I want to give a quick shout out to my home inspector, Cory Jacques from Amerispec. I have been working with Cory for over 2 years now, and I'm continually impressed with his knowledge, ability to communicate possible defects succinctly and accessibly for a homeowner, and most importantly his attention to detail and ability to catch the smallest defect!
On three separate occasions this past year, he has caught significant foundation issues in houses with completely finished basements - thus saving my clients tens of thousands of dollars in unforeseen expenses.
So in honour of Cory, here is the first part of some home inspection tips and tricks that might come in handy when house shopping:
How to tell the age of a furnace and/or hot water tank
Answer: The month and year of your furnace and hot water tank is usually included in the serial number on the unit. Each manufacturer is different, but Goodman for example, has a 10 digit serial number where the first four numbers are year/month of production. So, 1404123456 would be manufactured in April 2014.
What is the difference between architectural shingles and three-tab shingles?
Answer: Three-tab shingles are flat and have a single tab shape and size. Architectural shingles are also called dimensional shingles and are composed of multiple layers of material. they are thicker and about 50% heavier which also makes them more durable than three-tab shingles.
How can you tell when shingles are coming to the end of their life?
Answer: Shingles curling, bulging, or cracking are the first signs your roofing is due for replacement. Also, missing granules - when viewed from the ground, look for dark patches on light shingles or lighter patches if the shingles are black or dark. These are markers or missing granules.
Check back next week for tips on ice damming, tiles and re-grading!