Category RENOVATION 3

Framing and sheathing. These tasks are enjoy­able if you can swing a hammer accurately and work with someone more experienced to explain how to raise walls. If you use a power nailer to speed up the job, read the operation manual care­fully. Hard hats and eye protection are a must.

Hanging windows and doors. A well-framed rough opening (RO) makes the job a lot easier. You’ll need patience to plumb, level, and center the pre-cased unit in the RO, adjusting and readjusting shims till everything’s perfect.

Installing flooring. To get a good floor, make sure underlayment is level and solidly attached, measure and cut flooring carefully, and use appropriate fasteners or adhesives.

Plastering. This is difficult for the novice.

Plaster consistency and technique and the room’s temperature are all crucial. The skill of plastering takes time to master.

Refinishing floors. Take your time doing this, especially with power sanders. Be conscientious about vacuuming and sanding lightly between finish coats. Use a respirator mask with filters.

Installing pre-built cabinets. Like hanging doors, this job takes careful planning, accurate measurement, and lots of patience. Shimming the bottoms of base cabinets is the key to leveling cabinets and aligning them with one another.

Installing interior trim. This takes patience, careful measurements, and a quality miter saw.

Installing exterior trim and siding. You need patience and a good miter saw. Be sure to caulk and weatherize carefully.

Stripping a roof. This is miserable work and dangerous. Don’t do it. Instead, hire an insured tear-off crew.

Reroofing. Hire pros if the roof pitch is steep. Keys to a good job: correctly flashing and align­ing the shingle courses. This work is inherently unsafe, however, because you’re high up on a sloping surface without a net to catch you.

Running ductwork. Cutting and running ducts isn’t difficult, but balancing the heat output to all rooms takes skill. Consider hiring a pro.

Plumbing and electrical wiring. You could learn a lot by working with a licensed pro for a day or two, but local codes may prohibit you from doing your own work. The work is enjoy­able, steady, and logical—and requires close attention to detail. Don’t do it if you’re not fastidi­ous. Either trade requires specialized tools.

JUST PLAIN TOUGH

Framing stairs and complex roofs. Many angles need to be reckoned with to do these jobs.

Masonry. Each masonry unit—whether brick or block—must be placed exactly. This takes strength, dexterity, patience, and a sure eye.

Changing bearing walls. Be sure to obtain the guidance of a structural engineer or a seasoned contractor.

Adjusting the furnace. Other than basic main­tenance tasks, leave this to an HVAC pro.

Tiling in fresh mortar. It takes years to learn how to prep the surface correctly, mix the “mud” to the right consistency, trowel it on, and then screed it off until the plane is flat. Hire a pro to create the mud bed. Then you can concentrate on tiling.

Heating and cooling systems are varied and com­plex, so make your house purchase contingent on a professional inspection by an HVAC contractor. In your walk-through, look for the following:

► If the bottom of the heating unit is rusted out or if it’s 15 years to 20 years old, it probably should be replaced. It’s certainly not efficient and probably not safe.

► Soot around heat registers or exhaust smells in living areas mean that the furnace is dirty and poorly maintained or that the furnace heat exchanger is cracked, allowing exhaust gases to escape. If an HVAC specialist can see flame through the heat exchanger, it’s definitely time to replace the unit. It may be a fire safety and health hazard.

► If your house has forced hot-air heat, your family could develop respiratory problems if the furnace has one of the older, reservoir-type humidifiers, which are notorious for breeding harmful organisms in the always-wet drum. An HVAC specialist can suggest alternatives.

► If certain rooms are always cold, an HVAC specialist may be able to balance heat distribution or add registers. That failing, you’ll need to upsize the furnace or boiler.

► If ducts, pipes, or the central heating unit are wrapped with white or gray paper-tape, your older heating system may be insulated with asbestos. Do not disturb it—an HVAC specialist can assess its condition and recommend an asbestos-abatement expert.

