”You don`t have to be or become a construction expert to look at houses with a more educated eye and tell which ones are worth getting serious about and which don`t deserve a second glance. At a minimum, you should be able to recognize the difference between a major structural concern and a minor cosmetic problem.
As you look at a house, you should be thinking both of things you`ll want to do with it and things you`ll have to do. You should keep that list of additions and repairs clearly in view as you consider what the seller is asking for the house and what you`re willing to pay for it.
A house is a big, somewhat complex thing and must be looked at in several ways from several angles.
Just your style?
The first thing to notice about any house you`re considering is its style. Is it a Victorian or a contemporary? Is it on one level or does it have two or more floors?
To me, the only really important question you ask yourself about style is whether you like the way the house looks in its particular setting. If only to be able to read the listings, though, you should have a working knowledge of the principal styles you might come across during a typical home search.
The architectural style of a house, however, is no indicator of its material qualities. So if a particular house looks all right to you and suits your basic needs in terms of location, size and price, it`s time to get beyond style and consider a few much more important questions: Is the house structurally sound? Are the systems in good working order? Will the house work for you?
No advice to the seller on selling fails to point out that a spruced-up house is easier to sell. Buyers, naturally, overhear this, and some of them therefore grow cynical about appearances.
Don`t let yourself be one of these, though, because that`s a false sophistication. Give the property a chance to show its best face. You`ll look into everything more carefully before making up your mind; so don`t resist being impressed by a well-cared-for house or put off by a neglected one. Houses need to be cared for. If an owner loses interest, the house will suffer, and this will turn up as trouble for whoever owns it next.
Walk all around the house and look it up and down. Try to get a sense of its bones and some idea of how its past and present owners have treated it. Ask the broker (if there is one; otherwise, ask the seller directly) about every physical detail that catches your eye, no matter how slight. You want to know when the roof was last repaired, how old the current paint job is, when the chimney last had a sweep.
Chart past repairs
If there`s any evidence of alterations, repairs or additions, determine when and why the work was done. If the work was major, ask whether it was done by professionals. Take a medical history of the house. How long have the present owners had it? What, if anything, have they fixed or added or taken away during that time, and how much money have they spent? Why are they putting it up for sale?
And pay a lot of attention to details. Note the condition of porches, walkways and stairs. If you`re looking at a brick exterior, is the masonry in good condition, or is it in serious need of repair? Repointing bricks is labor-intensive and costly.
If the exterior is painted or stained, how does it look? Is the paint faded and peeling? A new paint job can cost several thousand dollars. New siding can cost around $5,000 if you use aluminum or vinyl, and up to $15,000 if you want cedar shingles or clapboards. You can generally assume an average life of at least 50 years for shingles and clapboards (10 or 15 years longer if they have been painted or stained). Vinyl and aluminum siding can last more than 30 years.
Over your head
Problems with a roof are likely to be among the most disturbing you`ll encounter in your search for a house. This is because they can be so expensive to repair. They`re not necessarily deal breakers, but they`re almost always serious enough to need the attention of experts.
One home inspector I know tells me that 40 percent of the homes he inspects either need a new roof or will need one within the next year or two. That means that the people who buy those homes are facing bills of at least $3,000 apiece.
How do you know what`s up there? You`re not going to crawl around on the roof yourself, and chances are you wouldn`t be able to tell much even if you did. But you can and should ask the seller and/or the broker some questions. How old is the roof? What is it made of?
The material used will give you some ideal of the roof`s condition. For example, the experts say that asphalt shingles have a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years, and up to 30 years if they`re of double thickness or more. Clay or cement ties will last for 20 years or longer. Slate shingles will last anywhere from 30 to 100 years, depending on the quality of the slate. Red cedar shingles are good for about 25 years.
Another obvious but important question to ask about the roof is whether it has ever leaked. Has it been repaired? If so, when? What was the problem, and how was it corrected?
Generally you can expect to have more problems with a flat roof than with one that has an adequate slope, or ”pitch,” simply because water runs off a flat roof less efficiently. As a result, drains are more likely to clog and the roof itself is more apt to suffer from bubbles and ripples.
It`s very difficult to fabricate a waterproof roof where the pitch is gentle, let alone where it`s ”flat.” Today such roofs are covered with rubberized membranes held down with modern adhesives. They can fail after several years and will need to be replaced periodically. Thin sheets of copper cladding fused with lead solder will do the job, but the roof will still need to be replaced every generation or so. Both alternatives are expensive.
What`s the pitch?
In no event can shingles be used on a roof with little or no pitch; they will always result in leaks. Check out all flat roofs to discover problems. You may be surprised at the misery they can cause.
You should be concerned if you find out that an old roof has been maintained by adding more than two successive layers of shingles over the original. Local building codes typically limit the number of layers allowed;
so if there is layering, you should be sure it complies with the existing code. One concern about multiple layers is the weight they add; it can be enough to cause structural problems. Covering an existing roof is less expensive than replacing it, but according to the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), a covered roof will last only 65 to 75 percent as long as a replaced roof.
The most obvious symptom of a leaky roof will be water stains on inside walls and ceilings. Anticipate problems-both financial and structural-if you find such signs. In the first place, it`s often difficult to pinpoint the source of the leak. And then the repair almost invariably involves more than simply taking off the old shingles and installing new ones; to get an acceptable result, you`ll probably have to strip the roof down to its boards. If there are no water stains on the ceilings inside, by the way, don`t assume that the roof must therefore be tight. A brand-new coat of paint could be concealing stains, and a minimum-effort patchup job may have stopped a problem leak temporarily.
Breathing easy
One way to help protect a roof from structural damage is to make sure that attics or crawl spaces are ventilated properly. An easy way to check the ventilation is simply to put a thermometer in the attic on a warm day when there isn`t much wind. If the reading is 10 or 15 degrees higher than the outside temperature, then the air flow isn`t all it should be.
Improper ventilation is a problem not only because of the excess heat in the summer, which can reduce the life of some roofing materials, but also because of trapped condensation in the winter, which can make wooden rafters or roof sheathing rot. Moisture can also decrease the effectiveness of insulation and make roof shingles buckle and blister.
In the gutter
On older houses, it`s not uncommon to find gutters fashioned of wood. If they were correctly installed in the beginning and are adequately maintained every season through the removal of leaves and other blown debris, they should remain perfectly serviceable. But if they aren`t cleaned and oiled, they`ll clog up and won`t be able to carry the water away. The runoff will therefore back up and spill over, leading to a watery basement, and it will also stand in the gutter, causing it to rot.
If the gutters seem to be split or if a section of gutter is falling away or missing, then there`s a possibility of an ice-dam problem. This is a serious defect and probably means ruined ceilings, walls and floors. Ice dams are caused when warm air from the building melts the ice that has formed in the clogged gutters. The melted ice soon refreezes, and over time this process can build up a sheet of ice that is several inches thick and extends up the roof from the gutter. As it freezes and melts over and over again, the water can actually infiltrate the roof behind the dam, and the ice can become heavy enough to pull the gutters down. For a typical house at 1990 prices, it can cost from $1,500 to $2,500 to have the gutters replaced.
Heated cables are not the cure for ice dams, and if you find them being used to deal with an icing problem, your antennae for a repair problem in the making should tingle. The best way to control ice dams, I`ve observed, is to keep the gutters, downspouts and underground drains clean.
Worn-out or incorrectly hung gutters can also contribute to roof-leak problems. So can improper or deteriorated ”flashing” or sealant around plumbing stacks, chimneys, skylights, dormers and anything else that projects through the roof.
