- Apr 15, 2011
- 2,956
- 180
- 261
Does anyone here own a Jim Walter Home built in the 1980s? Is it still standing?
I'm looking into a home that has a lot of positive traits. It is affordable, on acreage, has good water sources...but, I found out the maker is Jim Walter. For those who don't know, this business is largely known for using very cheap materials, left long trails of angry customers, and has recently (many would say, finally) gone out of business.
This home was built in the late 1980s, and is on tall stilts. It seems to be structurally sound to me, though there was a very slight unevenness to the floor in one spot of a short hallway. Nothing squeaked, no sagging, no cave ins, no wall paper maybe hiding cracks (but there was new carpeting). It has some owner built additions that also seem sound and might support the main structure. Looks like old pipes may have leaked but were replaced with plastic pipes, and many Jim Walter homes were just he shells still in the 80s so electric and plumbing may have been done by different contractors.
Should I trust a home inspector to tell me if problems will arise with the build? If there are structural issues would they be likely noticeable by now?
If you have firsthand experience with 1980s Jim Walter homes, I'd love to hear about them.
I'm looking into a home that has a lot of positive traits. It is affordable, on acreage, has good water sources...but, I found out the maker is Jim Walter. For those who don't know, this business is largely known for using very cheap materials, left long trails of angry customers, and has recently (many would say, finally) gone out of business.
This home was built in the late 1980s, and is on tall stilts. It seems to be structurally sound to me, though there was a very slight unevenness to the floor in one spot of a short hallway. Nothing squeaked, no sagging, no cave ins, no wall paper maybe hiding cracks (but there was new carpeting). It has some owner built additions that also seem sound and might support the main structure. Looks like old pipes may have leaked but were replaced with plastic pipes, and many Jim Walter homes were just he shells still in the 80s so electric and plumbing may have been done by different contractors.
Should I trust a home inspector to tell me if problems will arise with the build? If there are structural issues would they be likely noticeable by now?
If you have firsthand experience with 1980s Jim Walter homes, I'd love to hear about them.
We hope to put cedar siding on it down the road as the Masonite siding is worthless stuff, but are very happy with the bones of the house. The original owners/builders did an amazing job on anything more carpentry oriented. They used stilts much wider than the minimum diameter needed, put on a great deck and barn, and the bones seem solid. The plumbing and electric are not done to code, but not awful either. Don't know what they were trying to do when they put a bathroom in what should be a closet and attic access though. That will need to be taken out eventually. Slowly ripping up the carpeting and putting down cork and wood floors instead, and eventually would like a metal roof. Kind of giving it a new shell inside and out pretty much. Great to hear your input. Thanks!
