The purpose of a home inspection is to evaluate the condition of the home and its major systems. Systems such as AC, furnace, water heater, etc..
1. Remove clutter in the home.
2. Replace burnt light bulbs.
3. Provide unobstructed access to the water heater, furnace, exterior condenser unit and the electrical panel.
4. Ensure the attic entry is not blocked and is accessible.
5. Make repairs to obvious issues like leaky faucets, loose doorknobs and ensure smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are in place.
These simple steps should help prepare your home for a smooth home inspection.
The illumination of homes has changed over the years. Candles
and oil lamps were among the first devices to light our homes, followed by gas
lamps, then electricity, which is currently in use today.
Converted gas wall sconce
It is not uncommon during an inspection of a historic home in New Orleans to come across abandoned gas lines in an attic which once supplied gas to overhead or wall lighting. Occasionally I’ll find and abandoned gas wall bracket or valve on a wall where a gas wall fixture once resided. Rarely do I find older fixtures which have been converted to electricity and are still in use, but it does happen.
Converted gas bathroom fixture
Once during an inspection of an early 1900’s home in New Orleans, most of the fixtures in place were original gas fixtures converted to electricity. The date of conversion is not known. The gas lamps on the newel posts of the stair well at the center of the room are the main focal point when entering the home.
Converted gas hall fixture
Original converted gas lamps were found throughout the home, even in the closets. As a home inspector who performs inspections on many older New Orleans homes, it was impressive to see this many fixtures still in place and in good condition. Love looking at the historic lighting. It was like a step back in time. Inspecting historic homes is always interesting and rewarding.
While inspecting a Creole Cottage in New Orleans, I found a hidden room in the attic. The only access was through a panel in a closet and through the attic to the rear. Mirrored room on left was not open or accessible. It’s times like this that remind me of why I enjoy what I do so much.
There are several steps involved when buying a home. Some of the steps are straight forward but others are a little more involved. The whole process goes something like this; Get pre-approved for a loan; find your dream home; win bidding war of dream home; get a home inspection; get an appraisal; complete purchase; move in.
The difference between an inspection and an appraisal put in simple terms;
An inspection is performed to inform the client of the condition of the systems and components of the home, including major deficiencies and safety issues.
An appraisal is the unbiased estimate of property or land value. Lenders typically order an appraisal to determine the home’s market value to safeguard the amount of money requested for a loan is appropriate.
What you should know about home inspections:
· What it is: A home inspection is the process by which a Home Inspector visually examines the readily accessible systems and components of a home and describes those systems and components in accordance with the Standards of Practice.
· Inspection report: A written evaluation of two or more systems of a resale residential building or any other related residential housing system as defined in the standards of practice.
· Why you need it: An inspection will assist the buyer of the condition of the home and its components. Any deficiencies, safety issues, and deferred maintenance will be mentioned.
· When it happens: Once your offer has been accepted you have an inspection period. This time gives you the opportunity to inspect the property. It also gives you the opportunity to withdraw your offer or renegotiate the offer should any major or unexpected issues with the property arise.
· What’s covered: A home inspection includes the roof, structure, exterior, HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical systems, interior, and more.
· How you’re involved: Your inspector will walk you through all the things he/she has found if you are on site. However, I have many clients who are unable to attend the inspection, but call them afterwards to give a verbal overview of the inspection. A good inspector is available by phone or email should you have questions after you have left or if you are unable to attend the inspection.
Make sure the home inspector is experienced, licensed and insured.
The home inspection is designed to protect you, and your investment, so don’t skip a home inspection to save a few bucks. A home inspector who does what he is supposed to do and writes a good report will provide you with information you need to make an informed decision about the home you have chosen. Sometimes the information in the report can be used in your negotiations. So choose your inspector carefully.
Inspecting historic homes in New Orleans has its challenges and rewards.
The home may be in a historic area and subject to restrictions or regulations on alterations or repairs. The Vieux Carré Commission is a good example of a historic district. This commission preserves, protects and maintains the architectural, historic character and zoning integrity of the French Quarter. It does this by regulating all repairs, alterations, and construction of any building element on the exterior whether visible from the street or not. Owners not in compliance are charged with violations of the infractions. A sample of the Vieux Carré Design Guidelines.
Historic or older homes may not be up to current code or compliance since the building was built before these codes existed. We will use the stairs of an 1860’s Creole Townhouse as an example. The stairs were typically enclosed and positioned between the rear service wing and the main house. The rise and run of these older stairs may not meet today’s standards for compliance but are still functional. You definitely would not tear them down to build new ones. Below are some of the items as examples that differ in older homes.
