Chimney Repairs

Masonry repairs to the chimney are very common in most older homes. Cracked chimney caps are probably the most typical. A concrete cap as shown here will crack allowing water to get into the chimney itself. Cycles of freezing and thawing can ultimately cause damage to both the brick and the fireclay liner.

As with most maintenance items, the longer this goes unrepaired, the more expensive repairs become. In severe cases of neglect a chimney may have to be taken down and rebuilt. It is always less expensive to keep up on maintenance then let repairs go until damage reach a critical level.

Deck Safety

With the weather warming up people are spending more time outdoors on their decks. As a home inspector it is amazing how many decks that I see which are improperly constructed. Every few years there are news stories about deck collapses. Usually they occur at a party or other event when the deck is loaded to the maximum. The implications of such an catastrophe could be physical injury or even death.

The photos above are from a recent inspection that I performed. The deck construction was inadequate in many aspects. Important areas of concern are the attachment of the deck to the structure, railings and proper column supports. Generally decks must be either free standing or lag bolted to the house. Columns must be 6x6 and supported on concrete pad footings below frost depth. The absence of flashings can cause decay in the form of rot or insect damage to the actual structure of the house.

It is important for a thorough inspection to be performed on the deck. Guidelines for construction are published by the American Forest and Paper Association and meet or exceed the requirements of the 2009 International Residential Code. This document is available for free download at http://www.awc.org/Publications/DCA/DCA6/DCA6-09.pdf

If you are in doubt, hire a home inspector. A list of qualified inspectors in your area is available at http://www.ashi.org/.

Roof Leaks

Sometimes things aren't that hard to figure out. Here was a situation where leakage had been occurring around the windows. It was apparently aggravated by ice and snow. The owner thought it was a stucco problem but actually it had to do with the roof.

A old flat tin roof with a masonry parapet and limestone cap was above. The joints at the limestone needed to be recaulked. The roof which had been coated numerous times with metal roof paint was probably ready for replacement with a rubber membrane.

Basement Dampness

Basement dampness often manifests in the form of stains on the walls at the corners of the basement. These types of stains are usually a sign of improper discharge of water away from the foundation at either downspouts or sump pump discharge lines.

When a house is constructed the soil around the foundation is excavated. After backfilling the soil is uncompacted and generally settles after the house is completed pulling the underground discharge lines apart at the joints. Water then leaks out of the pipes and runs back toward the foundation creating damp spots on the walls.

Fortunately these problems are easily solved by digging down about 18 inches and repairing the separated pipes.