Many people build, our have built, nice beautiful decks on their homes all the time.  But like everything, it needs attention from time to time.  It seems that decks, like many things, get over looked and even forgotten about when it comes to maintenance and repairs.

This wooden set of stairs looks normal enough.  Close to being up to code. BUT...

As you can see this stair is about to DEMAND some attention when it has finally had enough and lets loose to send someone tumbling down the steps to certain injury.

And if that doesn't get your attention, then this might even kill someone eventually.  Leaning or pushing into this rail might just be enough someday.

It's a good idea to do a THOROUGH inspection of your deck, stairs and rails every spring to check for defects and potential failures.  Many home repair service providers will provide this inspection for you, and of course with a quote to make repairs/replacements too.

Or better yet, get a COMPLETE Home Inspection to check the entire home for serious problems that could save you a lot of money in the long run.  A simple repair might do before the problem gets too serious and even more expensive, requiring a total replacement.

 

 

This information is provided by David Holden, DRH Home Inspection in the Akron Ohio, Summit County Ohio Area.

Well I took a vacation with my beautiful wife to the outer banks of N. Carolina.

My first REALvacation in 10 years, and did this alot.

 

 

Did this a lot too (I love doing this)

 

 

We checked out the lighthouse a well, very cool for me, I like heights.

Finished every day off with a beautiful sunset with my beautiful wife.

 

Well, back to the real world.  20 messages waiting when I got home has resulted in a 4 week back log of work.  I'm not complaining at all, gotta pay for the vacation somehow.  As a matter of fact, I am VERY blessed and appreciative to be so busy now, I was starting to get a little concerned a month ago.

That is the other reason I have been missing from AR for the last few weeks.  I hope I'm not to for off topic, everyone needs a vacation now and then.

Condensate drain lines must be properly terminated in a floor drain or to the outside of the house.  Excess water and moisture can become a very serious problem in your home if these drain lines flow into your home improperly.

Here is a photo of a condensate drain from an HVAC unit.  A very common and neseccary component.

 

Now here is the problem.  This line MUST drain to something other than the floor of the crawlspace.

 

There are several options to properly draining this line.  No not a bucket.  This particular crawlspace was in dire need of a sump pump, that would be one possibility.  Another possible solution would be a condensate pump to take the water out of the house.

 

 

This information is provided by David Holden, DRH Home Inspection in the Akron Ohio, Summit County Ohio Area.

One of my favorite tv shows as a kid was "Lost in Space".  It was ahead of it's time in the early 70's.  The best character on the show was "Robot".  He was always there to warn eveyone and save the day.  He certainly would have sounded many warnings if they had stairs and rails on the ship, but it had a huge ramp and an elevator.  Oh, there was also an emergency ladder from the lower level, but that is another issue and danger all it's own.

Stairs and Handrails are one of the most important hazards around your house, yet they can also be the most overlooked and are most often taken for granted.  Just about every building made by man has stairs and handrails.  Some are done to code and correctly, while others are a trap just waiting for some unsuspecting person to travel up or down them and trip and tumble to certain injury and pain, if not worse.

Here is a photo of an exterior set of steps with some serious problems.  It's hard to believe that someone did this installation with good conscience.

Notice the rails posts at the bottom step are clearly missing the mark and just sort of dangling there with no purpose.

 

 This photo of the same stair shows the inconsistancies of the risers.  This, along with poor lighting is a disaster waiting to happen to some poor soul.  Just count the brick coarses and that will give you an idea of difference in riser heighth.

 

Here is a rail system on an elevated deck.  Rail height and more importantly, balaster and picket spacing is critical for the safety of toddlers and young children.  The large spacing in this rail system will allow a toddler to possibly fall to certain injury, or worse.

 

The National Safety Council reports 12,000 stair deaths per year, with half of these deaths occurring in the home. This makes accidents from stairs second only to automobile accidents as the major cause of unintended injuries in the United States.

Building code requirements for stair depth and width vary from place to place and generally apply to new construction. Making stairs in older homes meet these requirements may not be feasible. A home inspection can make you aware of these type of safety issues.

