Damage caused by construction defects or improper maintenance can be very expensive to remedy. Here are some things you want to look for when looking to purchase a house or after a contractor performs work at your home.
- Signs of moisture or water leakage inside your home
- Mold
- Dry rot anywhere
- Stains on walls or ceilings
- Nail pops or soft drywall
- Windows or doors that do not close correctly
- Ponding water or flooding outside your home
- Cracks in drywall, tile work, cabinets, and concrete slabs or foundations
- External stucco cracking, flaking or staining
- Odd smells and odors
- Lights that flicker on and off
- Loose, slipping, or falling roof tiles
- Power breaker switches that often trip
- Absence of gutters and downspouts
- Water seeping through the slab
- Pest infestations through cracks in slabs or walls
- Uneven or sloping floors
- Basement walls out of plumb
- Covered weep holes
- Decks that don’t drain properly, feel spongy, or have cracks on the surface
- Bathroom vents directly into attic (can cause mold growth)
- Sidewalks, driveways, or garbage slabs that crack, have efflorescence, or begin to disintegrate
- Balcony railings that are loose, rusting, or rotting
- External patios and walls separating from house or slab
- Wet slabs or moisture in crawl spaces
- Roofs that leak or pond water
- Windows, sliding glass doors, or skylights with water stains around
- Openings in attic crawl spaces between units
- Chimney caps without spark arrestors
- Tilted chimneys
- Dizziness, drowsiness, or an unusual number of colds or allergy symptoms you did not have before you moved into the building
- Extremely hot water that scalds on contact
- Gas ranges that fail to light, or burn sporadically, indicating leaky gas lines
- Heating systems and furnaces that fail to operate, or make unusual noises
If these problems are present at your house, you will want to contact qualified professionals to investigate further.