| Crooker Hancock Home Inspections Inc. 519-751-3128 www.crookerhancox.com So you have decided to buy a home/cottage. A home inspection is part of the path to making a more informed home/cottage purchase decision. Most home buyers don’t feel they have the technical background and expertise to properly evaluate a buildings structural and mechanical systems and may not be able to evaluate how one problem, if left untreated may impact on the rest of the home. That is why it’s best to hire a professional. >From experience I can tell you that a cottage is not an easy building to inspect. Structural Concerns
Almost all smaller cottages are supported by piers and columns situated on top of the earth. These may be made up of logs, stumps, timbers, blocks, concrete and just about anything they could find to use. As water and frost heaving are an issue theses is not adequate supports. Many cottages are prone to movement due to water being trapped where supports are located, allowing freezing action to move your cottage supports in the winter months...not a good situation if you happen to have drywall or other materials that will crack and become a visual eye sore. Newer and larger cottages will normally have their piers or foundations sunk down below the "Frost line" which is normally below 4 feet. This prevents the "frost heaving" effects of supports that are located on pads or similar supports.
The biggest issue with moisture under the cottage is mildew/mould/rot. As a lot of the time they did not use gutters or troughs (as this would have meant work to keep them cleaned out), the water moisture would go into the cottage walls and underneath the floor areas, and this in a very short time would lead to mildew/mould. Winterizing Cottages
Now many people have turned their single season cottage into a year round home or cottage. This can allow you full use of your second home. Insulation and vapor barriers are two items that are very important to your buildings health. Older cottages were not built with any concern for a building envelope and this is now going to be a major concern with adding insulation etc. After deciding what type of insulation you want to install, you have to determine how you are going to ensure that your insulation will not become wet and moldy from moisture passing through it. This is why your vapor barrier and location is so important, minimum code requirement is 6 mm of poly on the warm side of your wall in cold climates. This barrier prevents warm moist air from passing through your insulation where it will meet the cold air and turn to moisture, this is call the "dew point" and this is exactly what your vapor barrier is designed to prevent. In a perfectly built house all exterior surfaces, except for windows and doors, are sealed tight by 6 mm poly and even your electrical boxes are wrapped and sealed to prevent moisture from entering your wall cavity.
This is just the start of concerns you will want to know about Many insurance companies will not insure a cottage, home or chalet that does not have a 100 amp service panel. Electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, types of siding and what may be behind it, lot grading, interior finishes, abandoned oil tanks, etc., this list is long and you should be educated on them.
You may contact us at ccrooker@rogers.com.crookerhancox.com or 519-751-3128.
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