Structure – Many historic homes in New Orleans were built with solid masonry walls unlike the brick veneers you find on newer homes. What this means is the solid brick wall is actually structural where the brick veneer is just a cladding. The brick veneer can be removed and the structure will still be standing, while a solid brick wall is removed the structure collapses.
Electrical – It’s not uncommon to find electrical wiring from different eras in the home. At times I come across the old gas lines in the attic used for gas lamps that hung from ceilings, more on this in the plumbing section. Many times I’ll find older knob and tube wiring (pre-1940) alongside older grey cloth wiring (1940-1955), aluminum wiring (1960-1970) and even newer Romex. Sometimes the older wiring is active and may be connected to newer wiring.
Plumbing – As mentioned above, the older gas lines used for gas lamps are sometimes still in place but most have been abandoned or capped. Galvanized supply lines can still be found and in use. Cast iron waste lines in the crawl space can still be found.
While these are not the only items inspected during a home inspection, they offer examples of the things we find. Every now and then we come across something cool like a secret hiding place like the one pictured in this newel post. The home it was found in was a Creole Cottage and built around the late 1700’s to early 1800’s.
Wiring methods have changed over the years. Improvements in electrical wiring over the years were not just in materials used but also in installation methods. All of these improvements help to provide safe and reliable wiring in the home. The ages below are based on the historic homes and building trends in the New Orleans area.
Knob & Tube wiring in an attic.
1880 – 1940 – Knob & Tube wiring was the first type of electrical wiring in homes. This type of wiring consisted of two single wires run parallel within wall or ceiling cavities. The wires were run through joists and stud holes through porcelain tubes and supported along their length with porcelain knob insulators which were nailed down. Knob & Tube wiring was labor intensive and expensive to install and eventually replaced with Rag wire.
Ungrounded older grey cloth wiring
1940 – 1950 – Rag Wire or (old cloth sheathing) Issues with rag wire include the insulation deteriorating and becomes brittle with age, also the lack of a grounding conductor.
1960-65 – NM (non-metallic) A cable that incorporated the use of a bare ground wire run with a hot and neutral wire concealed in an outer sheath made of plastic vinyl. This update made installation easy to install and is still used today.
Aluminium wiring in panel
1965 – 1973 Aluminum wiring – Due to the sudden escalating price of copper, single-strand (solid conductor) aluminum wiring was sometimes substituted for copper branch circuit wiring. Over time aluminum branch circuit wiring will become defective faster than copper due to certain qualities of the metal.
Newer color coded Romex with older Romex
Today – Newer Romex – NM (non-metallic) is flexible, heat and fire resistant, easy to install, and relatively inexpensive. Each conductor is insulated and the entire bundle is insulated in a color coded PVC jacket. Color coding is based on wire size.
For example: 15 amp circuit uses a 14 gauge wire, typically white PVC jacket
20 amp circuit uses a 12 gauge wire, typically yellow PVC jacket
Space heater dangers abound in many New Orleans older homes. While space heaters provide the warmth we desire many are unvented with little to no safety features. Poor installation location is another safety hazard that is commonly found. It is not uncommon to enter a double shotgun house in the winter to find a space heater in every room lit. The house feels so cozy and warm. At times you may start to feel sleepy; it’s not just from the heat, it’s from the carbon monoxide produced from the unvented space heater. Newer space heaters have carbon monoxide sensors and anti-tip sensors built in with warning labels on the sides. Installing and maintaining carbon monoxide alarms is a safety feature you may want to consider if you have unvented space heaters.
As the New Year approaches, many will be celebrating. Have you ever stopped to think how many people still recklessly fire a weapon up in the air on New Year’s Eve without considering What Goes Up Must Come Down. While it’s not that common to find a bullet or bullet hole in a roof in the New Orleans area, it still happens. Keep in mind, a falling bullet can cause roof damage but also serious bodily injury or death. Finding another bullet embedded in an asphalt shingle roof in Algiers makes me weary about being outside during the midnight celebrations.
Galvanized steel piping was commonly used until roughly 1950. This piping typically lasts 40-60 years. Where it is found today in single family homes, it is usually near the end of its life. The connections are normally threaded at connections. This is a where you will typically see rust first.
Rusted Galvanized Supply Line
When the pipe corrodes, the rust accumulation inside the pipe chokes down the diameter of the pipe, resulting in poor water pressure. As rust builds up inside the pipe, a brownish color is often noted in the water when a faucet is turned on, especially after several days of inactivity. This rust in the water usually dissipates after a few seconds.
