Be your own home inspector

“This offer conditional on a satisfactory home inspection.” If you've bought or sold a house lately, there's a good chance this clause was written into the deal. Real estate agents often recommend an inspection, and homebuyers want an impartial detective to ferret out problems. But selling your house should not be the only time your home gets a thorough checkup. Why not apply the method and techniques of the professional home inspector to your own regular maintenance check? Maybe you don't have the same in-depth knowledge and experience, but use an inspector's approach regularly and you'll know the place you live in a lot better and spot problems before they're serious.

The home inspector's most important tool isn't a flashlight or a ladder, or any testing gadget, it's a systematic method that scrutinizes a house completely. Different inspectors have different methods. Alex Welsh and Dale Mullen, two home inspectors from two parts of the country, share a common basic approach-both work from the outside in. They share the highlights of a typical inspection.

Welsh owns York Associates Home Inspection in Toronto, and once hosted his own television show, Home Inspector, on HGTV. His outside-in inspection starts with exterior walls, the foundation, windows and any attachments to the house for problems (see the complete list below). Then he inspects the drainage and the roof, if possible by climbing on it. This requires care, but Welsh believes it's important, especially when dealing with flat roofs: ”You can't see a flat roof from the ground.”

Mullen, president of the Atlantic branch of the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors, follows a similar route. Mullen's company, Home Works Inspection Services, operates in Yarmouth, N.S. His approach starts with a general neighbourhood survey. “If I'm in a subdivision, I look for common problems in similar houses.” Chances are those problems will also show up in the house he's inspecting.

Both agree that checking the roof and drainage is key, and both describe the process with the same words: “Where is the water going?”

Welsh spends at least one-and-a-half hours of an inspection poking around the basement. He checks the foundation for structural defects and water damage: “I'm connecting what's happening on the inside to what I saw on the outside.”

Next, a thorough inspection of ex-posed framing and the major systems: electrical, plumbing and heating. Here, Mullen checks that systems “do what they're supposed to do.” He and Welsh both suggest that while the homeowner can recognize that a problem exists, if the solution isn't clear and within your skill level, it's best to call in a pro.

From the basement, both move upstairs. They scan walls and ceilings, mainly for water damage. They check windows and doors to see if they open and electrical receptacles to see if they work and are grounded. They check plumbing fixtures for pressure and proper connections. Mullen says, “Always look under the sinks.”

The attic is where they check insulation, ventilation, exposed framing and look for any sign of leaks. Mullen does this area last: “After the attic, I'm smelly and dirty. Clients don't really want to be around me much after that.”

Getting the Gestalt

Using the inspector's approach isn't difficult-be thorough, objective and methodical. And put yourself in the right frame of mind. Over time, it's easy to get accustomed to an existing problem and stop noticing it. It's not that you are purposely ignoring it; you've just stopped seeing it. Set aside some time for a deliberate, complete in-spection of your home and you might be surprised at what you find.

Here's a basic guide to a do-it-yourself inspection:

Exterior

Have a careful look at your home's exterior. Bricks, concrete block and the mortar between them should show no major deterioration. Long, continuous cracks in the foundation suggest that the foundation is settling unevenly. Siding must be watertight, with no uncovered holes, and it should have tight seams, especially where different materials meet. Peeling, blistered or worn paint is no longer protecting the wood underneath.

Doors and Windows

Do all of you windows and doors open, close and lock-tightly and without any leaks or gaps? Are they missing glass or caulking? Poke around exposed wood, such as window sills, with an awl to check for rot.

Lot Grading and Drainage

Check all the way around your house to see if the ground slopes away from it. Gutters shouldn't be sagging, loose or clogged, and they should slope toward the downspout. Do you see any weeds growing in a gutter? It's probably clogged. Check that downspouts direct water away from your house. All seams and joints should be tight.

Foundations

As with the exterior walls, long cracks in a foundation aren't good. A zigzagging crack, called a “stairstep” or “Z-crack,” usually means uneven settling. Often houses settle early on and stay put thereafter. That's usually OK, but even stable cracks can let water in. A big problem is if the foundation keeps moving and those cracks grow. Inside, check for water damage-peeling paint, efflorescence (white powdery mineral residue on walls) or stains.

Roof and Flashing

Wind, rain, sun and snow-one or another attacks your roof daily. Be safe-a lot can be seen from the ground, and if you do climb onto the roof, be careful. Look at the roof ridge. If it isn't straight, or there are dips in the roof surface, then something may be rotting. Typically, the south-facing side gets more sun and wider temperature shifts, so roofing there deteriorates faster. Replace torn or missing shingles. Check metal roofs for signs of rust.

