Inspection

We had the home inspection yesterday at 3:00 PM. The home owners were there and it was kind of nice to meet them before the closing. They told us about the nearby park, the other families with kids on the street, the quality of the schools, and then invited us in while we waited for the inspector. They told us to help ourselves to cold water and sodas in the fridge while they went to see the Pirates movie. It was hot, so the cool drinks were welcome!

First impressions of the inspector were along the lines of Foster Brooks. He was an older fellow, weathered, bone skinny, with sagging jeans, work boots, and a cotton shirt. He was not a man of many words, so I wrote down almost every comment he made. After 3-1/2 hours I had about 5 pages of notes. He was recording his findings onto an Apple i-Book. He was very methodical; first the exterior and foundation, then the living areas, then the attic, and lastly the basement. After the inspection we sat down at a Dunkin Donuts and went over the details. Slowly and methodically.

He did a very thorough inspection of the sill and all wood in contact with or near the ground, looking for termite and ant damage. I think he kept digging around because he was surprised he was not able to find any evidence of damage on the house. The shed was another story - it has been a feast for both termites and carpenter ants.

There was a fair amount of rotted wood in areas where it was close to the ground. The sills on the basement windows all had rot except for 2 new vinyl windows on the front of the house. The support posts for the screen porch were rotted at the base where they were on the concrete; one seriously. Fortunately there was no sign of rot or significant water damage around the roof lines where the garage roof meets the house side at an angle. It appeared to have adequate flashing to keep the water off the house and garage roof.

The roof was in good condition; there are gable vents on both ends and 3 newer roof vents on the back. He said that was pretty good ventilation but that soffet vents would still help. There are 2 layers of shingles. The top layer was in good shape so it should last for some years. There were 2 layers of insulation in the attic. Both have vapor barriers. He recommended we remove the backing from the top layer as it has trapped moisture between the layers and mold has formed there. He also said that when we do that we should spot clean the mold on the roof planks - not a significant amount, but that would be the time to clear it out.

The living areas were in good shape. The windows were older but he said they were well built and would be costly to replace with similar quality. Most of the electrical outlets were 2-wire, but almost every one that he tested had a ground available so it could be upgrade to a grounded outlet or GFI. The downstairs half bath has only one outlet and it is on the wall opposite the sink. More curious is the upstairs full bath which has no (zero, nada) outlets at all! They had replaced the sink and a light fixture not too long ago, but had not run an outlet line. Through the plumbing access for the upstairs bath we could see a small amount of mold on the back of the wallboard for the shower wall. The tub walls are tiled, but the walls are normal wallboard, not cement or backer board. The shower valve has been upgraded to an anti-scalding mixing valve.

The doorbell did not work, however the buttons on both doors were lit. Also a coach lamp post light did not work. The fireplaces were clean and the flues appeared to be OK although the basement one had not been used in a while and had leaves on the fire shelf. The garage was dry and had a working light and grounded outlet. There was some sign of water on the back wall, but we could not determine where it had come from - the exterior at that location is above grade and a solid wall.

The basement was dry. He had some concerns about the furnace. It 'hiccuped' while we were shutting it down after running up the heat. It may be running out of oil, it may need cleaning, it may have gunk in the line. It is also used to make hot water and had been cycling OK while we ran the dish washer. The hiccups caused an oily smell. Also, the oil line that ran under the cement floor had been replaced with an overhead line. This is fine, but he wanted us to find out why it had been replaced. His concern was about leaking - if the old line had leaked we would have an environmental hazard under the floor.

After the inspection he gave us a run-down on the potential big ticket items. First up was 3 trees that have branches overhanging the roof. He estimated around $1,000 for limbing. Next he recommended we get a preventative 10 year termite treatment even though there was no evidence in the house - they are on the property and other houses he has inspected in that neighborhood have had damage. He said we may want to test the floor tiles and ceiling tiles in the basement for asbestos fibers, especially if we plan to remodel (and we do!). He gave us the name of a lab in Woburn that does testing on samples.

He also gave us the name of a lead paint inspector if we want to know more about that. He used to do lead paint inspection and said it was highly likely that the exterior would test positive while the interior would be minimal to none. He said that windows were the danger areas as the lead dust from flaking paint or window friction would get into the window sills and could blow into the house. Clean them frequently with Spic & Span or a HEPA vac (NOT A REGULAR VAC).

Other than clean up issues (brush piles and junk in the attic & garage), and proof of good service for the furnace, I am not sure what else I would address in the purchase and sale agreement. I have to call the list of attorneys today to track one down. The P&S is supposed to be signed 7/30; we just got the first draft last night.

Whew - that was a long posting! Don't forget to leave your comments by clicking the Comments link below...

p.s. The picture was taken 2 weeks ago. Henry is holding his pig "Piggy". Joni got it for him - it is just like one in a Baby Einstein video. It walks, wiggles its snout and tail, and "oinks". He likes to put the snout in his mouth while it wiggles and he giggles.