Assessing the Structural Integrity of Your Home
Structural integrity is a key component of safety for any commercial building or home. Consider for a moment that the architect, contractor, or engineer who designed the property did not account for some crucial condition or need. A classic story of failed structural integrity tells of an architect who designed and built a library. The building was beautiful, but each year it sank a few inches due to the weight of the books. The architect had accounted for everything except the books, a crucial aspect and need of the property. Eventually, it was knocked down and had to be rebuilt, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
While your home may not have thousands of books weighing it down, its structural integrity may not be as strong as a seller claims. The current owner may not realize that the requirements or loads of the structure have changed, especially if the home has been in the family for many years. Perhaps additions have been built without proper guidance.
Structural integrity is the ability of a home to maintain its structure over time, not bending, breaking, or collapsing. A lot more is known about materials and their respective strengths today than was known 20, 50, or 100 years ago. Experts can assess the current state of a foundation, load-bearing beams, and other home framework components. It’s possible that the wood or metal used to support your home has been flexing and becoming more stressed and vulnerable.
A test of structural integrity assures that catastrophic failure does not occur, leading to injury, damage, monetary loss, or even death. Ultimately, your family is your number one priority. Safeguarding them by inspecting the structural integrity and other home conditions is the best way to gain peace of mind and preserve your investment.
Since 1991, Inspect It 1st has been the go-to inspection franchise for buyers, sellers, and real estate agents. Every inspector is trained extensively and offers exceptional customer support, because they care to see homes and other properties that are safe for the occupants for many years to come. Inspect It 1st offers inspection services which range from investigating structural integrity to testing water quality. So before you buy or sell, Inspect It 1st!