By Roland Thomas
Real Estate Broker / Consultant / Instructor
As a real estate instructor I teach the agents about the environmental hazardous that could be prevalent in houses.
Some of these hazardous have received lot of publicity and the public is very aware of them.
Nearly everyone would be familiar with asbestos and the problems it has caused but when most people think of arsenic they are reminded of murder mysteries and
"who-dun-it" movies.
Generally people would not realize that arsenic could also be present in their home, where it may be located and how to deal with it.
Even the test books I use do not mention arsenic.
They basically mention 11 hazards including the asbestos, mold, radon and 8 other hazards.
I have been telling my students to add arsenic to the list for several years and I recently found the Web site for the Maine Association of Realtors featured an article on the subject.
I do not know why it has been overlooked but it was the "treatment of choice" for woods that were used to build decks on the back of thousands and thousands of homes in the 70's.
I personally saw logs floating in vats of liquid containing arsenic. The ideas was for the liquid to be absorbed into the wood and kill any parasites that chose to attack the wood.
The logistics of the matter is that the chemicals that were absorbed thirty years ago are now seeping back out of the wood and if you put your hand on the railing of the deck, it gets on your skin.
Even a worse problem is if a child is crawling on the deck and they puts their hands in their mouth.
I was telling this scenario to a group of real estate students at a community college in a small town near where I live and several of them recalled an incident in town where an infant was poisoned in just such a manner.
But there are continued problems with the decking if you try to dispose of it.
NEVER burn the wood from one of these old decks!
Inhaling the smoke and spreading the smoke through the neighborhood can be just as dangerous to you, the birds and your neighbors.
You literally breathe the arsenic into your lungs which can cause immediate --or-- delayed breathing problems --or death.
Actually disposition of hazardous materials can cause it's own problems and we will address some of the solutions in future articles.
Hopefully this article and future articles in this feature-"Avoiding House Hunting Horrors" will help draw attention to these hazards and help you make your home safer.
"Avoiding House Hunting Horrors" is a regular feature of "The Roland Report"
Check our site :"The Roland Report dot com" for monthly for up-dated articles.
One upcoming article will discuss the preservatives currently being used in wood.
Now click on the Sept 2 below --for a complete Table of Content of
"Avoiding House Hunting Horrors".
Table of ContentClick the appropriate date at the bottom of this page:
The neighborhood intra-structure....Sept 2
Survey of the utilities.......................Sept 2
Neighborhood situs..........................Sept 2
Examination of the premises............Sept 2
Examination of the structure............Sept 2
Plumbing..........................................May 24
Heating and Air conditioning...........May 24
Design Considerations......................May 23
Design--Bathroom............................May 23
Design--Bedroom.............................May 23
Design --Traffic Flow........................May 23
Design --Kitchen ..............................May23
Other items / Walls / Spaces.............May 23
By Roland Thomas
Visit the local water authority-- the fire station-- the police, schools, city council meeting
and local civic groups.
One of the best sources of information about the area is your local fire station whether it is paid or volunteer.
They have to deal with the water system, the city leaders, the traffic and accident problems and the snake bites and just about every aspect of the neighborhoods intra-structure.
The diffenence in available services can vary greatly and especially if you are moving from an established area to the new surburbs on the edge of town, you might be in for a shock.
1-While at the fire station ask about their training, their response time, their equiprment andthe water system.
2-While at the sheriffs office ask about the sexual preditor's web site, the crime rate, the
response time, the "drug problem"in the school and theri evaluation of the neighborhood.
3-When you visit the school ask
A_their SAT rating--
B-their Parent Teacher association attendance history--
C--their graduation statistics--
D--their college bound statistics--
E--their policy for dealing with discipline--
F--ask if the have a web site--
G--do they offer music--foreign language--computers?
H--Teacher/student ratios---
I--special programs for gifted//
J--ACT scores---
K--Number of teachers with master's--
L--Generally talk with teachers to determine their passion and enthusiasm toward learning and teaching.
Are they housing students are teaching them.
This factor is often not determined by the staff but by the population.
By Roland Thomas
Specifically check the water system
1-What are the size of the water lines serving your street or road?
2-Visit the local water authority and ask about the "history" of the system.
3-How old are the lines?
4-What up-grades are planned and how do they expect to pay for them?
5-Who are the members of the water authority and how well do they get along?
**One local county which has experienced amazing growth, has over 14 water systems**
6-How much "reserve" is in the bank to handle emergencies?
7-Is there a 24 hour a day crew to deal with broken lines and pumps that break?
8- What is the source of water for the authority? Is it reliable well or a river or several
back up systems?
9-What is the water pressure in the neighborhood?
Turn "on" all water in the house to test the pressure.
