The Interior

In order to do a complete Home Inspection, one must pay particular attention to the interior of the home. The interior encompasses a great many areas of the home, walls, ceilings, floors, doors, interior trim, stairs, railings, and all other components making up the environment in which we live. The walls, to begin with, must have a finish intact. The paint must not be peeling, indicating problems with moisture, holes in the walls can indicate problems with insulation and give way to intrusion from exterior elements. Dark spots in areas on the walls can be a good indicator of a mold or mildew growing. All of these things must be tested by your Home Inspector using a moisture meter. (As discussed in the previous post.) Trim around windows and baseboard, aside from giving the interior the finished look, perform a distinct function. The window trim will seal the rough opening around the window installation from air infiltration, and the baseboard will keep dust, and other undesirable elements from migrating into the insulation cavity. The ceilings, in most applications, give us our protection from fires in the attic,and provide mounting places for light fixtures etc. The floors of course, give us the walking surface and placement of all our furniture and the like. Floor should not be "bouncy", should not squeak excessively, or should not be cold. A good Home Inspector will test all of these elements during his inspection. Of all the elements of the inspection these Interior items are the most apparent. Although "wallpaper and Paint" items such as paneling and carpet are not regulated by the building code; they certainly play a significant part in the "look" or how a home "shows". Stairs and handrails and stair railings should be installed to give a complete feel to the stair when going up or down the stairs. The height of the stairs, or the rise and run of the stairs should not vary more than 3/8" according to the code. Try the stairs many times to see if you feel any significant difference in their height. You will notice the difference right away. This could result in a tripping hazard either going up or down the stairs. All things considered, you as the home owner will know right away if the interior is up to your liking. Of course the color schemes and decorating can be changed, so try to look beyond these basic items. Good Luck on your "interior decorating". -Inspector Tom