Working Utilities in Home Necessary for Thorough Evaluation

Question: The home I’m buying was acquired through foreclosure. It’s been vacant for months, so the water, power and gas have been shut off. A home inspection has been scheduled, but I’m wondering how the inspector can do a thorough job without the utilities being on. Should we proceed with the inspection or reschedule when the services have been turned on?

Answer: Active utilities are essential to a detailed and comprehensive home inspection. Without water, electricity and gas, the inspection report will be a series of disclaimers.

Without electricity, the inspector cannot observe the operational condition of lights, outlets and other electrical fixtures. Without power, outlets cannot be checked for grounding, polarity or ground-fault shock protection, and fixtures such as the garbage disposal and the garage door opener cannot be tested.

Without water, plumbing fixtures, pipes and drains cannot be inspected for operability or for leaks, and built-in appliances such as dishwashers cannot be tested. Also, the piping cannot be evaluated for sufficient water volume, and the pressure cannot be tested for adequacy and compliance.

If the home has gas heating and cooking, service will be needed to test the safety and functionality of various fixtures, including the furnace, the water heater and the kitchen range.

An inspection without utilities is a waste of time and money, so be sure to have all services turned on before your home inspector arrives.

Roof Leak May Be Cause of Ceiling Problem

Q: The ceiling in our stall shower continues to erode. We’ve installed a vent fan to expel moisture; we’ve replastered the ceiling and refinished it with exterior oil-based enamel. Yet every few months, the plaster begins to decompose, always in the same corner of the ceiling. Have you any idea what is happening?

A: It sounds as though you’ve taken all the logical steps to curtail moisture damage above your shower. Considering the thoroughness of these corrective and preventive measures, it seems unlikely that interior moisture is the cause of your problem.

In fact, the most telling symptom is the localized occurrence at the shower corner. This may indicate that roof leakage is occurring where the drain vent pipe penetrates the roof flashing.

Before attempting further repairs, have the roofing and flashing reviewed by a licensed roofing contractor or a qualified and experienced home inspector.

Acoustic Upgrade Can Solve Noise Problem

Q: My condo was formerly part of an apartment complex. When my upstairs neighbor walks across his bedroom floor, I hear every creak and footstep. When he plays his TV, the bass rumbles in my unit. Can this problem be fixed?

A: When apartments are converted to condominiums, acoustic upgrades are generally required, but the result is not always as good as when the building is originally constructed as a condominium complex. Unfortunately, upgrading the sound proofing to a satisfactory level can be expensive.

Acoustic improvement might be obtained by installing insulation between the wall studs and ceiling joists, if this has not already been done. One would expect that insulation was added during the conversion process or when the apartments were originally constructed.

A common source of noise transmission between adjoining living units is direct transmission of sound vibrations through the wood framing in the walls and ceilings. The most effective way to reduce this noise source is to have separate wall and ceiling structures.

With this type of upgrade, the framing members on your neighbor’s side would not be in direct contact with the wall and ceiling surfaces on your side. To determine the cost for this added construction, you’ll need to consult a licensed general contractor.

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If you have questions or comments, contact Barry Stone through his Web site at https://www.housedetective.com. Distributed by Access Media Group.