The Best of the Worst List: Major Defects That Matter

Question: It is intriguing to imagine the thousands of diverse property defects that home inspectors must encounter. What’s the worst problem you’ve ever observed in a house or other type of property?

Answer: People often ask that, and the answer depends largely upon what is meant by the term “worst.”

There are three main categories that major defects fall into.

The first type involves structural deficiency. Fortunately, major problems of a structural nature are rare. One outstanding instance involved a 3,000-square-foot custom home that was built on a concrete slab without a perimeter foundation.

The owners of the home were private lenders who had obtained the property through foreclosure. The last thing they expected in a deluxe modern home was that it would not have a conventional foundation. What a surprise when the home inspection report arrived.

Second on the list would be safety problems, abundantly common and endless in variety. Of particular note was a 3-year-old home in which the fireplace chimney was disconnected inside the attic.

All the wood framing was charred from heat exposure. Had there not been a home inspection, a roof fire was inevitable.

Finally, there are those rare homes with a multiplicity of faulty conditions, usually resulting from poor workmanship, deferred maintenance, or both.

A case to remember was the owner-built botch job where everything from structure to wiring, plumbing to heating, roofing to drainage, etc., were so substandard that the house could have been recommended for practice by a demolition crew.

Fortunately, most homes do not fall into any of these classifications. But such properties often appear to be functional and acceptable at first glance.

Just a few more good reasons to retain the services of a qualified home inspector before closing escrow.

Popped Drywall Nails Usually a Cosmetic Defect

Q: We just bought our first home, and no major problems turned up during the home inspection. But a few of the drywall nails are popping through at the bathroom walls. Our inspector said this is no big deal. Do you agree?

A: Popped drywall nails, or shiners, as they are called in the trade, are typically cosmetic defects, not warranting major concern.

They usually occur when the drywall is not pressed tightly against the framing during the nailing process.

The resultant gap allows for slight movement of the drywall when normal building settlement occurs or when there is expansion or contraction of the structure because of fluctuations in ambient temperature and humidity.

Movement of the wall board might be less than 1/16 of an inch, but this is enough to push a nail head through the thin, brittle drywall finish.

Shiner repairs are routine, requiring some additional nails or screws to secure the drywall board firmly against the framing members.

For best results, this work should be done by a professional drywall finisher who can match the wall texture after the nails or screws are in place.

In some instances, popped drywall nails are indicative of structural problems, but other symptoms would typically be apparent in these cases. Hopefully, your home inspector considered all of these factors.

Older Electrical System May Need Safety Upgrade

Q: The home I’m buying is about 40 years old, so I’m concerned about deterioration of the electrical system. At what age should a house’s electrical wiring and panel be replaced?

A: With homes built in the early 1960s, deterioration of the wiring is generally not a significant issue. Obsolescence is likely to be a factor in some aspects of the electrical system, such as ungrounded outlets or the lack of ground fault shock protection, but the need to replace the wiring would be a very unusual circumstance.

Likewise, the service capacity of a 40-year-old system is generally consistent with current electrical requirements for a single-family home. Therefore, replacement of the main panel would also not be warranted.

At most, some safety upgrades may be needed, and there is the possibility that substandard alterations to the system may need correction.

For an onsite evaluation of the system, hire a qualified home inspector before closing escrow.

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