Q: Mr Crewe:

My fiance and I are looking at buying our first home. We have one picked out but I'm a little concerned about the age of the house. It was built in 1947. The foundation is concrete and I was wondering what I could look for to ensure that it is safe.

Thanks!

Kelly

A: Kelly:

The age of a house has less importance than most people think. If the house has been well maintained and upgraded the "apparent age" is not the actual age but younger. This is where a good building inspector can help. He sees past the esthetics and checks the structure and especially the roof ventilation as well as water control around the concrete foundation. In older houses mold is an important factor to consider. Dryrot in the outer perimeter is a problem due to ice bridging and also poor flashings. As for safety, all aspects of electricity, handrails, garages, staircases, decks will be examined and explained as well as the upgraded insulation.

Good Luck with your house and family

Brian Crewe

Q: Dear Brian:

We've wondered about offering to buy our 1/2 of the duplex we've been renting for 10 years. Several years ago, there was a bad ice dam on the roof, and some subsequent leaking on/in the south walls (our side), plus a bit on our west wall. The water obviously went between the walls (wall was damp to the touch, paint peeled, discoloration of paint, etc.) We assume some mildew/mold might have formed between the walls, and sometimes there's an odd smell where the wall damage was most noticeable (by front door). At the time, there were a couple of leaks into the cement (unfinished) basement, through small holes in the concrete. Wwe patched them and problem hasn't repeated. We have, however, noticed some repeat of wall dampness by front door (main floor), a few years. We wonder how serious this structural damage is to our south walls, how readily it could be fixed, and how expensive it would be to fix. (My husband is asthmatic, and we both have assorted indoor/outdoor allergies.)

Thanks!

Marilynn

A: Marilynn:

This seems to be a recurring problem which has been going on for a long time. Mold forms and lives in a moist environment only and propagates whenever moisture returns. The age of the house is important to know how long this has been going on. The equally important problem is structural dryrot in the walls. The degree of contamination and decay could be greater than you can see. If you don't fix the cause and the problem, then you could be held responsible for a hidden defect and sued by the next buyer after you sell the house. Due to your husband's allergies and the probable high cost of repairs, you would be strongly recommended not to buy this house especially if you are only buying half of it. The other owner might not want to share or even consider the problem as he might not have the capital needed or an allergy requiring the repairs. It is also important to remember that when insulation gets wet, it loses an important factor of its "R" value.

Good Luck in your house hunting

Brian Crewe

Q: Mr. Crewe,

My husband and I are looking at a house. The orginal house was built in 1900, and an add on in 1950. The orginal part of the house still has post and tube wiring. How is this replaced, how costly is it? And how safe is the post and tube wiring? Do the walls have to be busted to redo this wiring?

Thanks so much: )

Jennie

A: Dear Jennie:

"Post & Tube" wiring was phased out in approximately 1934. In Ontario, the insurance companies will give you a lot of hassle if you don't change the system. Many hazards exist with overloading of the circuits, dried insulation, loose connections causing hot spots and it is not a grounded system. Also, the plugs are approximately one per room, not enough for modern expectations. This situation requires multiple extension cords and causes fire hazards. The cost can vary greatly depending on the type of house and if the basement is finished, for passing the new wires. A bungalow is cheaper than a cottage. You should budget for a good job including a new entrance as follows:
New entrance $ 1800.00
Bungalow $ 3000.00
Cottage $ 5 to 6000.00

Electricians can do wonders without breaking the walls.

Good Luck

Brian Crewe

Q: Brian: This question is for my mother who is purchasing a house. How can you tell if there will be basement leakage due to the spring runnoff? A moisture detector cannot detect this until the melt occurs, is there any other way to find out if leakage may occur?

Deanna

A: Dear Deanna:

A boat will never leak if you never put it in the water. A house is similar, you must eliminate the surface water with observations of the following points. Positive sloping for general runoff of the rain, backfill settling around the foundation must be filled in and a proper slope given. The eavesthroughs should be extended over the ground to a positive slope. Any cracks must be waterproofed by injections of urethane or epoxy and lastly, inquire about the water table in springtime. The vendor must declare if previous water leakage did exist. Contact a local CAHPI inspector for internal observations, stains, efflorescence and hydrostatic pressure stains. French drains could be blocked or non existent, depending on the age of the house.

Good Luck

Brian Crewe

Q: Brian: We've already bought our home but since moving in, I've noticed a sewage smell in the main bathroom. The toilet in this bathroom and the other bathroom off the master bedroom seem to "kick in" every so often with a hissing noise. When you flush the toilet in the main bathroom, there is a gurgling noise in the bathtub drain. Any idea what's going on and is this a big job to repair? The house is 8 years old.

Thanks!

A: Dear home owner:

You have two independent problems.
1. The toilet valve is defective or leaking due to poor adjustment. Correct or repair it.
2. The gurgling noise in the bath tub is because the vent pipe is missing or blocked and the air is being drawn from your tub for equalization purposes. This means that your toilet vent must be checked and if operational the bath tub drain when sucked dry leaks sewer gas into the bathroom. The tub could possibly have no trap at all. Depending on your ability to repair this, check the water closet or access door behind the tub, then call a plumber for further testing and repairs. This is a hidden defect where Small Claims Court could also help you to recover the costs of repair.

Brian Crewe

Q: Brian: Can you help me with the following problem.

We have one sewer drain in our driveway and another inside our garage. When we have heavy rainfalls, it's as if the sewer drain in the driveway can't absorb all the water and it starts to rise inside our garage. (That's when I start to panic as the water is coming in the house!)
What can we do about this dilemma?

