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	In Search of the Perfect House Building Inspection

In Search of the Perfect House The engineers of Carson Dunlop & associates Ltd. have conducted over 50,000 home inspections and we haven't found a perfect house yet.  Since perfection is not an option, what should you expect? Normal Maintenance If you strip away the cosmetics, a house is made up of the structure, roof, exterior envelope and the "systems" of the house.  The "systems" are things like heating, plumbing, electrical and cooling. All components and systems eventually wear out.  Fortunately, they don't all wear out at the same time.  Different components have different life cycles.  Houses tend to settle into what you might call a "normal maintenance pattern". The 1% Rule When you consider the life cycle of every component of a house, a reasonable annual estimate of the cost of normal maintenance is 1% of the value of the house.  One year you may replace the furnace; a few years down the road you may re-surface the roof.  Throw in the odd unexpected repair and you average 1% per year.  It's incredible but this rule is not far off even for very expensive and very inexpensive houses. What's the Message Here? A homebuyer should arrive at the home inspection with realistic expectations.  If you are buying a 12-15 year old home, let's face it, you may need a new roof covering.  If you are buying a 60 year old home, you may have to update some plumbing.  Don't let this scare you away from a perfectly good home. How Long Does it Last? Here is a short list of typical life cycles of the most common components of the home.  Please keep in mind that there will be expectations in every category. ROOF conventional asphalt shingles                           12-15 years top quality asphalt shingles                                    20-30 years low slope shingles                                              10-15 years slate                                                           40-200 years tar & gravel roof (built up roof)                               15-20 years single ply roof membrane                                        15-20 years roll roofing                                                    5-10 years EXTERIOR gutters & downspouts                                    20-30 years copper gutter and downspouts                            50-100 years aluminum siding                                         50 plus years wood siding                                                     maintenance dependent stucco                                                          maintenance dependent exterior paint                                                  4-6 years deck                                                            10-20 years asphalt driveway surface                                        10-20 years driveway sealer                                         1-3 years concrete driveway                                               30-40 years garage door opener                                              8-12 years STRUCTURE termite treatment                                               10-20 years HEAT conventional furnance                                   20-25 years mid-efficiency furnace                                  20-25 years high-efficiency furnace                                 unknown,suspect{20 years cast iron boiler                                                35-50 years steel boiler                                                    20-30 years copper tube boiler                                              10-20 years humdifier                                                       5-10 years electronic air filter                                           10-20 years COOLING air conditioning condenser                                      10-15 years PLUMBING galvanized steel supply pipe                                    40-50 years copper pipe                                                     indefinite toilet                                                          30-40 years sink                                                            12-20 years faucet                                                          10-15 years whirlpool bath                                          15-25 years shower pan                                                      unpredictable submersible pump for well                                       10-15 years suction or jet pump                                             10-15 years water softener                                          5-15 years sump pump                                                       2-7 years water heater                                                    8-12 years tile bathtub enclosure                                          10-50 years INTERIOR paint                                                           5-10 years windows                                                 maintenance dependent