inspection: Nashville Tennessee Home Inspection - Soffit Vents - What's Wrong With This Picture? (6/30/09) - 06/30/09 01:45 PM
Nashville Home Inspection - Soffit Vents - What's Wrong With this Picture?
Hint:  You are looking at the underside of an eave and specifically the soffit vent.  Anything look odd?
 
 











Answer:  Paint!  Lots of it.  But in all the wrong places.  Soffit vents provide cooling air to the attic ventilation system.  If they are painted over, like these in the picture, the space for cool air to enter is compromised and hence the entire ventilation system is compromised.  Without adequate cool air, the attic can overheat and this … (0 comments)

inspection: 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)

inspection: HABITEC Inspects 18,000 SQFT Church - 07/31/08 01:11 PM
  HABITEC COMPLETES PROPERTY CONDITION ASSESSMENT OF 18,000 SQFT CHURCH
HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, is pleased to announce the completion of a Commercial Building Property Condition Assessment (PCA) on an 18,000 square foot church!  The PCA was completed by Ron Rittiner, Chief Inspector and Business Manager, and Richard Acree, President.  Ron Rittiner was the Inspector of Record.
 
The steel framed building was constructed in 2005/2006.  It has a sanctuary including a balcony capable of seating 500 people, classrooms, a music room, kitchen, offices, and a gymnasium.  The HVAC system consisted of eight units, four exterior package units and four … (0 comments)

inspection: 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)

inspection: 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)

inspection: 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)

inspection: 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)

inspection: What's Wrong With This Picture? (5/30/08) - 05/29/08 06:28 PM
Flat roofs can be challenging when it comes to water management.  In reality, flat roofs should not be flat but should have a minor slope to eventually drain water.  With age a home or building may settle and flat roofs are not only really flat but may actually reverse the original flow of water and trap the water.  Trapped or standing water is very hard on any roof surface.
Flat roofs usually require the use of rolled roofing or built-up roofing material.  In this photo below the flat roof has settled to the point that standing water and age have caused significant … (2 comments)

inspection: 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)

inspection: 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)

inspection: 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)

inspection: 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)

inspection: 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)

inspection: 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)

inspection: 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)

inspection: The Home Inspectors Biggest Challenge? - 03/08/08 02:29 AM
Check out the house up for auction near Chattanooga.  Home Inspectors, how do you price this one?  Have you seen one more "interesting" than this?
Where's that stucco guy when you need him?  A special thanks to Realtor Ryan for passing this information along.
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 … (3 comments)

inspection: Water Management Systems - Plumbing Boots - 03/07/08 02:59 PM
Experience at HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, has shown that Water Management Systems are a major source of problems in Home and Commercial Building Inspections.  Failures of these types of systems can lead to more serious problems such as mold and structural failure.
The components of the Water Management System include the roof, gutter/downspout/extension subsystem, the exterior covering, windows, doors and gradient of the landscaping.  All of these have in common the responsibility of moving water off and/or away from the building. 
The purpose of this article is to remind all home and building owners about a maintenance item that we each need … (0 comments)

inspection: Water Management Systems - Gradient - 03/07/08 02:47 PM
Experience at HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, has shown that Water Management Systems are a major source of problems in Home and Commercial Building Inspections.  Failures of these of systems can lead to more serious problems such as mold and structural failure.
The components of the Water Management System include the roof, gutter/downspout/extension subsystem, windows, doors and gradient of the landscaping.  All of these have in common the responsibility of moving water off and/or away from the building. 
As shown in the picture below provided by Code Check, the outside gradient system of a home or building should include a … (2 comments)

inspection: Plumbing Wall Penetrations - Mind the Gap! - 03/07/08 02:23 PM
 At HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, we frequently see where plumbing drain/waste/vent systems penetrate the rear of a cabinet enclosure and the installation is poorly done.  In the picture shown the installation basically involved simply knocking a hole in the back of the cabinet and working the piping through.
It is functional as far as the plumbing and the cabinet are concerned but the problem is this shoddy workmanship provides an easy path for rodents to enter the building.  The hole for the plumbing penetration should be no larger than is required for the penetration and then a plastic or metal … (5 comments)

inspection: Water Management System Failures - Skylights - 03/07/08 02:00 PM
Experience at HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, has shown that Water Management Systems are a frequent source of problems in Home and Commercial Building Inspections.  Failures of these of systems can lead to more serious problems such as mold and structural failure.
The components of the Water Management System include the roof, gutter/downspout/extension subsystem, windows, doors and gradient of the landscaping.  All of these have in common the responsibility of moving water off and/or away from the building. 
The roof includes the sheathing, roof covering, flashing, skylights, gutter/downspout/extension subsystem, and penetration boots.  The purpose of this article is to talk about … (0 comments)

 
Robert Dirienzo, Home Inspections - Nashville TN (HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC)

Robert Dirienzo

Home Inspections - Nashville TN

Franklin, TN

More about me…

HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC

Address: PO Box 413, Brentwood, TN, 37024

Office: (615) 376-2753

Fax: (866) 290-7405

Home and Commercial building inspections, mold assessments including inspections and mold sampling, radon testing and water quality analysis in Nashville and Middle Tennessee.


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