Wednesday, November 6, Mrs. x

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1 Wednesday, November 6, 2013 Mrs. x Following your request, I have proceeded with the inspection of the property located at 10 rue Street. The inspection was a visual inspection of the building inside and outside. No walls ceilings or floors have been opened to obtain more accurate results in the inspection process. Present during the inspection were: Mrs. X the buyer and Mrs. A the vendor. Purpose of this pre- purchase inspection of the building is to detect any defects and comment on the general condition of the property. Process: The exterior of the building was inspected first to detect any weak points or signs of certain defects. This report is supported by the pictures taken at the time of the inspection. This inspection will allow comments regarding the condition of the building and its components. I will make a list of points, which require special attention, either because they represent a deficiency, or the condition is such that it does not fulfill its intended use. I have not moved any furniture, equipment or plants. I will not give any conclusion as to the presence or absence of pyrite since no report was provided and there were no visible signs of its presence. Furthermore, I do not conclude as to the presence or absence of any harmful or carcinogenic substances (except where we find signs of mould and/or moisture) The responsibility of the undersigned limits itself to the points mentioned in this report. Included with this report are the contingencies and limiting clauses. Overview: Climatic conditions: Weather: Temperature: sunny 28 C According to the information provided: the building has been built in 2007 (according to vendors declaration) The building is a two storey detached house with an attached garage. 1

2 The building is clad with brick and siding. Front wall has the brick on the first floor only; the rest of the house is covered in siding.. The foundation is a concrete foundation finished with parging cement. Roof: Multi peak sloped roof covered in asphalt shingles with one Max vent. Windows and doors: all windows crank type PVC with thermal panes front door is painted steel, back patio door is PVC slider, back garage door is painted steel, garage door painted aluminum. Balconies: at the front of the house there is small concrete balcony at the top of the stairs, covered by roof. At the back there is a small wood balcony. There is a storage shed at the back of the property. The shed may be located on the Hydro servitude; this should be verified on certificate of location. List of elements, components, deficiencies to correct or required improvements: Exterior of the building: 1. Land and its grading: The front of the house consists of: large driveway, main entrance to the house, flowerbed at the foundation wall of the house, the rest is grass. The grading of 2

3 the land is positive, the water will run- off away from the house. Ground is visually flat on the side and the back of the house The backyard slope is negative; the ground is collecting water against the house. This should be corrected. As per National Building Codes (N.B.C.) any opening, should be at a level 6 to 8 above the level of the finished landscaping in order to protect brick against humidity. The finished level of the ground must be arranged with the slope from the foundation wall of the house, measures must be taken to permit water runoff away from the house. A drain ditch can be used to drain land when the slope is negative. 3

4 2. Foundations: Concrete foundation in very good condition. There is no visible crack or signs of shifting. Concrete slab in the garage in very good condition, there is no visible cracks Concrete slab in the basement (basement slab not visible, all floors are covered by sub- floor and finish), polyethylene membrane not visible. Based on the practices at the age of the construction 2007 there is French drain present No signs of water infiltration through the foundation wall visible, no humidity smells. 3. Exterior siding (finish): New brick in good condition present at the front of the house. 4

5 Window stone sill needs joint repair. It consists of three pieces of stone and it requires joint repair to avoid water infiltration. Drip edge flashing is not present around the edge of the roof (does not conform to sub- section of N.B.C. Protection against rain ) Soffit made of perforated aluminum providing good aeration Vinyl siding around the house is in good condition. There are some stains visible at the front of the house; they appear to be cosmetic. 4. Balconies Front balcony (the main entrance) is a concrete structure. There is no railing. The steps are in good condition. The balcony was poured in two stages so there is a visible crack in the parging cement. Also, the gutters are overflowing on to the steps, which causes even more damage to the cement finish. This crack has 5

