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ventilation: Limp as a Geoduck at low tide---it can be exhausting work at times! - 05/24/12 06:50 AM
I am pretty certain that all of the Active Rain inspectors have, at one time or another, posted about bathroom exhaust vents terminating in attics.
When we first started installing mechanical ventilation in bathrooms, the requirements for where they terminated, merely stated that they needed to be ducted to the “exterior.” All around the country installers have assumed that the attic was “outdoors,” in terms of a place to terminate these vents. We have learned over time that the attic is not only NOT outdoors, but that the attic can be a very bad place to vent a lot of warm … (21 comments)
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ventilation: My bathroom exhaust fan is running---it must be working---right? - 03/10/12 09:22 AM
I frequently allude to the fact that most of the “stuff” of how homes are built is not “rocket science.” Now I will agree that many people attempt to make it so by the inventive solutions they come up with to both “fix” things and even “build” things.
The home inspector has a goal to sort out all this stuff and bring everything back down to earth---explaining things in a way that move us away from the creativity of “Uncle Harry” and put things in proper perspective.
When we get into the realm of “building science” we move a tiny bit … (10 comments)
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ventilation: Seattle Home Inspector goes Green---recycles recommendations! - 10/03/11 10:26 AM
Take a look at the following two pictures and see if you can tell me the difference between the two pictures.
Well the difference is that they were taken five years apart.
Plus an extra coat of paint.The louvered cap is for the bathroom vent fan.The fan was not pulling any air at the time of the first inspection and responded the same way 5 years later. Surely, more proof that things do not get better with age.This particular type of cap has a screen behind the louvers that very quickly clogs with lint. The inspection report for the first inspection … (30 comments)
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ventilation: Anatomy of a defect---why one must look at the whole body of evidence---and why seeing red is really seeing black. - 07/18/11 10:10 AM
When inspecting a home, the home inspector must not rush to judgment and must pay attention. Having a "system" of checks and balances is required in order to not miss the details that would allow the correct conclusions later on.Photography is a huge part of the checks and balances that I utilize to help me keep track of myself---and perhaps help me answer questions later when I am home working on the report. Another important aspect is to avoid distractions and maintain a protocol---to do each inspection in the same order as much as possible. Sometimes deviations are unavoidable, and sometimes … (18 comments)
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ventilation: Dang---there goes "hope" again! - 07/12/11 11:05 AM
Hope is almost always like frosting on a turd.People often ask me if it is OK for bathroom exhaust vents to terminate in the attic. There was a period of time when lots of builders considered the attic "outdoors." Well of course, it did not take too long to figure out that the attic environment is anything but "outdoors." If the attic was outdoors, the temperature and humidity would be the same as out doors. We of course now know that temperature and humidity can vary widely in the attic and this is why proper ventilation of attic spaces is so … (25 comments)
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ventilation: I have no clue what it is---so it can't be very important. - 05/23/11 10:42 AM
Since 1991 in Washington State, some means of bringing fresh air into the home has been required by the Washington State Energy Code. This requirement is for new construction as well as significant remodels. So, as an inspector, I am always looking for these systems.On remodels it is common to find these systems missing. When they are missing it is one of the indicators that work was done without proper permits.When they are missing in new construction it is usually because someone forgot to install the timer and simply installed a regular toggle switch to operate the fan. Obviously in this … (18 comments)
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ventilation: When the trades don't talk to each other, @#$% happens! - 08/22/08 04:46 PM
I know I have blogged about this in the past, but this is the first time I have seen this particular defect in "New Construction." It usually occurs in homes that have been re-roofed. I am talking about compromised attic venting due to "opposing" systems being installed.
Older homes typically had gable vents if that was the type of roof that was installed. As we came to understand how venting works, and came to understand the problems associated with inadequately vented attics and roof structures, we moved away from the use of gable vents. Gable venting relies on movement … (4 comments)
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ventilation: The roofer and the heating contractor haven't been speaking to each other for 10 years. - 08/19/08 07:56 AM
In the mid 70's, as homes became tighter and tighter to conserve energy, we started to devise mechanical means to bring fresh air into the home on a predictable basis to ensure air quality. There are many ways to achieve this, and I am not going to discuss all of the different systems in detail. The building codes eventually "required" some means of changing the air at prescribed rates in all new construction and homes that were being substantially remodeled.
Sometimes the system is a stand-alone unit with its own ductwork----like a "Heat Recovery Unit." These systems are really … (7 comments)
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ventilation: What is Giovanni Venturi doing in my attic? - 02/01/08 12:55 PM
Michael Thornton posted a blog on his "Photo of the Day . . .that reminded me of another problem associated with the venting of attic spaces. Most older gable roof style homes have gable vents (which under most circumstances are adequate). Older homes may or may not have soffit vents. Current standards require soffit vents in conjunction with roof vents or continuous ridge vents, and the amounts of each is a specified amount based on the size of the space being vented. Typically, by today's standards (with exceptions): The total net free ventilating area shall not be less than 1 to … (4 comments)
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ventilation: "Surfs Up"---in Seattle! - 01/31/08 03:54 PM
Even the nicer crawl spaces can be inhospitable places----like visiting another planet. Some inspectors even look like spacemen (and space women) when they are all suited up to go in the crawl space.
Lots of inspectors look for almost any excuse to not go in the crawl space. ONE rat turd and they are "outta-there." ONE little water puddle and they are "outta-there." It is important to be safe in the crawl space---but someone has to check it out. While I don't "love" crawl spaces (and on the Planet Charles, there wouldn't be any crawl spaces), I do like them … (4 comments)
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ventilation: Ventilation---WHAT ventilation? - 01/24/08 11:18 AM
I thought it might be interesting to do a non-consecutive series on defects found in New Construction. My very first blog on Active Rain was about a New Construction defect: Why inspect New Construction.
This Second in the series: Ventilation----what ventilation? ---will continue the series. The first picture was taken inside the attic and one can clearly see two openings through the roof and two vent ducts attached to the bottom of the roof sheathing.
In the next picture---from the outside---up on the roof---we see the two vent caps that correspond to the two openings visible in … (5 comments)
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ventilation: I HATE bees! - 01/01/08 10:49 AM
Like the dryer vent caps, other exhaust fan vent caps need to be properly maintained. These caps can suffer from mechanical damage and can be points of entry to the structure for vermin---birds, bees, squirrels and rats. The single biggest issue I find with these vents is that bees loveto build nests in them. This can prevent proper operation/opening of the vent flap leading to reduced ventilation and premature demise of the fan motor (it is working harder all the time). Bees also represent a safety hazard when inspecting and cleaning the vents-----so "bee" careful. Because these vents are usually … (5 comments)
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Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector
Seattle,
WA
More about me…
Charles Buell Inspections.com
Address: Seattle, Shoreline, Everett, Lynnwood, Bothel, Kirkland, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Edmonds, Renton, King County, 17123 22nd Ave NE, Shoreline (Seattle), WA, 98155
Office Phone: (206) 478-7371
Cell Phone: (206) 478-7371
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