What a Home Inspector Looks for When Checking a Home’s Exterior
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When a home inspector is checking the exterior of your home, they are looking for many things. First and foremost, they want to make sure that the outside of your house is properly maintained. If it’s not, you could deal with future issues such as mold growth or water intrusion. So what other things does an inspector look for on the exterior? We’ll tell you in this article!
Checking All Aspects of Your Home
An inspector will also look for any exterior components that the homeowner might not be able to see. For example, an inspector will check a garage door’s tracks and rollers if it is visible from the outside of your home. If they appear worn or damaged in some way, then repair work should be scheduled immediately!
HVAC Safety Checks
An HVAC safety check is a must for any home inspector. To know that the system is running without issue, an exterior inspection should be completed regularly. This can quickly be done with your HVAC company’s assistance or by hiring a professional contractor!
Exterior Damage
An inspector also looks around your house for any signs of external damage, such as a damaged roof, siding, or gutters. If any of these components require a repair, then this will be noted on the report, and you’ll want to make sure they’re fixed as soon as possible.
Garage Door Tracks and Rollers
If visible, the inspector will check your garage door tracks and rollers for any signs of wear. If they’re not in good condition, this could result in a damaged or even broken garage door.
Exterior Electrical Outlets
A home inspector may also look at exterior electrical outlets for any signs of corrosion or other damage that would mean it needs to be replaced.
Basement Window Visibility
The basement window visibility will be checked and noted on the report by looking out from inside the foundation wall (if possible) and also examining whether other windows allow good clearance when viewed from outside at ground level. For example, if your house has many trees around it, then this could obscure the view of your basement window.
Doors and Windows
If you have any issues with your doors or windows, they need to be addressed immediately. An inspector will look for things like cracks in the frame, gaps around the door where warm air can escape, and other maintenance issues that might arise, such as a broken window pane. Cracks and crevices could indicate water intrusion on either side of these areas, which should not happen.
Exterior Paint
Paint can sometimes give you clues about what issues are going on with your house before more serious problems happen. For example, an old layer could show where there previously was water damage (saprophytic mold), leading to black mold growth inside when exposed to moisture again. A painting service can examine paint closely for chipping edges and discoloration throughout the layers–it could mean trouble ahead!
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