Bathroom Inspection Tips

Getting a home inspection is essential to ensure the house is in excellent condition, whether you're buying or selling.

Do not you know anything special about home inspection? If so, click on the what is home inspections article to find out.

The bathroom may not be the first room that springs to mind when you think about examining a house, but it's an important area to consider overall.

Continue reading to learn what home inspectors look for in the bathroom inspection so you can see any possible red flags.

Importance of Inspecting Bathrooms

To make sure the area is safe, hygienic, and functioning, bathroom inspections are crucial.

Frequent inspections can assist in spotting any dangers before they develop into bigger problems, like as leaks, mildew, or malfunctioning plumbing.

In addition to ensuring that the bathroom complies with health and safety regulations, inspections may also assist preserve the room's overall aesthetic.

Inspections of bathrooms are essential for spotting possible leaks and water damage.

These difficulties may result in serious structural problems and the formation of mold, which might be harmful to one's health and need expensive repairs.

Every bathroom fixture, including the sinks, showers, bathtubs, and toilets, is checked carefully to make sure everything is working properly.

In order to prevent such issues, this involves inspecting the drainage system, water pressure, and general condition.

Inspections evaluate the caliber of materials and craftsmanship in freshly built bathrooms.

This ensures the lifetime of the bathroom and helps detect possible flaws or violations of construction rules, preventing further problems.

Inspecting bathrooms checklist

This is a thorough bathroom inspection checklist that addresses important topics including safety, ventilation, and fixtures.

General condition

A general examination of a bathroom looks at the walls, flooring, fixtures, ventilation, and overall state of the room, all of which are mentioned in the bathroom inspection report.

This entails looking for indications of wear and tear such as loose tiles, mildew, water damage, and cracks.

Check for loose or cracked flooring, cracked or broken tiles, and indications of water damage (warping, buckling, mold development), particularly around the toilet and tub/shower area.

Examine the walls for any cracks, peeling paint, moisture stains (particularly around the sink and shower), and evidence of mold growth.

Sink

During a house inspection, take note of this particular method for examining a bathroom sink:

Overall Condition: Examine the sink, faucet handles, and drain stopper for any cracks, chips, or rust. Examine the fixtures and sink's overall state of wear and tear.

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Caulking: Check for wear, cracking, or mildew development in the caulking surrounding the faucet and sink base. Water leaks might result from improper caulking.
Sink Basin: Examine the sink basin for any discolorations, stains, or indications of mineral accumulation.
Check for leaks around the faucet's base or handles after turning on the hot and cold water faucets. A leaky faucet may need to be fixed in the future due to wear and tear on the washer.
Check the water pressure coming from the hot and cold taps. Low water pressure might be a sign of plumbing problems.
Functionality for Draining: Turn on the faucet and flow the water for a time. Watch the rate at which the water empties. Slow draining might be a sign of a venting system issue or obstruction.

Toilet

Have you ever wondered how to inspect a toilet? If so, continue reading.

What a home inspector usually looks for while inspecting a toilet is broken down as follows:

Flushing Mechanism: The inspector will watch a flush cycle to make sure that the toilet flushes all the way down and gets rid of waste. When flushing, they will listen for any strange noises that might point to issues with the flapper or fill valve.
Leaks: Around the toilet's base, where it touches the floor, the inspector will look for leaks. Additionally, they will look for leaks around the point where the tank and bowl meet. Leaks may be an indication of weak connections or broken seals that need to be fixed.
Running Tank: Even if the toilet isn't flushed, the inspector will still listen for any sounds of running water. This might be a sign of a malfunctioning fill valve that keeps filling the tank, wasting water.
Rocking and Movement: To check for any movement or instability, the inspector will gently rock the toilet back and forth. Excessive movement might be a sign of loose bolts holding the toilet to the floor, which could lead to leaks later on.
Cracks or Damage: The inspector will visually evaluate the tank and toilet bowl for chips, cracks, or other indications of wear and tear. These could interfere with functioning or cause leaks.

Bathtub/Shower

The following describes how a bathtub or shower is inspected by a home inspector:

Surface Condition: The walls, floor, and fittings of the bathtub or shower will be inspected by the inspector for cracks, chips, or wear and tear. Examining the showerhead, faucet knobs, and any ornamental tilework falls under this category.
Grout and Caulking: They will look for evidence of mildew development, wear, or cracking in the caulking surrounding the tub or shower surround. Moisture damage can result from water seeping behind walls due to cracked or failed caulking. Additionally, the inspector will look for degradation or breaks in the grout lines between the tiles.
Shower Head and Faucets: To look for leaks at the base or handles, the inspector will switch on the shower and faucets. They will also evaluate the showerhead's spray pattern and water pressure.
Drainage: After turning off the water, the inspector will watch to see how soon the tub or shower's water empties. Slow draining may be a sign of a venting system issue or a blockage.
Shower Doors (if applicable): The inspector will examine how well the shower doors operate, making sure that the doors close and open smoothly and correctly to stop water leaks into the bathroom floor.

