When deciding to buy a
home, is a home inspection important? Judging from the title of this
blog post, they’re certainly worth your while. Ultimately, you
wouldn’t drive a car without insurance. So why risk making the most
important purchase of your life without a pre-purchase home
inspection?
An AmeriSpec pre-purchase
home inspection can spare you costly foundation and basement repairs,
and the debt that comes with them. Our trained inspectors are here to
help homebuyers evaluate the true condition of any home, up front and
honestly – including those crucial areas beneath your living space.
But before you schedule your inspection, here’s why inspecting
foundations is so crucial in your decision-making process.
What foundation faults do our inspectors commonly find?
Basements and crawl spaces are the two most common types of foundation in Canadian homes. Sure, you won’t be spending the majority of your time down there but when you’re upstairs enjoying the warmth of your living room, these issues can menacingly lurk beneath your floorboards if left uninspected.Bulges and curves
Spotting bulges or curves in block foundation or concrete walls could indicate foundation movement. In Canada, our nation’s extreme temperatures cause soil to expand and contract, sometimes putting pressure on foundation walls in turn.Cracking
The soil surrounding home foundations is loose post-excavation. When this soil settles and nearby vibrations occur, it can cause cracks in your foundation.Leaking
If you have cracks in your foundation, this spells big trouble. While plastic perforated piping (weeping tile) is installed on the outside of footing (concrete slab below the foundation) to collect accumulating water, this doesn’t always save the day. Ultimately, when too much water penetrates these cracks, you’ll experience a leaky basement that provides a damp, wet and poorly ventilated breeding ground for mould to grow.Why do basements and foundations leak?
You know that loose soil we just referenced. In short, it’s easier for water to percolate through loose soil before accumulating. This loose soil is packed against basement and foundation walls when constructed. As water accumulates in the soil, it then seeps into walls causing damage.What are the faulty basement and foundation warning signs?
When our trained inspectors perform pre-purchase home inspections and foundation inspections, they often detect basement and foundation warning signs like the ones outlined below. Remember, ignoring issues like these and hoping they go away won’t help either. Ultimately, foundation issues worsen over time and while they may not threaten the safety of your home immediately, they likely will over an extended period of time if left uninspected.- Cracking in interior/exterior brickwork
- Bowing and honeycombing/flaking in walls
- Imbalanced or sloping flooring
- Floor tile cracking
- Doors and windows that no longer fit their framework
- Cavities between walls and the ceiling/floor
- Damp walls and basement mould