St. Paul home defect library
The issues we document most often in St. Paul and Ramsey County homes — what they are, why they're common here, and what to do about them.
The most common defects in St. Paul homes reflect the city's older housing and Minnesota's climate: ice dams, attic condensation, knob-and-tube and cloth wiring, aging sewer laterals, and foundation cracking from freeze-thaw and clay soils. This library explains each in plain language.
Ice Dams
An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow from draining off. Water backs up behind the dam and can leak …
Read more →Foundation Cracks
Foundation cracks are fractures in a home's concrete, block or stone foundation. Many are harmless shrinkage or settlement cracks, but some indicate s…
Read more →Knob-and-Tube Wiring
Knob-and-tube wiring is an early electrical wiring method used in homes built before about 1950, using ceramic knobs and tubes to route single insulat…
Read more →Attic Condensation
Attic condensation occurs when warm, moist indoor air leaks into a cold attic and condenses or freezes on the underside of the roof sheathing. In wint…
Read more →Sewer Line Issues
Sewer line issues are problems in the buried lateral pipe that carries waste from the home to the city main, including root intrusion, cracks, offsets…
Read more →Aluminum Wiring
Aluminum branch wiring is solid aluminum conductor used for household circuits primarily between about 1965 and the mid-1970s. It is a fire-safety con…
Read more →Federal Pacific & Zinsco Panels
Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok and Zinsco electrical panels are mid-20th-century panels with a documented history of breakers that may fail t…
Read more →Polybutylene & Galvanized Plumbing
Polybutylene and galvanized steel are two problematic plumbing supply materials. Polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe used roughly 1978–1995, can b…
Read more →Orangeburg Sewer Pipe
Orangeburg pipe is a sewer and drain pipe made of wood fiber bonded with tar, used widely from the 1940s into the early 1970s. It deteriorates with ag…
Read more →Asbestos Floor Tile
Asbestos floor tile refers to nine-inch (and some twelve-inch) vinyl-asbestos tile and its associated mastic, common in homes from roughly the 1920s t…
Read more →Vermiculite Insulation
Vermiculite insulation is a loose-fill attic insulation made of puffed mineral, recognizable as small gold-brown to gray accordion-like pellets. Much …
Read more →Lead Paint
Lead paint is paint containing lead, used in homes built before 1978 when it was banned for residential use. It is a health hazard — especially …
Read more →Wood Rot & Siding Failure
Wood rot and siding failure are the decay and deterioration of a home's exterior wood and engineered siding caused by sustained moisture. It appears a…
Read more →Deck Structural Issues
Deck structural issues are defects in a deck's load-bearing components — the ledger connection to the house, framing, posts, footings, railings …
Read more →Water Intrusion at Windows
Water intrusion at windows is moisture entering the home around window openings due to failed flashing, caulking, glazing or weather seals. It causes …
Read more →Mold on Basement Walls
Mold on basement walls is fungal growth that develops on foundation walls, framing and stored items in basements where moisture is present. It appears…
Read more →Cracked Heat Exchanger
A cracked heat exchanger is a failure of the metal component inside a furnace that separates combustion gases from the heated air circulated through t…
Read more →Roof Hail Damage
Roof hail damage is impact damage to roofing from hailstones, appearing on asphalt shingles as bruises, dents and granule loss that expose the mat and…
Read more →Frequently asked questions
What are the most common home defects in St. Paul?
Ice dams, attic condensation, knob-and-tube wiring, aging sewer laterals and foundation cracks from freeze-thaw and clay soils top the list.
Why are these issues so common here?
St. Paul's large stock of pre-1950 and mid-century homes combines with Minnesota's cold winters, deep frost line and clay soils to produce a recognizable set of recurring issues.
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