It’s always interesting inspecting new homes. Buyers of new houses or apartments often think that the home will be in perfect condition or that because the builder has enrolled in a warranty program, there is no need for a home inspection.

Usually, the homebuyer goes on a "deficiency walkthrough" with the builder or developer representative. The builder knows what to look for while the homebuyer often does not. Having an independent third-party inspector accompany you will ensure a more thorough, unbiased inspection.

(Photo: Hugh Cairns)

While secured properly to the copper supply line, this tub spout is loose. The movement is due to the supply pipe not being properly secured to the wall studs before boarding and tiling. In this case, I recommend that the repair be done from the opposite side of the wall so that the new tile doesn't have to be replaced, making the repair less invasive and less costly.

Deficiency walkthroughs aren’t just a visual experience. Sure, looking for clues helps, but using ones hands to pull and push often uncovers less obvious deficiencies. Take for example the tub spout pictured above. It looked like the installation was fine, but one pull on the spout clearly proved the opposite. In the big scheme of things it is a fairly routine repair. Often the first reaction is to tear out the tile and board to accomplish the repair. I recommend that the repair be done from the opposite side of the wall so that the new tile doesn’t have to be replaced, making the repair less invasive and less costly.

The real motivation for having a knowledgeable person oversee the deficiency walkthrough is to get as many deficiencies dealt with before money changes hands. Builders are often much more motivated at this point in the delivery process than when they have their money. Once that happens, they quite regularly respond to deficiencies with a referral to their home warranty program which the builder themselves pays for the coverage up front.

Hugh Cairns is the Owner and Chief Inspector and www.subject2homeinspections. Hugh welcomes your comments and suggestions. Send him an email to hugh@subject2homeinspections.com.

Photo: Contributed - (Photo: Hugh Cairns)

People need to take care when entering times on the microwave, as two minutes could quite easily be registered as twenty minutes on some models.

It was the early 70’s that I got my first glimpses of the Amana Radarange. I read that after the astronauts from Apollo 11 splashed down, they were picked up by the USS Hornet and quarantined in a specially sealed Airstream trailer inside the hangar deck for a 3 weeks in case there was lunar microbes. The trailer was equipped with an Amana Radarange for the Astronauts to use. Imagine that.

I think that Bob Barker made them even more famous on The Price Is Right. The show was piped into homes all over North America where most of us gawked at the newest cooking invention. Then one day, one appeared on Auntie Verlea’s kitchen counter. It was so huge that the food prep area had to be moved from the kitchen counter to the kitchen table. It didn’t come with a cookbook, so she kept a spiral bound notebook. In it she taped newspaper clippings and kept notes on what worked and what didn’t.

Two things were made clear to us youngsters. You weren’t supposed to ever put metal in it, and if you stared into it, your brain would fry. Those rules were accentuated by things that blew up, like eggs. Later on we would actually try and blow up things, marshmallows; gum and ketchup packets became favorites. The adults had a different kind of approach. Their journey was to see what they could cook in it for fun or as an experiment. All of the sudden anything that could be cooked on the stove was a candidate for the microwave cooking, including a Thanksgiving turkey. Microwaves back then didn’t have turn tables, so out came the turkey at regular intervals for a spin. It was mostly vegetables for dinner that year.

Setting the timer on the microwave was a trip. Learning how long to cook things was trial and error, with an emphasis on error. Over cooking things could be dangerous. Misread labels or keying mistakes led to a few mini disasters. Like six pieces of frozen fried chicken. The box said to cook it them for six minutes. The mathematician and chief microwave operator programmed the unit for 36 minutes. After 25, the smoke came out of the microwave. There is no way to describe what was on the plate, other than to say it's sort of what you'd get if you shot a high-energy weapon at a chicken: a smoking unrecognizable heap of burning flesh and bones.

Now 40 years later, microwave owners are still approximating cooking times. Except for popcorn. Guesstimating and predicting cooking times is still pretty much a crap shoot. I think by now most of us have given up on microwave cooking and have settled for warming up.

