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 New Jersey
home inspection NJ home
inspectors perform
Certified New Jersey home
inspections in NJ.
1930 TO 1949:
This era of construction is difficult to define
in most terms. The area of the country dictated
the type of materials and construction so
greatly that the inspector will simply review
what is visible and obvious. As in later eras,
fiber pipes were used in sewer lines and their
life span was not what was expected. Galvanized
water pipes installed in this era, which have
not been replaced, will usually be in advanced
stages of mineral buildup causing reduced water
flow at faucets, especially if several are
turned on at once. Prepare to replace the main
line to the street if it has not already been
done. Electrical service for the property may
leave more to be desired if it has not been
upgraded. Expect to find knob and tube wiring in
most of the earlier years of this era. Most
electric panels had screw-in type fuses, with
circuit breakers showing up later in this
period. Structures of this period did not have
grounded outlets or even sufficient outlets in a
room by today's standards. Expect to use
extension cords to run some of your appliances.
Be sure to buy the heaviest cord possible for
the application. Insulation in attics and walls
was virtually unheard of in moderate climates.
Tempered glass in shower doors, patio, and other
doors is generally not found although wire-grid
safety glass was often used. Lead paint may be
present in this era of construction. You may
desire to have a lead testing company review all
areas where lead may be found. Door jambs
"out-of-square" with dragging doors
are common. Roof rafter sag is common in the
earlier years--mostly due to the weight of
several layers of roofing, but also because
rafter spacing was excessive and rafter
dimension often was undersized. Water flow in
the water lines will often be slow, due to heavy
mineral buildup in the lines, if the system has
not been upgraded. Fireplaces and chimneys may
be getting old and deteriorating. Liners may not
be installed in chimneys. The inspector can not
determine if the bricks or mortar are in
sufficient condition to accept upgrades such as
new liners and the like. The inspector will not
be able to find all code violations and other
deficiencies in and around a property,
especially in construction eras of the past.
This inspection is not intended to expose code
violations. The inspector will, however, try to
reveal the most obvious problems and builder
oversights. Contact the inspector for additional
information regarding this inspection limitation
if necessary.
The above information was provided by TWI Systems Copyright 1995-2005 1-800-553-5660 |
