The interesting thing about inspecting houses for a living is that just when you think you’ve seen everything, you come across something new or unique and sometimes bizarre. Every house presents its own set of challenges for the professional home inspector, but some issues are far more common than others. What follows is a list of the most frequent problems we come across when inspecting homes. The most significant issues tend to be water infiltration, moisture and condensation and items that affect the safety of your family and the occupants of the home.
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Water Infiltration
Wood Rot & Moisture Issues
Safety Concerns
Electrical Issues
Attic Issues
Roofing & Flashings
Crawlspace Issues
Plumbing Issues
Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Preventative Maintenance

Water Infiltration
No matter how well built a house is, water will eventually find a way inside. When it does, damage to structural components and interior finishes often occurs. Some common conditions associated with water infiltration are:

1. One or more areas around the house that slope toward the foundation.
2. Inadequate sealing between a driveway or walkway and the foundation.
3. Downspouts that discharge too close to the house, or leak below grade.
4. Clogged, leaking, damaged, or missing eavestroughs and downspouts.
5. Basement windows that require window wells.
6. Poorly installed and/or maintained roof coverings and flashings.
7. Missing or poorly installed/maintained exterior flashings around windows and doors.

Keeping water out should be considered an ongoing battle. Regular maintenance will be required to protect your house from water infiltration and damage.

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Wood Rot & Moisture Issues
Wood rot can occur both inside and outside the home. It is typically found in areas subjected to prolonged moisture conditions. If left unchecked, considerable damage can occur. Some common conditions associated with wood rot and moisture are:

1. Wood/soil contact with decks, porches, and exterior siding.
2. Poorly maintained exterior caulking, paint and stain around windows and doors.
3. Condensation in attics or crawlspaces due to poor insulation and/or ventilation.
4. Bathroom and/or kitchen exhaust fans that vent into the attic.
5. Concealed or intermittent roof and/or plumbing leaks.
6. Loose, cracked, or missing ceramic tiles, grout and caulking on bathtub or shower wall enclosures.

Although some of the problems we see are the result of poor or amateur installations, most are due to poor maintenance practices. Not only can wood rot be costly to repair, it can also be a health concern, in cases where mould and mildew develop.

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Safety Concerns
Safety is one of the most important issues in the home. Components that are worn or in need of repair can always be fixed, but an unsafe situation can result in personal injury or loss of life. Some common safety issues are:

1. Stairs that are too steep, poorly constructed, or have loose treads.
2. Handrails or railings that are loose, missing, too low, or rotting.
3. Heating appliances that backdraft exhaust gasses into the home.
4. Combustible materials that are too close to hot exhaust flues and heating appliances.
5. Lack of combustion air for fuel-burning appliances.
6. Various electrical hazards. See “Electrical Issues”.
7. Missing or non-functional CO and Smoke Alarms.

Any safety concerns discovered and reported during a home inspection will be identified as “significant issues that should be immediately corrected.

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Electrical Issues
We find that over the life of a house, homeowners will sometimes tinker with the electrical system, repairing and “improving” it to suit their needs. This often results in shock and fire hazards in the home due to amateur workmanship. Some common electrical issues are:

1. Knob & Tube or Aluminum wiring that has been inappropriately added on to or “repaired”.
2. Oversized fuses or breakers.
3. Extension cords used as permanent wiring.
4. Outlets: reverse polarity; no GFCI in bathroom; old two-prong style; loose; or with missing cover plates.
5. System not properly grounded.

Electrical problems almost always represent safety concerns and should be immediately repaired by a qualified licensed electrician. Do yourself a favour and don’t work on your own electrical system!

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Attic Issues
Homeowners usually don’t give much consideration to what’s going on in their attics. As a result, problems can go unchecked for years. We often find serious damage that could have been easily prevented had the homeowner realized the problem existed in the first place. Some common attic issues are:

1. Inadequately insulated and/or ventilated.
2. Rafter and sheathing with mould or mildew growth, condensation, or frost.
3. Poorly insulated and/or sealed attic hatch.
4. Vermin habitation and/or droppings.
5. Poorly sealed attic floor penetrations, such as around electrical boxes and plumbing stacks.

If you want to keep your attic happy and problem-free, you should make sure there is enough insulation, good cross-ventilation, no exterior roofing damage, and no humid house air leaking into the attic.

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Roofing & Flashings
Like the attic, most homeowners don’t spend much time up on their roofs. In some cases, this means that problems are only discovered when blown-off shingles litter the driveway, or when water starts penetrating the house envelope. Some common roofing issues are:

1. Multiple shingle layers.
2. Roofing materials at or near the end of their life expectancy.
3. Curled, cupped, loose, or missing shingles.
4. Flashings that are poorly maintained, or have been constructed using inappropriate materials.
5. Eavestroughs or downspouts serving a dormer roof that discharge onto a lower roof.

When it comes to the roof, it’s always best to be proactive. Regular preventative maintenance will go a long way in keeping your roof weather-tight as well as prolonging its life expectancy.

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Crawlspace Issues
Crawlspaces are common problem areas, usually due to poor design and/or construction. Fortunately, in many cases simple corrective measures can greatly improve the condition of the crawlspace. Some common crawlspace issues are:

1. Inadequate ventilation and/or insulation.
2. Rotted wood components due to condensation.
3. Lack of moisture barrier on ground.
4. Inadequate clearance between wood components and the ground.
5. Water entry into the crawlspace.
6. Inadequate framing and support.

The best way to protect against mould, mildew, and wood rot in a crawlspace is to ensure it is well ventilated and dry.

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Plumbing Issues
In a perfect world, we’d all have enough water pressure and hot water for a decent shower and our toilets would never overflow. The reality is that we often inspect older houses that suffer from low water pressure and various other water supply and drainage problems. Some common plumbing issues are:

1. Old lead and galvanized main water services.
2. Galvanized supply piping throughout the house.
3. Plumbing fixtures that are leaking, old, loose, or non-functional.
4. Plumbing leaks in the supply piping or drainage system.
5. Drainage system blocked or poorly vented.

Plumbing improvements vary in cost, depending on the magnitude of the problem. Regardless, unless you are very knowledgeable about plumbing, we recommend you engage a qualified licensed plumber to undertake repair work.

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Fireplaces and Wood Stoves
When it comes to fireplaces and wood stoves, an improper installation risks burning down your house. This is one job that definitely should be left to the professionals, yet many people buy a wood stove from Canadian Tire and try to install it themselves! Some common fireplace and woodstove issues are:

1. The use of incompatible or aftermarket components.
2. Insufficient clearances between combustible materials and fireplaces, wood stoves, and chimneys.
3. Missing or incomplete fire stops between floors.
4. Poorly maintained fireplaces, stove, and chimneys.
5. The use of chimneys not approved for wood-burning appliances.
6. Damaged firebrick in the hearth.
7. Missing or non-functional CO and Smoke Alarms.
8. Use of non-certified wood stoves and/or factory made fireplaces.

We always recommend that homebuyers have fireplaces, wood stoves, and chimneys cleaned and inspected by a specialist to ensure the safety of the system.

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Preventative Maintenance
The common thread shared by most of these issues is the lack of proper maintenance. We often find that systems and components in the home are neglected and only become a concern to the homeowner when they fail to perform their intended function.

The best way to keep your house in tip-top shape is to buy a good home maintenance book and follow its maintenance recommendations. A great book to start with is “Home Care – A Guide To Repair and Maintenance” published by the CMHC and included for free with each home inspection by PROSPX.

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