What did the inspector say about the problems? Did you hire your own inspector, or did you use one recommended by the seller's agent? Did you get a termite inspection?

Thank you for the reply!
I hired the inspector. He did a very detailed inspection. For the floor, he just said 'the old house'!! But siding, he told me to find someone to fix it. But I am concerned about the material of the siding that requires me to find some professionals. But I really doubt the slope of the floor is a 'common' thing in old houses.

You can generally buy mineral siding that duplicates the siding you have pretty easily. Unless you have some obscure pattern. Home Depot used to carry a few different patterns.
A 35 year old house, isn't old. I wouldn't expect such "character" at that age. A 135 year old house, yes.
If the slope is that pronounced it should exhibit other symtpoms. Doors that do not close, frames out of square, cracks around doors and/or windows, etc....
Termites? Carpenter bees are insignificant compared to these. Any evidence of structural damage? That can cause a slope.
Ron

Thank you, Ron.
I didn't see any other symptoms though. The slope is not that 'significant', but do noticable. Is it fixable? Will that be a very big job to do?

That slope will be a fairly major fix. If it is in the middle of the house, I'd bet at least a couple of floor joists are warped/broken. That means tearing out at least the ceiling under the room to find the problem. If it is simply a couple of joists and the walls of the room below are load bearing, replacing/sistering the joists after removing the upper floor, and jacking up to level the floor joists.

If the first story room walls are not load bearing, the problem could be in the first floor joists---which should be visible from the basement, unless it has been finished.

The room with the slope is in the middle of the house and in the second floor. There is no first floor wall underneath it. There is no basement under this portion of the house( it is patial basement). The inspection report saying:" Some indications of age related slope visible in the floor".
Who should I contact to figure this out? -A contractor or another inspector?

Thanks,

Umm... it sounds like maybe a previous owner removed a bearing wall from the first floor, and didn't do anything to support the load above.

As for the siding: I could be wrong, but I wouldn't expect to find asbestos siding on a house built in 1972. AFAIK, that stuff went out around 1960, and it wouldn't have been in keeping with a '70s-style house anyway.

A knowledgeable contractor should be able to help. Where are you located?
Asbestos was used in a variety of products into the '70's.
Ron

If it's the cementious (sp?) asbestos shingles, I would agree with the seller that it's a minor issue. You can match it with several products available today, and if it's overall in good shape, take heart - it's fire resistant and holds paint like a champ.

Our first house had this same siding in perfect condition (really, perfect) and our first buyers (also first timers) demanded $35,000 back after their inspection claiming that any product containing asbestos was unsafe. Uh, yeah. Their inspector's report listed the type of siding and deemed its condition satisfactory.

Needless to say, we moveed on to the backup offer on our house...

Good luck!

Mary

Even if the shingle are showing signs of wear they are easily repaired and maintained.
I use Drylock sealer sprayed on liberally (garden type sprayer) to seal them, followed by a coat of primer and paint.

I wouldn't expect any flooring problems in a house which is only 35 years old. You don't say where you live, but what is the soil like? Could it be shifting due to poor soils? Are you in earthquake country?

I haven't seen that type of siding in a house that new either, but it wouldn't bother me. I had it on a 100 year old house which had that put over the original and felt that it was really good siding as far as care.

I would just have the floor checked by a structural engineer and see what the problem really is in regards to the slope.

Gloria

On the asbestos....I wuldn't write it off as a big nothing. If it ever becomes damaged and had to be removed...where would it go? In some States disposal fees could run $20,000. Saying that, I admit that I invest and bought a house with asbestos last year....in New Hampshire. I can tell you that if you are in an area with "activist" or "green people" or "tree huggers" stay away from this kind of thing. Ask someone in Massachusetts about lead paint:-)
As far as the sagging...if a house is well built there will be no "noticable" sagging even on a 100 year old house. As someone mentioned, either something has been removed or it is poorly built. The sag will never correct itself and will only get worse unless something is done.

"...if a house is well built there will be no 'noticable' sagging even on a 100 year old house."

Well built 100 years ago and modern standards only sometimes seem to match up.

My first house was a brick thing that was 130 years old. There weren't any sags that were "noticeable." I'm sure that if you put a level on a floor it could have been off by an inch or two over 12-15', but nothing noticeable.
I helped a friend look for a house last year. We looked at about 6. All were built around 1900 because that was what she could afford. Five that we looked at had floors that ran and fundations that were terrible. Some had partial cellars. The one that she bought is a 1890 version and is very straight....12" floor joists and 2' thick brick and stone foundation. So they are out there. Probably like today, some are built better than others. We actually looked at a house built in 1790 ! Never got inside, but it looked pretty straight from the outside.

Best bet is to hire a licensed structural engineer in order to determine the cause of the slope...and to obtain the proper recommendations regarding repair.