Inspection Differences in the City Different
There are some differences in residential construction and construction materials used in Santa Fe versus other parts of the country such as stucco wall surfaces over wood frame and adobe wall construction and flat roofs. Also some urban residents choose to buy rural properties around Santa Fe. This might be the first time these buyers have owned properties with wells and septic systems. Our objective is to provide the perspective home buyer with some information about these differences so they can ask better questions during the inspections and be certain that important aspects of the property are evaluated before purchase.
Flat Roofs
The predominant material used is built up gravel. Since the roofing material is more than 90% covered with gravel, evaluation of the roof life must based on observation of the flashing particularly on the north side since it has the greatest UV exposure. The condition of the mineral surface on the flashing is an important measure of remaining life.
Stucco
Both stucco and elastomeric stucco are used. The elastomeric products have greater elasticity and therefore tend to crack less. If the stucco on the parapets cracks, it is more serious than cracks on the vertical wall surfaces since our winter temperatures can vary from over 40 f in the day to 10 f at night. Snow on the parapets melts and seeps into cracks during the day and freezes and expands during the night.
Radon
Our firm has performed over 1000 radon tests in and around Santa Fe. A pattern of high radon areas has emerged. The areas around the Santa Fe river and some others are more likely to have high radon levels. Radon can be mitigated. It is important to have the home tested if it is in a high radon area.
Septic Systems
Most properties outside the city of Santa Fe and a few in the city have septic systems. If the property you are considering has a septic system, information about the system maintenance (when it was last pumped) should be obtained . A decision on whether a septic inspection is needed can then be made.
Wells
Water quality should be evaluated. It can vary over time. The well equipment should also be evaluated. A well flow recovery rate test is sometimes performed to evaluate the productive capacity of the well. If it is a shared well, information can be obtained from others on the same well.
These are just a few of the differences to consider when evaluating a property in Santa Fe. Our firm, Professional Inspections & Evaluations, has performed over 5000 inspections and over 1000 radon tests in Santa Fe. Ralph Pattelena who provided this information holds a Civil Engineering degree and MBA from Cornell University. Please visit his website, www.santafehomeinspection.com for more information.
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