 

Top Hazards in Stair and Rail Installation
  

• Balusters: when improperly spaced, more than 4" of space, a child can slip through or can get their head caught.
• Circular or Helical Stair: tread at center post too narrow, stair not ergonomically designed for safety.
• Flight too long: too many steps causes fear of falling or fear of height.
• Angle: stair too steep.
• Handrail / Safety-Rail: not ergonomically designed, improper finger clearance, railing is missing, loose, broken, not strong enough, too large, too wide, too thin, not continuous from landing to landing, not smooth, too hot, too cold, splintery, not maintained, not sanitary looking and not of a contrasting color with background.
• Platform or Landing: surface not slip resistant and has a sharp object, blunt wall or window in the possible fall direction.
• Nosing: missing, broken, worn, patched, loose, slippery, abrupt raised upper surface, sharp corners, not installed properly.
• Riser: not equal height on all steps in the flight; missing; shifted out of stringer; open type with too much over-hang from the step above, too little over-hang.
• Stringers: broken, loose, twisted, extends above the top landing or platform, extends beyond the bottom step, top surface of the stringer extends into the stairwell three or more inches behind the handrail or the side without a handrail.
• Tread: broken, loose, narrow, worn, highly abrasive, missing, shifted out of stringer, material not constant in the flight, not a slip resistant surface, surface slip resistance not consistent in the flight, loose carpet, torn carpet, debris, improper repair.
• Tread slope: for exterior stairs: nonexistent for proper drainage, or too steep.
• Geometry: tread/riser relationship in flight not constant, does not conform ergonomically to known and accepted safety standards
• Lighting: below the accepted safety standards, too many shadows, a dark corridor and corners leading to a stair.
• Sharp or Pointed Corners: on stair elements or hardware.
• Construction: Abrupt wall or window at the bottom of a stair's landing or platform.
• Low Headroom: 6′ feet - 8″ inches is standard, 7′ foot - 6″ inches is optimum in today's standards.
• Abrasive: wall surfaces, stair elements or hardware.

 

The most critical characteristic of stairs, even more important than the size of any of the parts, is that every step be the same. In fact, building codes enforce this rule. Fire and building codes devote a lot of space to stairs.

Many different terms have been used in describing stairs; I will use those defined in the illustration below. The ratio of unit rise to unit run determines the angle of the stairs.

The 1996 Council of American Building Officials (CABO) and the 2000 International Code Council recommendations call for unit runs to be not less than 10 inches and unit rises not more than 7¾ inches.

Nosing projection and open risers

Staircases which consist only of treads are said to have "open risers." Under the 1996 CABO model code, open risers are no longer permitted because they are a danger to children.  They are also a danger to the elderly, who tend to catch their toe on the tread and trip.  Nosing projections are also a danger to the elderly.

Width

Again, limits are probably specified in the local building code. Typically the minimum width permitted in residences is around 2 feet 8 inches. Three feet is better, and 3′6″ is the standard for normal occupancy.  If a stair is more than 44 inches wide, a handrail is required on both sides.

Landings

Most fire codes do not allow stairs to rise more than 12 feet without providing a landing. The length of the landing should be at least equal to the width of the stair tread.

Balustrade (vertical members of the rail system)

According to the 1996 CABO code, the openings between balusters is to be no greater than 4 inches.  This is half of what was allowed a few decades ago; smaller holes reduce injuries to young children.  The balustrade is topped by a handrail 30 to 38 inches above the top of the stringer; the handrail's grip size is between 1¼ to 2 inches.  If the handrail is mounted on a wall, a space of at least 1½ inches must be left between the edge of the handrail and the wall.

Historical trends

Among American architects, an old rule-of-thumb is that the sum of the unit rise and the unit run should be about 17½″. Common practice has been to make the unit rise about 7½ inches, the unit run 9″ for interiors and 11″ for exteriors.

