Structural Home Inspections – Protect Your Investment
The main components of a typical home will include, but not limited to, The Foundation, The Framing and The Roof. All these items have sub-components that are all part of the homes structure. Any modifications of a homes structure requires a building permit and most likely a stamped drawing of the modification or repair.
Home Inspection vs Structural Inspection
A home inspection by a home inspector inspects the structure, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and overall property safety. A structural inspection by a structural engineer provides an in-depth analysis of the foundation and structural
integrity of the house only.
A structural engineer inspection is typically a visual inspection performed by a structural engineer to validate the structural soundness of a home or building’s weight bearing components such as framing, foundation, beams, columns, posts, or trusses. It is performed when a home or property owner has questions about the structural integrity of a building or structure. This could entail an analysis of the whole structure or an examination of one specific element of the building. A structural engineer is capable of determining load factors as they apply to your homes structure and can also determine the type of repairs that would be required for a damaged structure.
Moving or Removing Walls
Before moving or removing any walls it is recommended you consult with your local building department, a qualified carpenter and / or an engineer or registered designer. Any structural changes to your home will require a building permit from local building department. Any support walls in your home will start in the basement and continue up through house. Support walls in basement are easy recognized as they will be on a footing and any openings will have headers installed. Some new homes will have steel beams with steel posts installed on concrete footings in basement.
Your foundation carries the whole load of your house, which includes roof and snow load. Any interior columns or support walls have to be supported by a footing that is designed based on height of structure and whether or not is has to support brick veneer or masonry block construction. Note: On wet soil conditions the size of footings are required to be doubled. Footing depth must be equal to footing projection and no less than 4 inches thick. All footings are required to constructed on undisturbed soil, rock or compacted granular fill.
What Does a Home Inspector Inspect?
Your home inspector will evaluate the following:
✅ Check all electrical outlets, switches and the fuse/breaker panel.
✅ Flush toilets and turn on faucets to make sure they work and to determine water pressure.
✅ Open and close all the windows.
✅ Check the floors, walls and ceilings for any defects.
✅ Check the basement or foundation for any water leakage.
✅ Inspect the heating and cooling systems.
✅ Check out the attic and any crawl spaces to assess insulation.
✅ Examine in the closets and under the stairs.
✅ Inspect chimneys and flues (in some cases chimneys require an additional inspection from a specialist).
✅ Inspect roof and eavestroughs.
✅ Look around the entire exterior of the building structure looking for signs of weather damage.
✅ Look for any issues with exterior decks and railings.
✅ Inspect the foundation looking for cracks or other issues.
✅ Check the grading around the foundation
100% Money Back Guarantee
Every home inspection comes with a 100% Money Back Guarantee. This guarantee is good for 30 days after you take possession of your home. This gives the home owner ample time to examine every part of the house and note any problems or deficiencies.