Plumbing Issues You May Encounter When Buying A Foreclosed Home
If you are getting ready to buy a foreclosed home, it might be worthwhile to hire a plumbing company to inspect it first, if possible. If you cannot have it inspected before you buy the house, you should do this shortly afterwards. Foreclosed homes often sit vacant for months or years before they are sold, and problems can occur during this time. There can be problems with numerous parts of the house, but plumbing problems are extremely common with unoccupied homes. Here are several issues the plumber may encounter when performing the inspection.
Frozen Or Burst Pipes
When a home is vacant due to a foreclosure, the power to the home is often shut off. If this occurs during the winter, the house will not stay warm enough to keep the pipes heated, and this can lead to burst pipes. If a house will not have power during the winter, it should be winterized. This involves shutting off the water and draining all the water from the pipes. When a house is winterized, it will not have burst or broken pipes. Unfortunately, though, homes do not always get winterized during foreclosures.
A plumber will be able to find out if there are burst pipes by visually inspecting the home and by turning the water on. During a visual inspection, the plumber will look for signs of water damage. He will also look for pipes that are exposed to see if there is any damage. If the plumber does not see any issues, he will turn the water on to see if any problems appear.
Water Damage
If the house had burst pipes and was vacant long enough for the water in the pipes to melt, this house could have water damage. Water damage does not only occur from burst pipes, though. It can also occur when there are leaks in the pipes. Water damage can be severe if it was not detected early on and fixed, and a plumber will easily be able to locate signs of water damage by inspecting the home.
Plumbers look at walls and ceilings to see if there are water spots. This is the easiest way to locate any water damage in a home. If there is water damage, the pipes will need to be replaced or fixed. In addition, water damage can affect the drywall in a home as well as the flooring materials and other parts of the house. If water remains in a home for a long time, it can also weaken the foundation and the wood used to build the house.
Mold And Mildew
With water damage, mold and mildew can easily occur. If the house you are buying contains mold and mildew, you might be able to smell it when entering the house. If the house smells musty, for example, there is probably water damage in it, and if there is water damage there is probably mold.
Mold can be a toxic material in a house, and it is something that will have to fixed before you move in. The problem with this is that eliminating mold from a house is not always easy. Mold can hide inside walls and ceilings, and it can be hard to get to. A plumber might be able to locate mold in a house, but you may need to hire a mold remediation company to have the mold completely removed from the house.
Buying a foreclosed home can be a great way to save money, but it can cost you a lot to repair it if there is water damage or plumbing issues. To learn more about the house you want to buy, contact a plumbing service to inspect it before you buy it.