14 - Friday, © December 3, 1993 — North Shore News le Ins spection SAVVY No questions are stupid when examining structure A HOME inspection, -whether it’s something you asked for as a prospective buyer or whether it is man- dated by the mortgage lender, is more than another hoop to jump through on the way to settlement. It may be your first chance to look under the house’s hood, so to speak, to kick the tires and see how it runs. The heme inspector is examin- ing two things: the structure and soundness of the house, and the wiring,. plumbing and_ heating sysiems. There’s actually a third catego-. ry, which is Anything Else You Want to Know. But the important thing about the home inspection is that you be there if possible. ’ Follow the inspector around; he or she will have a routine. Be prepared. Know your house parts. Follow the inspector into the “basement and the attic and, if possible, into the crawispaces - (carry a flashlight so you can help light up the space under examina- tion). .This-is where any old ter- mite damage will show up. * “No: live termites’? isn’t good enough as a termite-inspection report; they may have done plenty of damage before they died. Here are some of the questions that should be on your mind: Does the house have drain tile around the perimeter of the base- ment? A sump pump? That probably means you won't have water problems. The only way to tell for sure is to visit during or just after a rain storm. If you see signs of water prob- lems, don’t~ panic; some. water ‘problems can be solved relatively inexpensively, by exterior grading, for instance, or by installing a ‘sump pump. . Make sure’ the: roof is fully .evaluated. Find out not just what “type of roof it is (flat, shingle, tile or slate), but how old itis. A flat roof - needs recoating every three years, but that's not expensive. A new roof can cost $1,000-$3,000. Shingle roofs should last 20 years but may need flashing or other repairs. Slate and tile last considerably longer, but when they reach the end of their natural lifetimes, they are much more expensive 10 replace. About the systems: Besides knowing what type of heat the house has (het water, steam, forced air), you need to know what fuels the system (gas, oil, clectricityy and how old the equipment is. You need to know if the system has modern controls. in the case of a boiler, does it add water automatically or shut down when the water level is low? How efficient is the system? If your furnace or boiler is not energy-efficient and has no con- trols, or needs other work (replacing rusty piping, for in- stance), it may be time to replace it. The new boiler or furnace could cost $2,000 or more. If there’s central air condition- ing, where are the cold air returns? That’s what will deter- mine how efficiently the cooling works throughout the house. Hot air rises; there should be returns at the high poinis of the house to get the air back to the control unit for re-cooling. if the house has a forced-air furnace but doesn’t have central air, you’ll need an expert's opi- nion on whether you can simply add air conditioning. Wf there are no returns, a central system may be less efficient than installing a number of window units. Find out the capacity of the _ electrical service in amps. You need at least 100-amp ser- vice with some empty circuit loca- tions in case you want to add in- dependent circuits for microwaves, computers or air conditioning units. You also need to find out what kind of wiring is in the walls. The VAN HERRICKS PRESENTS: "ANNUAL cHnibritas BLow-our SALE!" 4 “sh 4 i a " Cash only - Delivery available. Located at: 4105 Grandview Highway | Burnaby, B. c. ancient “‘knob and tube” and “Woodtrack’’ systems should be replaced. But you may have to substan- tially rewire the house to get rid of the old stuff. Find out how exten- sive old wiring is and how much it might cost to replace it. Find out what kind of water pipes are in the walls. Jn municipal systems, you want cop- per inside and out. Galvanized water lines rust and eventually close. Finally, carpets and possible. uf not, you may be able to check floors from underneath.) Check above dropped ceilings, a traditional ‘‘fix’’ for bad plaster. Shine a light into all the dark cor- ners. If you see anything that concerns you, ask the home in- spector, You’re paying for the inspec- tion; that means there are no stupid questions. poke around. Lift sheet flooring, if Spe Black Matt DINETTE Available ONLY with black seat S449 00 cushion LOCAL COLOUR PRESENTS THE “LOCAL LOONIE” OFFER The Offer... Take home a quart sample of “The REAL Thing”. Try our best interior latex, ACCOLADE VELVET, on your walls and test the colour in “LOCAL” conditions. How Does It Work? Select any colour (or colours) from our chip rack and we will supply you with one quart per colour of ACCOLADE INTERIOR VELVET. Test it on an area of roughly 3' x 3’, to get a good idea of the colour in your own room. We will held a credit card imprint until the quart is returned. Please return the can, as clean as possible, within 7 days. Best of All... The “LOCAL LOONIE” Offer costs only ONE Loonie per colour! Offer Available ONLY at: LOCAL COLOUR 1747 BOUNDARY ROAD VANCOUVER 298-1616 PRATT & LAMBERT QUALITY SINCE 1849 IRON BED with solid brass ornaments _ Available in Double or Queen Reg. $999.00 sae*599°° Headboard only * sais ®*349°° Double or Queen: 4 Tier Black FAN ETAGERE. Reg. $199.00 SALE $449: Quality Wooden Folding SAFARI CHAIR Available ONLY in black SALE When Decor Accent first opened its doors in 1989, the Richmond based company set out to create a unique concept in the retail industry. By mix- ing both contemporary as well as traditional giftwares, unique household accessories and occasional furniture, Decor Accent has been able to cater to consumers with dis- tinctive tastes, With. this philosophy, Decor Accent CAPILANO MALL 935 Marine Drive, North Vancouver . $59, Sue '83g- has rapidly grown into a chain of nine B.C. outlets with plans to open up a further six loca: tions in the coming year. With the grand opening of the new Capilano Mall store in North Vancouver, the entire Decor Accent collection can be seen for distinctive gift ideas, attractive accessories, and unique household furnishings at exceptional value. §83-3267 88 Decor HANEY PLACE MALL © SCOTTDALE MALL fiETRO TOWN CENTRE WILLOBROGK MALL LOUGHEED MALL SURREY PLAGE MALL 65,11900- 225 Street Hayle Ridge ‘AG7-8310 7023 - 120 Street 161-489 Delta §99-6151 (cpposite the Food Fait) 433-3435 314 - 19705 Fraser Way Langley 530-5515 383-9511. on $83-B835 © 9855 mai Ave. (2nd Level) AA. 4820