What are minor building defects?

You’ll want to know that minor building defects represent small and pretty simple damages that might affect the way your property will look or the way it will function. However, they won’t, in any way, compromise your building’s structure. Wondering what those issues might be? They often involve blemishes, thin cracks, or deterioration en général. Also, these minor defects shouldn’t always be repaired right away, but it’s nevertheless very important that you identify them. A professional home inspector must write down any minor defects that were stumbled upon during the process, even if they do not really pose a serious safety risk or something. Now that we have cleared that one up, it’s time to see just what minor defects property owners usually have to deal with! 

 

How will you identify minor building defects? 

We will show you a list of the most popular minor building defects and ways you can recognize them without much trouble. So, shall we begin?

Gaps between walls (both on the inside and the outside)

One of the most common minor building defects professional home inspectors identify is the gaps between walls, regardless of the fact if they’re interior or exterior. You’ll want to know that this kind of issue is typically caused by the sagging floor joints. This, on the other hand, might happen because of the good distance between the supporting pillars or simply a termite infestation. Additionally, wall gaps might be caused by a faulty building foundation. The ground will move and compromise your building’s entire structure. 

Cracks in the walls or ceiling

We have already mentioned these—wall and ceiling cracks are your typical minor building defects. As you might assume, they’re mostly not that serious. Still, they always deserve a professional to examine them thoroughly. If you notice any cracks, don’t panic. Just watch out to notice if things will get worse over time. 

The curious case of uneven floors

As we’ve said, most of the things we’ll list here don’t require you to react ASAP. However, this kind of issue varies in severity and shouldn’t always represent a big problem. So, how do we get uneven floors? Where do they come from? They can be caused by faulty construction or, sometimes, improper foundation settling. However, it’s not like cracked floor joints or termites can speed things up a bit here. Needless to say, you’ll need to hire a pro to handle the issue. 

 

Warped ceilings

The issue of multiple cracks, warped or sagging (pregnant) ceilings is usually the result of rainwater “chilling” on the ceiling wall. Such a setting is caused by a damaged roof (that you’ll also need to inspect) or gutters. Now, we don’t have any doubts about whether you should act upon this one immediately. You definitely should! That way, you’ll prevent further deterioration and avoid spending large sums of money dealing with the consequences. 

The issue of crumbling concrete

When talking about why it’s crucial to detect minor building defects, this issue is one the most talked about. It can be caused by a good number of things. At the same time, the most popular reason why you are dealing with crumbling concrete is exposure to moisture. The thing is, this exposure to moisture and various chemicals (for instance, salts and chloride) can result in a chemical reaction in the concrete; the crystals will rise and expand and eventually tear down the bonds between the materials. It’s not that uncommon to notice the mortar erosion in the lower part of the brickwork underneath the damp coarse or the waterproofing membrane. This will most probably indicate that additional problems need to be identified. 

 

The part we’ve all been waiting for—termites

Even though these little creatures (such as termites and timber pests) might be small, the damage they can produce can be gigantic. You’ll want to know that they find the wet foundations very appealing, in addition to being very fond of damp floors or wet crawlspace your home can provide them with. Most of the time, this set of circumstances might be caused by a leaky tap, a broken piper, faulty water tanks, or any other problem with your home’s plumbing system. Why are these critters so dangerous? Well, they’ll destroy any wood elements of your building’s wood structure (including the pillars and walls). Therefore, one shouldn’t wait around too much in order to call a professional who’ll take care of the termite infestation. In other words: the issue should be taken very seriously. 

The importance of a home inspection

In order to properly handle the damages a certain building has (the one that you’re planning to buy), it’s always best that you book a home inspection. That way, you’ll know what you’re dealing with (whether we’re talking about minor or major issues). A qualified and licensed professional home inspector will take an in-depth look at your soon-to-be new home’s condition and value, saving you some reasonable amounts of money in the long run.

Author’s bio: 

Dylan Mackenzie is a freelance author mostly interested in real estate, thus often writing about various relocation-related topics and browsing moving company directories such as Best Movers in Florida in order to find the perfect one and become their PR. Besides that, he’s a loving father of two wonderful children.