In modern times, stair researchers have gone beyond observing which existing stairs cause the most accidents. Using tools like endless mechanically driven staircases with variable unit rise and unit run, they have been able to experiment with many combinations of unit rise and unit run, and to capture in stroboscopic photography how missteps occur. The results largely confirm the rules of thumb, but some interesting results where observed, such as that the optimal rise/run ratio for descent is not the same as the one for ascent. Several researchers feel that for descent the unit run should be at least 11 inches. 

But requiring an 11″ unit run is controversial. Increasing the unit run even an inch or two can greatly increase the size of the staircase. With a rise of 12 feet and a unit rise of 7.2 inches, increasing the unit run from 9″ to 11″ makes the staircase two feet longer-probably 6 square feet of floor area carved out of the living room. When a "7-11" standard was adopted by a building code in the Northeast, the National Association of Home Builders got it reversed, arguing that it increased costs without any proof that it was safer.

Alternate Tread Stairs

Imagine climbing a staircase in which alternate halves of the treads have been removed. A foot moving to the next empty tread does not need to clear the tread on which the other foot stands. Such staircases exist. Their great advantage is that they can be very steep (up to 70°, compared to up to 50° for normal stairs) and still be safe and comfortable. The great disadvantage is that such a staircase can accommodate only one person at a time. Such staircases are most commonly found on shipboard. In the United States, Lapeyre Stair in New Orleans specialized in such staircases.

I hope that this information helps everyone understand more about stairs and rail systems.  Please share this info with anyone that you think needs it.  Safety should be #1 around your home, don't take it for granted!!

This information is provided by David Holden, DRH Home Inspection in the Akron Ohio, Summit County Ohio Area.

Last week, while on an inspection, I was asked "Would you buy this house?" numerous times by both the husband and wife.  They are planning to buy a house from a FSBO, an investor flipping this house.  The main reason for the question was a past roof mold issue, which appeared to have been eliminated by a new roof with the exception of residual mold still present.

 The much larger problem and threat to their health was the crawlspace.  It was saturated with moisture, even some standing water in a few places.

 

 

One of the visible problems was sealed-off vents, ALL 10 of them.  I explained that this could be one of the main problems, inadequate ventilation, as well as no vapor barrier present.  I also report that the water supply lines and sewer drains where mainly buried underground and couldn't be properly inspected and may have leaks that are contributing to the standing water problem.

 My answer to them on their repeated question.

I have no idea what the purchase price is and don't want to know, but the house is built like a tank, and structurally very solid and sound.  However, the severe moisture problem in the crawlspace is of great concern and MUST be corrected. As well as some electrical issues that need to be addressed.

Later that evening, I provided them with a very detailed report with plenty of photos showing all of my findings.

How do you handle this question when asked?

 

This is a follow-up to my original post, Meth Home Nightmare.  The complete story as printed in the Akron Beacon Journal can be read at, Akron Beacon Journal - Meth Home Nightmare.

This story gives you an idea of the problems that a buyer may encounter if purchasing a former Meth Home.  The chemical residue that is left behind can effect young children in a very serious way, but also adults.

A couple of very informative sites that I have found for testing, testmyhomeformeth.com and MAPP-SD Home,  have a lot of very good information.

This drug addition effects all classes of society in this country.  It does not discriminate at all, and seems to have hit the mid-west areas the worst.

I hope this information will help everyone to understand the seriousness of this national epidemic.  I believe the effects of this on the existing housing market may get worse before it gets better.

I would like to ask everyone to keep the victims of the recent NYC crane collapse in your prayers.  It appears that most where construction workers and a few residents/visiters that where in the adjacent buildings that where crushed.  This is a Huge tragedy, one that will be scrutinized, criticized, analyzed, investigated, inspected and throughly studied by the engineering and construction community.  The NYC Building Dept. is a very powerful force in NYC, and this will no doubt change some things in the near future.

Having been in the commercial construction business for 25 years, structural steel erection specifically, this touches my heart deeper than other things.  I worked in NYC last year for several months and it just so happened that I visited another project very close to this specific site.