Thank you in advance for your help.

N Romanin

A: Dear N. Romain:

The drain in the garage has "normally" a large plate over a square pit. This pit must be cleaned out at least once per year of the sand and mud that runs into it. This should solve your problem. If not the sand and dirt has blocked the sewer pipe between the garage pit and your internal sanitary sewers. A good rinse out with the help of a rotating "snake" could unblock the situation. If all fails, more heavy duty equipment will be needed. Contact Drainamar where good service could be expected.
Laval 514-352-2000

Good luck

Brian Crewe

Q: Mr. Crewe,

What does it mean if you walk through a house and the floors slope? What are the potential causes and what would you have to do as a homeowner to fix it? Any idea on costs?

Thanks,

A:Kimberley

Dear Kimberly:

This is a loaded question.
1. If the floors tilt to the outer walls, the foundation is sinking.
2. If the floors tilt to the center of the house, this is central compression due to inadequate footings, rotting columns or support walls. If the walls have diagonal cracks since the last painting of the house , the movement is active. If the house is old, 60 to 100 years, the joist ends could also be rotting. This is an expensive problem to fix. You must contact a building inspector in your area as many variables which I am not aware of exist that must first be qualified. The Ontario head office can help you. They can be reached at 613-475-5811.

Brian Crewe

Q: Brian:

Do I need an inspector if the home I want to buy is only 4 years old and the Builder is very well known for its above standard construction.

Mary Gerigs

A: Mrs. Gerigs,

Absolutely!!!

From my experience of inspecting new construction homes, 90% have major structural problems, not to mention all the other types of problems. If the house has problems, then you are buying those problems. Water control, cracks, safety hazards, materials used, are just some of the approximately 350 - 400 points inspected.

Brian Crewe

Q: Dear Brian: There is a water leak around the skylight whenever it rains or snow melts; why has this happened and how expensive will it be to repair?

Thanks!

Sylvia

A: Sylvia,

Skylights are always a prime source of trouble for leaking. If your roof is flat, the requirements are different than if your roof is sloping with a shingle membrane. Proper flashings and regular annual caulking is the only way to stop the leaking. If not repaired, the Gyprock below, the surrounding wood and the insulation will have to be replaced. This reply is for a sloping roof with shingles. Caulking repairs are approximately $100.00 for a normal check-up and caulking by a general handyman or roofer.

Brian Crewe

Q: Mr. Crewe:We have a problem with the floors around the exterior of the house being ice cold in winter. We have insulated the walls, basement and attic with no improvements. Can you give us some insight to where the problem is and how to fix it?
Jerry Wiebe

A: Mr. Wiebe,

The floors of a bungalow (assuming your house is a bungalow) are made of an outer rim joist and a series of floor joists. If the walls above this area are insulated and the walls below are insulated, then the spaces between the joists must also be insulated. If not, the cold will penetrate the outer wall and cool the space estimated at 10" to 12" between the floor and the basement ceiling. Your question is incomplete as to other case scenarios.

Brian Crewe

Q: Mr Crewe,

Our son has just purchased a 25 year old home and we have since discovered that there is a bow in the foundation. All indications are that there has never been a problem, but we are curious as to the implications. If you could answer this it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Tom Brooks

A: Mr. Brooks,

What is the degree of bowing? The implications are numerous.
1. What caused the bow?
2. Could it be land slide?
3. Could it be frost penetration from the driveway during wintertime?
4. Have any cracks developed?
5. Is the house sitting squarely on the foundation now?
6. Has the wood structural wall also bowed in?
7. Have any conditions been modified since the bowing, and is the situation still being monitored?
8. Is it a concrete wall or a cement block wall?
More information is needed to explain the implications in your case.

Brian Crewe

Q: Hi Brian... I am a firm believer in having house inspections done prior to purchasing a home. I have got it done in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. I would like to ask you, if an inspector hasnt done a thorough enough job, missed a lot of details that cost the buyer a lot of money, and that maybe had being enough missed info to not purchase the home, in what ways could he be liable and to what extent? What would one have to do in going about making him accountable for mistakes?.

Thank You

P Hewison

A: Hi Mr. Hewison,

Building inspectors qualify the scope of the inspection with a contract. This contract relates to a "Standard of Practice" which all certified home inspectors are held accountable to. This spells out what is to be inspected and what is not inspected. This should be a part of the report you receive. The problems that are visible must be reported and those that are not visible are hidden defects. Hidden defects are the vendor's legal responsibility. Visible defects as stated in the "Standards of Practice" are the inspector's responsibility. If missed, liability can be assessed in a court of law. All professional or certified home inspectors carry Errors and Omissions insurance to cover an omitted important defect. Question your inspector on report coverage, insurance and the copy of the "Standards of Practice".

Brian Crewe

Q: Mr. Crewe: We have a sewer smell in the basement when it rains a lot. Any idea what the problem is?

Thanks you.

Ray Chatelain,

Iroquois Fall, Ont.

A: Mr. Chatelain,

The sewers fill up with rain water and this causes some pressure in the sewers known as sewer gas. This gas then migrates up the sewer pipe to the house. If all water traps have water in them, the gas is held inside the pipe. If one floor drain or unused sink trap evaporates, the gas is let into the house. Also, a broken or cracked sewer pipe or loose backwater valve cover could be the cause. Put water in all traps every 3 months. This should stop the smell.

Brian Crewe