► Air-conditioning (AC) systems that run constantly but don’t cool may need the coolant to be recharged. An AC system that cycles too rapidly and makes the house too cold may simply be too large for the house. Both problems just need adjustments by an HVAC contractor.

FIREPLACE OR WOODSTOVE

Loose bricks in the fireplace firebox or smoke stains between the wall and the fireplace mantel (or surround) could allow flames or superheated

In earthquake country, brick chimneys may break off at the roofline, fall through the roof, and harm inhabitants. A structural engineer can analyze the chimney and suggest remedies, such as seismic steel bracing of the chimney to the roof or removing the chimney above the roof and replacing it with metal flue pipe.

gases to ignite wood framing around the fire­place. A mason or chimney specialist can usually make necessary repairs.

If there are gaps between the hearth (firebox floor) and the hearth extension, stray coals could fall into the gaps and start a fire, so repoint gaps with mortar (if there’s brick) or grout (tile floors).

Local building codes usually specify mini­mum distances woodstoves and stovepipes must be from flammable surfaces. Ask to see a certifi­cate of occupancy (C. O.) issued for the existing installation. If the owner can’t produce one, make the C. O. part of your purchase agreement.

Estimating Project Difficulty and Costs

It’s hard to generalize how difficult a job will be for individual do-it-yourselfers because skills vary greatly. Still, it’s possible to suggest relative difficulties of various tasks, giving you some ref­erence at least. Chapters or sections of this book greatly expand on the following topics.

BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE

Demolishing. Make sure your tetanus shot is up to date. Before you begin work, wear full safety gear, including hard hat, eye protection, and boots that nails can’t puncture. If you will gener­ate dust, wear a dust mask. Also, prevent dust from migrating to other rooms by shutting or sealing door openings and air ducts with plastic. Always shut off power to an area you’re demol­ishing. During demolition, make sure you’re not compromising either the electrical system or the support structures. Be methodical, removing debris as you generate it, and sweep up the work site at the end of each day.

Interior painting. Preparing the walls and being fastidious are keys to success.

Exterior painting. Rent scaffolding if it’s a two – story house. Homeowners often run planks between ladder brackets on extension ladders,

but the job will be far safer and many times faster if you work from scaffolding. Again, sur­face preparation is crucial to a lasting job.

Stripping paint, inside or out. This isn’t as dif­ficult as it is messy. Before you begin, buy a lead – paint testing kit from a building supplier. Lead paint dust and shavings are hazardous wastes and should be dealt with accordingly. Avoid open-flame paint stripping; the fire hazard is too great. Use a respirator mask with replaceable cartridges

Wallpapering. Practice on a small, out-of-the way area to get the hang of it. Wall prep is cru­cial. Use only the paste recommended by the wallcovering manufacturer.

Hanging drywall. This isn’t difficult if you’ve got help. Measuring carefully and getting the edges of the first sheets plumb (or level) are keys to success.

Patch repairing walls. This is generally quite easy. Sand or cut back the damaged parts to ensure a solid surface for the patch.

Insulating. Stuff or spray insulation into every nook and cranny to stop air infiltration. However, there should be air space over insulation between rafters, so that heated air under the roof can escape. Gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, a hat, and a face mask are imperative.

Weatherstripping. It’s easy but exacting work to fit the stripping snugly against doors, windows, and frames. You may be surprised how long this job takes.

If you’d like to buy a house, make your offer contingent on a licensed pest – control inspector’s report. You probably won’t see insects, but you might see any of these signs:

► Sandy brown tubes, in. in diameter, that run up a foundation wall and wood burrows that run parallel with the grain indicate the presence of subterranean termites.

► Pellets outside insect entry holes and burrowing in all directions of wood grain, with no tubes on the foundation, indicate non-subterranean termites.

► Holes that may range from pin size to BB size and light-colored powdery debris indicate powderpost beetles.

► Coarse sawdust beneath damp wood with galleries excavated parallel with the wood grain indicates carpenter ants. Simply spraying carpenter ant nests usually does the trick.

this case, upsize the concrete pads beneath the posts or replace posts. In some cases, shorten joist spans by adding girders and posts beneath.

