Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 19, 1999 04:15am | #1

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   Around here most people hire a certified home inspector to check out a prospective real estate purchase. The purchase contract is normally dependent on the outcome of the inspection and the sellers willingness to rectify discrepancies.

   They usually produce a detailed report and should find any major problems. On the other hand, take what these inspectors say with a grain of salt.

   We are currently selling our 5 yr. old house and the buyer's inspector and I nearly had it out. OK, he did find some real problems - a spot of rot on the front porch rail about the size of a nickel that I didn't know was there and a cracked window that I did know was there. On the other hand the missing screw out of a door hinge, 2 burned out light bulbs, and loose screws on the pulldown attic stairs made my blood boil! Actually, it felt pretty good to vent on someone who deserved it!

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 19, 1999 05:50am | #2

   *I've seen more "inspectors" like the one MattG mentioned. If you are very serious about the house have a separate professional in the following areas: plumber, HVAC, electrician, general contractor, and roofer(unless your GC has expertise in this area). Preferably call someone you have had personal experiance with-they should charge you a very reasonable fee if you already have a relationship with them. Some of these can overlap, in your case a plumbing/heating contractor. The main thing is get someone you trust for an honest, realistic assessment. Not someone chosen by the realtor(they may be hired so as not to be a "deal killer"). On the other hand don't get someone who is just looking to sell their next roof job.Hope this helps, John

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 19, 1999 07:15am | #3

   *Our inspector was recommended by the realtor, but I was OK with his referral because of the extrordinary depth of his integrity. The inspection cost about $300 and identified roughly $2k in defects, for which the seller adjusted his price. The inspection appears to have been adequate; what he didn't catch was the extensively defective wiring, but I don't think he could have without digging into the walls (as I have since). He also offered for $1k an insured inspection covering defects that he failed to find -- that just cost too much, but in retrospect would have been a good deal.I was a thousand miles away and couldn't accompany the inspector while he worked ... I recommend you do so if you can. If there are leakage problems and such, they ordinarily will leave traces that the inspector should find. Or a whole lot of fresh stucco and paint might make you suspicious too!

2. 
   Jeff_J_Buck | Aug 21, 1999 12:08pm | #4

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   45 year old radiant heat buried in the slab may scare me.Older versions were prone to leak over time.Flat roofs are always the worst way to go(my opinion) but can be waterproofed with rubber membrane done by the experts.My advice as a remodeling contractor and home buyer...get professional advice.I did inspect my own home ,but also payed an inspector for an unbiased opinion.In your case I'd go a step farther and call a flat roof expert and an HVAC contractor that deals with radiant heat to take a look along with the home inspector.More money up front but less worry and maybe more negotiating power.

3. 
   Guest_ | Aug 23, 1999 08:11am | #5

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   Shawn

   If you want to worry about the radiant heating, we used to live on Long Island where there must have been a thousand Levitt homes (built in Levittown, of course) in the late 40s and early 50s. Ours wasn't one of them, but I heard that more than half of them had developed leaks because the concrete slab reacted with the copper pipes, causing leaks that were the devil to find and fix.

   To add to your worries, I don't suppose you can devise a test to see if the system is good for another 40 years or just till next Tuesday.

   I guess, if you like the house and the price is right, go ahead and buy it and just set aside a few thousand dollars in a "rainy day fund" against the eventuality that the system will leak. Once it does leak, you might fix that one leak, but now you know that there will probably be more and more leaks. In the case of the Levittowners, I heard that the best thing to do once you have the first leak is to drain the radiant system and call in the HVAC people for a forced air system.

   Incidentally, are there similar houses in the area with a system this old, and how are they doing? Maybe a building inspector or heating contractor would know.

4. 
   Mike_B. | Aug 30, 1999 04:38am | #6

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   Shawn

   I would check your potential future homeowners policy. If the pipes do leak, most policies provide coverage to access the pipe and repair the floor damaged by accessing. It won't cover the actual repair of the pipe. The access is generally the most expensive part of the repair. Companies will look to adjust the claim by leaving the buried heating system alone and paying you to put in baseboard heat, which will cost the company less in the long run. You can't lose...except for paying your deductible.

1. 
   Mad_Dog | Sep 01, 1999 06:00pm | #7

   *Hi Shawn,What Jeff said. Good advice. Flat roof and older radiant floor heat=historical nightmares. Can be worked around, plan on it. Great heat while working, you will probably like it a lot. Get pro help to look at the roof. Flat roofs are not good for DIYers, generally.Sounds like an interesting house. Keep us posted on development

5. 
   Shawn_R | Sep 01, 1999 06:00pm | #8

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   I am looking at a house (for purchase) in Massachusetts with some particulars I am not familiar with. It is built on a slab with radiant heat, with tile over. It is appx.45 years old. It is a "contemporary" style home with alot of glass and stone and a flat roof. I am looking for advice along the lines of what potential problems occur in this type of house design. For example: Is a 45 years old heating system built into a slab just asking for problems? Should I expect roof problems? etc.
   I am currently own a home (100+ year old victorian farm house) and have done extentive renovation work myself so I am not going into blind - just want to begin educating myself on this new style and to be realistic about another remodel.
   Thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer.