Home Inspection Checklist for Exterior

If you are a real estate agent or a home buyer and would like to have your home inspected as soon as possible, look no further. There is a list of large things to look for when buying a house. This includes many of the major problems that arise during New Home inspections in Ipswich. Of course, this does not replace professional home testing, but it is a good start. Here are some of the things that your inspector told you about during New Home inspections in Ipswich–

Roof Problems

While most roof problems can be identified only by walking on the roof or leaning on a ladder to the top of a slope, other problems can be easily identified from below. Make sure you look at all sides of the roof. In older residential areas with long, close-knit houses, you may need to walk a short distance down a corridor to get a good view of the surroundings.
Look for anything wrong with the roof, such as shingles that look curled from the ground. This usually indicates an old roof that is nearing the end of its life. This type of bending almost always happens on the south side first, so pay close attention to that case. The pictures below show examples of some very bad roofs.
Check the cracks in the sinks too. This will not usually be seen on the second floor, but it is sometimes possible to see it on the one floor.
Poorly aligned or matched shingles, missing shingles, and slide shingles out of place indicate improper installation.

Chimney Problems

Repairing a chimney is usually expensive. If you are buying an old house with a stone chimney, take a closer look. The mud that is not between the bricks will usually not be very useful, but missing bricks and large cracks in the walls may mean that the upper part of the chimney needs reconstruction.
As with roof, be sure to look in all directions for every chimney. The chimney shown below has also been redesigned to look better off the street, but it doesn’t look as good from the back yard.
Also, beware of stucco-covered chimneys in houses built in the early 1900’s.

Siding

Hardboard siding starts to swell and literally falls off when it rots. Damaged hardboard siding is usually very easy for anyone to see. Look at the northern sides, areas that are not protected by soffits (overhangs), and areas that are very close to the ground first; these will be the first places to rot. If you are unsure of the location, press it with your finger, but not too hard. When the hardboard siding rots badly, it becomes mushy.
Damage to the new stucco siding is hard to pinpoint, but the stains under the windows are a clear warning sign that there may be hidden damage.
If you are buying a home with a new stucco siding, arrange for a stucco test. A high percentage of new stucco homes experience water intrusion problems. If your home has veneer siding, treat it in the same way as stucco. It works like stucco, but the installation is usually much worse.

Windows

Stained glass windows may look good from a distance, but it is usually easier to spot damaged areas nearby. Give the windows a little bit with your finger when you suspect rot. Sometimes the patchwork will be thinner with paper, so don’t touch too much.

Water management

It is very important that the water is properly directed away from home. Look for suitable gutters, downspouts, and downspout extensions. They are not needed, but they make a big difference.
Also, check to make sure that the ground slopes are outside the house. Drainage near the house can lead to serious water problems in the basement or crawl area, as well as foundation problems.
Look at the roof ropes again; when the water is concentrated in the house, the water penetration capacity increases. The picture below shows a good example of a number of roof areas that focus water on a small area in a house.

The water is concentrated in the house

Always look under the stairs. Sometimes the edges have a new coat of paint that hides a lot of rot, which can be very visible from below.
Take a step back from the deck and look at the collapse, which may indicate a structural problem. The material shown below had a very noticeable sag in the middle that was not visible from above.
See also guardrails. Push their tops around the deck to make sure they are not loose. Pay special attention to the guards with aluminium balusters accessing the subway. There is no way to store water without wood, and you have a definite recipe for advanced rot.

It is difficult to detect this type of damage after it has snowed, which is why it is especially helpful to know where to look a little bit and also it is important to hire an inspector for New Home inspections in Ipswich.