Dana Wilson Home Inspection Services LLC
Massachusetts 800 974 3124
What are the things to check at the exterior of my home?
- Best Home Maintenance Tips for Spring.
- What type of problems do I look for at the interior and exterior of my home?
- Pressure washing your house.
Save money
by being proactive!
The top things to do in the spring and a few other things that have the
potential to fail over the course of the winter months.
The winter
months are over and the snow is gone – Now, where do I start my investigation? First things first, let’s get a plan together. I'll start by creating a typical list of components around the interior and exterior you should check and will include an organized process for inspecting all these items.
INSTRUCTIONS: There are basic visual inspections and testing
you can do yourself depending on your skill level and how handy you are. Here's what to do at the exterior; go to the front left corner of your
house (stay with-in 5 to 8 feet on the house). Start by looking at the ground and
foundation – walk the perimeter – come back to your starting point. Start the process again; however, this time
look at the siding, doors, windows, trim boards and underside of the gutters.
Come back to your starting point; move out into your yard (approximately 20 to
30 feet out from the house). From this vantage point (use binoculars) you can
check the gutters, roof shingles, roof vents, caps missing from flue vents
pipes (if your flue vents come through the roof that is, most of the time flue
vents are in the chimney), check flashing at roof valleys, vent pipes and
chimney.
HERE'S YOUR CHECK LIST, LETS GET STARTED
Interior components,
list of things to check from the basement, main levels and attic:
BASEMENT/CRAWL SPACES:
1. Foundation walls:
Walk the perimeter of the foundation/basement walls an arms distance away. Here's what to do; look for water penetration including moisture stains (you might be able to small musty conditions), wet spots, moldy conditions, cracks, warped paneling/drywall.
2. Evidence of small animal or insect infiltration:
Look on flat surfaces (floors, shelves, steps, areas at the top of the foundation and small holes in insulation. You might find dead animals, fecal dropping and sometimes just evidence like hairs, small body parts or wings. Other good areas to look are in corners, under stairs and cobwebs.
3. Furnace filters:
Replace filters. All forced air furnaces have air filters. Understand this; if you have whole house air conditioning and it is integrated with the heating system the filter used for the air conditioning is the same as heat system. How can you tell if its the same filter, easy. put you hand over the heat vent in the kitchen (or any other room) if you feel cool air coming out, ask yourself was warm air coming out of this vent in the winter - if so, the air conditioning and heat share the same filter. Some houses have a split system. For example if you have an oil fired boiler with water/steam traveling through radiators and a separate air conditioning unit that utilities duct work. In this case you'd have multiple filters; an oil filter for the boiler and a filter for the air conditioner.
4. Water filters:
If you have water filters, softener or treatment systems replace applicable filters and make adjustments to treatment system and softeners as needed. This might require an expert in the field for this job.
5. Clothes dryer vent:
Check the vent pipe/tube and louver at the exterior for debris and/or obstructions.
6. Leaks:
Look under and around heating system, hot water tank and plumbing pipes for moisture stains and/or water spots.
MAIN LEVELS:
ATTIC/STORAGE AREAS:
Exterior components, list of things to check with-in 5 to 8 feet from the house:
Grounds adjacent to
the foundation:
1. Look
for – low spots where water can pond, all grounds should slope away from the
foundation.
2. Siding, trim, soffit and fascia:
There are several different types of siding and trim that could be applied to your home. The common thing to look for would small openings, cracks, peeling paint, missing and/or loose piece areas. Look for loose / missing caulking at corners and edges of building materials especially around doors and windows. I've seen soffit and fascia hanging loose and/or fallen off.
2. Siding, trim, soffit and fascia:
There are several different types of siding and trim that could be applied to your home. The common thing to look for would small openings, cracks, peeling paint, missing and/or loose piece areas. Look for loose / missing caulking at corners and edges of building materials especially around doors and windows. I've seen soffit and fascia hanging loose and/or fallen off.
3. Light fixtures:
If you have decorative lighting at the surface of the ground, lamp posts or lights mounted to the house; check for loose, broken fixtures and/or exposed wiring (DO NOT TOUCH).
4. Exhaust fan vents
covers:
Look for-louvers check to see if their loose, broken
and/or missing.
