Home Inspection Confidential

As a Home Inspector, I see houses all year round, and can tell which have been regularly maintained and which haven’t. The change of seasons is a good time to tackle some of those home maintenance chores that keep getting put off. A little attention now can save a lot of money in repairs in the future!

Home Inspection Tip #1: Clean the Gutters and Downspouts

A major cause of structural woes in a house is poorly diverted water. Clogged gutters and downspouts mean rainwater isn’t being carried away from the foundation of the house, which means it has a better chance of infiltrating the basement walls and causing leaks and flooding.

Home Inspection Tip #2: Service the Sump Pump

Most new homes have a perimeter drainage system which leads to a sump pump in the basement, where the water is pumped out and away from the home. Sump pumps should have their batteries changed every two years and should be replaced every ten years. Sump pump malfunctions can cause basement flooding, so it’s important to know how to keep them healthy! You can download a free sump pump maintenance guide on our website.

Home Inspection Tip #3: Get your Furnace Serviced

You don’t want to wake up on a cold morning to discover your furnace isn’t working properly! Having your furnace cleaned and serviced prior to heating season can help prevent breakdowns during the winter.
Part of furnace maintenance is changing filters. A dirty filter will rob your house of heat and could increase your heating bills dramatically.

Home Inspection Tip #4: Smoke Detector Safety

For 21 years, the International Association of Fire Chiefs has promoted the campaign to “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery.” Once a year, when you change your clocks, go through the house and change the batteries in all your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. If the units are ten years old, they should be replaced. You can now buy detectors with ten-year non-replaceable batteries; be sure to check the instructions on your unit to see which type it is.

When I inspect a home, I don’t test the smoke detectors. Instead, I recommend that the buyer replace all the units in the house with new ones.

Got a Home Inspection Question?

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Windows let the light in... and perhaps a lot more.

With the colder months approaching, home improvement companies are advertising their “window replacement specials”, implying that replacing your current windows will result in hundreds of dollars in energy savings. The question is, can you really save that much money by replacing windows? And what do I look for when I see replacement windows during a home inspection?

When I see replacement windows I ask WHY…

There are many reasons for replacing windows, especially in older homes. Since a home inspector usually doesn’t have contact with the home’s current owner, much of what we can report is in the form of questions for the buyer to ask.

Was it lead paint abatement?

Presence of lead paint can prompt window replacement.

In many old houses, the windows and trim were painted with lead paint. Rather than the mess and expense (not to mention health hazard) of stripping and repainting the existing windows, the owner can choose to remove the entire window and replace it, trim and all.

Was it an old wood single pane window that didn’t move easily and was drafty?

Draft prevention may do more to increase the comfort level in a home than adding extra insulation or replacing windows.

Did they fix the OTHER sources of drafts?

Were gaps in the baseboards and around the doors also filled? Are drafts still coming through the outlets? Sometimes such “partial” fixes can speak volumes about the maintenance of a house.

Was this part of a larger renovation?

Was there other work done at the same time, such as a new kitchen, or addition, or other modifications to the home?

Do all the windows match?

Windows should match in style and trim. If one or two don’t, it’s worth asking why. Also, if there were multiple replacements, note whether any were missed (such as false dormer windows or basement windows).

Did they replace the entire window, or just the sashes?

For this replacement, the entire old window was removed. leaving the original rough opening.

Full replacement windows required removal of the entire existing window, including sashes, frame and trim, so the new window has the same dimensions as the old one.

Insert replacement window (from Family Handyman magazine)

There is also the “insert replacement window”, which is installed in the original window frame. While these can be less expensive, they also have some drawbacks: there is still the possibility of lead paint exposure, and they don’t address any draft issues around the edges of the existing frame. The insert type also reduces the glass area of the window and requires much wider trim to cover up the discrepancy.

Are they “first Generation” vinyl windows that rot in sunlight and crack?

Windows are exposed to the elements, and early vinyl windows were found to be prone to UV damage. It’s important to know when the windows were replaced. Some windows will have a date stamp somewhere on the frame or glass.

Do they work? Are they fogged? Can you still get parts?

All windows need maintenance to function properly.

Any window, new or replacement, needs maintenance. For older windows, it may be difficult to find parts to repair them. There are companies which specialize in window repair, but be warned: it can be costly! Replacing a broken sash cord can cost well over $200 per window.

Other issues

Replacement windows can be considered a “property improvement”, which could mean adhering to a building code different from the original window. The biggest issue with is is the use of tempered glass where required. Replacing a window generally doesn’t require a permit because it is a “like for like” issue, but codes may still come into play.