6 no overall structural effect. Back main balcony is a wood structure in good condition. 5. Windows and doors Windows are made of PVC, opening to the outside, with thermal pane. Windows open well and are in good condition. The caulking around the windows is in good condition PVC patio doors (kitchen) are double slide with thermo panes in good condition. Basement windows are slider type with thermo pane. All appear to be in good condition. One window in the back (directly under the kitchen) is missing caulking all around the edge. It is recommended that good quality ( Flextra 6

7 exterior type) caulking be applied. Entrance doors: full steel door with two sidelights with thermo panes. The doors are in a good condition. 7

8 Back garage door is a full steel door in good condition. There are signs of water infiltration at the bottom corner. This is most likely due to overflowing gutters. Garage door, painted aluminum in good condition, with automatic door opener. Opener functions well and is equipped with magic eye safety feature. 6. Roof: Sloped roof with asphalt shingles, one Maximum vent present. Shingles generally in good shape, however there is one area where they are showing signs of wear. This is directly over the room on top of the garage. The reason for 8

9 this is not sufficient air circulation in that area of the roof. It is recommended that the additional Maximum vent be installed over that area. The air circulation vents (where the wall meets the roof) are in good condition and properly installed The plumbing vent visible through the attic space and back of the roof. No drip edge flashing present at the edges of the roof. It is recommended that drip edge be installed 7. Gutters and down spouts: 9

10 Gutters & down spouts present all around the house. There are not enough downspouts so the rainwater overflows the gutters causing damage. It is recommended that additional downspouts be installed and the gutters cleaned regularly. It is also recommended that the ends of the downspouts be extended to send water away from the house. 8. Structure and sub- structure Wood studs bearing walls No visible bearing beams or posts No visible floor or wall structure Roof structure made from wood trusses Garage slab is reinforced 8 concrete slab under which there is a furnace/utility room 9. Attic space: There is an access space over the entire second floor with an access from the top bedroom (pink room). There is approximately 10 of loose insulation providing approximately R- 32 which is the minimum required, however the new Hydro 10

11 Quebec recommendations is to upgrade the attic insulation to R- 50. Interior of the building: 1. Basement: Basement is entirely finished; with separate bedroom, playroom, bathroom/laundry room, hot water tank closet, sump- pump room and utility room under the garage Floors are floating type finish flooring, installed over the concrete slab. The floor is in good condition. Walls and ceiling are drywall type. Most of the drywall joints are visible due to lack of proper plaster finish Bathroom: 11

12 Shower is a prefabricated unit with a glass enclosure is in good condition. The toilet works well. Sink is in good working condition with shut- off valves present 12

13 Air exhaust is provided by the air- exchange system with wall control switch. The laundry closet is located in the bathroom. The laundry machine valves are easily accessible, and dryer is connected to outside The laundry drain may not be vented properly because there are signs of water overflowing on the floor and baseboards. It is recommended that the drain be verified and necessary repairs undertaken to avoid any further water damages 13

14 The hot water tank (60 gal, electrical, 2007) is located in a room/closet behind the laundry room. The overflow drain from the tank was not connected to a drain. It is recommended that it be connected to the sump pump with a flexible type hose. Sump pump was working at the time of inspection. Main drain clean- out was visible next to the sump- pump. It is recommended to install Sump Buddy secondary sump pump system which works even when there is no electricity. 14

15 Bedroom with a window and a closet. The floor walls and ceiling are in good condition The electrical panel 200AMP Stab- lock type panel is located in the basement playroom area. There has been numerous incidents with this type of panel were the breakers did not function properly. It is recommended that the panel be replaced with a new (Square D, Siemens,) The electrical is copper wiring and well grounded. The main water entry ¾ copper with Pex distribution lines and the abs main drain, clean out and backwater valve is located in the sump- pump room at the front of the house. The utility room contains the electric furnace and thermo pump as well as the air exchanger 15

16 and the central vacuum. It is recommended that the filters on the furnace and the air exchanger be cleaned regularly. 16

17 It is also recommended that the ducts be cleaned every 4-5 years; also the regular yearly maintenance on all the above equipment should be performed. Doors and windows were all in good condition and opened and closed well The exterior water valve (at the basement level) is anti- freeze type valve and is well installed. The concrete slab in the utility room is in good condition; there are no visible cracks. There was an empty sound under the concrete slab, it is recommended that the area be marked and watched if it increase in size, 17

