Pioneer
Homes, a Relic from the Past
By
Frank Ross
Pioneer homes, what I call homes built more than about 100 years
ago, are prevalent in SW Utah. When asked to do a home inspection on
a pioneer home I find it exciting as each pioneer home has its own
character as well as quirks. Features I often see in these homes are
squeaky, sloping floors, windows painted shut, doors that rub when
operated, small rooms, and narrow stairways. It is not uncommon for
the home to have had one or more additions over the years. The
plumbing is usually galvanized piping and the electrical is normally
found to be the ungrounded type. The roofing can range from nearly
worn out to nearly new condition and the foundation quite often is a
stone foundation with the cement mortar showing signs of wear. A
pioneer home will take longer to inspect than a modern home of the
same square footage since extra attention needs to be paid to a few
key things: the electrical wiring, the plumbing, the roof and the
foundation.
Part
One: Electrical
The
first item of business with regard to the electrical system is to
determine the type of system in place. The best place to see this
wiring is usually in the attic. (Getting into the attic a lot of the
time is a chore in itself as the hatch openings tend to be no larger
than a large microwave oven door.) A “knob and tube” type of
installation is obsolete and should definitely be upgraded. Even
with upgraded systems I often see situations that require attention
such as twisted or tapped splices, and abandoned wiring. In my
report I recommend an evaluation by a licensed electrician.
The
second electrical item to examine is the breaker panel, normally
functional but containing “double taps” (where more than one circuit
is being fed from one breaker), abandoned wiring, bare ended wiring
and missing breakers that allow access to the live bus bars. All of
these items are safety hazards and should be evaluated by a licensed
electrician.
Another safety consideration should be the addition of Ground Fault
Circuit Interrupter receptacles. Of course the house was built and
wired long before GFCIs were invented but it is a good idea to
upgrade the receptacles by bathroom sinks, kitchen sinks, on the
exterior of the house, in the garage, and in an unfinished basement
to GFCI protection.
The
condition of the overhead service to the home is an additional
safety issue on the exterior. Mature landscaping surrounding homes
of this age leads to overhead service lines running through trees
with branches touching the service lines and sometimes the service
wiring is nearly touches the roof as well.
A
fifth aspect to consider is the grounding of the electrical system.
Ungrounded wiring typically has receptacles with only two slots; the
third wire – the grounding wire – is missing. The presence of the
newer three slot receptacles is not a guarantee of grounding,
however, because they can be installed and function in a two-wire
system but with a tester it is easy to see they are ungrounded. A
grounded system is, of course, safer, but ungrounded wiring in
itself is not normally considered something that must be upgraded.
It could be rather expensive to have an electrician upgrade the
house to a grounded system but greater protection to the home’s
occupants can be achieved by correcting the attic wiring splices,
removing all abandoned wiring, addressing any deficiencies in the
electrical panel and installing GFCI receptacles in the appropriate
places.
Part
Two: Plumbing
Most
likely, the original plumbing in a pioneer home was a wash pan in
the kitchen and an outhouse in the backyard. Pretty simple. What I
often see is a menagerie of things - the original cast iron drain
pipes (repaired as needed), patches, newer plastic drain pipes added
in here and there and sometimes even rubber hoses clamped in place
with hose clamps. Some improper repairs are seen now and then such
as a rubber floor mat wrapping the pipes and secured with duct tape
to stop a leak, and newer plastic drain pipes not secured in place
where they tie into the cast iron pipes. Water lines to an
additional bathroom or laundry room are usually copper integrated
with the original galvanized pipes; sometimes plastic water lines
are used but not as frequently.
Galvanized water lines will normally corrode from the inside out.
This condition may cause lower water pressure at faucets. The place
to look for leaks in a galvanized water pipe system is at the
threaded joints. This tends to be the weak link in the system. Once
a galvanized joint begins leaking and corrosion builds up it may not
be possible to simply replace the joint as it could snap off. A
licensed plumber should be called in for an evaluation of the system
if more than a couple of leaks are found. Even though working
adequately at the time, the leaks could be an indication of imminent
problems that a good plumber would be able to spot.
New
faucets and sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms are not necessarily
an indication that the house has new plumbing. Look under the sinks
to see if the old galvanized pipes and shut off valves are still
there. Look at the water heater to see if it has new copper or
plastic pipes. The plumbing pipes will be most visible in the crawl
space; however these spaces are often quite small with limited
access.
