- Plaster
Most modern homes use plaster for both walls and ceilings. The
plaster itself is strong, durable, fire-resistant, and
sound-deadening. It is usually applied in two to three coats to a
backing called lath, ending up between 1/2" and
3/4" in thickness.
- Plasterboard
Walls and ceilings made from plasterboard are used in many homes
because of convenience of installation, and have many of the same
properties of plaster walls. Most problems with plasterboard walls
are usually cosmetic (i.e. popping nails) and can be fixed easily.
The plasterboard panels are installed directly upon the studs used
in the house's frame, but because of this, are susceptible to
cosmetic damage when the house's humidity level changes quickly, and
the walls expand and contract with the plasterboard panels
themselves directly attached.
- Paint
Surfaces in a house may often have chipped paint, due to either an
incompatibility between painted layers or mechanical damage done to
the wall itself.
- Composite Tile Ceilings
Generally made with either asbestos, glass fiber, or fiberboard,
Composite Tiles are usually applied over a plaster or plasterboard
ceiling to provide a more aesthetically pleasing facade. When
one tile becomes loose, the surrounding ones are eventually dragged
down along with the first, leading to a "domino" effect.
Eventually, if left alone, this will cause all of the tiles to fall
down, and necessitate an expensive repair/replacement.
- Floors
Many floors, both wooden and not, squeak when stepped upon. While
this is not a structural concern, and is caused by slightly loose
floorboards rubbing against each other, it can be an annoyance, and
can be fixed by wedging the floor underneath it, if accessible.
Oftentimes, carpeting is installed over plywood floors instead of
hardwood. Space between joints at floor and wall connections are also
common, and are
merely a condition of settling or shrinkage. This aesthetic problem
is easily repaired, leaving the room almost as good as new.
- Wooden Floors
Floors made of wood often have large spaces between the different
boards. This, if excessive, requires that a new floor be installed
upon the old, as an overhaul would be impossible. Cupped or buckled
floorboards are often the sign of a wet floor or high moisture
content of the boards themselves.
- Resilient Tile
Floors with resilient tile should be unchipped and tightly in their
sockets. The tiles should be even and level, as uneven or slanted
floors are often caused by an uneven or slanted floor underneath.
Replacement of one tile is usually impossible, as tiles fade with
age, so new tiles will rarely match old ones in color.
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