This is a very rare and unique accident, one that has never been seen before that I am aware of.  Cranes have tipped over and/or collapsed many times before, but not quite like this case.

I also worked on a project called One Bryant Park in Midtown that had a tower crane 1150' tall.  I happened to have the pleasure to be on the open, unfinished 55th floor as well as the roof structure that has a 150' spire on top of it (very exciting for me anyways), doing quality control inspections of the structural steel.  What a fabulous view of NYC.  Manhattan and the other Borroughs are experiencing a construction BOOOOM currently.  There are many tower cranes up in NYC right now.  The WTC site is booming and has many cranes of all types on it currently, with several more tower cranes to go up yet.

With the continued high rise construction in NYC, I pray that no more crane collapses occur, ever again.  God be with the families.

I need some opinions.  I'm considering purchasing a new ladder.  I have been looking at the multi-position models.  I think I like the one that extends to 21' as an extension ladder or about 10' as a step ladder.  Does any one own and use these type of ladders?  And what do you like and dis-like about them?  I like the fact that they fit in the back of a truck nicely.  I would prefer not to use a ladder rack on top if I can.  Opinions  and reviews will be appreciated.  Thanks

With spring on the way (Yeah), gutters and downspouts are going to be the most important system on the exterior of your home soon.  Effectively removing the water, by the gallons, from the roof of your house is the most important issue to a dry and structurally sound foundation.

Now lets take a look at some comparisons.

 

These photos shows you an example of a gutter system that is not only easier to keep free a debris, but are in fact quite clean.  This is from a heavily treed area as well.

This is to the right of the downspout.

 

This is to the left of the downspout.

 

This is a downspout connection to the underground drainage.

 

 

 

 

Now lets take a look at some not so good gutters and downspouts.  Its no wonder this basement has a creek flowing across the floor to the drain.  Serious foundation problems are sure to follow soon.

 

A composting system is not the best use of a gutter.  Possibly even some earthworms in there somewhere.

 

 

This is in the other direction.

 

Here is where what water that stays in the gutter tries to get out at the downspout connection.

 

Now, the water that does manage to find its way to the downspout and freely flows to the ground, here is what it finds at the end.  A more direct route to the foundation or even possibly the basement floor.

Concrete blocks have many functions other than to support your entire house, but they do not make very effective downspout water diverters.

It is obviously more important than many homeowners realize to keep your gutters and downspouts clean and free flowing as well as properly diverted a minimum of 6' to 10' away from the house or into underground drainage pipes that are also free flowing and clear of debris.

OH NO, Here comes some more rain!!

Here in NE Ohio, It snowed 8 to 10 inches last week and was around 20 to 25 degrees.  Today it is 60 degrees with a major cold front coming around the corner in a few hours with rain changing to freezing rain.  Good time to see how well your gutters and down spouts work and how well your basement keeps the water out.  I wish you well if you live low and near a creek or river with 2 - 3 inches of rain forecast.

I have been out in Summit County hitting open houses, marketing and networking myself the past 4 weeks.  Great way to meet Realtors and pass out brochures.  I also took some time to take a look around the houses and focusing on the basement mostly.  I noticed that a lot of effort is being put into "Thorough Sealing" basement walls these days.  Must be the large inventory of property out there giving sellers the incentive to spend some effort on their homes to make them more appealing to prospective buyers.  I didn't see nearly this much effort a couple of years ago.

I also noticed a lot of mortar joint repairs.  A careful observation, and you can see that soil pressure and most likely water from the outside has bowed the foundation walls in.

This big thaw right now with heavy rains on the way will certainly test the sellers efforts on the foundation walls.  We shall see the outcome soon.

I have a question for the Home Inspectors out there.  If you observe foundation bowing inward (clearly soil pressure or drainage issues), newly tucked mortar joints and freshly painted/sealed walls and floors, how would you report this condition.  Clearly the seller is trying to improve the foundation walls and is putting in the effort to some degree.  Do you bust their bubble and reprtr this resent activity.

OH NO, here comes the rain!