New Home Inspections
Claxton Walker and Associates is a professional, independent, Home Inspection company that was founded by Claxton Walker in 1968 and was incorporated as Continental Inspection Agency in 1974. We are the oldest continually owned and operated inspection company in the Mid-Atlantic and probably the nation. Claxton Walker was a pioneer in the Home Inspection business and was instrumental in building the industry from its infancy. The business of Home Inspection evolved out of a public need for a single trained individuals who could provide unbiased evaluations of houses and buildings. The public wanted an individual who would;
ASHI, The American Society of Home Inspectors, is a professional association created in the early 70's for the purpose of establishing standard procedures and a code of ethics for the Home Inspection industry. It provides screening of inspectors through testing and competency verification as a prerequisite of membership. Claxton Walker was a founding member and several associates of Claxton Walker & Associates have served as presidents of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter including Joseph Walker. All inspectors with Claxton Walker & Associates are members. If you want further information on ASHI, the Standards of Practice, or the Code of Ethics please call our office, or contact ASHI.
Good surface water controls are fundamental to a sound and dry home. The house needs to sit high enough relative to the surrounding grade to allow a clear path for surface water run off. Our emphasis is on the overall surface water run off design. Swales or natural grade must protect the foundation. The slope of the ground immediately around the house is also given a high priority. Six inches of slope away from the house in the first ten feet is a typical government standard. One inch of slope per foot is preferred to allow for earth settlement. You should expect the ground around the house to settle at least six inches over the first ten years. As a homeowner you have to make sure sinking backfill is kept filled. Builders typically won't fix sinking backfill after the first year. Patios and walks must also slope away from the foundation at about 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot. Walks and patios should be complete and clean. Driveways are often not finished by closing, and the yard may not be finishable during winter months. All incomplete work should be documented, and agreements with the builder should be written and clear. Plantings should be placed with mature size in mind.
Most new houses in this area are built with fiberglass/asphalt composition shingles, of varying weights, that give them a life span of 20 - 30 years. Slate or clay tile are rarely installed new but they are considered the better material for roofs. Cedar shakes, although attractive, last only as long as common shingles in our climate. Man made slate laminates have proved troublesome. Most new house flat roofs are covered with modified bitumen or EPDM membranes. Copper or other metal materials last longer, but they require a higher level of craftsmanship making them more expensive. The steeper and simpler the roof the less likely it is to be troublesome. Conversely all flat roofs are troublesome and usually leak during any given owner's tenure. Complicated roof lines are also troublesome and prone to leaking. Gutters must be installed with adequate slope and sizing to prevent overflow during hard rains. Marginal conditions are hard to spot in dry weather but usually obvious in heavy rain. Watch them. If the slope of the ground is adequate to convey water away, a splash block is all you need at the end of the downspout. If the downspout discharge is fighting grade, or if walks and patios are in the way, then drains need to be buried to convey water to where it will safely run off the lot.
Chimneys, including furnace vents, will be assessed for apparent soundness, location relative to roof lines, windows, and predictable wind currents. Skylights tend to be troublesome although some new types work reasonably well. All skylights leak eventually. Flashing around skylights and chimneys are a common leak source.
Porches can take a variety of shapes and purposes including providing simple entry shelter (a portico), or elaborate family room extensions to the outdoors. Elaborate glassed in rooms are aesthetically pleasing but functionally troublesome as they age. Flat roofed porches, like many entry porticos, with exposed wood millwork are troublesome. Flat roofs leak and exposed wood decays. Deck structure is actually required to be heavier than the house structure. It must also be firmly bolted to solid wood at the building or capable of free standing. Railings need to be bolted and child proof. Deck material grades vary which will determine the rate of deterioration. You should plan on applying oil based preservatives on the wood within about 6 months and every two years afterwards. The stoops have hopefully been built on undisturbed soil although you may not know for a year or so. If possible we will check for footings and for flashing where the stoop meets the house.
Our main focus in the garage is with safety. Since cars and gasoline are kept in garages there are some important design requirements. Walls against any living areas should be covered with fire resistant drywall. Garage floors must slope toward the overhead door so that spills wash out. There should be a step up at the door so that fumes don't migrate into the building. The door to the house should be a fire rated door. The overhead door must have electric eyes to stop operation if anything is in the line of the door, and the closing force should be adjusted so that the door reverses easily if it strikes an object. Electric outlets should be GFI protected and should be off the floor so that sparks don't ignite fumes. The garage is usually the last room in your new house to be cleaned out and often is not ready during a final inspection. There are a number of other miscellaneous safety issues to be viewed during the inspection.
