Perhaps the most important component of a chimney is the Crown (mortar cap) around the flue at the top of the chimney----and a proper hat on the flue itself.  This post is not about the kinds of damage that can be done to chimneys from the inside by the appliances that are connected to them.  Today’s post is about the kind of damage that happens to chimneys from external forces----namely WATER!  Water can be just as hard on masonry as it can be on wood, and like wood, must be properly constructed to protect it the best that it can be from water damage.  This Mortar Cap, or Crown, rarely gets done properly.  The mortar cap should hang past the edges of the chimney so that water sheds off the top of the chimney---kind of like the overhang on the roof of the house keeps the roof water from running down the siding----if there are no gutters.  This necessary overhang is not present 99% of the time on chimneys and 99% of those that have overhangs have no drip groove on the underside that prevents water from wrapping around the overhang.  Most chimneys suffer from lack of an overhanging cap.

     The basic purpose of the crown (and the flue hat) is to keep water out of the chimney structure.  This is especially important in regions where temperatures drop below freezing.  Water that freezes inside of chimneys expands and destroys bricks and mortar----which allows for even more water infiltration. 

     It should be obvious from this first picture that water WILL enter the chimney structure.

     The mortar joints can deteriorate to the extent that holes will become visible all the way through the chimney----as was the case with this chimney.

     Can you see the metal flue furnace-flue liner between the bricks?  

     Most chimneys have a crown of mortar that is merely a think layer of concrete troweled around the flue and terminated flush with the face of the brick.  This creates a very thin area at the brick edges that cracks and loosens easily.  It is much better to pour a more monolithic concrete slab that has enough thickness that it is not subject to the expansion and contraction cracking typical of very thin mortar crowns.  Ideally this crown will overhang the face of the brick on all sides and have a drip groove on the underside of the overhang to prevent water from wrapping around onto the brick face.  In any event the crown must be kept sealed so that moisture cannot get into any cracks that do form in the cap as well as at the connection of the cap and the flue.  A large hat on the flue can also aid in protecting this vulnerable area.  This next picture shows a poorly made and badly deteriorated mortar crown that no longer protects the chimney structure at all.

     This particular chimney (and there are many like them) is constructed of bricks that are hollow.  These types of chimneys are particularly vulnerable to damage from water once the water finds its way into the structure.

     One particular method of attempting to create a more functional crown is for the mason to overhang the top rows of bricks.  While this is “somewhat” better than NO overhang, it still has no drip groove on the underside and the mortar cap is still too thin at the edge of the bricks.  If you look closely at this next picture you will see the failing of the thin edge of the mortar cap, the gaps around the flues, and the obvious crack through the mortar cap extending down the center face of the chimney.  All of these conditions allow for large amounts of water to enter the chimney structure.

     Now if you would like to see how they are “supposed” to be done, check out this schematic from the Masonry Advisory Council.

Charles Buell

Seattle Home Inspectors, Charles Buell Inspections Inc, Seattle, WA

Click on the Rose to check out:  AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

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DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

     Home Inspector Licensing has happened to Washington State.

     I for one am excited about it.  I see it as a starting point for turning what, up until now, would best be described as a, “rag-tag band of alpha-wolves roaming the local real estate” into an ACTUAL profession.

     Some of these wolves were (and are) very good inspectors and do their best to provide the best of service to the consumer.  There have even been home inspector associations that attempted to raise the bar by creating their own Standards of Practice and minimum requirements for membership.  The problem is that there were (and are) many associations with very different qualification protocols, and agendas---not to mention that they only affected whomever chose to join them----which left the majority of inspectors outside of anyone’s oversight.