18 also if any cracks appear, further investigation may be required. There is a water drain pit (not accessible at the time of inspection) draining from the garage floor drain with a 3 abs pipe. 2. Main unit first and second floor: Entrance: large entrance is tiled with ceramic tiles in good condition. There is a large closet in the entrance hall. There is a double French door leading to the living room. 18

19 Living room: floor is a hardwood prefinished type in good condition. The walls and ceiling are drywall in good condition. There is a gas (propane) fireplace with a direct vent to outside. The fireplace is controlled with a wall- mounted thermostat, also there is a circulation fan controlled with a wall- mounted switch. The fireplace was not tested at the time 19

20 of the inspection! All windows open and close well. There was a small water stains at the bottom of the window, this could be due to water entering through an open window. There was no moisture present as tested by infrared camera. Powder room: small bathroom is located to the right of the main entrance. The sink and toilet have shut- off valves. The toilet works well. The plug located next to the sink is not to code, it is recommended that it be replaced with a GFIC type pug The air exhaust is provided by the air- exchange system with a wall mount switch control 20

21 Kitchen: kitchen is located at the back. The floor is a ceramic tile in good condition. Wood cabinets on two walls with an island in the center. There is sufficient number of counter plugs. The exhaust hood is present, vented to the outside and working very well. 21

22 Kitchen sink has shut- off valves, drains well and is equipped with in sink aerator (not tested) The plugs located less than 3 feet from the sink should be protected by GFIC breaker Appliances were not tested at the inspection! The patio door from the kitchen provides access to the backyard 22

23 Dinning room is located next to the kitchen with prefinished hardwood flooring Stairs to the second floor: stairs and railing are made of solid wood in good condition and according to codes Second floor has two levels: one over the garage area and the second few steps up over the rest of the main floor. 23

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25 The area over the garage has two rooms with prefinished hardwood flooring. Walls and ceiling are in good condition. Bathroom: Toilet in good working order. Double sink and vanity has shut- off valves, but the drain seams to blocked or not properly vented, it bubbles when draining. This should be verified and corrected. Build in bath is in good condition, silicone around the bathtub missing on the wall sides. It is recommended that the silicone be applied all around the tub. Shower is a pre- fab base and glass door unit; the edges of the unit show signs of water damage, baseboard is missing and the drywall in the corners is wet. Grout 25

26 at the base level is partially missing. It is recommended that the grout be replaced with silicone and the door disassembled cleaned and reassembled with the silicone applied where necessary. The air exhaust provided by the air- exchanger system with wall mount switch control The plug next to the sink is GFIC type Front master bedroom: floor prefinished hardwood, walls and ceiling is in good condition. Large closet with double door present. 26

27 Back bedrooms: floor prefinished hardwood, walls and ceiling in good condition. Each room has a closet. 27

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29 The access to the attic is located in the ceiling of the pink bedroom 29

30 Central vacuum outlet is located in the hallway All the windows on the top floor opened and closed well and appeared to be in good condition All doors closed and opened well, the gaps around the frame were even. There were no signs of shifting or cracking. 10. Plumbing Water entry made of copper ¾ in size Distribution piping made of pex Drain pipes made of abs, vented to the roof Drain is connected to the public system Shut- off valves present on all of the plumbing fixtures 11. Electricity: 200- amp entry, the main power supply is over land from the backyard. This may cause a problem if swimming pool to be installed, please verify requirements 30

31 with Hydro Quebec Main power switches is located on the main panel in the basement Panel for the main unit is Stab- Lock 200- amp panel All wiring is copper and grounded All exterior plugs should be replaced with a GFIC type plug with a proper watertight cover. Smoke detectors are present on every floor Not all power outlets in the bathrooms are GFIC certified The counter plugs in the kitchen need to be GFIC protected 31

