning Stoves
Fireplaces are a popular selling feature, but you should carefully examine them during your home inspection.

Look up the chimney to see whether the flue is lined with terra cotta. Ordinary brick lining is in violation of most codes. It is usually unsafe. Though rare, a chimney of ordinary brick to a thickness of 12 inches on each side is acceptable. The cost of relining a chimney with terra cotta is about $2,000.
Check to see if there is a working damper in the fireplace. If there's not, home heat will escape up the chimney unless the opening is closed and the fireplace is not used. Newer fireplaces may have cap dampers, which are reported to be more energy efficient.
Ask the owners to have the chimneys cleaned before you buy the home. Chimneys should be cleaned annually.
Check to see if the metal flues of wood­burning stoves or fireplaces are clean.

Floors
If the floors are carpeted, check to see if the carpeting covers hardwood or plywood floors. In newer homes, plywood is typically used. Hardwood floors are better and usually considered to be a distinguishing feature.

Check the condition of the floors or carpet. Ask the seller to replace the carpet or other floor covering or to refinish wood floors if necessary.
Check for moisture damage to parquet floors. In older homes, the parquet is made of strips of wood glued into nine­inch square blocks. This flooring is extremely sensitive to moisture and can swell and buckle when exposed to dampness. A newer type of parquet flooring is made of one­half­inch or three­quarter­inch plywood with a hardwood and laminated finish. This flooring is much less sensitive to moisture and can be safely installed even below grade at the basement level.
Determine if the house has asbestos floor tiles. The asbestos in the tiles is "cementitious," that means the asbestos fibers are bound in place within the tiles and probably cannot become airborne, potentially breathable and therefore a health hazard. If you choose to have asbestos­containing tiles removed, be sure the work is done by qualified, certified professionals.

Insulation
As fuel costs continue to rise, insulation is an increasingly important consideration in a home. It's usually difficult to tell whether insulation exists within the walls of a home. As a rule, if the home has little or no attic insulation, there is probably none in the walls. If the attic is well insulated, the walls probably will be too, depending on the age of the home.
The R­factor is the unit of measurement of insulating value in a home. It refers to how well a material resists conductive heat flow. The higher the R­factor, the greater the insulating value. The recommended R­factors are

R­11 to R­15, for walls
R­19 to R­30, for ceilings

Ventilation
Use the following rule of thumb when inspecting a home's ventilation: adequate ventilation in an attic is one square foot of ventilation for each 150 square feet of floor space. In most homes, you can reach the attic through a ceiling access panel if there is no stairway. Suburban homes built after World War II usually have an attic access in the center hall at top of the stairs or in one of the closets. Older urban row homes have an attic access that may also serve as access to the roof. You will normally find it in the bathroom, hall, closet or on a rear porch.

General Observations | Basements | Home Systems | Kitchen and Bath | The Exterior

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