Anything poking through the roof needs proper flashing, or water will get in. Flashing takes a beating from snow and wind and often comes loose.

Wood soffits and fascia can also take a beating, or rather a biting, from animals such as squirrels and mice seeking a cozy attic hideaway-look for holes and check for rot.

Chimneys

Old brick chimneys often lean, looking like the wind is pushing them over. That's not just hot air: prevailing winds blow corrosive flue gases against one side. That mortar deteriorates faster, causing the chimney to lean. Stained mortar can also be a sign of water in a cracked flue. Check metal chimneys for rust.

Structure

View your house from afar-are exterior walls straight and plumb? Inspect decks, porches and balconies for solid support and firm attachments to the house. These connections are crucial, so check the ledger board carefully. (It should be bolted, not nailed.)

In the basement and attic, check any exposed framing. Look at framing members for size (are they too small for their load?), alignment (warped or shifted?), and condition (cracked, rotting or infested with insects?).

Electrical

Like the roof, inspecting the electrical system requires caution-don't attempt anything beyond your skill level. Confirm that outside wires look firmly attached to your house. Call the utility if any wire seems loose or too low, especially over decks or other additions. Wires shouldn't rub on anything (downspouts are a common culprit). Look for insulation damage on wires, inside and out.

In the basement, an inspector will scrutinize the service panel. There are a few simple and safe things you can check. Unless your small home has lower-than-usual power needs, look for at least 100 amps of service-you'll find this marked on the panel's label or stamped on the main breaker. Your panel should have a numbered list of all the circuits with descriptions of what's connected. In an emergency, you may need to shut off breakers quickly and safely, so clear away any basement junk in your way. Note any water damage in or near the panel, and fix the problem (if you can do so safely). If you see anything else that bothers you, such as signs of overheating, call an electrician.

If you see a splice in wiring anywhere that's not inside a junction box, get it fixed.

Inspectors check for old knob-and-tube wiring-easily recognized as single insulated wires passing through ceramic knobs and tubes. In good condition it's usually considered safe, but insurance companies don't like it because DIYers often add new receptacles incorrectly-they often replace two-pronged receptacles with three pronged ones, leaving them ungrounded. Insurance companies also don't like houses with less than 100-amp service.

Use a plug-in tester to find any ungrounded receptacles or any with reversed polarity (testers are available at most hardware stores for about $10). Test switches to see that they switch what they're supposed to. Finally, note any sinks or wet areas that need ground-fault circuit interrupters, and test the GFCIs you do have.

Plumbing

Start where the supply pipe enters the house and see that you have a main shutoff valve. If the valve appears at all suspect, don't test it (lest it break) but have it replaced. Note what your supply pipes are made of. If you can easily scratch a dull grey metal pipe with a coin to see a silver line, it's lead and you'll want to replace it.

Copper pipes corrode at the point of contact with another metal-that's a leak-in-waiting. Check that any long lengths of pipe are well supported.

Do your drains drain? If they're slow or noisy, the problem is often incorrect venting.

Heating and Ducts

If you have any concerns about the safety of your furnace, call in a pro. But if it's running well, you can safely monitor a few things. Can you smell gas? If it's a hot-water system, is there any leaking water? Look at the heat exchanger in a forced-air system-cracks or holes are a deadly serious carbon monoxide risk. Listen to the blower. If it's noisy or the motor seems to be struggling, you may need repairs. Check filters.

Check that your ducts are reasonably clean, securely attached and seams are tight. Look for any electrical wires inside the ducts-there's a danger the ducts could carry electrical current.

Insulation

There's good insulation and there's bad insulation. Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation is generally considered bad. There's some debate over whether it truly affects your health, but there's no debate over how it affects your home's value-it lowers it a lot. Asbestos insulation, often found around old pipes and ducts, is also dicey. If it's not likely to be disturbed and can be safely sealed, it may not need to be removed; but if it gets airborne, it's a serious risk. Call in a pro. Almost any other insulation is good, if there's enough of it, with vapour barriers installed properly (on the warm side) and proper ventilation. Caulking and weatherstripping, complete and intact, helps keep drafts out and cash in.

Interior

Scan walls and ceilings-“Every square inch,” recommends Welsh-for cracks and water damage. Cracks can suggest structural issues, but more often are cosmetic. With water damage, it's a simple question: is the problem fixed? Mould is another potential health hazard, but there's a big difference between a bit of mildew in a damp bathroom (improve the room's ventilation) and pervasive mould inside the walls.

Pests

As a homeowner, you probably know if you have guests such as squirrels, raccoons or skunks, but check for entrance holes, other damage and droppings.

