I'm considering buying a home that is 30 years old. The basement is partly finished, with drywall covering most of the outside walls. In two rooms with exposed outside walls, I can see a line of white chaulky residue on the wall - about 2 feet from the floor in the room with the hot water tank, and 3 or 4 inches from the floor in a room across the basement. The vendor claims the residue arose from a one-time leak in the hot water tank and he is 'not aware' of any underlying structural problems which might be causing ongoing leakage. The walls have been freshly painted and the carpet removed. Would the inspector be able to determine if the cause of this white reside was structural and ongoing? It seems to me that a faulty foundation is not something you would want to buy knowingly.
Answer:
The inspector should be able to determine if its ongoing and in some jurisdictions there's a "Statement of Disclosures" that the vendor also has to sign and that is a legal document so its worth looking into.
Courtesy of Ren Molnar, Construction Consultant at HomeFocus.com. I can also be reached at (613) 748-3003 and Home Focus – The Radio Show is broadcast live 8 to 10 A.M. (Ottawa, Ont. time) on Saturdays on www.cfra.com. In the interests of retaining credibility and in fairness to all, I cannot recommend prices, people nor companies for various projects.
