Be sure that Gas, Water, Electric, Propane are ON at the time of your inspection. The top things that we find everyday that are easily avoidable: 1. Hot Water Tank
• If in the garage, it must be raised, whether gas or electric. • Must be double wall pipe all the way through the roof (if replaced since 1990.) • Must have new flex gas line, old copper tubing NOT acceptable. • Pipe off of pressure relief valve must be metal or stamped approved for 180°. 2. Heating and Cooling • They must come on! • Put in clean filters, have them serviced and they will probably pass. When dirty filters, low freon, a bad igniter, etc. prevent proper function, they fail. • Pull the floor vents and look in them with a flashlight your hand. If rusted through they have to be replaced. If we identify a rusted through floor vent, we advise the client to have the entire system scoped. 3. Electrical • Loose, cracked receptacles and covers need to be replaced. • All electrical wiring in the attic, in the heater closet should be in a proper electrical junction box, spliced wiring, taped and/or with ‘twist caps’ is NOT enough. • If a bulb is burned out, put a bulb in it. • If you don’t want to fix it, remove it. (Ceiling fans, garage door opener.) 4. Windows and Doors
• Cracked glass must be replaced. • Broken/missing window locks must be replaced. • Windows must raise and stay up or they must be repaired --- unstuck, springs replaced, etc. • Door knobs, dead bolts and striker plates that do not work properly must be repaired/replaced. 5. Toilets and Sinks
• Snug toilets to the floor and tanks to the toilet. • Turn on faucets for 20 minutes, then look under them, or behind them, with a flashlight. A lot of sinks leak after 20 minutes, but not after just 2 or 3. • Kitchen hose sprayers are supposed to shut off 100% of the water at the faucet. Repair, replace or remove. • Sink/tub stoppers must work. 6. Roofs
• The most common required repair is no chimney rain cap. Add a chimney rain cap and check the top mortar. • If your roof is over 7 years old or has been exposed to bad weather, seal it with tar around all vents, chimneys, valleys, and small damage spots. Fulbright Home Inspections (918) 707-0689 Lic # 70001143 |