When you are looking to buy a home or property it is important to hire a home inspection company who can check the house for structural damage. Some damage is fairly obvious to see and is clearly visible, sagging roof lines, leaning walls are easy to spot. When structural defects, like the ones mentioned are found, it is always the best practice to get a professional qualified home inspector’s opinion and assessment on the damage.
The roof is always the easiest spot to identify structural damage and this can be done by viewing it at a distance. What you are looking for is sagging in the middle of the roof structure or at the two ends. A sagging roof points to possible foundation damage and also the movement of load bearing walls.
When checking walls for structure damage it’s easiest to place a level along the side of the wall to check if the wall is balanced and straight. Depending on what type of foundation your home was built on will determine what ways it will need to be checked.
In some cases, the building may have shifted, meaning that it’s not square with the foundation. A flooded basement could mean soaked wood; when wood soaks up water it expands pushing the walls out of sync. A qualified home inspector will have experience in checking the condition of your foundation.
When the structure for damage you are looking for cracks in the walls, look near windows and doors and around the corners of the building. Cracks are fairly easy to spot but depending on the level of damage they may not come cheap to repair.
A professional home inspection will have you covered in terms of checking your building or property for structural damage and other aspects of the structure. If you are looking at buying a home, then do not rely on your own expertise, rely on the expertise of a certified and licensed home inspection company today to take you through the process.