10-What are the colors of the fire hydrants in the neighborhood and where are they located?
11-Is there a pool or pond on the premises to serve as back up water supply in case of a fire?
12-What annual dues are required to guarantee water and fire protection?
13-HAVE LOCAL FIRE DUES BEEN PAID?--GET A RECEIPT!!!
Recently a commercial building in an upscale developments was not covered by fire or by 911- because it was sandwiched between two city governments and no one had noticed the over-site!
14-IS THERE FLUORIDE in the water?
Of 14 water authorities surveyed recently only half contained fluoride.
By Roland Thomas
1-Are the neighbors friendly? (Visit them!!!)
2-Do they have guns?
3-Are guns allowed in the neighborhood?
4-Are there big dogs in the neighborhood?
5-Is there a leash law?
6-Are ther bands of "wild dogs that wonder through the neighborhood?
(Welcome to the suburbs!)
7-Are the frequent snakes spotted in the neighborhood?
(especially with new construction!)
8-Are large trucks allowed to pass through to visit a local chicken farm or quarries?
9-Are speeders prevalant?
10-Is ther heavy traffic during school drive time?
11-Are there hazardous intersections between the house and the school?
12-Are there occasional foul odors from distant plants or farms?
13-Do neighbors have criminal records?
14-What is the attitude and demeanor of the neighbors?
15-Are there any stigmas in the house or the neighborhood?
16-Has the house ever been burglarized?
17-Have the neighbors been burglarized?
18-Ask the local law authorities for a crime report. Ask how often they patrol the area.
By Roland Thomas
Slope of the land
1-Does the septic tank flow into the children's play area?
2-Does the rain flow into the garage?
3-During unusually heavy rain, would th building be susceptable to flooding due to additions such as landscaping walls?
4-Do current residents park over incoming water lines or is there any unusually green grass or wet spots over the water lines tha indicate a leak.
5-Are there any potentials for near-by drains to clog because of fallen trees?
6-Does the house face the evening sun?
7-Are ther trees to provide adequate shade from th morning and evening sun?
8-Ask if there may be any hazardous materials such as old televisions, insecticides etc. that may have been buried on the premises.
9-Is there adequate parking and "side parking" to allow cars to leave the garage without having to empty the drive?
10-Can you drive a car into the garage without driving onto th grass?
11- Is there adequate room in the "double car garage" to actually open car doors?
12-Is there an exit door from the garage to the outside and is it secured with a metal
"security door"?
By Roland Thomas
Whether you are building or buying an existing house, you should get a qualified home inspector to examine the property!!
1- What are the qualifications of the inspector you are considering?
Is he or she a structrual engineer?, a licensed plumber? Are they certified in heating and air conditioning? What is their background?
2--What items will they check ( Have them show you a report they will prepare for you.)
Some of the issues many inspectors may not address include:
3-Will they address the problem of the wood sidings that were bought in the last few years which are currently de-composing?
4-Are they familiar with the different preservitives that were used in lumber in the last 40 years and which ones could be environmentally hazardous?
WOODEN DECKS SOAKED IN ARSNIC in the 70's ARE NOW RELEASING THAT ARSNIC BACK OUT AND IF YOU TOUCH THE WOOD, THEN TOUCH YOU MOUTH
YOU MAY BE INGESTING ARSNIC!--Is your inspector sensitive to such issues?
**Go to the lead article for this issue to read more about arsnic and look for future articles in
"The Roland Report" that will discuss more environmental hazard in the home.****
5-Are they going to take off the switch plates and determine if the wiring is securely fastened to the switches?
5-If the house was built in the 60's and then ceiling fans were added later, is th inspector going to inspect to determine if bracing was added to secure the fan to the ceiling?
6-If the house was upgraded or "added on" who did the work? A license contractor or a week end warrior?
7-Is ther flashing between the house and chemny and between the house and decks?
8-What is the thickness of the decking used on the roofing?--Does it bounce or sink when you walk on it?
There are dozens of other issues a qualified, licensed inspector will know to address that are strictly limited to the structure.
Make sure they are bonded and insured in case they break something during the inspection.
Your real estate agent's responsibilities are in other areas, not in building and structure.
You need to be responsibile for getting a competent inspector and be satisifed with the reeport.
Spend time interviewing inspectors just as you would interview a baby sitter to care for your children.
If you are building make sure your contractor knows you will have an inspector is is comfortable with that.
Do not let your brother in law do the inspection!!
In addition to the integrity of the structure the building inspector will probably not address such issues as design.
Design issues are concerns that no one but the buyer can address.
Go to the index at the front of Avoiding House Hunting Horrors" to find the "Design" section.
By Roland Thomas