Most
of the cast iron drain piping I have seen still functions
adequately. At times, however, serious problems are discovered.
Once I saw a cast iron drain pipe improperly supported. Over time
the wood blocks and bricks and stones that originally supported the
drain pipe had shifted or been knocked out of place. The weight of
the pipe had caused a large crack in the pipe thus failure was sure
to occur. These drain pipes are heavy and proper support is
essential.
One
other thing I find more commonly is the vent stacks running up to
just under the eaves of the roof. Moisture coming from the vent
causes damage to the eaves. Often vents in this location are too
close to windows making it possible to have unpleasant sewer gas
enter through the window. The cause of these problem vent stacks may
likely be that the house had been added on to and the vent stack was
not moved or extended.
Hose
bibs or outside water faucets if hooked to galvanized pipes tend to
be found not working, leaking or capped off altogether.
I
also include several other key things in the inspection. In the
bathrooms and kitchens I check the faucets to see
that the hot water is on the left and
cold on the right. This is safety concern especially in a shower or
bathtub since it is possible that some unsuspecting person
could get burned if the hot and cold are reversed. Additionally, I
check to see if the sinks and tubs drain quickly and that the toilet
it is not cracked or loose to the floor. If a toilet is loose to the
floor it should be checked out by a licensed plumber as the cause
could be a broken flange or floor damage that can only seen when the
toilet is pulled off the floor. One thing not checked in a pioneer
home inspection is an irrigation water system, such as ditches,
valves, water gates etc.
Part
Three: The Roof
A
pioneer house roof is hard to inspect since often they are either
too steep or too fragile to walk on. The next best way to view a
roof is to use high powered binoculars and a ladder at the edge of
the roof.
The
roof tends to show the age of the house. Commonly the roof will
have two or three layers of shingles (if they are asphalt shingles)
with tarred patches and home-made repairs from years past. A wood
shake roof may have curled and cracked shakes which indicate that
the roofing is due for replacement even though no roof leaks may be
apparent.
Although a roof may be well aged and worn, I will on occasion find
water stains on the ceilings indicating a leaky roof. Rusted,
galvanized flashing on the old roofs is usual.
Chimneys need to be checked for loose and missing brick and mortar.
In
the attic, if access is possible, it can usually be told if the roof
has been upgraded at some time. The original roof sheathing would
probably be lumber such as 1x12s laid horizontally with spacing
between the lumber of 3-4 inches. If there is plywood or composite
sheathing seen through the spacing in the roof members then the
roofing has been replaced.
The
roof framing, although it was not engineered like a trussed roof is
today, was usually made of thick lumber 2 – 3 inches thick. These
thick rafters can hold additional weight and so it is common to find
a roof with three layers of asphalt shingles on it. If a
three-layer thick roof needs to be replaced it is recommended that
all layers be torn off and the roof sheathing exposed to inspection
and then new shingles, tar paper and flashing are installed. Of
course, a “tear-off” costs more than simply adding another layer of
shingles. Getting an estimate from a licensed roofer is a good idea.
Part
Four: The Foundation
Foundations in these pioneer homes are usually either what looks
like home batch concrete strengthen with iron pipes or even
bedsprings instead of modern-day rebar, or concrete and stone, or
simply stacked stone. Out of the three types the stacked stone
foundation is usually in the best shape. The concrete foundations
are commonly found to be cracked and spalled – a situation where the
face of the concrete has flaked or broken off). Asked time and time
again by the buyers of the home if the foundation is good, I can
only give a vague response. I have no way to tell when a crack might
have happened - it could have happened 75 years ago. I cannot
foretell the future and know if a crack will cause future problems
but in general if the doors and windows work and no major interior
cracks are found then I feel that there is no cause for alarm.
Sealing the crack with an approved concrete sealant is generally all
that is suggested to do.
It
is important to note that a home inspection is not a code
inspection. The report will not tell a client whether every system
in the house is “up to code” but it will provide a “snapshot” of the
condition of the house on that day. Pioneer homes each have their
own unique features and getting to know them, either through the
inspection of by living in one, is like getting to know a piece of
history.
Frank Ross is a Certified Utah Home Inspector for Pillar to Post
Professional Home Inspection, a full member of the National
Association of Certified Home Inspectors and a member in good
standing of the Utah Better Business Bureau. Readers may contact
Mr. Ross at (435) 867-6400 or
frank.ross@pillartopost.com or view his website
www.pillarposthomeinspection.com