     The process of bringing Licensing to Washington State has been going on for many years, but very specifically, the last five years.  The whole process of licensing involved years of hearings and public meetings that were well publicized, televised and made unbelievably accessible on the internet.  The pros and cons have been argued on all the major home inspector internet forums until most inspectors’ monitors could have resulted in the “blue-screen-of-death.”  The result has been a licensing law that, while not perfect, is a good start by establishing minimum educational requirements (including testing) for all inspectors in the state, providing a common Standards of Practice, providing a common Code of Ethics, and requiring continuing inspection education.

     Some of the “old guard” are being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st Century of Home Inspection.

     And this brings me to the real topic of this post.

     HOW CAN THERE BE ANYONE IN WASHINGTON STATE THAT DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS LAW???

     And yet, this is apparently the case as the state has had to set up some special meetings to give inspectors that may have literally been living under a log for the last five years a chance to understand what they must do to become licensed.  To have not heard about licensing would mean that they never heard about it on the news;

     Never read about it in the papers;

     Never heard about it from the WSDA (where it was discussed at most continuing education sessions----leading one to conclude that perhaps they are not Licensed Structural Pest Inspectors as required by law);

     Did not hear about it as a member of any of the National Inspection Associations (again begging the question if they are operating under anyone’s Standards of Practice and continuing education);

     Did not hear about it on the Internet (begging the question of how much they access internet inspector forums etc);

     Did not hear about it from other more involved inspectors (making one wonder if they ever consult with, or have communications with other inspectors); or,

     Are pretending to not have ever heard about it, with the hope that it won’t be true (and we all know that hope is frosting on a turd).

     I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT OTHER OPTIONS I AM MISSING!!

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PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

     One of the basic principles of roof shingles is that each course of shingles overlaps the previous course.  This is not rocket science.  Birds do it with feathers, lizards do it with scales.  With shingles, feathers, or scales, if the lower courses overlap the upper courses, the shingles won’t shed water, the birds will get all wet, and the snakes won’t be able to slither.

     At a recent inspection, as I approached the house there was nothing that “jumped out” as problematic with the roof from a distance----from what we call the “big view” of the home.

      It was obvious that the carport did not have the same “type” of shingles as the rest of the home but that is not necessarily problematic.  Once on the roof however it became apparent that someone forgot something about 10 years ago when the house was re-shingled.

     They forgot to shingle more than half of the carport.

     For ten years, whatever amount of rain that hit the roof above the last course of newer shingles has had the opportunity to run under the newer shingles.  One would think that the roof structure below might be a mess, but in this case the underlying original roof was still protecting the roof from damage----pretty amazing really----since every nail hole of the new shingles is an opportunity for water to find its way into the roof structure.

     Time is not on its side however----time to finish the roof.

Charles Buell

Seattle Home Inspectors, Charles Buell Inspections Inc, Seattle, WA

Click on the Rose to check out:  AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

     First of all let me state right up front that my understanding of economics and the current melt down would best be described as somewhere between marginal and margarine.  Based on what I hear other people saying about it----I would gather that I am not alone.

     If there is any “consistency” in what I hear it is that EVERYONE has the “right” answer----or at very least everyone else’s answer can not possibly be right----and most seem to be willing to have their own personal “melt-down” in support of their opinions.  This seems to go beyond the typical rhetoric spewed by political parties----that have their own agendas----and seems to touch something much more personal.   It is usually difficult to have a “bigger view” of things when we are talking about things that appear to be robbing our wallets.

     A common thread that seems to run through these opinions is that most people define their view from a position of LOSS----“WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS?”----or, from a position of WAITING----“HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR US TO GET BACK THERE?”

     The other day I did a post  equating the situation to a 6” balloon that had been blown up to be twice as big as it should be.  Regardless of its 12” size it was still “really” just a 6” balloon----and even more vulnerable than a balloon already is.

