Inspecting The Floor
The floor of the house is the most used surface, and needs to be thoroughly inspected during home inspection, prior to buying the home. The first thing the inspector checks is the type of flooring that has been installed. There are many types, such as Vinyl, Tile, and Wood floors, among many others.
Many homes have Vinyl floors, as this covering has been quite popular for the last forty years or so, as it is quite inexpensive, is easy to maintain, and has a large variety to chose from. Though moisture resistant, vinyl floors get scratched quite easily, and the inspector should check for this.
If the flooring consists of tiles, different varieties are used in different areas of the home, depending on the usage. The materials used for tiles are glazed, stones, bricks, slates, wood, etc among others. Look to see that correct tiles have been used in places suitable for them. The tiles suitable for use in the patio may not be suitable for bathrooms and the kitchen. Also, check to see whether the tiles have been installed correctly.
One of the most beautiful materials for floors is wood. It not only enhances the décor of a home, it also adds to its timeless beauty. If wood floors have been installed in your prospective home, check to see the type of wood used, though real wood floors are a great choice, and the most expensive. Maintaining wood floors is very difficult, and your home inspector needs to check how well, or otherwise, the wood floors have been maintained.
The inspection involves checking to see that the wood floors have not warped, and that the nails have not popped out. The biggest worry of wood flooring is the infestation of termites, and pests. Home inspection needs to take a good look at this. Another thing to check is whether the wood floor is scratched or not.
If tiles have been used in the home you are considering, check to see their conditions. Tiles are quite slippery, and the home inspector should check to see whether slip resistant treatment has been applied. If parquet tiles have bee used in certain areas, check to see that they have not been exposed to moisture. Such an exposure will lead to swelling and buckling. Check to see if glazed tiles have been used in bathrooms and in the kitchen. Such tiles have a non-porous element that is water resistant.
If the home under consideration has limestone tiles, check to see whether they have been periodically sealed – about twice a year. This takes care of its porous nature. The inspection should also include checking of broken, chipped, cracked, or missing tiles. These will need to be replaced, provided matching tiles can be traced. Otherwise, you may have to completely replace the whole tiles. The same goes for wood tiles, as well as the vinyl tiles, if they have been scratched.
These things, among others, need to be sorted out with the seller, before you arrive at any decision.
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