{"id":1042,"date":"2020-10-26T06:00:57","date_gmt":"2020-10-26T10:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=1042"},"modified":"2024-04-25T23:20:28","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T03:20:28","slug":"hiding-in-plain-sight-how-to-spot-four-visible-kinds-of-home-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/hiding-in-plain-sight-how-to-spot-four-visible-kinds-of-home-damage\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiding in Plain Sight: How to Spot Four Visible Kinds of Home Damage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Subtle signals can point to hidden damage in a house. Finding\nthese indicators early is important. A closer inspection might be necessary, to\ninform the buyer of possible costs to restore the damaged areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re planning to sell or buy, here are four types\nof damages that buyers and their agents typically look for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

1. A Shifting Foundation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To be sure the home is built on a strong foundation, look closely\nat the exterior. Uneven or cracked outer walls may be normal; they happen with wear\nand age. Indeed, even relatively new homes show some signs of settling or\nshifting in response to seasonal temperature changes. But if visible cracks can\nbe found on the same spots both on the outer and interior walls, the foundation\ncould be in trouble. Also, be on the lookout for any spots where the ground is pulling\naway from the patio, deck, or bottom of the walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other signs of structural problems can include doors and windows\nthat have separated slightly from their walls, or are hard to open or close.\nDoors that don\u2019t fit right or are tough to lock can also be signs. And it\u2019s\nbest not to ignore cracks in the walls around the doors or window corners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon seeing the home\u2019s interior, do you notice any unusual\ncracking or titling of the floors, or cracks in the walls along the edges of\nthe drywall? What you see could be no issue. But be sure the inspector takes a\nlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Roof or Chimney Issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The roof is a key insulator. It allows the homeowner to enjoy\na comfortable and energy-efficient home. It also keeps snow melt from gradually\nseeping into the house. So be sure the roof is an inspection priority. Know when\nthe roof was last replaced, and if there\u2019s an applicable warranty \u2014 roof\nrepairs are expensive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact of storms and falling tree branches on a roof can\njeopardize the interior condition of a house by opening leaks. It\u2019s a good idea\nto have a roofer examine the roof if you see damaged or missing tiles, rust\ncoming from specific areas of a gutter (possibly showing where ice jams the\ngutter), or any bent or torn components. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look closely, too, at the chimney. Are there any visible cracks?\nThey could signal a shifting foundation. They could also create health and safety\nhazards. Find out when the chimney was cleaned last, and who does the work.\nIt\u2019s a good idea to have a chimney professional assess the condition of a\nchimney. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Water and Moisture Damage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Past or future water damage<\/a> can be tricky for a buyer to spot. If it\u2019s behind walls that have been patched up with drywall, you might completely miss a problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, look over the exterior for puddles, runoff, and\ndripping. For best protection, the home needs good drainage engineering or a slope\nthat sends the water down, away from the structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving inside the house, look for cracks, moisture or stains on the walls and baseboards of basements or crawl spaces<\/a>. Do your best to follow your nose. One sign of moisture damage is a musty aroma. Mold may be present and visible. The CDC has information about the health implications here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examine the cabinets, windows and door frames for swellings or gaps, and listen for leaks. Seeing the home a day after a heavy rain is helpful if you want to make sure water damage won\u2019t be an issue. To follow up with your concerns, ask the home inspector to examine the interior with a thermal imaging camera. The camera doesn\u2019t pick up a visual image of moisture in walls<\/a>, but can be used to find it in ceilings, wall studs, and insulation by detecting temperature differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that wooden panels or floorboards that appear to be\nwater-damaged might actually be signs of termites; the inspector can shed light\non this question, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro tip:<\/em><\/strong> Always look under the area rugs. You\nmight find damage to floors which might not be visible in staging photos, and\nwhich an inspector won\u2019t seek out. The floor could be easy to restore, but you\nneed to know about it in order to budget the repairs and renovations you\u2019ll\ntake on once you become the owner. Catch things like this early, draw up a list\nof repair costs, and negotiate the home\u2019s price accordingly.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Environmental Hazards: Floods, Sinkholes, and Earthquakes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sellers should disclose floods, sinkholes, earthquake damage,\nand any other significant issues touching on the structural integrity of their\nhomes. If the area is prone to these hazards, did the seller hire\na surveyor<\/a>? If not, consider doing so before making an offer. Without\na recent survey, an insurance company might not cover any problems the surveyor\nwould have noticed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To scope out signs of flooding, check for sewer pipe backup\ndamage in the basement. Look carefully at the walls and flooring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you buying in an area<\/a> where the ground has significant limestone or carbonate karst content, salt or gypsum? Sinkholes can occasionally form in these regions and cause sudden collapses in the earth beneath or around structures, as explained by the U.S. Geological Survey<\/a>.\u00a0Possible signs of sinkholes are slanted buildings, fences or trees; holes or caved areas in the ground; and dead patches of foliage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earthquake damage can pose safety hazards, the Federal Emergency Management Agency states in its Helpful Hints on How to Spot Earthquake Damage<\/a>. FEMA recommends the following steps if you\u2019re in a quake-prone area:<\/p>\n\n\n\n