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Home Structural Inspections

PEI Home Structural Inspections
Including Foundation, Floors, Walls, Ceilings and Roof Structures

Home Structural Inspection Charlottetown PE

roof framingThe structure of a home is exceptionally important, and this is an area that you want to make sure is looked at carefully as part of your home inspection service. Contact us for a home structural inspection in Charlottetown or elsewhere in PEI. We include the inspection of the home structure as part of our residential home inspection package.

The home structure includes the following elements:
  • Foundation(s)
  • Floors structure
  • Walls structure
  • Ceilings structure
  • Roof structure

While a home inspector does not provide an engineering or architectural opinion, what is included in the inspection of your home structures is a visible inspection of the viewable structural components of the home. This includes an inspection of any visible foundation or framing. If any deterioration is suspsected, a home inspector will probe a sample of the structural component, so long as it is possible without damaging a finished service.

Included in a typical home inspection report is also information on any conditions that limited access to structural components, and details on the specific methods used to inspect crawl spaces and the attic.

To get more information on what is included in our home structural inspection, or to get a quote for your home inspection, contact us today at (902) 812-0050.
photo of attic structure inspection
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The Components of a Home's Structural Systems

A home's structural systems include the following:

  1. Foundation
    The foundation is the lowest load-bering part of a home, and is typically below ground level. There are different types of foundations, but the three most common types are the slab foundation, the crawlspace foundation, and a basement foundation. The purpose of the foundation is to provide stability for the home from the ground, and to distribute the weight of the home over a large area to avoid overloading the underlying soil. A cracked foundation or other defects in a foundation can lead to major problems for a home and can be some of the most costly repairs to a home if required.

  2. Floor Structures
    The floor structures of a home contain the structural components that separate the stories in the home. In wood framed homes, two common types of floor systems are those built with traditional lumber and those built with engineered wood. Many newer homes use a combination of both. When it comes to engineered floor joists, two of the more common in use for new builds today are wood I-Joists and open web trusses. Sagging floor joists in a home can not only be visually unappealing but also can be a safety hazard if the floor were ever to collapse.

  3. Wall Structures
    The wall structures of a home serve multiple purposes, including: providing security, carrying a load, defining room areas, and providing soundproofing. From a construction and structural standpoint, the two primary types of walls are load-bearing or non-load-bearing. Load bearing walls are responsible for carrying the weight of floors above, and therefore are very important in terms of providing strength and structure to a home.

  4. Ceiling Structures
    A ceiling is the overhead surface or surfaces covering a room, and this also includes the underside of a floor or roof. A ceiling often hides the structural construction of a floor or roof and therefore it is commonly not possible to view all the ceiling and floor structures in a home. It is more common however in the basement and the attic to have an uncovered ceiling, which gives more ready access for viewing and inspecting the ceiling and floor structures.

  5. Roof
    The roof is the top covering of a home and includes all materials needed to suport it on the walls or building uprights, and also provides protection for the home from the outside elements. The roof structure itself typically is defined as the frame on which the roof will be constructed, and consists of elements such as trusses, beams, and rafters which give the roof its shape. The design, materials and condition of the roof structure are important in dertmining its strength and also its ability to be insulated and ventilated. A sagging or leaking roof structure can lead to major problems in a home and can be quite costly to repair or replace.

Given the importance of the home structure, it is important that it is carefully inspected as part of your home inspection service. We look forward to inspecting the structural systems of your home in Prince Edward Island!
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