Ventilation

The following is a summary of the things that are usually checked in a bathroom ventilation evaluation by a house inspector:

Functionality: The bathroom exhaust fan will be turned on by the inspector, who will also listen for correct operation. They'll make sure the fan operates silently, smoothly, and without making any odd noises.
Airflow: Using a tissue or piece of paper, the inspector will measure the exhaust fan's airflow next to the vent. When the paper is dragged in the direction of the vent, there is enough air being taken out of the restroom.
Vent Termination: To make sure the outside vent termination isn't blocked or incorrectly directed, the inspector may occasionally visually verify it.

Lighting and electrical

This is an explanation of how a home inspector looks at the electrical and lighting systems in a bathroom when performing an inspection:

Overall Lighting: The inspector will evaluate the lighting in the bathroom as a whole, making sure that there are enough fixtures to properly light every part of the space.
GFCI Outlets: Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets next to water sources are an essential component of bathroom electrical safety.
Visible Wiring: Any exposed, broken, or incorrectly placed wiring will be searched for by the inspector.
Overloaded Circuits: Although they are usually hard to see with the naked eye, the inspector may ask about any history of tripped breakers or flickering bathroom lights since these might be signs of overloaded circuits.
Exhaust Fan: To make sure the bathroom exhaust fan is operating correctly, the inspector will probably test it.

If you need more information about the electrical inspection, click here.

Storage and Fixtures

The bathroom's fixtures and storage options will be inspected by a home inspector to determine their state of repair, usefulness, and likelihood of future problems. Below is a summary of the things they usually look for in a storage inspection:

Functionality: The inspector will make sure drawers and cabinet doors glide open and shut without squeaking or sticking. They are going to search for loose handles, knobs, or hinges.
Condition: They will check the cabinets for indications of mildew development, warping, peeling paint, or water damage.
Storage Space: To ascertain if the cabinets' and vanities' total storage capacity satisfies your demands, the inspector will evaluate it.

A list of the typical items they check for during a fixture inspection is provided below:

Functionality: The inspector will verify that these fixtures are correctly installed and firmly fixed to the wall.
Condition: They'll look for any indications of damage, rust, corrosion, or loose screws.

Safety Features

The following is a summary of the things that a home inspector usually looks for in order to find safety features and possible risks in a bathroom:

Bathroom Floor: The inspector will look for any uneven areas, broken tiles, or a texture that isn't meant to slip.
Grab Bars: The inspector will look for grab bars next to the toilet, shower, and bathtub. For stability and support, grab bars are essential, especially for the elderly and those with limited mobility.
Shower Pan/Tub foundation: The inspector will check for any cracks, movement indicators, or a spongy, soft floor while evaluating the shower pan or bathtub foundation.
Shower Controls: If the shower has a pressure-balancing valve, the inspector may examine how well it operates.
Hot Water Temperature: Depending on the situation—particularly if there are worries about small children or the elderly being burned.
Exhaust Fan: The bathroom exhaust fan will probably be tested by the inspector to make sure it runs well and removes moisture from the room efficiently.
Window Function (if applicable): The inspector will see if any of the bathroom windows are easily able to open and close, providing for any necessary natural ventilation.
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) Outlets: Having GFCI outlets adjacent to water sources is essential for bathroom electrical safety.

Cleanliness

There are other situations when the inspection's indirect relationship to cleanliness might raise red flags:

Visible growth of mildew or mold

Mud and mildew love moist conditions. The inspector will be searching for evidence of mold development on walls, ceilings, and around showers and bathtubs as well as close to sinks.

Excessive mold growth may be a sign of persistent ventilation or moisture problems that need to be further investigated.

Indications of Water Damage

During the inspection process, the inspector may observe indications of water damage, even though it is largely a functional check.

This might be bent surfaces, paint that is flaking, or even a musty smell. These indicators may indicate possible leaks or moisture problems that require attention even if they have nothing to do with cleaning.

Overall Thoughts

A particularly unclean toilet could provide the inspector with information about the homeowner's general upkeep habits, albeit it's not a deal-breaker.

A house that has a lot of filth, grime, or clogged drains may not have been properly maintained, which might indicate concerns that have been overlooked elsewhere.

Odors

When conducting a home inspection, odors in the bathroom might definitely raise suspicions.

However, the inspector's strategy will vary depending on the kind and intensity of the odor. This is an explanation:

Sewage Odor: One of the main concerns is the overpowering smell of sewage coming from the restroom. Any potential vent pipe problems, clogged drains, or loose toilet connections that would be causing sewer gasses to back up into the bathroom will probably be checked for by the inspector.
Moldy Smell: If there is a musty or earthy smell coming from someplace in the bathroom, it can be mold. The inspector will visually evaluate the bathroom ceiling, the walls surrounding the shower/tub, and the space next to the sink—areas that are prone to moisture—for evidence of mold growth.
Drain Odors: If the restroom hasn't been used recently, there may be a slight drain stink. To test if the smell goes away, the inspector may run some water.
Other Odors: Although less frequent, you can notice the smell of powerful cleaning agents or cigarette smoke.

Conclusion and Final Tips

In this article, we have mentioned the most important inspecting bathroom checklists.

This bathroom inspection checklist includes anything you should be expecting from your house inspector.

On the other hand, if you are thinking about doing the bathroom inspection by yourself, this checklist helps you a lot.