Richmond is an island in the Fraser River delta. The ground is flat, low and made of silt, sand and layers of peat. Dikes and pumps keep it dry. The water table is high, and that fact shapes most of what we look at in a Richmond house.
| Feature | What it means for the house |
|---|---|
| Flat, low-lying ground | Drainage depends on pumps, ditches and the storm sewer, not on slope |
| High water table | Crawl spaces and slabs are exposed to groundwater for much of the year |
| Soft soils | Settlement, uneven floors, cracked slabs and foundations |
| Mix of ages | Post-war houses, 1970s and 1980s family homes, large recent houses, condos near the centre |
Slab-on-grade and crawl spaces
Many Richmond houses have no basement, because the water table makes digging down impractical. They sit either on a concrete slab at ground level or on a shallow crawl space.
- Slab houses. The slab is the floor. Cracks, uneven areas and moisture through the slab show up in flooring and at the edges. We look at the slab where it is visible, at the garage, at floor transitions, and at doors that stick.
- Crawl spaces. Often shallow and wet. Standing water in winter is not unusual, and a sump pump is common. We look at the pump, the ground cover, the insulation and the wood. See crawl space moisture and crawl space and attic inspections.
- Plumbing in the slab. Houses with drains or supply pipes under the slab are harder to repair when something fails.
Settlement
Soft soil compresses under the weight of a house, and not always evenly. Settlement shows up as sloping floors, cracks in drywall or stucco, stuck doors and windows, and gaps at the edge of the floor. A little is normal in the delta. A lot is a question for a structural engineer. We measure and note what we find, and say when an engineer should look.
Drainage and sump pumps
Where houses have a sump, the pump matters. We test it if it is accessible. A pump that does not run, or discharges at the foundation, is a finding. We also look at lot grading, the ditch in front of many properties, downspouts and the condition of the drain connections.
Houses by period
- 1950s to 1970s. Smaller houses and split-levels. Wiring and panels from the era, some aluminum wiring, older roofs.
- 1980s and 1990s. Larger two-storey houses. Poly-B supply pipe was common in this period. See Poly-B plumbing.
- 2000s and later. Large houses on big lots, flat roofs, decks, lots of glass. The details of decks and flat roofs, and the warranty periods, matter.
- Condos and townhouses. Many in and near the City Centre, from the 1980s to the present. See condo and townhouse inspections and, for buildings from the 1980s and 1990s, leaky condos.
Farmland and older properties
Parts of Richmond are rural. Older farmhouses, outbuildings and larger lots can have wells or septic systems that need a specialist, and oil tanks may be present. We note what we can see, and these specialist items are not part of a standard inspection.
What to ask in Richmond
- Is there a sump pump, and when was it last tested?
- Has the crawl space had standing water, and what was done?
- Is the floor level, and has there been any levelling or underpinning?
- Where does the roof water go?
- Is there a drain or a pipe under the slab, and has it ever been scanned?
Booking in Richmond
Phone or send a request with the address, the year built and your subject date. We travel to you.