Wooden posts rotting at the bottoms suggest that moisture is wicking up from the ground through the concrete pad. Replace the posts, put­ting a metal or plastic moisture barrier between their bottoms and the concrete.

Joists and girders may have been seriously weakened by cutting to accommodate ducts and drainpipes. See "Maximum Sizes for Holes and Notches,” on p. 287, for information about how much and where you can safely cut and drill structural members.

Mechanical Systems

Mechanical systems include electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Your comfort and safety depend on up-to-date and adequately sized mechanicals, as they are called.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Using a voltage tester, you can safely see if house receptacles are operable. If the cover plates of any receptacles are warm, if tester lights flicker, or if there’s an odd smell, there may be aluminum circuit wiring in the walls, which tends to over­heat and cause fires. Have your electrician check for this too.

To prevent electrical shocks in high-moisture areas, all bathroom receptacles, kitchen recepta­cles within 4 ft. of a sink, outdoor outlets, and some garage outlets must be GFCIs. Your local building code will have the final say on GFCIs.

PLUMBING

Questions suggested under "Kitchen and Bathrooms,” earlier in this chapter, should be addressed here, too—particularly if you noted water damage around tubs or toilets. By the way, if the house has only a crawl space, replacing the plumbing will take longer and be more costly than if it has a basement.

Drainage, waste and vent (DWV) pipes should be replaced if they’re rusted, corroded, or leak­ing. Waste pipes past their prime often show powdery green or white deposits along their hori­zontal runs, where wastes accumulate. Also, if joists around the closet bend are discolored, probe for rot. If rotted, they’ll need to be replaced.

Supply pipes. If water pressure is poor and plumbing is old, it’s likely that the pipes are gal­vanized iron. With a typical life span of about 25 years, the fittings rust out first.

Copper pipe will last indefinitely unless the water is acidic, in which case you’ll see blue – green deposits on fixtures and pinhole leaks in the pipe. But if copper pipes aren’t too far gone, an acid-neutralizing filter on supply lines may cure the problem.

If the house has a septic tank, ask when it was last emptied. Most tanks are sized according to the number of users and should normally be emptied every few years. Also inquire how the owner determines the exact location of the tank’s clean-out lid, which will usually be buried under more than 1 ft. of soil.

Then walk the area. If the ground is damp and smelly, the most recent servicing wasn’t soon enough. Besides tardy servicing, this could indi­cate that the tank or the drainage field may be undersize, clogged, or incorrectly installed. A new septic system is a significant expense.

Copper and galvanized pipe joined together will corrode, owing to a process called galvanic action. To join these metals, you need to install a dielectric union between them.

A water test by the health department should be part of the purchase agreement; this is espe­cially important if the house has its own well.

Water heaters. Water heaters 10 years to 12 years old should be replaced. A manufacturer’s plate on the heater will tell its age and capacity.

As a rule of thumb, a 40-gal. gas-fired water heater is about right for a family of four. Electric water heaters should be 50-gal. capacity because they recover a little slower.

There should be a temperature-pressure relief (TPR) valve on or near the top of the water heater. Without TPR protection, a water heater can explode and level the house. If the TPR valve drips, you’ll need to replace it. If you own the home, make sure you have a TPR valve.

Gas lines that smell and corroded gas pipes are unsafe: Call the gas utility immediately. (Most provide a free inspection.) Gas lines are typically "black iron” pipe with threaded fittings or copper joined by flared fittings. Gas lines should never include PVC plastic pipe, sweated (soldered) cop­per joints, or compression fittings such as those used for water supply.

Squeaky floors may take 2 minutes to repair or 2 days, when the cause is elusive. If you can live with some squeaks, they’re rarely a sign of any­thing serious.

Excessively springy floors suggest subflooring or underlayment that’s not strong enough to span the joists. Additional layers of subflooring or flooring should firm things up.

