Real estate blog entries tagged with seattle wa by Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com)

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seattle wa: Is there a “minimum” distance to FALL? - 05/07/08 08:30 AM

I have said in the past how Building Codes are "minimum" standards. A good example of this is that the dryer vent locations are allowed to terminate on the roof of a 3 story townhouse---where it is the owner's responsibility to clean it. I have seen them on roofs with a … (13 comments)

seattle wa: Winning the Lottery----I’m going to “Jurassic Park!” - 05/06/08 10:21 AM

When green lumber (not to be confused with "politically" green lumber) is used in the construction of homes, the shrinkage that occurs as the wood dries out can cause cracks in the wall finish materials and other cosmetic and minor structural issues. This was much more common in homes as … (9 comments)

seattle wa: When is liability a "beneficial" thing? - 05/05/08 08:37 AM

Home inspectors, when writing about the defects they find in homes, will report their "Findings," the "Implications" of those findings, and then "Recommend" what should be done. I like to recommend the specific trade or trades that I want to see perform the repairs. For example, in the State of … (9 comments)

seattle wa: Why is there toilet paper up there? - 05/04/08 09:18 AM

All vents from bathroom, kitchen and laundry exhaust fans should terminate at the exterior of the home at vent caps with a back-draft damper. These vent caps can be located on the roof or side walls of the home. There are caps made for soffits----although these are less common and … (11 comments)

seattle wa: "Murder, She Wrote!" - 04/29/08 09:32 AM

In last Sunday's paper there was an article about the "special" difficulties of selling a home with a "sordid past." It is interesting because all homes have "history"----even the new ones will have some construction stories that would prove interesting---if we ever found out about them. For example the worker … (10 comments)

seattle wa: Is your home the sequel to: “The Secret of NYMH?” - 04/27/08 09:26 AM

     Rodents, aka Rats, are very common in crawl spaces. Inspectors will refer to them as "rodents" because it is oh so much more "euphemistic." (Plus it might be squirrels----aka, "bushy-tail rats")
     People HATE rats (usually).
     I have seen rats kill a deal on a house as quick as asbestos … (6 comments)

seattle wa: Well----can you "special-order" me some? - 04/24/08 09:58 AM

When I moved to the West coast, from the East coast, it was a little bit like starting over as a builder. I had never heard of one-by-threes, one-by-fives or one-by-sevens. What ARE you talking about? I think the first time it came up was when I wanted to get … (8 comments)

seattle wa: Is burning wood considered "Green?" - 04/21/08 09:34 AM

In the 70's, wood-burning stoves were all the rage---and at that time, they probably would have been considered "Green." In fact, I had a Jotul 602 that was green---I loved that thing. Today I rarely see wood burning stoves and when I do there is usually some issue with them. … (16 comments)

seattle wa: I don't need rubber boots---I need hip-waders---("Underoos Redux") - 04/09/08 10:06 AM

Here is some more awesome stuff about pipe flashings on your roof.
That sounds about as exciting as getting a root canal, donating bone marrow or getting a colonoscopy doesn't it? You've got to be a home inspector to actually find some of this stuff---"interesting." Perhaps that "look" my Sweetie … (32 comments)

seattle wa: You never know who is going to be lurking in your basement. - 04/06/08 10:14 AM

Yesterday's blog was about safety concerns around exterior basement stairs. There are the same kinds of concerns with stairs to the basement from the interior of the home as well. Stairs to basements in older homes are often too steep, not wide enough, have inadequate headroom, have inadequate or no … (12 comments)

seattle wa: Dangers hiding in stairwells! - 04/05/08 08:46 AM

Many homes in the Northwest have exterior stairwells to the basement. Usually these homes are small and there is no other means of accessing the basement---perhaps they didn't want to take up interior space with a stairwell. Unless there is a second story on the home, the access is often … (9 comments)

seattle wa: Roof glissading anyone? - 04/01/08 04:46 PM

I was never much of a skier. I never had the opportunity to learn as a kid---other than water skiing. You would have been more likely to find me, my brother and cousins sliding out of control down the hillside on our farm, inside a discarded metal Coca-Cola sign. More … (7 comments)

seattle wa: "Three blind mice, three blind mice (inspectors) see how....." - 03/30/08 09:20 AM

It amazes me, but there are some inspectors that do not use moisture meters. While what we do is considered a "visual" inspection, the use of moisture meters can be like a seeing-eye-dog for the inspector as he or she otherwise goes "blindly" through the inspection. Many water conditions give … (8 comments)

seattle wa: But---I am INTO "recrreational" defibrillation! - 03/20/08 11:36 AM

I have discussed this in the past, but it is one of my pet peeves, and deserves repeating over and over until I don't see the issue any more. (I no doubt will be waiting a long time and I won't be holding by breath. I am used to tilting … (4 comments)

seattle wa: This window is "Paneful" (almost as much as the pun:) - 03/19/08 08:24 AM

As a builder I was often faced with having to redo things due to mistakes or change orders. I once had an old carpenter tell me that the difference between a good carpenter and a poor carpenter is that a good carpenter knows how to make his mistakes look like … (14 comments)

seattle wa: Have you changed your Water Heater Air Filter recently? - 03/17/08 11:05 AM

Hopefully the title of this blog doesn't sound right to any homeowner out there.
As sort of an addendum to my last blog about improper installation of water heater burner compartment doors, I want to share an unusual water heater installation. As the diagram below shows, gas water heaters, unless … (3 comments)

seattle wa: Why is there a BARGE on my roof? - 03/04/08 10:57 AM

The fascia board on the Gable end of a home is called a "barge rafter". Often these rafters extend past the eaves to create a place to hide the end of the gutter or as a decorative element. It is important that the top edge be properly flashed with either … (43 comments)

seattle wa: I must have rocks in my head! - 02/29/08 07:33 PM

Today's "Harry Homeowner" award goes to: (I have no idea and I don't really want to know---it is best that we just move on with our lives sometimes). But, this "repair" took some time and "thought." I mean, to find enough rocks all the same size must have taken some … (8 comments)

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