Inspecting This Old House
Inspecting This Old House
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, some of the homes in older neighborhoods are pretty hot properties these days, owing to their location, their nostalgic charm, and the numerous TV shows devoted to showing how they can be renovated. A lot of inspectors charge extra for inspecting older homes. Maybe I will one day, but I’m holding off for now. They definitely take longer to inspect, and logging the odd-ball problems I run into is more time-consuming, both in the field and in the office, but I look forward to them because just so much more interesting! I get to see how things were done before the International Residential Code ruled the day, and the inventive (and sometimes scary) solutions that homeowners and handymen come up with make for pretty good blog fodder.
Foundations in Older Homes
One of the common features of older homes is the pier-and-beam foundation, where the structure of the home rests on a perimeter beam of poured concrete and concrete columns (piers) spaced about ten feet from one another within the perimeter beam. In some instances, the perimeter beam and pier rest directly on the ground, but this is not considered good practice. Ideally, they should extend a foot or more into the soil, the deeper the better.
In really old houses, the structure might rest on Bois D’arc stumps sitting directly on top of the soil. These are highly resistant to wood destroying insects and continue to perform for 100 years or more in some cases.
Structural movement is common with pier-and-beam foundations, but not as destructive to plumbing as in a slab foundation because the plumbing floats freely within the crawl space. Correcting structural movement is less complicated and costly than with a slab foundation, and addition or moving of plumbing fixtures is simpler on the ground floor because the plumbing is not encased in concrete.
Movement just seems to come with the territory with older houses. While there are measures that can be taken to stabilize the structure and foundation, most people just opt to live with the occasional sticking doors.
Roofs – History is Important
Roofs can be tricky with older homes. Most of them were built to support cedar shingle roofs, but quite often these are replaced with modern asphalt shingle roofs. Problem is, asphalt shingle roofs weigh substantially more, and often the additional strain is enough to bow or crack the roof rafters and stress other parts of the structure as well. Close attention must be paid to these concerns during the inspection.
Plumbing and the Inevitable Upgrades
Older homes were outfitted with cast iron drain lines and galvanized metal or copper freshwater lines. All of these materials are subject to corrosion, and the need to replace them is not so much a matter of if, but when. Installing new PVC drain lines and modern PEX freshwater lines is good practice, but must be done properly to avoid any number of problems. Again, close attention must be paid, and any lead supply lines should be replaced regardless of their condition. Water heaters have a typical life span of about ten to fifteen years, beyond that, they are much more prone to failure.
Heating and Cooling the Older Home
Since most HVAC systems are replaced every ten to twenty years, dangerously obsolete furnaces or AC’s are not especially common in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Suffice it to say that any system more than 20 years old is going to be near the end of its service life and should be considered a candidate for replacement.
Insulation can present special challenges. It’s usually easy enough to add in the attic, but some older homes have no insulation in the walls. Infrared analysis can help identify lapses in the thermal barrier, and post-construction remedies exist, but have to be implemented prudently to be effective and avoid damaging the existing materials.
Wood-frame windows and old, wavy glass are charming, but air leakage and single-pane construction make them very energy-inefficient. The new owner will need to decide for themselves whether to upgrade. The same applies to exterior doors.
Electrical Upgrades – Not Always What They Appear To Be
Homes built before the early 1960’s may still be outfitted with the old 2-prong outlets, which are not as safe as three-prong outlets connected to a separate ground wire. Sometimes homeowners will install three-prong outlets for the sake of convenience but make no provision for a ground wire. This defeats the purpose and could even add to the hazards. Unless the inspector is seeing evidence of a completely updated electrical system, it is likely he or she will recommend review of the system by a licensed electrician.
Aluminum wiring is not inherently unsafe, but problematic enough that it is no longer used when supplying power to fixtures and outlets (branch wiring). If present, it is essential that all breakers, switches, and outlets be designed to work with aluminum wiring. Exhaustive examination of the electrical system is beyond the scope of a standard inspection, so when aluminum branch wiring is encountered, the prudent inspector will recommend review by a licensed electrician.
Lead Paint and Asbestos
The mere existence of lead paint in a home need not be a cause for alarm. Breathing in dust from lead paint or ingesting it can be harmful, but simple measures can be undertaken to ensure the safety of the homes inhabitants without going to extraordinary lengths. Click here to access an informative article on the subject.
Likewise, the presence of asbestos-containing materials does not automatically mean a home is unfit for habitation. Bans implemented in the 1970’s and 1980’s outlawed its use in home construction for the most part, but it is not entirely banned in the United States. Asbestos is not hazardous unless it is breathed in, so the general recommendation is to leave suspected solid materials undisturbed. In the case of “friable” sources – i.e. materials that might release dust – testing should be conducted by a licensed laboratory. If disposal is recommended, this should be done by licensed individuals in accordance with government-established safety practices. To learn more, Click here.
Home inspectors do not routinely test for the presence of asbestos or lead paint, so be sure to let your inspector know if you desire such testing so he or she can direct you to the proper resources.
A Word About Building Code and TREC Guidelines
A common objection to items cited in an inspection report is “That wasn’t code when the home was built”. While this may be true, safety, structural, and functional concerns are what inform the Texas Real Estate Commission’s (TREC) guidelines by which we licensed inspectors must abide. This is why most prudent inspectors do not quote code in their reports but will instead defer to TREC guidelines and their own professional experience and informed opinions.
Managing Expectations
Expect to see a long list of “deficiencies” in an inspection report for an older property. Hopefully, your inspector will set aside time at the end of the inspection to explain his/her findings and help you put things in perspective. Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification if something in the report is unclear to you. Keep in mind that the purpose of an inspection report is to inform you as to the general condition of the property and specific items and systems in need of further evaluation, not to catalog every flaw. Also know that while your inspector will do their best to alert you of impending problems, the inspection is not a warranty, and items can fail without warning.
Closing Thoughts
Home ownership in general requires a commitment to maintaining the property and budgeting for repairs. That commitment is much higher with an older home. Foundation maintenance is seldom a “one and done” proposition with the pier-and-beam foundations many older homes rest on, and no building material lasts forever. Older neighborhoods with lots of trees will harbor rodents and other pests that will find it easier to get past old construction materials. Updating entire systems such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC, windows and doors, etc. is costly. Energy efficiency is harder to achieve. As with automobiles, older homes just need more attention. The big difference is that walking away from a house is much costlier than saying good-bye to your old ride. So, don’t succumb to the charm of an older house unless you are willing and able to commit ongoing effort and resources to attending to the needs of the older house. Otherwise, enjoy the homey feel and congratulate yourself for preserving a reminder of simpler days.