By the time of the final inspection the house should be complete with good detailing of the siding, brick, trim, doors, windows, painting, caulking, and all the weatherproofing details. Some designs, materials, and techniques are more troublesome than others so the inspector has to use experience to decide where to concentrate efforts. Brick is generally considered the most desirable wall covering because it is a proven product with a long history of successful use. Brick, on new houses, is usually a veneer over a wood frame structure. Water will penetrate through brick joints, particularly in areas subject to high winds. The wood behind the brick must be protected by building paper, flashing over windows, doors, and at the base of the wall, and there must be weep holes visible at the bottom. Unfortunately only the weep holes are visible to the inspector by the time the house is completed. Leaks through the brick are often confused with caulking problems. Vinyl siding is the most common new house covering because it is quick, inexpensive, and requires little maintenance. It must be nailed tight enough to hold under wind loads, yet loose enough so as not to wrinkle when temperatures change. Siding should be backed by building paper, but often isn't. Wood siding is generally considered an upgrade to vinyl, aluminum, or composites for aesthetic reasons, but wood requires substantial maintenance and can be troublesome if it is not a high grade or if it is installed wrong. Wood composite sidings are a less expensive alternative, but the history of these products has been mixed, as many disintegrate quickly if allowed any exposure to dampness. New cement based sidings show good promise. Synthetic stucco systems, generically known as EIFS (exterior insulation and finish systems) have become popular with mixed results. This is a synthetic stucco applied over foam insulation. EIFS systems must employ substrate water control or major subsurface water problems can develop quickly. You should obtain specifications and maintenance instructions from the installer if you purchase an EIFS house, and verify the substrate water management.
The declining availability of good quality wood for trim has led to the development of many man made alternative materials such as MDO, plastic composites, and wood composites. Plain wood trim, unless redwood or cedar, probably will not hold up. New house paint and caulk jobs are typically very thin and applied in all kinds of weather. Unless you received an unusually good paint job you should expect to repaint in about 2 years. If you're trim is untreated pine expect rot. If you wrap all the trim with aluminum or vinyl you may suffer aesthetically but you wont have to paint.
Windows and doors are one of the main expenses in building a house, and one of the most visible components which many people use as a judge of overall quality. Wood windows provide the traditional look many people want. The trade off is more maintenance. Most contractors agree that aluminum clad wood windows provide the best combination of durability, low maintenance, and weather resistance, vinyl clad wood being next. Solid vinyl is a good choice if aesthetics don't matter. Aluminum windows tend to be the least desirable. We try to check every window and door during a new house inspection for operation and installation defects. Doors are increasingly made out of alternative materials such as fiberglass, steel, and composites. These doors warp less than wood doors and the untrained eye can hardly tell these doors from wood.
House foundations can be classified by the type i.e., basement, crawlspace, or slab on grade; and the material, i.e. concrete block or poured concrete. A slab on grade is the simplest and least expensive, usually reserved for areas with wet or problematic soil. Walkout basements are easier to keep dry than fully submerged basements. Crawlspace houses tend to have the most problems, usually generated by moisture and condensation. Poured concrete, for foundation walls, is the predominant material in this area because its fast, durable, and easier to waterproof than block. Concrete walls can crack and chip however. Every house has some degree of these imperfections, and it is often a judgment call as to when it has become significant. Floor cracks are usually not structurally significant. Houses get wet during construction leaving stains. However since the waterproofing systems are all buried we try to record any evidence of exterior water because there could be hidden problems with the foundation waterproofing that haven't fully manifested themselves. Monitor these areas closely. Floor structures must meet certain minimums for strength and deflection (bounce). You may not like the minimum requirements. Joist sizing, spacing, and spans dictate floor stiffness, one of the most ubiquitous characteristics of a house. The inspector will try to convey the relative sturdiness of this area to you. Conventional lumber is durable, time tested, and forgiving of abuse, but nature provides imperfections, so it twists and shrinks. The pressure of lumber shortages and quality has fostered the development of a number of alternative floor systems. Manufactured plywood I-beams are stiff and straight and can span long distances, but they lack compressive strength, burn easily, and tend to get over spanned. Attachment, reinforcement, notching, and hole drilling rules vary for the different materials, and it is this workmanship that tends to be the focus of the inspection. Wall construction in nearly all houses in this area is 2x4 wood studs with some type of structural and/or insulating sheathing. Whatever the sheathing, the corners must be braced for lateral reinforcement. An occasional house will have 2x6 walls but this is rare. Studs will twist and cause walls to bow which sometimes isn't apparent until after the finishes are in place. An accepted standard in this area is that bows should not exceed 1/4" in 32" horizontal or vertical, and walls shouldn't be out of plumb more than 1/4" in 32". However these standards may be too relaxed if the bow occurs in a critically visible spot. 3-1/2" fiberglass insulation with 1/2" drywall over it is the norm. Wall insulation is of course not visible after the house is built.