Deteriorating flooring near an exterior door – sill suggests that rain or snow has soaked the sill and subflooring. You’ll need to replace damaged materials and install an all-weather doorsill.

Widespread cracking in tile floors may result from insufficient adhesive between tile and sub­flooring or an underlayment that’s too thin and thus not rigid enough. Repairing it may mean tearing out the tile and perhaps the underlay – ment before replacing both.

Cracked stair treads may be worn, undersize, or inadequately supported by the carriages

ELECTRICAL

underneath. If the problem is widespread, remove the treads and examine the substructure.

Stairs sloping badly to one side, with cracked walls along the stair suggest a stair carriage that is pulling loose from wall mountings or other framing members. If the underside of the stairs is not accessible, repairing the problem can be complex and costly.

Handrails and newel posts that wobble more than h in. should be resecured. If balusters are missing, it can be costly to have replacements hand-turned to match. As a cost-saving alterna­tive, you might be able to find replacements at a salvage yard.

KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

If there are stained, springy floors around the base of a toilet, the subfloor and the joists below may be water damaged. The cause of the leak may be simple—just a worn-out wax ring gasket under the toilet. But if damage is significant, you may need to pull up flooring and replace it.

Damaged linoleum or vinyl around cabinets, shower stalls, or tubs often foretells water dam­age below. If there’s an unfinished basement beneath those fixtures, inspect there for damage. Otherwise, look for water damage in finished ceilings below.

If tiled tub enclosures are in poor repair, test the firmness of the substrate behind by pushing with the heel of your hand. If the walls flex, the tile may be installed over ordinary drywall, which deteriorates if it absorbs water. One remedy is tearing out the tile and drywall and installing a cement-based backer board before retiling.

Check tub-wall joints closely. They must be well caulked to forestall leaks.

Use your pocketknife to prod for damage under lavatory and kitchen sink cabinets. Rusted – out drainpipes or leaking supply-pipe connec­tions are easily replaced, but extensive water damage can be costly to remedy.

If supply pipes are galvanized steel, their useful life is about 25 years. Copper supply pipes installed before 1990 may contain lead in solder joints, which can leach into drinking water. So before making an offer, get the water tested for lead and other toxins. If the pipes appear to be otherwise in good condition, an in-line filtration system with replaceable filters may be a cost-effective solution to this problem.

If bathrooms or kitchens smell musty or are mildewed, especially at the top of walls, there’s inadequate ventilation. Scrubbing walls and adding vent fans will probably cure the problem, unless the drywall is crumbling (see Chapter 14 for repair information).

IN THE BASEMENT

Safety note: Stay out of basements or crawl spaces if there’s standing water, wet soil, or sub­standard electrical wiring! Metal pipes or duct­work could become energized by a short circuit.

Dampness can be mitigated by gutters and downspouts, as well as a ground surface that slopes away from the house. Musty smells and mild mold can usually be reduced by improving ventilation. Beyond that, fixes get more complex and more expensive.

Wetness is often caused by surface water and may respond to the remedies mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Stronger remedies include sump pumps, perimeter drains, and engineered solutions. For example, water seeping through an uphill foundation wall may need to be intercepted and rerouted by drainpipes or swale drains far­ther uphill. Solutions can become expensive.

Review the notations you made about the roof, chimney, and eaves. Now look for outdoor-indoor relationships such as missing flashing and stains on the underside of roof sheathing.

Structural condition is the first thing to consider. Are the rafters and ridge sagging? If so, you should hire a structural engineer to see how seri­ous the damage is. This damage likely resulted from too many layers of roofing. Deformed framing may need replacing or additional sup­port, as shown in "Reinforcing a Roof,” on p. 12.

And excessive layers of roofing may need to be stripped off to lighten the load. Caution: Truss – type floor or rafter systems will be weakened if cut into.

If the roof sheathing is bellying (sagging) between the rafters, it’s probably too thin and should be replaced with thicker plywood when you replace the roofing.

