Five Tips To Quickly Recognize Serious Structural Problems - Home Inspection Tips For Denver-boulder
Home Inspection Tips from the Field � Scott Home Inspection
Five tips to quickly recognize serious structural problems
Serious structural problems in houses are not very common, but when they occur they can be difficult & costly to repair. These tips won�t turn you into a home inspector, but it will give you some of the common indicators of structural concerns. In these cases, a structural engineer should be called out to investigate further and provide a professional opinion.
Tip 1 - Leaning House
Take a macro-look at the home from across the street � is the house obviously tilting or leaning, or one edge of the home separating?
Tip 2 � Exterior Walls & Entries
Look for areas of wall separation greater than �� in size
Check the Chimney area well - is the chimney separating from the home?
Tip 3 � Doors & Windows
Do doors and windows open freely? Look for cracks around the edges of windows and doors, and for sagging lintels on brick homes.
Tip 4 �Floors & Walls
Are there drywall cracks > �� in size? Are there uneven floors near corners?
Tip 5 � Basement Foundation Crack
Look for significant cracks both inside and outside on the foundation, particularly near corners, around windows, and any cracks that run the full length vertically or a considerable length horizontally.
Summary:
Tip1 � Is the house obviously leaning?
Tip 2 � Are there large external cracks?
Tip 3 � Are doors & windows sticking?
Tip 4 � Are walls cracked or floors uneven?
Tip 5 � Are there basement cracks present?
Any of these may indicate a structural issue that should be inspected or reviewed by a structural engineer. Structural concerns when selling or purchasing a home are the most costly items you can be faced with. Look closely at these areas, or ask you home inspector to focus on these areas in a separate walk through of the home. If you aren�t sure about something you see, have a structural engineer look at it. The cost of an inspection will be well worth the peace of mind in knowing the severity and extent of the concern.
<a href="http://www.scotthomeinspection.com/" title="http://www.scotthomeinspection.com/" target="_blank">http://www.scotthomeinspection.com/</a> Scott Home Inspection - A Colorado Professional Home Inspection company serving Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Greeley and surrounding areas, including Radon testing, Mold inspector.
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