5. Vent pipes:
Check vent pipes this would include furnaces, hot water tanks, fireplaces/wood stoves. You're checking to see if the seal around these pipes is deteriorated, cracked and/or missing and are the pipes the selves broken, displaced and/or missing caps or screens. Any pipe and exhaust vent to that protrudes the side of the house or through the roof should have an insect/small animal screen.
6. Electrical:
This is a good time to check electrical outlets. Look for missing seals around these outlets (adjacent to the house), missing covers and be sure there still mounted to the house
7. Hose bibs:
Look for- loose, cracked or broken pipes (I
presume you shut them off at the interior prior to winter). If everything checks out good - turn them on. Not a bad idea to have someone inside the house watching for leaks in the areas of the spigots.
8. Doors/windows:
Look for-peeling paint, worn/missing weather strips, rot,
missing caulking and cracked panes of glass.
9. Air Conditioning
Unit(s):
Look for- cracks, broken, missing
insulation at the line set (pipes and wires that come from inside the house and
attach to the air conditioning unit). Note, be sure to uncover the unit. Also, if the breaker or disconnect was shut off for winter months, be sure to turn
it on 12 hours prior to use.
10. Electric meter and power wires:
Check the meter for rusted and loose (is it pulling away from the house) conditions. Look for- loose wires where they attach to the house and sagging/touching tree branches. DO NOT TOUCH - DO NOT USE A STICK OR ANY OTHER OBJECT TO TOUCH OR MOVE THEM - DO NOT TOUCH. Call the power company asap!!!
Check the meter for rusted and loose (is it pulling away from the house) conditions. Look for- loose wires where they attach to the house and sagging/touching tree branches. DO NOT TOUCH - DO NOT USE A STICK OR ANY OTHER OBJECT TO TOUCH OR MOVE THEM - DO NOT TOUCH. Call the power company asap!!!
11. Driveway, Walks,
Steps, Patios, Decks, Balcony’s and their respective Handrails:
Look for-Surface deterioration,
Cracks, Settlement, Trip Hazards, Loose/Rotted handrails and Posts.
Exterior components:
list of things to view 20 to 30 feet from the house (here’s where binoculars
come in handy):
12. Gutters:
Look for areas that are out of level/sagging, fallen off, leaks and
or debris.
13. Shingles/roof
covering.
There are several different types of roof coverings that could be applied to your home. Shingles, slate, tiles, metal and rolled materials. The common things to look for would small openings, cracks, missing and/or loose piece areas. Look for broken, blown off pieces and debris on the roof, i.e. tree branches etc…
14. Chimney:
Look for - Cracked, deteriorated,missing bricks and mortar. Also, while standing out away from the chimney 20 to 30 feet - eye ball it for plumb (straight up and down). If it appears to have settled/shifted call an expert immediately.
15. Flashing:
Look for – Roof valley flashing and and chimney flashing for peeling paint, rot, missing caulk, loose
missing.
16. PRESSURE WASHING YOUR HOUSE:
Some popular home websites give advice on how to pressure wash the exterior – DON’T DO IT – there are so many things that can go wrong with pressure washing your home’s exterior; from blowing the siding apart or off, blowing paint off, water seeping through cracks and openings to the interior. Pressure washing the exterior is bad advice for the authors of a national home websites to be giving home owners as you may not know or have the skill level for this job. You need a professional.
In closing, only you can decide if you're a handy person and can take on some of these minor maintenance items yourself. If not, give this list to a handy man and walk around with him so you can determine what will need repaired.
16. PRESSURE WASHING YOUR HOUSE:
Some popular home websites give advice on how to pressure wash the exterior – DON’T DO IT – there are so many things that can go wrong with pressure washing your home’s exterior; from blowing the siding apart or off, blowing paint off, water seeping through cracks and openings to the interior. Pressure washing the exterior is bad advice for the authors of a national home websites to be giving home owners as you may not know or have the skill level for this job. You need a professional.
In closing, only you can decide if you're a handy person and can take on some of these minor maintenance items yourself. If not, give this list to a handy man and walk around with him so you can determine what will need repaired.
GOOD LUCK!
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