The Inspection
Exterior
The walk around the house is very important to get a feel for the way the home is sitting in relation to the landscape and the drainage around the property.I is important to check the grading of the lot and whether the down spouts are doing their job in directing water away from the foundation.The construction and the condition of the wall finishes, the condition of the soffit, facia, the condition of all windows and doors will be inspected. The construction of all decks and porches will be thoroughly examined for structural integrity and safety.
Examples of other findings:
(click on photo to enlarge)
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The ground level on this property slopes directly to the foundation. When this is observed special notice will be taken when the basement is observed for potential leaks. Take notice of the staining on the wall from the hose bib which could be leaking as well.
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This eavestrough is not helping to remove the water from the roof with all of the debris inside of it. Slow drainage can cause water back ups and ice daming in the winter. It is important to check the eavestroughs regularly.
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The caulking around this skylight has failed and is leaking inside the home. The home owner was surprised when I found this one. You couldn't see it from the inside looking up, only from the roof.
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Since the home inspection is not a "building code specific" inspection, it is important to identify items that are in the code that could be a potential safety issue. Here, the missing railing could easily cause of a fall and potential serious injury.
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The penetrations around the home are checked during the exterior part of the inspection. Here the line set and electrical feed for the future A/C unit was left unsealed. A perfect place for driving rain to enter, Or possibly a place for insects or birds to nest.
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Here the home owners garden level exceeds the height of the brick siding. Brick is very porous and should not be below the soil. Water entry is possible into the home if the soil level is too high.
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Home Inspections throughout the Ottawa area,including Barrhaven,Kanata,
Riverside South and Orleans
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