Today just inspect a house. The front porch looks like sagging, but not sure. I also checked the sides and back of the house, and looks ok to me (not sagging). Is it just the porch sagging, not the house?
For now, there is not evidence of water damage in basement. But I can foresee that it may have a leaking basement because the water/rain will follow the porch and accumulate to the edge of exterior siding. The homeowner had patched the edge.
How should I write it up and how to repair this issue? I know regarding to standards, home inspectors don’t have to tell how to repair. Just want to know.
To start with I think you need to devise a means to determine that the porch is in fact “sagging” and if it is actually causing water intrusion issues.
I don’t see any reason to write it up if you don’t have any supporting evidence that there is in fact the problem.
As for how to repair something, that is not your job.
It might be a good idea to go back and review your standards of practice and incorporate them into your report writing.
It is your job to collect enough information to show that there is a problem but you are not the one to determine how to fix a structural problem.
Fact, opinion, guidance
FOG
You need facts before you give opinion or guidance.
Please get some more training in porch and deck safety at minimum with my opinion based on your post.
See how I answered based on my given facts?
I know my job is not to say how to repair. But I, myself, just want to know how to fix and I am not going to write on the report or suggest the client how to repair.
And I am wondering where and how do I get more evidence to proof that it is sagging? I checked the basement and looks fine. I only can see sagging from outside/exterior.
A 6ft level will tell you if the porch is sagging and in which direction.
If you want to see what is going on over the length use a mason’s sting with blocks to check for variations/deviation.
Levels, strings and squares are the old school methods. New school are lasers. Appearance is one thing reality is another. Use the tools to verify what you think you are seeing.
