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Home Inspection Issues
Most Common Inspection Issues:
After hundreds of “Home Inspections” we have learned to spot some trends. The purpose of this page is to share what we have learned so our clients (buyers and sellers) can have a better understanding of what to look for before going to the property inspection
Here in the Front Range of Colorado we can experience extreme weather conditions, from intense sunshine and driving rains to cold and snow.
The Oldach Window Company, originally from
Oldach produced and sold an affordable wood window that was used in the late 80’s and early 90’s by many of our areas builders. At the time the thought was that any wood window was better then a vinyl or aluminum window.
Unfortunately, the Oldach wood windows couldn’t stand up to the drastic elements and wide range of weather we see here in the
Drying Wood:
The fundamental problem with these particular windows is the type of wood they are made from. This particular wood tends to dry out in the intense
Broken Thermoseals:
These are a dual paned window with a hermetic thermo seal between the two panes of glass. The primary problem we see with these windows is failure of the thermo seals. This failure leads to condensation and fogging between the window panes.
Fogged Oldach Wood Window
Failing Stop Gap Trim:
Failure in these windows usually starts on the exterior of the window. There is a small piece of trim on the window called the “stop gap” trim. As you can see in the following photo, the trim piece dries and shrinks, exposing the sealant behind the glass.
Failed Stop Gap Trim
Delaminating Stucco:
Stucco is a popular exterior cladding for homes here in the Pike’s Peak Region. Our climate is extreme and we can see wide temperature ranges in the same day. The intense sunlight also tends to bake wood and composite products like Masonite.
Stucco at the most basic level is cement. It is generally applied over an appropriate substrate, usually some kind of wire mesh. Stucco, if applied correctly should be maintenance free for longer then most people tend to stay in a home.
In our area we generally see stucco problems arise from improper application. Historic homes in the downtown part of Colorado Springs were generally wood frame with wood lap siding. In an effort to alleviate the ongoing maintenance wood homes require, many homeowners turned to Stucco as an easy alternative to their maintenance woes. Unfortunately many of these applications didn’t include the appropriate substrate.
Over time, many of these installations have begun to fail. The most common form of failure in delamination, this is a condition where the stucco begins to pull away from the substrate allowing moisture and decay to begin work on the house.
Here are some pictures of a classic downtown stucco delamination.
Delaminating Stucco
This stucco has been applied directly to wood lap
siding. The air space between the stucco and the siding is
allowing decomposition to occur in the underlying wood siding.
Stucco Substrate
This shot gives a great view of the underlaying substrate.
Notice, no vapor barrier or wire mesh.
Regularly changing filters is a great way to start and certainly helps but forced air natural gas furnaces need regular maintenance, preferably by a licensed professional, ideally two times a year (before and after heating season). Dirty furnaces are responsible for a host of heating problems. Here is a list of possible problems created by a dirty or poorly functioning furnace
- Furnace doesn't produce enough heat
- Higher Natural Gas or Propane Bills
- Furnace cycles On and Off too frequently
- Potential damage to unit
- A poorly functioning furnace can cause carbon monoxide poisoning
- In some EXTREME cases, the unit can cause a fire
- When a furnace is running with a dirty and clogged filter, the air flow across the heat exchanger is restricted, eventually overheating and cracking the heat exchanger.
Furnace maintenance is the single most overlooked item on a property inspection. Additionally, this is usually a red flag that there are more then likely other issues.
If you do nothing else before putting your home on the market, have your furnace professionally cleaned.
This is an example of a dirty furnace, notice the lint and dust on the fan motor.
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Boylan And Company
P.O. Box 63837
Colorado Springs, CO
80962-3837
Toll Free: 866-663-1981
Local: 719-388-4000