Home Maintenance Tips

FOR HOMEOWNERS
HOMEOWNER SURVEY
INTERIOR
1.Are your floors even? You might want to roll a ball on the floor or use a level.
2.Do you have cracks in the walls around windows and doors? Even hairline cracking is a sign of significant structural movement.
3.Do you have any doors that stick or do not close (normally or seasonally)? For example, in winter they do not operate correctly, but in summer they do.
4.Is the molding around doors or windows separating at the corners?
5.Does your refrigerator door swing open or shut by itself?

EXTERIOR
Any crack in masonry that you can stick the edge of a nickel in may be a sign of structural damage.
1.Inspect all masonry. Do you see cracks between the mortar and brick? These usually appear in a stair-step pattern or as horizontal or vertical crack straight through brick and mortar.
2.Inspect the areas around doors and windows. Do you see space or separation between wood trim and brick? Sometimes the space has been filled with caulking; beads should be no wider than 1/2″.
3.Inspect the chimney. Is it leaning away from the house? Look for excessive caulk or wood trim that looks out of place. Check for double caulk lines.
4.Inspect the exterior trim molding. Where the brick meets the molding or freeze board at the roofline, is there misalignment or space in the corners?
5.Do you see settling of brick steps or stoop?

YARD
1.In dry periods, do you see cracks in the soil?
2.When it rains, do you have water standing or running around your home?
3.Do you ever have standing water in your crawl space?
4.Is it usually moist in your crawl space during or after a dry spell?

BASEMENT
1.Do you see horizontal cracking between the block and mortar? A crack usually means the basement wall is bowing inward. You can usually verify with a plumb line or straightedge.
2.Do you see cracking in the concrete floor?
3.Does water or moisture seep through the wall after a dry spell followed by rain?
4.Does water or moisture seep through the wall during a prolonged wet spell?
Do you ever notice efflorescence or calcium deposits on the block wall? This usually looks like a white raised chalky film and can usually be dusted off.