32 12. Heating and ventilation: Bathroom and basement additional heating; electrical baseboard heaters with unit mount thermostats. The main unit is heated by electric furnace forced air system with an air- conditioning unit and air exchange system. It is recommended that the furnace, thermo- pump and air exchanger be serviced and all the ducting cleaned. Secondary heating source: fireplace in the living room, propane unit, rented tank located on the side of the house. Inspection of the fireplace was not done within the scope of this visual inspection. 13. Entrance: Concrete steps lead up to the front door 32

33 Driveway is an asphalt with stone edges in good condition 14. Other: The basement window at the back of the house should have the window well installed. This is due to a fact that the ground slopes towards the house in this area. The area in front of each window should be dug up min 16 below the bottom of the window with a center core hole 12 diameter and min 48 deep and filled with ¾ clean gravel to 6 under the bottom of the window. The concrete under the window, which was filled in at the time of the window installation should be water proofed with membrane to prevent any water infiltration to inside. There is a water meter on the side of the house next to the electrical meter. 15. Conclusion: Having proceeded with a carefully done systematic inspection of the property, and with help of a homeowner s property disclosure, I am of the opinion that this house, is in a acceptable condition for the utilization it is intended for, which is one basement rental units and one main living area on two floors for the owner. I did however detect several defects that are mentioned in the report. Several of the defects or non- conformities observed are common and will often result in an increase in the regular maintenance required on this house, in order to insure long life of the materials. A few of the more important deficiencies are: 1. Provide window well for the basement window in the back and caulk around the window 33

34 2. Repair joints on the stone window sill at the front of the house 3. Install drip edge flashing at the edges of the roof 4. Install additional downspout for the gutters and clean. Install extensions for the downspouts to direct water away from the house 5. Install additional Maximum Vent for the portion of the roof over the garage 6. Repair small area of the roof shingles 7. Add more loose insulation in the attic to bring it to Hydro Quebec recommended R Install sump buddy system to protect in case of power failure 9. Verify and repair the wash machine drain to avoid water damage 10. Connect hot water tank drain to the sump pump 11. Recommended to replace the Stab- lock panel with a more reliable Square D or Siemens panel 12. Service maintenance and filter cleaning or replacement is required on the furnace, air exchanger and thermo pump. 13. The forced air ducting should be cleaned 14. The concrete slab in the utility room should be surveyed for any further damages (empty sound under the slab) 15. All plugs located at a distance closer than 36 to a water source (faucet, sink) should be replaced with GFIC type plugs 16. It is recommended but not required to install exhaust fans in the bathrooms 17. Verify drain for the double sink in the master bathroom and repair if necessary 18. Silicone should be applied around the entire edge of the bathtub 19. Shower door should be reinstalled, cleaned and new silicone applied. Grout should be replaced with silicone at the bottom edge. The drywall at the corners of the shower should be replaced and new base molding installed 20. Verify requirements with Hydro Quebec before installation of the swimming pool 21. Replace exterior plugs with a GFIC type I recommend that you call on qualified people and companies possessing proper licenses and insurance to protect yourself from shabby work, and to assure quality and guaranty of the work. For your information, any modification above $ should be subject to a building permit from your city. Should more information be required, do not hesitate to call me. Thank you for your business Karol Bartnicki 34

35 Contingency conditions and limitations I assume no responsibility for legal matters. This report is to be used within the stipulated goals, and stipulated limits only. The fees related to the production of this report limit itself to one visit, and production of the report. Any other site visits and their costs, meetings with insurers or other, should be agreed upon in advance. The undersigned does not agree to testify in court, or appear in court relative to this report of the property concerned, unless another agreement was made for the above. Possession of this report, or a copy of this report, does not give the right to publication or reproduction, neither the right of utilization by persons other than the client, without prior consent from the undersigned. Certification Taking in consideration the pertinence, the quality, and the quantity of the recorded information, I declare that the building described above was visited by qualified professional and I certify that the opinion and the information included in this report are to the best of my knowledge, are true, and that I have no direct or indirect interest in this real estate property. 35