The evaluation of an electric system requires; 1. Analysis of the total amount of power needed to run the house (load demand), measured in amps. 200 amps will do most houses but large houses can have 400-800 amps. 2. Determining how many, and what size circuits are needed to run all the equipment and lighting in the house. All appliances need to be dedicated out, general purpose circuitry has to be able to deliver at least 3 watts per square foot, and all normally anticipated loads, such as in the kitchens and baths, need to be accounted for. 3. A judgment of the workmanship and its completeness. Wires need to be neatly trained, correctly sized and connected, protected from damage, grounds connected, bonding wires in place, etc. 4. An evaluation of the condition of the wires and wiring devices (plugs, GFICs, switches, lights, relays, transformers, etc.). With you we will try to test every outlet and light, and run all equipment. Unlike the architecture of the house the electrical work tends not to be done in an infinite variety of ways. The codes are thorough and there are not many incentives to exceed the codes, as in other trades, unless you want extra built in lighting or special stereo, phone, security, or computer wiring. New house wiring tends not to be a place where major problems are found.
The plumbing inspection starts at the water main, works through the water heater, then up to the fixtures around the house, then back through the drains and out of the house. Water mains will be anywhere from 3/4" to 1-1/2" depending on the size of the house and the fixtures being served. You need to know where your main shut off is for emergencies. Copper is the most proven material for mains although polyethylene is not uncommon. Once in the house copper is still the most proven supply pipe, but CPVC is increasingly common with no demonstrated systemic problems. CPVC is considered preferable with well water. Gas water heaters are cheaper to operate than electric and recover faster so they can be smaller. A family of 3-4 can use a 40 gallon gas or a 52 gallon electric water heater. A family of 5-6 will require 65 gallons if electric and 50 gallons if gas. These sizes assume no spa tubs, guest rooms, or profuse use. Both last about 15 years on average with city water, less with wells. Its a good idea to flush out your water heater within a year after moving in. The house drains will be PVC unless the builder has tried to quiet the piping by upgrading to cast iron. Toilets and main drains will be at least 3" diameters, tubs and showers 2", and sinks 1-1/2". Slopes need to be maintained and we will check for leaks as much as we can. By the time of the final inspection all fixtures should be clean, mounted tightly, fully functional, and leak free. The plumbing vent system allows the pipes to draw outside air when water drains out. This keeps the traps from being sucked dry. Traps prevent sewer gas from entering the house. The vents are usually visible only in the attic and on the roof.
Heating systems are described by fuel type, size (measured in BTUHs), method of distribution, and the number of zones. The fuel will either be gas, oil, or electricity. Size is determined by an engineer, based on how fast the house looses heat. Distribution will be either via forced air or hot water. The number of zones depends on the size of the house. The more zones you have the more accurately you can control the temperature in any given area of the house. Each zone will have a separate thermostat. Hot water heat is the most comfortable and most durable, but it is expensive to install and not found in many new houses. The most common new house heating system, in this area, is gas fired forced air. Furnaces last 15 - 20 years. When a second zone is required (upstairs, or in a wing) it is common to use a heat pump. A heat pump is an air conditioner that can operate in reverse, drawing heat from the outside air and bringing it in to a blower, via refrigerants, such as Freon. This provides an economical installation but higher operating cost. The low output temperature at the register from a heat pump is not as comfortable as gas or oil. Heat pumps come in a range of efficiencies and last 12 -15 years. They work well if the house is well insulated and duct work is carefully designed. The focus of the inspection is to be sure that the installation is complete, machines are operating normally and sequencing correctly, that all the filters, blowers, and ducts have been cleaned out, that ducts are connected and supported correctly, thermostats are working correctly, and that you know your basic maintenance and operation requirements. The serious new house problems that occur usually are related to duct work, not the machinery. There is a gap between the engineering drawings and actual field installation. Duct layout and sizing are the critical factor in determining house comfort. Subtle problems are hard to detect until you have lived in the house a while. Unpredictable hot or cold spots may appear due to wind and sun orientation, air leakage in a wall or duct, unpredicted duct flow resistance, missing insulation, incorrect thermostat location, or unheated floors (such as over a garage). The inspector has to rely on experienced observation to try and predict problems.
