vertical sides of the skylight are open and admitting water; that the roof should be
removed down to the wood deck and a new membrane should be put in place with proper
flashing at the perimeter and at skylights and chimneys; that the most common remedy is
tapered insulation, similar to styrofoam, which would cost $20,000; that the subject
premises has been supporting ordinary loads for 170 years, indicating that the original
design is sound; that deterioration comes from damage, which can come from movement
in floors or walls, particularly active movement; that a ceiling is damaged from a leak but
there is no significant structural movement; that a bulge has collapsed a hole in the
plaster; that drips coming down from the leak are visible; that there is some patching in
the wall, but the subject premises is still reasonably plumb and flat, suggesting no
structural problem in these areas; that he felt wood joists bounce as he walked through
the subject premises, which was not out of the ordinary; that he noticed sagging in floors,
but every single wood joist using natural lumber sags, and sags more with age, such that
the sags he observed in the subject premises is typical for a mid-1800s rowhouse; that, in
general, he did not [*12]see a structural issue in the
subject premises; that replacement of only some of the framing is needed; that there is no
sign of movement of foundations in the rear cellar; that there are no other symptoms in
the plaster that he would associate with joists being damaged; that 10% of the joists are
in need of repair; that he made a cost estimate for 20% of the joists just in case the joists
immediately adjacent to plumbing were damaged, which is often the case; that he