Water damage is one of the most common prob­lems. Dark brown stains around the chimney that smell of creosote are probably caused by cracked flue tile, which allowed caustic creosote compounds to work their way through mortar joints. Such a chimney is unsafe to use and must be either relined or replaced.

Cracks in the chimney’s mortar joints may be caused by an undersize or shifting chimney footing—another major cause of flue failure.

Water stains around plumbing vents, dormers, and chimneys are more likely caused by failed or absent flashing. If the wood is damp after a rain, the leaks are active.

Ventilation and insulation are crucially impor­tant but often misunderstood. Attics that lack adequate ventilation are excessively hot in the summer. In winter in cold climates, unventilated attics allow rising water vapor from the living area to collect as frost on the underside of roof sheathing. The frost eventually melts, soaks the sheathing, drips onto the attic floor, and perhaps
soaks through top-floor ceilings. Also in winter, unventilated attics trap warm air from below, which warms the roof, causing snow to melt and run into unwarmed overhangs where it refreezes, resulting in ice dams that can damage roofing and leak behind the siding. Adding soffit, gable, and ridge vents sometimes alleviates these types of problems.

Discolored rafters along the roof-wall joint and delaminated roof sheathing, coupled with stains at the top of interior walls below, are caused by warm, moist air from living spaces. To mitigate the problem, add insulation to the attic floor, improve ventilation, and/or add bath and kitchen vent fans.

Types of attic insulation and standards for their installation are addressed in Chapter 14.

Attic floors and attic insulation may also show roof leaks clearly. And if moisture is migrating up from the living spaces, the insula­tion’s underside may be moldy. Pull up affected sections and see if water has collected there and caused damage.

WALLS

Most home buyers repaint or repaper walls to suit their tastes anyway. So instead of concerning yourself with paint colors or wallpaper patterns themselves, focus on surfaces that suggest under­lying problems that may require remedies. Also, after consulting the notes you recorded outside, study wall-ceiling joints, which also can tell stories.

Water stains on interior outside walls, espe­cially above windows, may have multiple causes: missing outside flashing, gaps between siding and exterior trim, and leaks in the gutters or roof.

Crumbling drywall or plaster and extensive mold at the top of walls may be caused by exterior leaks or, just as likely, by excessive moisture in the living areas. If the problems are severe, rot- inducing mold may be growing on framing inside the walls. After correcting the sources of mois­ture, you may need to tear out drywall or plaster and replace studs and plates.

Large diagonal cracks in drywall or plaster at the corners of doors and windows may correspond with cracks on the house exterior. Such cracks suggest structural shifting and foundation distress.

Door and window trim that tilts toward a common low point suggests failure in the sub­structure (girder, post, or pad) or in the founda­tion itself.

Is there flashing over doors and windows? If not, suspect water damage behind.

Examine windows and doors very carefully. Are frames solid? Deteriorated window sashes should be replaced, creating costs that quickly add up. Also inspect doorsills and windowsills, which are rot prone if water collects there.

Before replacing them, you’ll first need to improve drainage.

Carefully inspect doors for fit and function. Look for signs of warping, sagging, or separation between rails and stiles. Examine the jambs of exterior doors for damage from abuse, changing the hardware, or even forced entry.

Doors and windows badly out of square sug­gest a house that has shifted and may still be shifting. This can result from poor drainage and an inadequately sized foundation.

Tattletak

Diagonal cracks running out from the upper cor­ners of windows or doors may telegraph big trouble. Building loads often concentrate on a header—a load-bearing member over a door or window opening—and diagonal cracking may be a sign that the header is not adequately sup­ported. That is, the house’s framing or founda­tion may be shifting. Get a structural engineer’s opinion on this.

Swollen or rotted basement windows will need to be replaced with durable all-vinyl units. But first you’ll need to attend to drainage prob­lems that have allowed water to collect.

AROUND THE HOUSE

Walk around the house. Although you will be able to see more of the foundation inside, damp basements and cracked foundations are often caused by faulty drainage outside.