Air conditioning systems (cooling) are described by the brand, size (BTUHs or tonnage), and number of zones. The air conditioning uses the same blower and ductwork as the heat, and the zoning will therefore be the same as in heating unless you have hot water heat which is rare in new houses. Some duct layouts favor heat, some favor cooling. The best systems have multiple returns on each floor including the basement to maximize circulation. As a rough rule you will have a ton of cooling for every 650 - 750 square feet. The difference in temperature between the incoming air and the outgoing air is a good measure of how well the system is working. With the inspector you will see how to check this, as well as coils, and filters. Heat and Air conditioning systems should be serviced every year, and filters checked monthly
Bathroom construction is probably the most complicated construction in the house, particularly modern elaborate bathrooms with marble, spas, and compartmentalization. Not only does it require the effort of 8-12 different trades, all concentrated into one small space, it also tends to receive the most abuse and scrutiny by homeowners. Fixtures come in a wide variety of grades, and appearance is not always an accurate indication of quality. Finishes can wear off of even expensive fixtures very quickly. You can not predict how well tile and shower stall bases have been installed until the house has been used for a year or so. In a typical shower stall the base is an EPDM (rubber like) membrane covered by cement and tile. Poor surface work can be an indicator of poor base work, but not necessarily. Remember that tile joints are not water proof, they are just water resistant, so the backing should be cement board, not drywall, and joints between fixtures, corners, and floors need to be caulked thoroughly. Fiberglass surrounds are less expensive, easier to install, and require less maintenance, but they are still considered a downgrade from tile simply because of long term durability and aesthetics. At the time of the inspection we are checking for tight grout joints, good caulking details, leaks in the fixtures, and good securing of the fixtures, water flow with multiple fixtures running, good ventilation, safety glass in the windows, correct spacing of fixtures, and chips in glass, counters, or fixtures. Generally the cosmetic defects must be caught during the final inspection. Most builders don't want to hear about chips in counters and tubs after you have lived in the house, therefore the bathrooms should be completely clean, operable, and well lit for final inspection. If its not, record it.
The laundry room should be well lit and should be equipped with storage capability. The space required to hold your appliances depends on the size you have but should be about 60" to allow for side by sides. Dryers have to be vented, and the vent run shouldn't be so long that it clogs or condenses. Outside vent covers should not be screened, and ducts should not be attached with screws so lint won't build up. If you need a gas dryer hookup that's usually an upgrade. The shut off needs to be accessible. Gas dryers are faster and cheaper to operate than electric dryers. It has become increasingly common to install the laundry rooms on the upper levels. If this is the case the floor must have some protection in case of a washer overflow. The protection can be a plastic safe pan with a one inch drain running off of it, or the floor can be built like a shower stall floor, with a drain built into it.