There is a lot less pressure in warming up. Anybody can do it. Warming up is fairly innocuous, except when 3:00 minutes becomes 30:00 minutes, or 4:00 minutes becomes 40:00 minutes. Then the results aren’t fun, the fire department responds and the building is evacuated. All of the sudden, you have garnered the unfavorable reputation of being “that” person in the building who isn’t able to operate a microwave. How do you shake that label?

It’s quite surprising that we man has landed on the moon, yet microwave manufactures haven’t offered an “Are you sure?” feature when we program a time longer than 5:00 minutes.

Hugh Cairns is the Owner and Chief Inspector and www.subject2homeinspections. Hugh welcomes your comments and suggestions. Send him an email to hugh@subject2homeinspections.com.

Photo: Contributed - (Photo: Hugh Cairns)

Drywall is one of the best materials with which to build walls and ceilings because of its lightweight and its ease of installation. However, it is susceptible to damage, which includes cracks in the ceiling.

Many home buyers judge the entire construction quality of their homes by the quality of the interior finish whereas home inspectors look at the walls and ceilings of the home as sources of clues for the structural performance of a home.

Drywall is one of the best materials with which to build walls and ceilings because of its lightweight and its ease of installation. However, it is susceptible to damage, which includes cracks in the ceiling. There are many causes of cracks, ranging from improper stocking, framing, and sheet installation to poor joint compound application and poor temperature and humidity control during installation. In order to prevent these occurrences, it is important to keep the temperatures even in buildings where sheetrock is used.

There are two major types of cracks, perimeter cracks and field cracks. Perimeter cracks occur where two planes meet, like where a wall and ceiling meet. Field cracks occur at horizontal and vertical drywall joints.

Perimeter cracks are typically caused by seasonal movement of the framing, which stresses the corners where two stiff planes of drywall meet. Cracks in the field are usually caused by misaligned framing, poor finishing techniques, or incorrect spacing and fastening of the drywall sheets. Both types of cracks can also result from poor control of the environmental conditions during the drywall job.

The natural expansion and contraction of wall studs and roof trusses can cause cracking. Drywall sheets naturally move. When the tape isn't fully bedded in the joint compound, the joint is susceptible to cracking during the natural movement of the sheets. Using an insufficient number of fasteners may cause drywall to bow, creating cracks along the perimeter of the sheet. This cracking is especially a problem on a ceiling, where the full weight of the sheet is supported by the fasteners.

Large gaps between sheets of drywall require more joint compound than usual, making the joints more susceptible to shrinkage cracks.

(Photo: Hugh Cairns)

What is unique about shrinkage cracks in concrete is that they usually appear to be discontinuous, as shown in this photo. The crack will meander along in the concrete, and taper to a stop. This is characteristic of concrete shrinking while giving up its moisture.

Homeowners are often wary about settlement cracks. Sometimes they that think that cracks are occurring because the house is sinking. It can happen, but often the situation is not as bad as one would think. I have owned homes with cracks in the foundation as well as cracks in concrete floors. Often they can be repaired.

Settlement happens when a portion of the house falls below the height that it was placed during the original construction. Settlement can happen for several reasons including the soil below the foundation has shrunk due to moisture loss, improper compaction before the foundation was poured. The list of reasons is pretty much endless. Not all houses settle but many have some typical cracking.

Cracks can occur as a result of shrinkage. Water is often used or present in many building materials. Moisture can be naturally present in the case of wood or it is added to products like concrete. When the moisture evaporates from the material it can shrink to the point of producing cracking. Corners, doorways and offsets are excellent locations for cracks to begin.

Conventional concrete slab floors in residential construction are poured separately inside a separate foundation wall. They primarily act as barrier between the soil below and the finished flooring. The floor slab can rest or contact the foundation wall footing. Foundation floors are usually not connected permanently to foundation walls and do not support the structure. They primarily act as a barrier between the soil and the finished parts of the house. When foundation floors crack it is often due to moisture loss or settlement and the problem is often localized. Often cracks in a basement floor slab are not a threat to the structure.