Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 11, 1990 TAG: 9003123183
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KAROL V. MENZIE and RANDY JOHNSON THE BALTIMORE SUN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Well, not really bad, but there are some houses that are bad candidates for ordinary rehabbers.
Of course, any combination of problems can overwhelm your resources. But suppose a house you like is in fairly good shape . . . it just has this one problem . . .
Should you look elsewhere?
Maybe. Some repairs are especially expensive and disruptive. You may want to scratch a house off your list if:
\ There's underground water in the basement: If there's any water in the basement, look for obvious sources: leaks around windows or doors, stains on walls or muddy places. If there's clear standing water and no obvious place it's coming in, you could be in the market for a costly sump pump and drain tiles.
\ The footings are bad or non-existent: Footings support foundations. New houses have concrete under foundation walls. Old houses were built on stone or brick foundations with little or no preparation of the underlying ground. (Sometimes masons just poured lime on the dirt and started building.) Check the mortar joints to see if the courses, or layers of brick or stone, line up. Don't worry too much about loose or cracked mortar. What you're looking for is evidence that something underneath has dropped and taken part of the foundation with it. If you see cracks that have shattered bricks or severe dislocations of courses, and you're serious about the house, call a structural engineer.
Keep in mind that not all cracks are bad.
\ Houses age: (Usually better than people.) Sometimes a wall may settle a bit and stop. A structural engineer can take soil samples and determine how much the soil has compacted and whether it's likely to compact further and cause more settlement.
On the other hand, if a crack is a problem in your mind, it could also be a problem for the person who buys the house from you. So even if you are resigned to living with a wicked-looking crack, you might still get an engineer's report for later.
\ There's soft wood in the basement: It could be water damage - but termites and water go together well. The best way to find out if the wood is soft is to stab all basement joists at the walls with a sharp implement, like a screwdriver or handy nail. Stab anything inanimate that looks soft. (If the wood's OK you can't hurt it.) Termites eat from the center, so wood can look fine but be mushy in the middle. If there is a wall on top of a soft joist, follow it through the house, stabbing discreetly as you go. (Not the plaster, the wood, and not where it will show.) And call a termite inspector.
Read the disclaimers in the termite report very carefully. If you suspect the damage is greater than it appears or than the report indicates, reconsider the purchase.
\ The water lines are bad: Testing this takes two people. The first person turns on hot and cold faucets in the basement, or lowest level that has faucets. The other person goes to the highest level that has faucets and turns on hot and cold faucets. If the water flow to the lower level drops off dramatically, the pipes are clogged, or were badly installed. They'll probably need replacing. The best water lines are copper with soldered joints. Many old houses have pipes of galvanized steel, with threaded joints. If galvanized pipes show signs of leaks or rust at joints, they'll have to be replaced. If sewer lines or drains have visible cracks or leaks, they'll have to be replaced - an expensive proposition.
If bath and kitchen layouts need to be changed, you will have to bring all the plumbing up to current codes. That could mean a complete replacement of water and drain lines. Drains have to be vented through the roof.
\ Roof damage extends through the surface to the sheeting or rafters below: Replacing the underlying surface and putting on a new roof will require a carpenter and a roofer and a hunk of change.
\ The wiring is inadequate: There are two things to check. One, the service should be at least 100 amps with 24 circuits. Older systems have fuses; most people prefer breakers. Look at the panel box. It will tell you what the amperage is, and you can count the circuits. Two, the wiring should be BX cable (metal-wrapped) or Romex (hard plastic cover). Check the wiring in the basement. If you see knob-and-tube (fabric-wrapped wires, wooden tracks and ceramic tubes at joists), it should be replaced. (Codes may not require replacement, but we think the stuff is dangerous. And it certainly has outlived the electrician who installed it.) Sometimes basements have been rewired but not the floors above. Question the homeowner. If you have any doubts, an electrician or home inspector should be able to take the switch cover plates off and tell you what kind of wiring is behind them.
\ The heating system can't be operated efficiently: Few systems last more than 30 years. Furnaces that don't have blowers and boilers that don't have circulating pumps are inefficient by modern standards and should be replaced. Don't assume because a house has duct work that adding air conditioning will be easy. The existing furnace probably won't accommodate add-ons, and you'll still have to provide new duct work for cold-air returns on each floor (if not in each room).
Having put all that on record, we have to confess we have both bought houses with one or more of these problems. If you fall in love with a particular house, nothing we've said will make any difference.
That's fine. We'll be discussing all of these situations as we go along.
by CNB