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Top 10 Most Common
Home Problems
In a
recent survey, the American Society of Home Inspectors identified
the most
common home problems. It is interesting to note that four of the top ten
problems involved water or moisture.
1. Improper Surface Grading and Drainage
By far the most frequent problem. It is responsible
for the most common
household aggravations, including water penetration
into the basement
or crawlspace. All basements will eventually leak.
2. Improper
Electrical Wiring
A number of respondents found this to be a
significant defect. This
includes such situations as insufficient electrical
service, inadequate
overload protection and amateur (often dangerous)
wiring connections.
3. Roof Damage
Ranked third, leaking roofs are a frequent problem.
This is caused by old or
damaged shingles or improper flashing and drainage.
4. Heating
Systems
Defect items in this category include broken or
malfunctioning controls, blocked
chimneys and unsafe exhaust disposal.
5. Poor
Overall Maintenance
This is a common problem with all homeowners. Signs
of poor maintenance include
cracked, peeling or dirty painted surfaces, crumbling
masonry, makeshift wiring or
plumbing, and broken fixtures and appliances.
6.
Structure-Related Problems
As a result of problems in one or more other
categories, damage is sustained by
such structural components as foundation walls, floor
joists, rafters and window
and door headers.
7. Plumbing
Though not ranked as the number one problem,
plumbing defects still rank high.
This includes the existence of old or incompatible
piping materials, as well as
as faulty fixtures and waste lines.
8. Exteriors
Flaws in this category, such as windows, doors and
wall surfaces, rarely have
structural significance but may pose discomfort to the
occupants, due to water
and air penetration. The most common culprits are
inadequate caulking or
weather-stripping.
9. Poor
Ventilation
In an effort to save energy, many homeowners have "oversealed"
their homes,
resulting in excessive interior moisture. Significant
moisture can lead to rotting
and failure of both the structural and non-structural
elements.
10.
Miscellaneous
This category includes interior
components (often cosmetic in nature) that were
so infrequent that they did not rank
individually on the survey. Homeowners
should understand that regional climates,
local building codes and the age of
the home have a direct bearing on the
ranking of these defects. For instance,
the statistics relating to electrical and
plumbing problems and roofing may have
varied from one location to another and
thus rank differently from the averages
in this survey.
Additionally, in older homes, problems such as heating system
failure, in-
adequate electrical service and wiring and
worn plumbing was found much more
frequently than reflected in the nationwide
survey. |