     To accept that the current economic climate is a “crisis” we must first accept that the place we have fallen from is some place we should strive to get back to.  Perhaps that place was merely an illusion to begin with.  This goes way beyond the idea of “bubble busting.”  It is almost as if we have succumbed to some sort of collective hypnosis that compels us to actually believe we have lost something.  The concept that anything can “burst” seems flawed to me in itself, and in a way seems like a way to justify our feeling sorry for ourselves for our poor choices or "unluckiness."  After all, if something “actually” falls apart, as opposed to returning to some logical paradigm, it is easier to save face in the light of losing millions in “artificial value.”  Kind of like, since we are all in the same boat, we all sink or swim together.  What this type of thinking does not take into account, in my opinion, is that, “WE HAVE ALL ALWAYS BEEN IN THE SAME BOAT ALL ALONG!”

     I have made LOTS of mistakes in my life and have lost everything (Material things) twice----it is only now that everyone else is loosing everything, that I have come to realize that I never had anything to loose to begin with----that all the money that I have never been able to put away, or invest, has also evaporated for everyone else that did put some away or invested it "wisely."  I always knew that I would never be able to retire, and so I made sure that I always loved what I was doing----now it looks like I will have lots of company in non-retirement.   

     As long as we think that what is “valuable” can be totaled up on an Excel spreadsheet, stored in a garage,  worn to the mall, or put our kids through college, we will always be vulnerable to blowing up the balloon past its intended size.  We don’t need a tea-party to throw off the oppressors that are taking everything away, we need a tea-party to celebrate how rich we are----and everyone is invited.

     So you see the real question does not seem to be, “How can we get back to where we were?”

----but more about, “How can we get back to where we are?”

Charles Buell

Seattle Home Inspectors, Charles Buell Inspections Inc, Seattle, WA

Click on the Rose to check out:  AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

     Locked treasure chests--and even long lost ordinary trunks & briefcases----have always fascinated people, and most people would admit to unwarranted curiosity and unrealistic expectations as to what might be inside them. 

     Money is probably the first thing that most people think of. 

     Or perhaps old love letters? 

     Directions to another hidden chest? 

     False teeth? 

     Stuff I never inhaled? 

     A lock from baby's first hair cut?

     The REAL will of Howard Hughes?

     My Luv Bug has such a chest---well not really a chest so much as a tiny metal jewelry box.  If you didn’t know the scale, you might think it was huge----it is actually only about 5” long.

     The problem?-----there was no Key. 

     The other night she asked me if I knew anyone that might be able to make a key for it----a nice Brass Key----like the box & lock.  I said I would give it a try.

     First I had to go buy a piece of 3/8” diameter brass rod----not the kind of thing one can find at the Big Orange Toolbox.  Of course the shortest piece I could find was 36” long (I only needed a two inch piece)-----and I had to drive 15 miles round trip to get it.  So eight dollars and an hour later I am back home and hunkered down in my workshop.

     It is amazing what you can attempt to do with a hacksaw, a pair of vice-grips, a belt sander, and some sand paper----no duct tape in sight.

     The next few pictures will take you sequentially through the steps to the finished key.   

     This is my first try at the basic shape of the key----and where the belt sander comes in.  Unfortunately my first attempt was too short, so I had to make a second one (good thing I had plenty of rod).  The second try looked just like this next picture---except longer.

     Here the "key blank" is starting to look more like what it is supposed to look like.

     Of course every key has to have a hole----how else is it not going to get lost again.

     Now for the sandpaper to get rid of the rough edges.

    The key does fit in the lock---how did that happen?

     With every treasure-chest opening adventure (remember the safe on Titanic?) there comes.......

....the “moment of truth.”

Charles Buell

Seattle Home Inspectors, Charles Buell Inspections Inc, Seattle, WA

Click on the Rose to check out:  AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

     The Shoreline, Washington chapter of the Local Carpenter Ant Union has a brand new headquarters. 

     The union hall sports a shiny metal roof with natural cedar siding----in an all natural setting.  Rooted in the traditions of NW logging, and in conjunction with the local Bird Watchers Society and the Shoreline Arts Council, the structure was designed with many bird houses and galleries throughout.

