Older Homes and Home Inspections

Most purchasers of older homes love the character and look of Century homes. Older homes have stood for decades, some centuries, and weathered many storms. Some were built by hand by genuine craftsman, with meticulous attention to detail.

Old foundations are typically constructed of concrete and stones which can lead to cracks etc. a cracked foundation left unaddressed can be a prescription for disaster. Common foundation materials used back then, such as cement and cinder blocks, crack and leak over time, especially if they weren’t sealed on the exterior side, which also was common in those days. Water seepage can lead to both structural threats (rot and termites) and health issues

Knob and tube wiring was usually installed in all older homes and there is usually still porcelain insulators present even if it was all removed. You have to have a home inspector or electrician check to ensure all the knob and tube wiring was replaced. The knob and tube was usually replaced with older two wire which has no ground and unless a total rehab was done on building you will still find two wire at outlets on upper floors and other hard to access areas.

Asbestos can be present in many older homes and can be expensive to have removed. The main areas of the house where asbestos was used were in basements ,attics or roofs. As an acoustical or heat insulator, asbestos was often placed in, around or between steel beams, water and sewer pipes, ducts, high temperature gaskets, stovepipe rings, electrical wiring, vinyl and linoleum sheet flooring, floor backing, shingles, panels, partitions and acoustic tiles. It was also placed in the areas of heaters, boilers, furnaces, incinerators, artificial fireplaces and barbecues.

Lead plumbing pipes and galvanized plumbing lines can be very expensive to replace and were used on most older homes. Most insurance companies in Ontario will not insure a home with galvanized plumbing pipes. Galvanized pipes tend to corrode from the inside out so that there is no warning that a pipe is about to burst.

Lead paint is a possible danger in older homes. If your home has not undergone a complete renovation there is a good possibility that there may be lead paint in an older home. Lead was used as a pigment and drying agent in “alkyd” oil based paint. “Latex” water based paints generally have not contained lead. About two-thirds of the homes built before 1940 and one-half of the homes built from 1940 to 1960 contain heavily-leaded paint. Some homes built after 1960 also contain heavily-leaded paint. It may be on any interior or exterior surface, particularly on woodwork, doors, and windows. In 1978, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission lowered the legal maximum lead content in most kinds of paint to 0.06% (a trace amount). Consider having the paint in homes constructed before the 1980s tested for lead before renovating or if the paint or underlying surface is deteriorating. This is particularly important if infants, children, or pregnant women are present.

Century style homes never had central heating and most updated heating systems consisted of a boiler and cast iron radiators. Some older homes only heated the main floor with heat transfer grilles cut into second storey floors to allow the heat to rise. Have a heating contractor evaluate your options if you plan on upgrading the current heating system. Available energy and access to rooms in the house may affect your choices and cost of upgrade.

The Barrie Home Inspector has many years of experience in inspecting Century Homes and is also a Certified Building Code Official with the Ontario Building Officials Association. Commercial Building inspections also entail the same problems as residential and buyers have to be aware of the risks and hazards involved in purchasing older properties. Visit the Barrie Home Inspector’s site a www.barriehomeinspections.com to obtain more information and advice when dealing with older homes.

Find out more about Century Homes at Barrie’s Best Home Inspector, then visit Barrie’s Real Estate Agents to chooseBarrie’s Best Real Estate Agents for all your Real Estate needs.

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Older Homes and Home Inspections

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