The kitchen, like the bathroom, is an area that requires the combined efforts of 8-12 trades and meticulous workmanship in order to meet your expectations. The potential cost variations in kitchens is staggering. For that reason we feel it is important to provide you at least some indication of the overall quality of the kitchen cabinets, counters, appliances, floors, fixtures, features, layout, size, lighting, and workmanship, unrelated to the house cost. The kitchen will be rated from 1-10; 10 being the best in all ways, and 1 the worst. By definition most kitchens will be a five. A 10 is rare and a 1 needs to be torn out. An unfinished kitchen can't be judged. Cabinet quality normally depends on the strength of the frame, the consistency and quality of finish, the installation workmanship, the hinge quality, and the way doors and drawers are made and operate. Appliances are equally variable. Granite counters are extremely durable and opulent but expensive and hard on glassware. High pressure composites (such as Corian) provide wider color choices and intermediate pricing. Plastic laminates (such as Formica) offer the most color variety and least cost. Flooring should be forgiving on your feet (and dropped dishes) and easy to keep clean. For that reason we discourage the use of tile, marble, or limestone. They are usually a mess within 5 years. Wood works well but the finish will wear off in front of the sink. Its hard to beat the good vinyls for comfort and convenience. Cheap vinyl wears out within five years. During the inspection we will operate all the appliances that are ready, check for leaks, check cabinet, sink, counter, and trim installation details, and check all the GFI outlets.
This portion of the inspection provides a general overview of construction details of the main foyer, front door, stairways, and halls. It is common at final inspections for the finishing touches to be in progress in foyers and stairs because they are the last areas detailed. Open stairways must have a stair rail about 34" high, and the space between balusters can't exceed 4" so babies don't fall through. Closed stairs need a handrail at about 30". Stair riser height shouldn't exceed 8 1/4", 7" is more comfortable, and there should be no more than 3/8" variation in one set of stairs. This is sometimes a problem when floor finishes weren't accounted for during the stair construction. Stair treads should be at least 9", although 11" is more comfortable. Hallways must be at least 36" wide, and there needs to be at least one 36" exit door. We will check for missing finishes, check balustrades, stair squeaks, entry door operation and finish, doorbells, floors and carpets, and smoke alarms. We will provide a general comment on the relative degree of ornation in your millwork (stairs, moldings etc.). This is non-judgmental because ornation doesn't necessarily equate to quality. Its for the purpose of description only.
Most houses are built with 1/2" drywall as a wall covering painted with 1-2 coats of flat latex on the walls and ceilings. Trim will be top coated with semi gloss. As we walk through together we are looking at the general condition of the paint and drywall finish. Usually the detailed punch listing of those components is done with you and the construction superintendent. Floor construction is usually carpet over plywood or oriented strand board in the bedroom levels, carpet over concrete in the finished basement areas, and some combination of wood, vinyl, and carpet in the main living areas. A simplified way to understand outlet spacing is that a six foot cord should be able to reach an outlet any where along a wall without crossing a doorway. Every room needs a switched outlet or switched overhead light as you enter the room. Rooms need to have glassed openings, doors or windows, equal to 8% of the total square footage of the room, and half of that needs to be openable. Living areas must have a ceiling height of at least 7' 6" with exceptions for kitchens, baths, basements, lofts and, boxed in beams and ducts. Bedrooms, including basement bedrooms, need to have a window from which you can escape in a fire. It can't be over 44" from the floor. Many jurisdictions now require smoke alarms in all sleeping rooms.
Inspecting the general interior includes testing most, if not all the windows for operation, checking hardware, screens, sills, muntins etc. We also check most, if not all doors and knobs, for fit and finish. Closet shelves should be secure. Outlets will be tested for correct wiring, i.e. grounding and polarity. Switches and lights should be operational. Oak floor finishes should be complete, fireplaces should be cleaned and operational. Good masonry fireplace construction follows some basic rules of design and dimension from which we can usually predict how well they will work. Damper operation needs to be checked since they quite often get clogged with mortar. Gas fireplaces can be either vent less, direct vent, or roof vented. All gas fireplaces should have an accessible gas valve outside the fireplace. Direct vent units must have certain clearances to combustibles outside where they vent. There is still debate as of this writing on the advisability of using vent less fireplaces. Allowing gas fumes to vent into the house has the potential to be dangerous. At least get a carbon monoxide detector.
The rating chart at the end of the inspection report is a simple way to let you know the inspectors overall impression of the house construction. This is relative to all new houses in this area, not just the houses in this price range. Items that are not complete may not be evaluated even if they may be on course to good execution. The 9 and 10 rating are reserved for houses with the highest grade materials combined with the best workmanship. These are rare. The 6-8 rating may still be well executed but with a lesser grade of materials, or they may be good materials with average workmanship. Average workmanship with average materials will receive a 5. Grades below 5 mean that the inspector thinks either the workmanship or the materials is problematic or is a downgrade below the expected level for the house.