Seattle Floating Homes Buying Process: Elements of a Seattle Houseboat Inspection
Seattle Floating Homes Buying Process: Elements of a Seattle Houseboat Inspection
After finding your Seattle floating home, you will need to have both a regular home inspection – much like you do with land homes – and also an additional houseboat inspection to evaluate the floating portion of your home. Part of this will 
involve a diver going under your new floating home and evaluating floatation systems.
Elements of a floating home inspection – The length and width of your float will be measured and recorded. Corner elevations will be measured. This is measuring from the deck surface to the water level. Water depth will be measured and whether or not obstructions under the surface exist.
The houseboat inspector will look at and evaluate all of the decking of the floating home and also the connections to the home for the water, sewer, and electrical. They will look at how the floating home is connected to the dock by evaluating the spring lines, anchor chains, moorings, floatation, and house spacing.
Flotation – In addition to the newer concrete floats, the older log foundation floats are supplemented by floatation air barrels, and some Styrofoam billets – each providing various levels of lift. If for some reason when they measure the corner elevations and the floating home is not level, additional floatation may be added.
Looking at Log Foundation floating homes, the inspector will count the number of logs and describe their configuration. Then the Stringers will be counted and evaluated. Stringers are the support for the home itself from the log foundation. From time to time they do need to be replaced and should always be treated timbers.
Additional Seattle floating homes resources:
Seattle Houseboats See what Seattle floating homes are on the market now!
