1950 Dwelling
The biggest problem with older homes if not maintained is borer. Borer is an insect known as woodworm that can bore into wood, other plant material and rock. When inspecting a home of this age, we would be looking for any borer in any visible timber. Most homes of this era do have borer to some degree. This can range from minimal infestation in timber trims to serious infestation in structural timbers. In homes like this, we check the state of the foundations.
Cracked roof tile
Common problems with concrete and clay tiled roofs, is cracked and worn tiles on homes over 30 years old. Cracked tiles can cause or be suffering from serious roof leaks. Worn tiles, if the protective coating has weathered off the tile surface, the tiles can absorb water and can increase the weight of a roof by up to 30% and this can cause movement within the timber framing of the dwelling. Some older concrete tiles also wear down so that they are so thin that you cannot walk on them. At this stage it is recommended that the roof is replaced.
Flat roofs with parapets are considered high risk and unless they have very robust flashing systems and good falls to discharge points for rainwater, they can suffer serious leak issues.
Inside Roof spaces
During the inspection and if we have access, we get into the inside of the roof space. Our purpose is to check for any cracked tiles, rusty steel on the inside of the roof and of course the presence of insulation.
If the roof is not insulated, we recommend this be done. Houses build before 1979 did not have insulation. Houses without insulation attract mould and mildew. This can cause both serious health issues and damage to areas of the home.
New Houses
This house was newly built – a lot of people think that when they are buying a brand new house, it’s just been built so they don’t need to have an inspection done. This house had passed it’s final inspection by the Council and when we inspected, there were a number of defects discovered that should not have passed Council scrutiny. The inspection report helped the buyer get out of the contract.
Plaster Homes
Plaster clad homes get a bad wrap with most typically labelled with ‘leaky building syndrome’. In my years of inspection I have not found this to be true of all plaster clad homes. This home is plaster clad but because it is single story with wide roof overhangs (soffits), there were no leaky problems with this home.
Relocated homes
We have experience with relocated homes as Kevin has personally moved two. Special note needs to be taken when the homes have been cut into sections for transportation. We take note of the state of the wiring and plumbing. Having these put back properly or rewiring are important. The quality of the workmanship is also important for the joining of the pieces back together again.
Rust Roof
The weather in New Zealand can be extreme, with damage to roofs and buildings that aren’t maintained. Some steel roofs lacking in maintenance can suffer some serious and very obvious rust. This can be caused from dirt, salt, slope of roof, drainage and problems with flashings. It is easy to see rust that is obvious but to the untrained eye, it is difficult to detect hidden rust issues. This is why it is important to get a qualified inspection done.
This can be found in steel sheet overlaps and depending on the severity can result in a recommendation that the roof be replaced.
Rot to windowsills
Older homes with timber joinery can suffer various stages of rot to windowsills and trims. Sometimes this damage is not easy to identify because its been patched and painted over. Our experience helps us to recognise these defective areas. This could mean replacing the windowsills or the whole unit or the rot could have spread into the timber framing surrounding the window.
Newer homes are not always sealed correctly around the windowsills and doorframes and cracks started appearing. These can lead to water seepage into the home.
Thorough roof inspections
This photo is to demonstrate the diversity of the roofs that are inspected. This particular house had a turret at the top.
Underfloor plumbing
When underneath the house we are also checking the age and condition of the plumbing and drainage. Searching for any defects or leaks that may have occurred.
Unstable Pile Foundations
You can see here that the foundations are clearly unstable. When we climb under a house we can find unstable foundations that could be hidden from unsuspecting home owners for years
Water stain moisture test.
When we are carrying out the internal inspection of the house, along with the moisture testing that we do, we are also looking for visible signs of any moisture or leaks. Damaged paint work, rot and damage to windows and doors and water stains to ceilings.
