4 Common Home Hazards

These issues don’t necessarily cause illness but are serious nonetheless. Pillar to Post, a home inspection company, reports the following common hazards its home inspectors often find:

1. Faulty electrical wiring
Watch for: overloading circuits, loose wires, missing covers on distribution boxes, abandoned appliances, or aluminum wiring, which can become problematic with age.

2. Loose guard rails
Watch for: stairway guardrails, especially exterior stairways, that are not securely connected, or decks — often are installed by home owners unfamiliar with building codes — that may have loose boards.

3. Unsecured shower doors
Watch for: shower doors that lack safety glass and are not properly secured. A home owner who slips when stepping out of the bathtub and grabs a glass door that is not properly fastened could be severely injured.

4. Drainage problems
Watch for: downspouts discharging next to an exterior wall or a negative grade that slopes toward the home and brings water toward the home, causing foundation deterioration. This can lead to water damage, often seen in the basement, and possibly mold growth. Look for cracks, foundation wall stains, and musty, damp smells.

Reprinted from REALTOR® Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.

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