Home Inspection - Bathrooms

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Bathrooms are the second most expensive rooms in your home, after your kitchen. One of the biggest considerations when selling or purchasing your home is the condition of its bathrooms.

You can save yourself literally thousands of dollars by discovering problems in the bathroom during your inspection. Most bathrooms consist of sinks, toilets, showers, tubs, their enclosures, and specialty flooring. The reason bathrooms are so costly is that these are expensive items and require a good deal labor to repair or replace.

With constant exposure to water, many problems can develop over time and cause major damage to not only the bathroom, but to the rest of your house as well.

Countertops and Sinks

Lets look at the countertops and their sinks. There are many types of countertops, from the more expensive granite and tile, to man-made types like corrian or cultured marble and plastic laminates such as Formica.

Countertop Inspection

Check the countertop to see that it is secure, mounted properly, caulked and grouted if required, and that it is not missing tiles or has any surface damage that would require replacement. If there is a two-piece back splash it should be sealed with caulk along its seam. This two-piece backsplash needs to be caulked in order to prevent water damage. If your sink is attached to the countertop, it too should be properly sealed at its seam so that water does not leak into the cabinet below. If problems are discovered with the countertop, sink, or backsplash, they need to be addressed and repaired early on in order to prevent further damage.

Sinks come in a variety of styles and materials. Good quality sinks, like this china sink, provide years of flawless service, whereas, a low quality model's service life diminishes as their surfaces ware rapidly and rust, leaking within a few short years. Look carefully at such porcelain baked enamel on steel, or resin plastic sinks which crack easily. If during your inspection you come across one, examine it closely for corrosion and leakage, given that they are prone to have problems. Most Contractors rarely come across porcelain-baked enamel on steel sinks that are not leaking. You will have fewer problems due to a longer service life with porcelain on cast iron or cultured marble sinks, both of which are durable and attractive. Some high quality options are high tech polymer sinks and counter combinations, along with exotic models made of copper or glass.