From Foundation to Roof: Let’s Hit the Most Important Parts of Your House
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When purchasing a home, everyone has a different list of “must-haves.” Maybe it’s a big backyard, a spacious primary suite, a home office, or a three-car garage. These things are important to the lifestyle you want to lead, but when you look at your house as a long-term investment, you need to also look at the big five: the foundation, plumbing, the HVAC, electricity, and the roof. Each of these systems is crucial to the functionality of the home and they are big-ticket items to repair or replace.
A home inspection is the best way to gain a clear picture of the status of each of these systems. In Upon Closer Inspection, we share home inspection findings to help both prospective homebuyers and current homeowners learn more about how their home systems work, repair and maintenance issues to look out for during different times of the year, and (in many cases) what NOT to do.
Here are some important things to know about the big five with examples from out in the field:
The Roof
May is storm season in Texas, so your roof might already be on your mind.
In this video, Inspector Cody is pointing out some of the common forms of damage we see on roofs after storms: lifted shingles, wear and tear, hidden leaks, trees in contact with roofs, trees damaging roofs, and more. If heavy rain is in the forecast, it’s a good idea to go up to the attic during the storm and check to see if anything is leaking. Once storm season is over, it’s always a good idea to take advantage of a free consultation from a roofing company to see if your roof took any damage.
Plumbing
One of our inspectors was in a 1980s home recently and found this type of plumbing line that you don’t see very often anymore. This is a PB, or polybutylene, pipe. They were once a popular choice for residential plumbing, but like lead paint, they are no longer considered safe for use because they degrade over time, making them prone to leaks.
This kind of piping can cause major damage and can even reduce your home value or cause insurance issues. If you find these in your home, you will want to replace them ASAP.
HVAC
Two major points to make on your HVAC’s air handler filter. First, and most importantly, regularly replacing it is a thing you have to do! Most people know about changing the filters on return vents, but not everyone knows to change their air handler filters.
Second, to Inspector Sean’s point: this may be the only time that someone tells you to purchase the cheaper product, but it’s true! The less expensive filters allow better airflow, which is good because it’s actually better for your system to replace them pretty frequently.
Electrical
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating because, gosh, people keep doing this! Never, ever use a sharp-ended screw on or around a panel box. A sharp screw might: a) cause sparks, and you don’t want that around live wires; and/or b) drill through said live wires causing an electric shock. Bad situations all around. Knuckleheads indeed.
The Foundation
You’re probably saying to yourself, but that’s a plumbing problem, Brenda, we’re looking for a foundation problem! Well, hold your horses, because it can be both! That plumbing problem is leaking water into the crawl space, and I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t look like a new hole in that pipe to me. So there’s probably been water accumulating down there for a while.
Water in the crawl space means lots of moisture around the foundation, and over time that could mean shifting and possible damage to the foundation itself. In addition to a plumber, I’d be calling for a foundation evaluation as well.
No matter what’s on your must-have list for a house, the five critical parts of the house (foundation, electricity, HVAC, plumbing, and roof) are the basics you have to have. Make sure you get a thorough home inspection that familiarizes you with each of these aspects before you purchase, so you won’t have any surprises down the line.
