building: Nashville Tennessee Home Inspection - Brick Veneer Ledge - What's Wrong With This Picture? (4/17/9)
- 04/18/09 02:19 AM
Welcome to the HABITEC Blog at ActiveRain! If you are looking for the HABITEC website please click on http://habitecinspections.com. Thank You! Now onto the blog! Nashville Home Inspectionv - Brick Veneer Ledge - What's Wrong With This Picture?
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HINT: Did you ever wonder how those brick veneer walls stay up there?
ANSWER: Brick veneer walls exceeding 4 ' in height require a concrete foundation to rest on and usually there is an angled metal drip edge between the bottom row of bricks and the concrete foundation. Wainscots not exceeding 4' may be exempted depending on local codes. However, bracing any veneer … (0 comments)
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building: Nashville Home Inspection - What's Wrong With This Picture? (2/12/9)
- 02/12/09 08:59 AM
Hint: Something is missing! You are in a crawl space looking at the end of a beam. What's missing?
ANSWER: The end of the beam is suspended in the air. A notch was cut or built out of the foundation wall to allow room for the beam to insert. But, someone forgot to install material under the beam to support it from below. What you cannot see is that the next support for the beam, a concrete block pier, is almost 10 feet away to the right. The "end" result is a beam that works better … (3 comments)
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building: Nashville Home Inspection - Rick Cozby joins HABITEC!
- 01/28/09 12:41 AM
RICK COZBY JOINS HABITEC!
HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, is pleased to announce that Rick Cozby, formerly President and Owner of House Sense, Inc., has joined Richard Acree and Ron Rittiner at HABITEC as a full time Home Inspector and Environmental Services technician. HABITEC is extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work with one of the premier inspectors in Middle Tennessee.
Rick's experience and credentials as a licensed Home Inspector (#258) and certified Environmental Services Technician are impressive. Rick has been a Home Inspector in Middle Tennessee since 1994. Since then Rick has completed over 4000 home inspections! He … (0 comments)
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building: Nashville Home Inspection - Structural Floor Shims - What's Wrong With This Picture? (1/27/09)
- 01/27/09 02:22 AM
Look at the first 3 pictures pictures. What's wrong with them? Taken individually, they might seem like minor cosmetic cracks. When considered as a group, they point to a common theme and one that can be significant. Then look at the fourth picture.
On the left is a floor crack in the hardwood flooring on the first floor.
On the right is a crack in the dry wall on a door frame also on the first floor. The door also impacts the frame when closing.
Same thing but a … (3 comments)
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building: Nashville Home Inspection - Radon and the Empty House
- 01/21/09 07:43 AM
RADON AND THE EMPTY HOUSE
Recently I inspected a large home with a foundation that consisted of a crawl space and a partial basement. The home was sophisticated in design and construction including a moisture extraction system for the crawl space. This system was active at the time of the inspection. Also, the crawl space moisture barrier was well done and in tact.
Like many houses for sale these days, this house had been on the market for approximately 8 months and had been vacant for most of that time. Wisely, in addition to the Home Inspection, my Client requested a … (11 comments)
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building: Housing Market Curve Starting to Bend?
- 11/18/08 09:15 AM
Maybe we are seeing some improvement in the housing market?!!
Recently I have seen articles indicating that although the housing market is still weak and perhaps weakening overall, certain segments of the national market have seen significant improvement. Most noteably is a year-over-year improvement in sales of existing homes and pending home sales in places like California, Detroit and Minnesota. We all know what those markets have been like as they represent some of the worst during 2007-2008, But local numbers in those markets are showing significant improvement. Specifically, Detroit sales increased almost 30% in October 08 vs 07, and pending sales in … (0 comments)
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building: Nashville Home Inspection - What's Wrong With This Picture? 10/6/08
- 10/07/08 08:33 AM
Hint: When is the last time you saw a good stucco job?
Answer: Hopefully you can see the many openings and exposed membrane around the EIFS stucco. It is clear that any surface water will run behind the EIFS and do significant damage. Another question is "How old do you think this house is?" Answer: Brand New!!
Thank you,
Richard
Comments in this blog posting are the intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building … (8 comments)
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building: What's Wrong With This Picture? (7/3/8)
- 07/05/08 02:07 PM
Careful of those fan blades, especially when they can hit the kitchen cabinet door when it is open!!
Richard
Comments in this blog posting are the intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, and contributing members of the Active Rain Real Estate network, and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real estate investors, property managers, and lenders in the process of owning, buying or selling homes or commercial buildings. HABITEC is a residential (home) and commercial building inspection company serving Middle Tennessee … (7 comments)
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building: What's Wrong With This Picture? (6/27/08)
- 06/27/08 12:59 AM
This is an excellent example of what can happen if a water management system component fails. In this case, the siding was allowed to deteriorate and water penetrated the seams. Once inside it soaked the insulation and from there the wood. Obviously a major expense.
Richard
Comments in this blog posting are the intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, and contributing members of the Active Rain Real Estate network, and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real … (2 comments)
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building: What's Wrong With This Picture? (6/17/08)
- 06/16/08 10:54 PM
Maybe a better question is "What Are You Looking At?" The answer follows at the bottom of this blog.
