Five Common Defects Found In New Homes
Most people only hire home inspectors to inspect resale properties; however, many new homes have hidden trouble spots and should be inspected also.
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7/28/2008
Most people only hire home inspectors to inspect resale properties; however, many new homes have hidden trouble spots and should be inspected also. That's why it's important to know about hidden problems before those problems cost you money, perhaps thousands of dollars.
Don't take for granted that a city inspector will examine your home. According to Dan Stewart, president of Pillar To Post, North America's leading provider of home inspection services, "Municipal inspectors don't look at every home, particularly in some larger community developments. At best, they do a representative sampling of the houses being constructed.
Here are five of the common defects a professional home inspector you hire might find:
- An improperly connected air conditioner pipe. A pipe may not be properly connected to the air conditioner in the basement/outside. This will cause the air conditioner to not work.
- Framing that doesn't stand up to pipes. The framing may be put in, in such a way that a plumber has difficulty installing pipes, causing the plumber to cut the framing to accommodate plumbing. This leaves the house in a weakened condition.
- The basement hasn't been graded properly. The grading job in the basement may be inadequately completed. The result is a leaking and poorly ventilated basement.
- Inadequate roof flashing. Flashing details on a roof are often poorly done. A pipe might be coming out of it, or the flashing may change directions at the valley of the roof.
- Work that hasn't been done right. Lack of attention to detail is often the cause of this. Ductwork may be loose; joints may not match; doors or cabinets may not open easily; floors could be crooked. The overall integrity of the home is compromised when the workmanship is poor.
To learn more, or to find a home inspector in your area, visit www.pillatopost.com.