Insect pests are harder to spot and often more serious. Look for termite tubes, small entrance holes in wood (suggesting carpenter ants), and piles of powdery sawdust (from powder-post beetles). Poke around exposed wood with an awl for soft spots. Check at ground level and below for wood-soil contact, an easy entry for insects and rot.

Fire Safety

Audit your fire safety system. Do you have enough smoke and carbon mon-oxide detectors, properly positioned and working? Is there an escape route from every bedroom?

Now that you have your list of repairs, decide where you can do it yourself and where you need professional help. When you're done, your house will be a nicer place to be-for you or a potential buyer.

What if you don't have the knowledge to complete your own home inspection? Or what if you just want a second opinion from a pro? There are lots of home inspectors out there-how do you tell the good ones from the bad? According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, there are 10 questions that you should ask to find the right one.

1. How do you find a home inspector?

Check association Web sites (Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors) and the yellow pages. Ask friends or family members. Your real estate agent may also make a suggestion-however, under provincial regulations and the code of ethics for real estate agents, they are not permitted to recommend or provide the name of only one home inspector, although they are permitted to provide a list of home inspectors from which you can choose.

2. How long has the home inspector been in business?

The more experienced a home inspector is, the more they have seen, the more likely they will be able to detect less obvious problems. Seasoned, professional home inspectors will be full-time home inspectors, not renovators or contractors.

3. What are the home inspector's qualifications?

Look for people who belong to a provincial association and who have taken some courses, such as defect recognition, building sciences or civil engineering, for example. Professional home inspectors are bound by a strict code of ethics and must adhere to specific standards of practice. Home inspectors should have a general understanding of all the various systems and components in a home. Many have practical experience or a background in engineering, construction and related building trades.

Keep in mind that right now, anyone can become a member of a home inspection association. Many associations have different levels of membership. Being an association member does not necessarily mean that a member has successfully completed the certification process. Check to make sure that the inspector has successfully completed the association's certification process.

4. How do I know that a home inspector has the necessary qualifications?

You should ask to see proof of their membership in a provincial association. In most provinces, a member cannot advertise their membership in the association until they have reached the minimum standards of a practising member. The association in your province should be pleased to clarify their membership categories and any particular inspector's membership level. Determine if the inspector intends to meet the CAHPI national standards of competency.

5. Can the home inspector provide three references?

Any qualified home inspector should gladly provide this information upon request. Call the people named as references and ask whether they were satisfied with the service they received from the inspector. You can also check with the Better Business Bureau.

6. Can you also hire the home inspector to do repairs or improvements?

Under their professional code of ethics, professional home inspectors are not allowed to associate with any other construction- or house-related trade. While they may provide you with a personal opinion based on past experience, obtain quotes from three qualified contractors.

7. Does the inspector solicit, receive or give referral fees?

You should receive a firm “no” to this question; any other answer contravenes the inspector's code of ethics.

8. Does the home inspector conduct inspections at night?

Conducting inspections at night is not ideal, since it is difficult to see a number of the vital components of the exterior of the house properly.

9. Where can I get more information about the home inspector and his or her firm?

The home inspector may point you to the firm's Web site, to their industry association, provide company details, list inspector qualifications or describe the range of services they offer.

10. What should a home inspector provide following the inspection and when will I receive it?

The home inspector should provide a written report reviewing every major home system and component within 24 hours of the inspection. Exterior components include roofing, flashing, chimneys, gutters, downspouts, wall surfaces and the foundation, including the grading around it.

The report on interior systems should include electrical, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, plumbing, insulation, flooring, ceiling and wall finishes, windows and doors.

For more information on hiring a home inspector, contact the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation at 613-748-2000.

Tips

Circle the house several times, in opposite directions. Look at your house from both sides

Check drainage during a torrential rain (but from the ground, not the roof). Problems that are subtle when it's dry become obvious when it's wet. Next time it rains, grab an umbrella and walk around your house, even if your neighbours think you're crazy

Plan an exterior inspection in the spring, after your house has taken winter's worst. Broken or missing shingles, damaged caulking and broken tree branches are common springtime issues

Bring a friend along on your inspection-another DIYer who may see things you miss

Run the shower at a comfortable temperature. Then, flush the toilet while you feel for any significant change in shower volume or temperature. A shower test is useful because while low pressure elsewhere is annoying, in a shower it's really annoying

To check drain performance, fill a bathtub with water and run the laundry room faucet. Then open the basement floor drain cover and watch the drain while someone empties the tub and flushes all the toilets. Look for a good flow of clear water-any significant change in the water level, any gurgling, bubbling, turbulence or bits of floating toilet paper means there may be a problem that can result in a nasty flood with sewage backup. Call in a drain specialist to do a video camera diagnosis

Homeowners can be more invasive than inspectors. You might remove a window casing to check for dampness in the wall, for example