Be your own home inspector

These tips from the pros will show you how your home measures up

By Martin Zibauer

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Electrical

Like the roof, inspecting the electrical system requires caution-don’t attempt anything beyond your skill level. Confirm that outside wires look firmly attached to your house. Call the utility if any wire seems loose or too low, especially over decks or other additions. Wires shouldn’t rub on anything (downspouts are a common culprit). Look for insulation damage on wires, inside and out.

In the basement, an inspector will scrutinize the service panel. There are a few simple and safe things you can check. Unless your small home has lower-than-usual power needs, look for at least 100 amps of service-you’ll find this marked on the panel’s label or stamped on the main breaker. Your panel should have a numbered list of all the circuits with descriptions of what’s connected. In an emergency, you may need to shut off breakers quickly and safely, so clear away any basement junk in your way. Note any water damage in or near the panel, and fix the problem (if you can do so safely). If you see anything else that bothers you, such as signs of overheating, call an electrician.

If you see a splice in wiring anywhere that’s not inside a junction box, get it fixed.

Inspectors check for old knob-and-tube wiring-easily recognized as single insulated wires passing through ceramic knobs and tubes. In good condition it’s usually considered safe, but insurance companies don’t like it because DIYers often add new receptacles incorrectly-they often replace two-pronged receptacles with three pronged ones, leaving them ungrounded. Insurance companies also don’t like houses with less than 100-amp service.

Use a plug-in tester to find any ungrounded receptacles or any with reversed polarity (testers are available at most hardware stores for about $10). Test switches to see that they switch what they’re supposed to. Finally, note any sinks or wet areas that need ground-fault circuit interrupters, and test the GFCIs you do have.

Plumbing

Start where the supply pipe enters the house and see that you have a main shutoff valve. If the valve appears at all suspect, don’t test it (lest it break) but have it replaced. Note what your supply pipes are made of. If you can easily scratch a dull grey metal pipe with a coin to see a silver line, it’s lead and you’ll want to replace it.

Copper pipes corrode at the point of contact with another metal-that’s a leak-in-waiting. Check that any long lengths of pipe are well supported.

Do your drains drain? If they’re slow or noisy, the problem is often incorrect venting.

Heating and Ducts

If you have any concerns about the safety of your furnace, call in a pro. But if it’s running well, you can safely monitor a few things. Can you smell gas? If it’s a hot-water system, is there any leaking water? Look at the heat exchanger in a forced-air system-cracks or holes are a deadly serious carbon monoxide risk. Listen to the blower. If it’s noisy or the motor seems to be struggling, you may need repairs. Check filters.

Check that your ducts are reasonably clean, securely attached and seams are tight. Look for any electrical wires inside the ducts-there’s a danger the ducts could carry electrical current.

Insulation

There’s good insulation and there’s bad insulation. Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation is generally considered bad. There’s some debate over whether it truly affects your health, but there’s no debate over how it affects your home’s value-it lowers it a lot. Asbestos insulation, often found around old pipes and ducts, is also dicey. If it’s not likely to be disturbed and can be safely sealed, it may not need to be removed; but if it gets airborne, it’s a serious risk. Call in a pro. Almost any other insulation is good, if there’s enough of it, with vapour barriers installed properly (on the warm side) and proper ventilation. Caulking and weatherstripping, complete and intact, helps keep drafts out and cash in.

Interior

Scan walls and ceilings-“Every square inch,” recommends Welsh-for cracks and water damage. Cracks can suggest structural issues, but more often are cosmetic. With water damage, it’s a simple question: is the problem fixed? Mould is another potential health hazard, but there’s a big difference between a bit of mildew in a damp bathroom (improve the room’s ventilation) and pervasive mould inside the walls.

Pests

As a homeowner, you probably know if you have guests such as squirrels, raccoons or skunks, but check for entrance holes, other damage and droppings.

Insect pests are harder to spot and often more serious. Look for termite tubes, small entrance holes in wood (suggesting carpenter ants), and piles of powdery sawdust (from powder-post beetles). Poke around exposed wood with an awl for soft spots. Check at ground level and below for wood-soil contact, an easy entry for insects and rot.

Fire Safety

Audit your fire safety system. Do you have enough smoke and carbon mon-oxide detectors, properly positioned and working? Is there an escape route from every bedroom?

Now that you have your list of repairs, decide where you can do it yourself and where you need professional help. When you’re done, your house will be a nicer place to be-for you or a potential buyer.



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