The Structure of the Building
One
of the biggest concerns of home buyers and building buyers is the structure
of the building. Fortunately structural defects in the greater
New York area are less common than in some other parts of the country.
Enforcement of Building codes have
helped limit the number of structural defects.
If you buy a building that has a structural defect, the fact that most buildings do not have structural defects is of little comfort. You want to know if the house or building you are considering purchasing is structurally sound.
Some home buyers and building buyers believe structural defects are only a concern in older buildings. Other real estate purchasers feel they can find structural defects just by "looking carefully". Still other building buyers feel that an old building that is still standing must have no structural defects. Click here for photographs of home and building structures .
The fact is that most structural defects have only subtle symptoms. For example, a building buyer may not recognize floor joists or a sill plate with termite damage that needs $24,500 worth of repairs. Rot in ceiling joists or roof rafters can also be costly to repair, and may not be apparent when casually examining the building.
The following statement regarding home inspection and building inspection was issued by the New York State Board for Engineering and Land Surveying:
It is
the opinion of The Board that the inspection and examination of single
or multiple family residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional
buildings regarding their structural, electrical and mechanical subsystems
for proper integrity or capacity constitutes the practice of engineering
as defined by the "law." Any attempt to determine the structural
integrity, capacity of a building, or any subsystem thereof, other than
the detection of problems by visual inspection or normal operation of
the user’s controls, constitutes the practice of engineering. This would
include the diagnosis and analysis of problems with buildings and/or
the design of remedial actions.
Therefore, an individual who advertises or practices in this area shall
be a registered professional engineer in the State of New York.
Only
a Licensed Professional Engineers
or a Registered Architect can
assess structural sufficiency and capacity. While an inspector
who is not an Engineer can describe what is visible, the non-Engineer
cannot assess the structural sufficiency or capacity. Heimer Engineering
uses Licensed Home Inspectors
who are also Licensed Professional Engineers.
If you are concerned about the structural integrity of the home or building, you need to have a pre-purchase inspection performed by a uses Licensed Home Inspector who is also a Licensed Professional Engineer.
To
setup an appointment with Heimer Engineering PC for a home inspection, building inspection, condominium inspection,
coop inspection, or Professional Engineering consultation, to find out about other
Professional Engineering
services offered, or for more information, call us anytime at 718.544.3000,
212.563.4777, 516.487.2100, 631.858.5500, 914.576.6100, 845.638.4900, or 800.605.1500
or you can click here to contact us 24/7
using the online form.
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Structure |
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This web site is best viewed with at least Microsoft® Internet Explorer version 7.0 or Mozilla Firefox 2.0. Other web browsers may not display this web site properly. Heimer Engineering's licensed Professional Engineers are ready to serve your home inspection, building inspection, coop inspection, and condominium inspection needs. All Heimer Engineering's licensed Home Inspectors are also licensed Professional Engineers. HEIMER®, HEIMER INSPECTIONS®, FOR A GOOD LOOK®, WE LOOK GOOD®, and HEI-LITE® are registered trademarks of Heimer Engineering PC. Heimer Engineering is not an environmental testing company, and does not inspect or test for any environmental hazard. All inspections are performed only after the client signs an appropriate agreement. Click here to download an agreement. The use of this web site is governed by our Terms of Use.
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This page
was last reviewed on
July 15, 2010. |
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