     What is truly unique about this building is the "look" of having NO windows!  The remarkable, "look-just-like-whatever-siding-you-happen-to-be-using-type-glass" is expected to revolutionize building design----allowing us to have entire cities that look just like forests.

     The day I visited, there were many Carpenters on site busily completing last minute details.  Everyone was getting antsy with the grand opening only days away.

     About all that remained was for the grounds crews to recycle the sawdust piling up around the entrances to the building----kind of a pain in the frass---but all in a days work for the grounds crew, which took their “green mandate” very seriously.

     It’s all just compost anyway.

Charles Buell

Seattle Home Inspectors, Charles Buell Inspections Inc, Seattle, WA

Click on the Rose to check out:  AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Do you have a Wireless Mouse?    

     I am sure this is one mouse that wishes he was “wireless”---if he can wish at all.  This little guy was probably doing OK roaming around inside this electrical panel until he touched two wires that were on different “poles.”  Mice, like all mammals, are not designed to BE 240 volt appliances and death would have been instantaneous.

     This little guy, in spite of being quite dead, still represents a health safety hazard.  (I am assuming "he" is a “he” because something like 99% of all electricians are guys----and why else would he be in the electric panel?  Women do make mistakes regarding things they are clueless about----can’t believe I thought that out loud, but messing with things electrical seems to be primarily the domain of Mice and Men.)  This particular mouse is a White Footed Deer Mouse, and as such is a known vector for Hantavirus. 

     While instances of Hantavirus are quite rare, these critters and their feces/urine must be handled with a fair amount of respect due to possible health concerns---no matter how remote.

     They are generally considered to be more of a problem in rural areas.  The primary approach to protection from exposure to Hantavirus is geared toward keeping mice out of the house----and out of electrical panels.

      Let’s leave fooling around with electricity to the “stupid”----not the “ignorant.”

Charles Buell

Seattle Home Inspectors, Charles Buell Inspections Inc, Seattle, WA

Click on the Rose to check out:  AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

     What the heck is a Johnson Tee?

     Most people are familiar with the air gap device that is present at the kitchen sink that prevents drainage water from flowing back into the dishwasher (nice thought).  When they are plumbed backwards they make nice little fountains into the sink.

     There is another method of venting the dishwasher that, while a little less common, does the same thing----the “Johnson Tee.”  These things have been around for a long time----at least 1976 when I built my first house.  With this method of venting you won’t find the washer drain connected to the disposal or drain under the kitchen sink the way it would be with the countertop air gap.  It leaves a much cleaner look and doesn’t use up the extra hole in the sink---which can then be used for something else---like a soap dispenser, a hot water tap or a push button vacuum switch for the disposal.

     With the Johnson Tee, the drain and washer connections are all behind the dishwasher and inside the wall cavity. The actual vent portion is at the exterior of the home (although sometimes it might be found on the backsplash).  This is what the assembly looks like inside the wall before the wall finish is installed.  Note near the very bottom of the picture is where the drain from the washer will hook to. 

     At the top is where the Tee portion goes through the wall to the exterior and will have a finish cap installed that looks like the one in this next picture.

     Like the countertop type air gap device, if you see water or foam coming out of the cap it is an indication of problems with the dishwasher drain and a plumber should be called to make repairs.  The biggest problem that the Johnson Tee encounters is that the holes at the exterior get painted over----which prevents proper function----so the holes must be maintained open.  Another thing that is common is that the test caps get left in place and never properly finished. 

     This can be remedied by simply drilling a few small holes in the cap or by cutting the cap off and installing the more decorative type pictured above.

     So make sure your house is wearing its Johnson Tee properly.

Charles Buell

Seattle Home Inspectors, Charles Buell Inspections Inc, Seattle, WA

Click on the Rose to check out:  AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Seattle Home Inspectors, Charles Buell Inspections Inc, Seattle, WA