Most Common Defects

No house is truly perfect. Even the best-built and best-maintained homes (yes, even new ones) will always have a few items in less-than-perfect condition. Below are some of the items we often find when inspecting a home:

Ceiling stains.  These are usually caused by water leaks from a roof or plumbing leak.  One cannot usually tell by just looking whether or not it is from an ongoing leak or a repaired leak, but we can investigate further into the spaces above (such as the attic) and using laser thermometers and/or electronic moisture meters to help determine this.

Electrical hazards.  Electrical defects are very common in older homes, but often are found in newer homes as well.  Electrical hazards come in many forms, from ungrounded outlets to wiring done incorrectly by the homeowner.  Reverse polarity, improper splicing, and a variety of breaker or fuse wiring deficiencies are present in many homes.

Moisture damage.  This is is caused by materials being exposed to water for extended periods of time.  This is most commonly found around tubs, showers, sinks, and toilets of the interior, and at the exterior the trim and siding can have moisture damage (also called dry rot) as well.

Water heater installations.  Many water heaters are not installed in full compliance with accepted standards or best building practices.  One of the typical findings is that temperature-pressure relief valve piping is often missing, or is the wrong size or length.  Fortunately this is easy and inexpensive to remedy in most cases.

Gas furnace maintenance and installation.  For furnaces more than a few years old it is common to see signs of deferred maintenance or in need of a service call.  Typical findings include: filters that need to be changed, dirty blower motors, or rust flakes in the burner tubes of the heat exchanger.  Some have other issues such as faulty operation, inadequate fire clearance, flue issues, or condensate (air conditioner coil water runoff) improperly spilling into the furnace area components.

Plumbing defects.  Plumbing issues we often see are dripping faucets, leaking fixtures, slow drains, missing cleanout plugs in floor drains, etc.

Deck deficiencies.  Most decks we inspect could use improvement in one or more areas, such as the railings, the steps, the fasteners, the posts, the attachment to the home, etc.  We will describe any such issues about your deck in your report.

Roofing issues.  For older roofs, problems with roofing materials or installation are not unusual.  This doesn't usually mean that the roof needs replaced, but simply that it is in need of some maintenance or repair.  For more Roof information refer to our Roofing Issues page.