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subject: Home Protection – Looking out for culprits in your home's structure (issue 2) [print this page]


Home Protection Looking out for culprits in your home's structure (issue 2)

Chances are that if notice something that doesn't seem quite right with your home's structure, then more often than not, you're probably right. Hiring a structural engineering to perform an evaluation and to take corrective actions can be a very costly activity, one that you may not be prepared to undertake. However, financial costs associated with major structural issues are not the greatest concern, rather a safety issue for the home's occupants are, which is why home inspectors pay close attention to the structural elements of the home during a home inspection.

In Part 2 of the "Understanding Your Home" series, this section explores the essential and fundamental aspect of your home, the building structure. You will learn what a home inspector looks for when inspecting a home structure as well as some simple procedures you as a homeowner can do to identify potential problems early and prevent a very expensive surprise when it may be too late.

Simply but, the major structural elements of a home are the footings, foundation walls, and the structure (which more often than not is its wood framing) that sits on top of the foundation. You will seldom be able to see the footing, but it is essentially the first layer that rests upon undisturbed soil. The foundation wall sits on the footing and can be seen clearly if home has an unfinished basements. There are a variety of foundation types that include cast in place concrete, insulated concrete forms, concrete blocks, and preserved wood to name a few. Each foundation type possess it's own unique features but they essentially perform the same function, which is, support the weight of the structure above.

So, as a trained as certified home inspector, here are some of the items we look for in determining if the home structure is sound. From the exterior of the home, we always recommend that the grading of the property be such that it slopes away from the house. This will facilitate water movement away from the foundation wall. Water pockets next to the foundation is not a good idea particularly in out Canadian climate where significant freeze thaw plays particular havoc with our infrastructure. Inspectors look for cracks in the basement or crawl spaces and take note in particular of their direction. Small cracks are common and if they run vertically then they are probably not a cause for concern. However, horizontal cracks are more serious and recommendation for a review by a structural engineer could be called for dependant on the depth, length and width of the crack. Be on the look out for these types of crack. If caught early, it could save you a great deal of money.

In reviewing the wood elements of the structure, cracks are not generally considered significant if they run parallel to the grain. These cracks are often a result of the wood drying and shrinking. However, the closer the cracks come to going across the grain, the more serious it could be.

Foundation walls that show a "Z" or "V" shaped pattern often indicate a potential issue arising from movement at the footer, and depending on how long and how deep these cracks are, a structural engineer may again need to be contacted to conduct further evaluation and possible remediation activities.

Although to some this may seem complicated, what can be done by an average homeowner to spot potential problems early? First off, ensure your property grading slopes away from the house, and if possible avoid have flowerbeds, trees, and shrubs right against the foundation wall. The further away the better from a foundation perspective. Flower beds, trees, shrubs act like a sponge and attract and holds water/moister, so have them next to the foundation wall could mean potential water damage/infiltration points.

The next thing to look for is for any "V" or "Z" cracks that are larger than 1/16th of an inch. If they start out closed and get wider along the length, this would represent a potential problem where a structural engineer would be required.

Look at your floors next, do they slope noticeable? How about your doors, do they close poorly or do they hit their frames. Again if so, are clues to potential movement in the structure? What about moisture problems anywhere in the house, are there high levels of humidity in the basement or attic? If so, yet again more clues.

If any of these signs/symptoms exist then there could be evidence of a structural problem (past, present, or in the making). In this case is would be prudent to contact a structural engineer and get a more thorough investigation into the homes structure.

As part of an overall home maintenance plan, the following are suggestions to be incorporated into your plan as it relates to structural elements. Semi-annual inspection of the foundation walls should be conducted (suggested in the Spring and Fall). Look for any evidence of deterioration, dampness or movement. In any exposed wooded structural elements, look for evidence of wood rot, or insect infestation. Deterioration usually results in sagging elements such as floors. Check ceilings and walls for any cracks. Small cracks are to be expected as a result from normal settling, but large and growing cracks need to be monitored. Finally, if doors frames loose the squareness, this to should be monitored, as this could be indicative of movement.

Understanding your homes structure and observing the signs is the best way to prevent costly repairs. The simplest and most cost effective means of preserving your homes structure is keeping water away from the foundation. This will go a long way in protecting your home and safeguarding the occupants.

Part 3 of "Understanding Your Home" series we will discuss Home Plumbing and some simple tricks to maintain a proper plumbing system.




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