I am never surprised at the work I see regularly at home inspections in Queens NY, but you may be if you are not from this area. Many of these balloon framed houses from the 1920's and 1930's are renovated and sold to people who typically have no clue what they are buying.
The contractor/flipper purchases these old homes and performs renovation work that is so beyond shoddy it is not funny, it is scary. Last week I did an inspection in St. Albans and arrived before anyone. I went on the roof, and saw improper flashing, and 3 layers of shingle - which is NOT ALLOWED on these homes or any homes. A maximum of 2 layers is allowed, but I see the original wood shakes from the 1920's that are never removed, and contractors just install layer after layer on top without a care. Did you ever lift a bundle of shingles? Know how heavy that is? Then multiply that by 3, and you can understand why this extra weight should not be present on a roof with 2 by 4 rafters spaced 24 inches apart. The roof on this house was installed without tar paper (see picture) which is the first thing you install on fresh plywood when doing a roof. The basements are almost always finished into living space, but this prevents inspection of the foundation, so I can only see from the exterior. I can't see termite damage, plumbing, wiring, structural lumber, and can only guess at what is going on. Everyone assumes that the basement is wonderful added living space, but most times it is not.
Original staircases from the 20's are too narrow, almost always have an uneven rise (step height), very low headroom, poor or no railings, and no egress (emergency exit) windows. I do realize that a proper staircase will never be installed in a house like this as major renovations like moving load bearing walls would have to be done. And how is a poor flipper gonna make money? Wiring splices hidden behind walls was also found, as well as at least 15 electrical receptacles wired in reverse.
Wiring without romex connectors, wiring that is so old it should have been replaced in the 1950s is still live and in use, and multiple double-tapped breakers are found regularly. I see cloth covered wiring that is frayed to the point that the insulation crumbles when you touch it is left in service, and improperly sized wiring is constantly being found in these old homes. Plumbing nightmares such as brand new sinks and showers with leaks, hot and cold reversed at sinks and showers, improper pitch of drain piping, galvanized piping that is internally rusted so badly that the sinks and showers do not drain properly, and wiring resting on piping that gets very hot and can melt wiring insulation and short out. I see loose faucets in showers that will permit water to enter behind the tile, loose showerheads that have no fastening behind the newly tiled walls, windows in showers that will easily let water enter, shower doors that impact toilets and can shatter, loose/unfastened toilets, and the list goes on and on.
Some buyers are in shock by the end of the inspection, but some buy them anyway. The further from NYC, the more travel time, and expense is why (I guess). So please make sure you have a good inspector when buying one of these renovated homes. And don't expect perfection with homes from the 20's - 30's. - Ray
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