Building Floor Structure Defects List & Home Inspection Education
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This article lists significant Floor Structure defects, definitions, and home inspection education topics.
This article series, beginning at BUILDING DEFECTS LISTS, provides lists of common building defects and basic defect knowledge that also outline recommended curriculum content for home inspector education. The building defects and inspection points listed in these articles also guide homeowners and home buyers to building areas that merit careful attention and often point areas of safety concern or important maintenance and repair tasks.
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Home Inspection Education Curriculum - Structure, Floors
Readers should see STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS & DEFECTS for our complete list of articles on this topic.
Building Floor Structures: List of Typical Defects
BEAMS, Typical Defects
- Concentrated loads
- Inadequate lateral support
- Missing beams or sections of beams
- Notches or holes too big or in wrong location - see CUTTING HOLES in WOOD I-JOIST WEBS, JOISTS, RAFTERS, STUDS
- Poor bearing, crushed or loose shims
- Poor connections of built-up components
- Prior repairs
- Rot, insect or fire damage
- Rotated or twisted beams
- Rust (steel beams, exfoliating rust)
- Sag
- Weak or missing connections to joists
- Weak or missing connections to columns
JOISTS, Typical Defects
- Concentrated loads
- Inappropriate notching or holes
- Ineffective blocking, bracing or bridging
- Missing connections
- No blocking, bracing or bridging
- Notches or holes too big or in wrong location - see CUTTING HOLES in WOOD I-JOIST WEBS, JOISTS, RAFTERS, STUDS
- Poor end bearing, joist hanger
- Prior repairs
- Rot, insect or fire damage
- Sag or springy
- Split or damaged
- Weak mortise and tenon joints
- Weak openings (stairs, chimneys, etc.)
COLUMNS OR PIERS, Typical Defects
- Buckling
- Crushed
- Heaved
- Leaning
- Mechanical damage
- Missing Connections
- Missing footing?
- Mortar deterioration
- Over-Spanned (JDG & DF)
- Poorly secured at top or bottom
- Prior repairs
- Rot, insect or fire damage
- Settled
- Spalling concrete or brick
SILLS, Typical Defects
- Anchor nuts missing
- Anchor washers missing
- Anchor bolts too short
- Anchor bolts not secure in foundation
- Anchor bolts missing
- Anchor nuts not tightened
- Anchors not centered in sill
- At or below grade level
- Crushed
- Gaps under sills
- Missing
- Rot, insect or fire damage
- Sill split at anchor bolts
CONCRETE SLABS, Typical Defects
- Cracked
- Heaved
- Hollow below slab
- Rusted re-bar
- Settled
- Shaling
- Spalling
SUBFLOORING, Typical Defects
- Concentrated loads
- Cracking ceramic tiles
- Damaged or cut
- Plywood in wrong orientation
- Poor fastening (nailing, screwing, gluing)
- Poor end support or cantilevered
- Prior repairs
- Rot, insect or fire damage
- Sag or springy
- Squeaks
- Swollen waferboard
- Inappropriate material utilization JDG
Use the Search Box at the top or bottom of these pages to find in-depth information about building, energy savings, and indoor environment inspection, diagnosis and repair at this website.
Watch out: these inspection lists do not list all possible defects for the systems discussed, and not all home or building inspectors will examine all of the items listed here.
CONTACT us to suggest corrections or additions to articles at this website.
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Continue reading at ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING DAMAGE, DISASTER, REPAIR or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.
Or see these
Recommended Articles
- BRICK FOUNDATIONS & WALLS
- BRICK STRUCTURAL WALL Loose Bulged
- BRICK VENEER WALL LOOSE, BULGED
- BUILDING DAMAGE ASSESSMENT & REPAIR
- BUILDING DEFECTS LISTS - home
- FRAMING BLOCKING & BRACING
- FRAMING DAMAGE, INSPECTION, REPAIR
- FRAMING DETAILS for DOUBLE WALL HOUSES
- FRAMING AGE, SIZE, SPACING, TYPES
- FRAMING CONNECTORS & JOIST HANGERS
- FRAMING FASTENERS, NAILS, SCREWS, & HIDDEN
- FRAMING AGE, SIZE, SPACING, TYPES
- HOME & BUILDING INSPECTORS & INSPECTION METHODS
- STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS & DEFECTS - home
- STRUCTURE, FLOOR DEFECTS LIST
- STRUCTURE, ROOF DEFECTS LIST
- STRUCTURE, WALL DEFECTS LIST
- WOOD STRUCTURE ASSESSMENT
Suggested citation for this web page
STRUCTURE, FLOOR DEFECTS LIST at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.
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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING & HOME INSPECTION
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Citations & References
In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.
- John Cranor [Website: /www.house-whisperer.com ] is an ASHI member and a home inspector (The House Whisperer) is located in Glen Allen, VA 23060. He is also a contributor to InspectApedia.com in several technical areas such as plumbing and appliances (dryer vents). Contact Mr. Cranor at 804-873-8534 or by Email: johncranor@verizon.net
- Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. Contact Mark Cramer at: 727-595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com 11/06
- Roger Hankey is the retired principal of Hankey and Brown Inspections formerly of Eden Prairie, MN. Mr. Hankey is a past chairman of the ASHI Standards Committee and served in other ASHI chapter and national leadership roles. Mr. Hankey was a National Radon Proficiency Program certified measurement professional and is a Level II infrared thermographer and a consultant on cold climate housing and moisture intrusion. Contact Roger Hankey at: 970-393-6604 - rogerhankey47@gmail.comMr. Hankey is a frequent contributor to InspectAPedia.com.
- Arlene Puentes [Website: www.octoberhome.com ] , an ASHI member and a licensed home inspector in Kingston, NY, and has served on ASHI national committees as well as HVASHI Chapter President. Ms. Puentes can be contacted at ap@octoberhome.com
- Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
- Building Pathology, Deterioration, Diagnostics, and Intervention, Samuel Y. Harris, P.E., AIA, Esq., ISBN 0-471-33172-4, John Wiley & Sons, 2001 [General building science-DF] ISBN-10: 0471331724 ISBN-13: 978-0471331728
- Building Pathology: Principles and Practice, David Watt, Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (March 7, 2008) ISBN-10: 1405161035 ISBN-13: 978-1405161039
- In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.
- Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The HOME REFERENCE BOOK - the Encyclopedia of Homes and to use illustrations from The ILLUSTRATED HOME .
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.
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