Does the ground slope away from the base of the house? Or would runoff from the roof collect next to the building? Is the soil damp or com­pacted next to the house? Although drainage may seem a minor factor, faulty drainage can cause wet basements and even foundation failure.

Where do downspouts empty? Is runoff car­ried away from the house by drainpipes or, at very least, are there splash blocks beneath down­spouts to direct water from the foundation?

Mark the positions of foundation cracks on your graph paper, especially cracks greater than!4 in. Also look for signs of foundation settling or
leaning around downspouts, water sources, and areas on the uphill side of the house.

Inspect chimney bases closely, both where additions join the main house and where loads concentrate on foundation bearing points. If there’s cracking where the chimney base joins the main house foundation or if the chimney base is tilting, it may be undersize and need replacing.

Do bushes or dirt touch the siding? If so, prod the siding and splashboard with your pocketknife. If soft, that area is retaining a lot of moisture.

Dirt can also be an avenue for termites, so look for the telltale dirt tubes that termites construct, further discussed on p. 170.

Interiors

Armed with your outdoor observations, go inside. Start with attics and basements. Most vulnerable to the elements, they are prime places for serious house problems.

Eyeball the eaves trim. Is it intact or splitting? Do you see stains or discoloration? Water damage along eaves is usually caused by clogged gutters or missing drip-edge flashing on the roof and, less often, by roof leaks.

You’ll need to replace metal gutters that have rusted through or that leak widely. But this a moderate expense, unless you replace them with copper gutters.

If the deteriorated gutters are wood, they will usually be nailed directly to fascia trim or, less often, built into a cornice. By the time they fail, they may have allowed a lot of rot behind them. Probe to see how much. Wood gutters are the most expensive to replace, so consider alternatives.

Stained siding behind downspouts may have been caused by gutter seams that rusted through. Or if the downspouts and gutters are new, upper downspout sections may have been mistakenly slipped over lower ones, rather than into them.

I Eaves Flashing_____________

Any exterior weathering or deterioration may signal rot behind. To find out, use a pocketknife

or a screwdriver to probe the trim along the eaves, siding-trim joints, discolored siding along the base of a house, and the perimeters of windows and doors. If there’s rot, a gentle pres­sure on the blade will be enough to penetrate damaged areas. But be respectful and discrete: Few owners would enjoy seeing their siding gouged with a knife.

If rainwater gushes over the gutter, either the downspout screen, the downspout itself, or the ground drainpipe is clogged. Aboveground clogs are easy to fix. Belowground clogs require either reaming tools or digging, still only moderate expenses. But if the drainpipe is clogged with tree roots, you’ll need to replace the underground pipe and seal its joints to prevent tree-root penetration.

SIDING

Wood siding will deteriorate if it’s not well main­tained, especially along south-facing walls, which get the most sun. A certain amount of weathering is normal.

Cracked and worn shingles or clapboards can be replaced, but if the deterioration is wide­spread, you’ll need to re-side the whole wall.

If you see widespread vertical black-brown stains on siding that’s otherwise in good shape, installers likely failed to use galvanized or corrosion-resistant nails. Fixing the problem may mean sinking, filling, and priming the nail heads—a tedious undertaking.

Siding that’s discolored along the base could be caused by any of several factors: (1) bottom siding that’s too close to the ground, (2) nearby plants keeping the siding surface damp,

(3) splashback from roof runoff, or (4) a badly positioned lawn sprinkler. All are easy fixes themselves, but moisture may already have caused the underlying framing to rot.

Imitation wood siding that delaminates or sprouts fungus is probably an exterior hardboard that’s been discontinued because of class-action lawsuits. Replace the siding.

Chronically peeling paint on the exterior walls of bathrooms and kitchens is usually caused by excessive room moisture migrating outdoors. The remedy is usually to improve room ventilation—a moderate expense.

Stucco is strong and relatively maintenance free, but it will crack if the building shifts. (See "Tattletale Cracks,”on the facing page.)

Loose or bulging stucco has separated from the lath behind. This is a modest repair, unless the problem is widespread. If you see extensive patching, be suspicious.