Richard
Comments in this blog posting are the intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, and contributing members of the Active Rain Real Estate network, and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real estate investors, property managers, and lenders in the process of owning, buying or selling homes or commercial buildings. HABITEC is a residential (home) and commercial building inspection company serving Middle Tennessee including Nashville, Brentwood, … (14 comments)
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building: What's Wrong With This Picture? - 6/8/08
- 06/08/08 05:05 AM
Notching, or cutting, a floor joist is allowed under very strict conditions. In general, notching of a joist on the bottom (tension side) is not allowed. This photo is where a joist was notched to allow space for a plumbing pipe. Unfortunately the pipe is now abandoned and the notch is no longer required. More important, the notch should have never been cut in the first place. Mistakes like this lead to uneven and sagging flooring. Also, in this case, as the floor/joist moves, the copper piping will start to move as well.
Richard
Comments in this blog posting … (8 comments)
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building: What's Wrong With This Picture? (6/7/8)
- 06/07/08 08:52 AM
Fireplaces can penetrate directly through the roof or on the side of the roof/house. These penetrations present a water management challenge because of the large size of the penetration and the frequent use of flashing associated with them. This photo is where a chimney on the side of the house has leaked and the homeowner has made temporary caulk and kick-out flashing repairs. The repairs have obviously failed. The junction of the chimney to the roof, metal in this case, is difficult because the roof moves with temperature variations and the caulk will break up over time. Proper flashing by a … (6 comments)
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building: What's Wrong With This Picture??? (5/17/8)
- 05/17/08 01:03 PM
So, where do I begin? The electrical panel, the service conductors/hand rail, the toilet or the sink. I think I'll just let you make the point.
Richard
www.habitecinspections.com
Comments in this blog posting are the intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, and contributing members of the Active Rain Real Estate network, and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real estate investors, property managers, and lenders in the process of owning, buying or selling homes or commercial buildings. HABITEC is a residential (home) and commercial building inspection … (14 comments)
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building: What's Wrong With This Picture? (5/12/08)
- 05/12/08 09:56 AM
So, is this guy retired Navy? One use to tieing things off to secure them? Or is this just the latest in water management? Or is it water management gone amok?
Richard
www.habitecinspections.com
Comments in this blog posting are the intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, and contributing members of the Active Rain Real Estate network, and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real estate investors, property managers, and lenders in the process of owning, buying or selling homes or commercial buildings. HABITEC is … (5 comments)
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building: What's Wrong With This Picture? (5/7/8)
- 05/07/08 11:23 AM
How close is too close? The metal downspout goes directly behind the street service conductors, then down to ground level at the garage door entrance. Maybe the downspout should have been located around the corner to the veneer side?
Richard
www.habitecinspections.com
Comments in this blog posting are the intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, and contributing members of the Active Rain Real Estate network, and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real estate investors, property managers, and lenders in the process of owning, buying … (4 comments)
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building: What's Wrong With This Picture?
- 04/19/08 02:11 PM
You get one guess.
Plumbers usually do not resort to wood braces to keep a bathroom sink in place. Nothing on the disclosure form either. So it must be OK?
Richard
www.habitecinspections.com
Comments in this blog posting are the intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, and contributing members of the Active Rain Real Estate network, and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real estate investors, property managers, and lenders in the process of owning, buying or selling homes or commercial buildings. HABITEC is a residential (home) and commercial building inspection company … (11 comments)
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building: Water Heater Breakdown - What To Do Now
- 04/07/08 01:48 AM
This is a true story blog about what to expect when your water heater breaks down and starts leaking.
It's 8:00 AM on a cool and damp Saturday morning and you walk down into your finished and carpeted basement to start your day. As you enter the main room you notice the carpet is discolored and odd looking. You stoop down to check out the stain and it hits you. This isn't a stain, it's a leak! One of the two 50 gallon water heaters in the garage is leaking aggressively and the water is running under the common wall and into the … (5 comments)
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building: Unwanted Visitors! Mind The Gap!
- 03/28/08 12:29 AM
At HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, we sometimes see gaps around the metal shrouds covering HVAC ducting that connects to exterior package units at homes and buildings. We flag this every time because of the negative effects that can come from these gaps. Gaps at the top of the shroud can allow in water and vegetation debris in such a way so as to create a "mold soup" that can cause mold to grow on or in the ductwork. Gaps at the bottom of the shroud provide a path for moisture, insects, rodents and other critters such as squirrels, and … (1 comments)
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building: Water Management System Components - Condensate Drains
- 03/24/08 01:06 AM
Experience at HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, has shown that Water Management Systems are a major source of issues in Home and Commercial Building Inspections. Failures of these systems can lead to more serious problems such as mold and structural failure. The purpose of this article is to discuss Condensate Drains.
Condensate drains are another source of water that may affect the foundation. Shown in this picture is the typical PVC dual pipe drain for a split system where a furnace unit with evaporator coils is located in the attic and a condenser/compressor unit at the outside of the structure. Notice … (4 comments)
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building: HABITEC Completes 12,000 SqFt Commercial Building Inspection in Columbia, TN
- 03/20/08 09:40 PM
HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, is pleased to announce that we have completed a Commercial Building Property Condition Assessment (Inspection) in Columbia, TN!
The building shown below was Inspected in February 2008 by Ron Rittiner, Chief Inspector and Business Manager of HABITEC and Richard Acree, President of HABITEC. Ron Rittiner was the Inspector of Record. Representing the Client was Sharon Graham (615-497-2002) from the Crye-Leike Green Hills office in Nashville.
The 12,000 square foot steel building is a commercial establishment currently used for various sports activities. The building is a two story structure primarily of metal over … (2 comments)
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Welcome to the HABITEC Blog at ActiveRain! If you are looking for the HABITEC website please click on http://habitecinspections.com. Thank You! Now onto the blog! Nashville Home Inspectionv - Brick Veneer Ledge - What's Wrong With This Picture?
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