Loose, crumbling stucco is common if the base of a wall is close to the soil or in contact with it. This is usually a modest repair cost.

Newer homes with rot in the walls may have incorrectly installed "synthetic stucco,” or EIFS; this is especially a problem in the Southeast. Have an EIFS specialist certify that the house is sound; this is a headache you don’t need.

Brick is strong but its joints may crack if the foundation moves, whether from settling, frost heave, or earth tremor.

If a brick veneer half-wall is pulling away from an exterior wall or if a full-story brick facade is bowing outward, the metal ties holding the brick to the wall sheathing may have rusted out. Repairs will be expensive. This condition may also signal water damage and foundation problems. Eroded mortar joints can be repointed with mortar if the bricks are sound.

Mortar joints that have step cracks above doors and windows are usually caused by rusting steel lintels. Support the bricks above the open­ing before replacing the lintel.

Vinyl or metal siding doesn’t require much maintenance and protects the structure if it’s properly installed. However, if there are gaps between sections or where siding abuts trim, suspect a sloppy installation and probe for rot behind.

On older built-up roofs, there were alternating layers of heavy building paper and hot tar, cov­ered with light-colored gravel to reflect sunlight and protect the layers from ultraviolet (UV) dam­age. More recently, modified bitumin (MB) has largely replaced hot building paper. MB roofs typically have cap membranes "torched on” (heated with a propane flame) to fuse them to fiberglass-reinforced interplies, or base coats.

Blisters in built-up roofs are usually caused by water trapped beneath layers of roofing. Individual blisters can be patched with three – course patches (see Chapter 5), but if blisters are widespread, it’s time to reroof.

Foot traffic, furniture, and such can abrade and puncture flat roofs. If you find no evidence of water damage below, you can spot-patch abused areas, lay down new gravel, lock the door to the roof, and consider yourself very lucky.

Most leaks occur at turn-ups, where the flat roof joins walls, parapets, and other vertical sur­faces. If the turn-up surfaces are cracked, split, sagging, or unpainted, water may have gotten in and done damage. A large amount of tar at the base of walls may indicate inadequate flashing.

Cracking or blistering around downspout out­lets and internal drains indicates inadequate maintenance. Are there wire baskets in the open­ings? Are openings free of debris? If you have doubts, flush the outlets with a hose to see how well they drain.

Is the flashing around plumbing vents sound? This is not a major repair, but it can indicate gen­eral neglect.

CHIMNEYS

Although the homeowner probably won’t let you on the roof, chimneys need closer inspection than binoculars allow. Even if the chimney looks good through binoculars, make the purchase agreement contingent on a professional chimney inspection. Here’s what a pro will look for:

If the flue tile is badly cracked or if you spot shiny black creosote flakes on the roof, there’s been a chimney fire. Chances are the chimney wasn’t cleaned regularly, and combustible cre­osote compounds built up inside the chimney. If the chimney can’t be relined—say, with a flexible stainless-steel liner—it should be replaced. It would also be wise to ask how fre­quently the chimney was cleaned and how recently. If the owner claims that it was regu­larly cleaned, it’s fair to ask to see inspection records. Chimneys should be inspected annually, including a close inspection of the top. Better chimney-cleaning services now lower video cameras into the flue linings to show home­owners the current situation and to make rec­ommendations for relining. More information can be found at the Chimney Safety Institute of America’s Web site (www. csia. org).

► Are mortar joints solid or crumbly? Repointing mortar isn’t a big job unless it’s badly eroded—in which case, the chimney may be unsound and so may need to be partially torn down near the top or removed all the way down to the roof ridge.

► Is there a sloping mortar chimney cap or crown at the top of the chimney, to shed water? A mortar cap is easy enough to repair, but a cracked or missing cap suggests a lack of general maintenance and, possibly, water and ice damage inside the chimney. Concrete- based caps in snow country should overhang bricks at least 1 in. (see "Overhanging Chimney Crown," on p. 194).

► If there is a prefabricated metal or concrete cap elevated above the chimney top to keep precipitation out, it too must be crack free and well attached. Elevated caps interfere with fireplace draft, so look for smoke marks above the fireplace opening.

► Is chimney flashing at the roof intact? Tired flashing can be replaced when it’s time to reroof, but missing or degraded flashing may mean rotted framing in the attic.

► To be safe, chimneys must have an intact liner (usually flue tile in older houses). If the flue is only brick and mortar instead of flue tile or if there’s creosote running down the outside of the chimney, the chimney is unsafe.

Any cracks in a flue—or no flue at all—can allow superheated gases to escape and ignite the adjacent framing.

House Exterior

After inspecting the roof, examine the gutters and eaves. The overhanging eaves are actually a tran­sition from roof to wall and are composed of several building materials.

Shingle wear will almost always be greater on a south-facing roof because that side gets the most sun. If shingle ends are cupping and splitting, plan to reroof soon.

Mossy shingles or shakes are common in wet climates and on shady roof sections. Although moss-covered shingles can be relatively sound, the condition will induce rot because moss retains water.

If the house is in a fire-risk area, insurers may refuse to give a policy on a wood-shingle or wood-shake roof. In this case, replace it with noncombustible roofing.

SLATE SHINGLES

Do not attempt to walk on slate roofs. Even when dry, they’re slippery. They’re also brittle and so break easily.

Off-color areas may indicate replacement shingles for those that suffered damage from a tree branch. Later, when you are in the attic, check for water stains on supporting lumber.

If you see rust-colored streaks or cockeyed slates, the installer may have used nails that weren’t galvanized, which by now have rusted through. Although it’s possible to remove and renail slate, the job requires a costly specialist. However, if many nails have rusted through, the roof is dangerous, and the slate should be removed.

ROOF TILES

Stay off tile roofs. Even when the roof slope isn’t steep, your weight could damage the tiles.

Inspect them from an extension ladder and with binoculars.

Look for odd-colored tiles from earlier repairs. Obviously cracked or broken tiles can be replaced, but the job is costly. In the attic, check for water stains.

Look closely at the ridge. Sagging ridge and rafters suggest too much weight on the framing. It’s a big expense to remove the tile, bolster or replace sagging rafters, replace sheathing, and then replace tiles.

Stay off metal roofs. They are slippery, whether wet or dry.

Even though a rusty roof may not look great, it could be watertight with a lot of years left. Roofs with superficial rust can be sanded and repainted. In the attic, check for evidence of leaks.

Note: Roofing panels should be nailed at the high point of metal folds. If you see many nails in the roofing channels themselves—where the water runs—the installation was inept, and you’ll need a new roof.

If the granular surface of asphalt shingles is worn and if shingles are cupped and dog-eared, it’s time for a new roof. Ditto if gutters contain a sig­nificant amount of gravel washed off the surface of the shingles.

If the roofing is lumpy and uneven, it proba­bly has two or more layers of shingles that weren’t well installed and so need to be stripped to the sheathing before reroofing.

Do you see odd-colored shingles? If so, they are probably patches over old leaks. Or if the roof is relatively new and shingles are worn in only one area, perhaps one bundle of shingles was defective.

A roof less than 5 years old with a large num­ber of loose or missing shingles indicates that the installer’s power nailer was set too deep and drove the nails too far through the shingles. In this case, that roofing needs to be replaced.

Two’s

If there are two or more layers of roofing, strip the roof to its sheathing before reroofing. The best place to count layers is along the edges. But, as you count, keep in mind that roofers often double the shingles along the edges, to stiffen the shingle overhang so water drips freely off its edge.

METAL ROOFING

AREN’T FLAT

Flat roof is a misnomer: Even relatively flat roofs need some slope so water can exit down a drain or gutter. (After all, a cubic yard of water weighs 1,684 lb.) Still, water tends to pool on such low-slope roofs, so their roofing mem­branes must be intact to keep water out.