If you ask my wife, we are both happy when my inspection schedule is close to full. The day before Thanksgiving and am thinking about what I need to do to reach more referring entities (i.e. Realtors) for 2010. It's important for any peripheral service providers including home inspectors to maintain their existing relationships, but at the same time to reach out to other untapped sources of referrals.
So... I began anew by performing an update on my AR profile along with a new avatar. The carrot was the extra bonus points! For obvious reasons, I decided to have a new photo taken before the Thanksgiving feast rather than afterwards. Granted, I'm not 100% satisfied with result of the mug shot, but it beats my drivers licensed picture by a mile.
Yesterday, a local Realtor informed me of one such marketing piece that she had received in her mailbox. Then, I stumbled upon this blog. I encourage all reputable inspectors who exhibit integrity and competence as well as other virtues, to forward this onto their agents in order to be made aware before forwarding it on to other realtors in the office.
I just received an email that encouraged me to participate in a "new" marketing program that offers my clients FREE gas and Groceries. Here's an excerpt:
Grocery Program Helped Me Steal A Sale. I was in a recertification program for my termite license today and my cell wouldn't get reception in the building. I leave this afternoon and found out someone left me a message this morning to get an inspection. Called back, he said he already booked with someone else and was ready to hang up. I said, "Do you mind if I asked who you went with?" He tells me. So I tell him about the grocery program and that you'll get your money back and more. So he says he'll talk to his wife and call me back. He called back in 5 minutes and booked the appointment(must of needed the time to cancel the other guy). THIS PROGRAM IS AWESOME!
TNSTAAFL! For those of you not familiar with the acronym, it stands for "There's no such thing as a free lunch!" and was one of the more memorable lines from Robert Heinlein's A Stranger in a Strange Land.
Maybe the Oregon Attorney General can put it into perspective:
Associated Press March 11, 2009 PORTLAND, Ore. -- The latest scams arising out of the recession include offers for "free" gas or groceries. The Oregon attorney general's office says the misleading and possibly illegal promotions typically lure consumers with offers of hundreds of dollars of free groceries or gas if they purchase certain products and mail the receipts. There's often a registration fee, such as $5. The scammer sometimes sends the first payment to encourage the consumer to participate. But future rewards fail to show up when consumers continue to buy the product and mail the receipts. The Oregon Department of Justice is participating in a national crackdown of the false promotions and has warned Oregon retailers about them.
Personally, I think that if an inspector needs a bribe to get business, he should work harder on building his reputation for integrity and competence.
Yesterday's inspection began on the roof. Actually, it began by chatting with the seller. I should have gone straight to the roof. Peering down a plumbing vent pipe, I witnessed a quickly retreating tree frog. (Pic 1) It must have seen my hawk-like eyes peering over the pipe. I continued with inspecting the roof, chimney, and penetrations including one last vent pipe. Observed that this vent pipe had a column of water inside it. (Pic 2) Hmmm, what could that mean?
Trap weirs contain water to prevent sewer gases from escaping, however, plumbing vent stacks should remain free of obstructions and you should not see any water. The reason is so that they can allow water to drain and provide ventilation. I was not surprised to hear the drain in kitchen sink make a gurgle gurgle glug glug sound after operating the faucet for a few minutes. Same thing in the bathrooms. Final stop was to locate the root of the problem.
The attic is where I noticed that the horizontal section of piping had a downward slope before the vertical transition that heads towards and then through the roof. There's the problem, the piping did not have sufficient pitch or upward slope to allow rain water to drain down to the main drain. (Pic 3) Easy fix for a nuisance problem.
We finally felt the cold pinch here in GA this week with temps in the teens. Attic insulation is just one component of the inspection process. Loose fill cellulose insulation is basically chemically treated newsprint material. I refer to it as yesterday's "AJC".
If the insulation certificate that is typically stapled to a brace or truss says it's R-30 or R-38, it's basically my job is to verify whether or not the insulation meets the stated value.
In this less than 1 year old home, the insulation has settled to a level that is below the minimum stated level of 10.27" after settling. So... if you've paid for R-38, you should get it!
...about the risks of radon prior to a home or property inspection. I have received comments from the real estate community about radon being last years' buzz and that other issues such as mold are currently more relevant. Of course, there is some chatter about radon and granite counter tops. Sigh!
Some inspectors will offer a radon test if asked, however, choose not to proactively inform the client. At one time, I would take into consideration, the distance of the inspection and decide if I wanted to travel twice to that location to both set and then retrieve my continuous radon monitor. I had one client that was upset that I did not offer radon testing to them although my inspection contract specifically addresses radon. It also includes a line item for radon testing. My report also mentioned that I did not perform a test and that they should visit the following site for more information: www.epa.gov/radon Nonetheless, the client was a bit miffed, as one or more neighbors already had radon and subsequent radon mitigation systems installed.
People move to my state from all over the place. Many already know about radon and have dealt with radon at the time of purchase or sale of their homes. Many do not. Case in point. Yesterday, I tested a home for a client purchasing a new home. I offered her a radon test prior to the inspection and explained the dangers. She had recently suffered the loss of her mother due to lung cancer although her mother did not smoke. She had never heard of radon! Fortunately, the results were low. Lately, I've received similar feedback from clients that have had to deal with one or more family members with lung cancer.
Regarding certification, a key certification agency is the National Environmental Health Association, www.radongas.org They have a list of Certified Radon Measurement Providers and Certified Mitigation Professionals.
Choosing a certified radon measurement provider is critical depending on your states' certification requirements or if your client is involved in a corporate relocation situation. The relocation company may stipulate that they will cover the cost of a mitigation system if elevated levels of radon are found. However, the radon test must be performed by a Certified Radon Measurement Provider who is in good standing.
The EPA recommends every home be tested for radon since radon has been found in high concentrations in every state. I suggest re-reading these links: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/hmbyguid.html
Inspectors, let your clients know about the dangers of radon! Realtors, don't look the other way about radon. Suggest testing to them. Send people to the internet if they need to find someone to test.
As a home inspector, I'm in and out of healthy number of nice and not so nice homes. I attended a Realtor luncheon yesterday where the agent worked hard to bring in traffic on the regular caravan day. The open homes were wonderfully appointed, decorated and (or) staged. They were also attractively priced.
Afterwards, I went to inspect a home in a new home community that was sort of a ghost town with the exception of a handful of residents. Many 1 to 2 year old, never lived in homes in inventory sit there waiting for buyers. I sometimes pause to imagine moving my family into one of these reduced price homes where upgrades abound.
I'm quite familiar with the majority of larger regional and national builders throughout the metro Atlanta. I cross paths with many small local builders as well. If anyone has a question about communities and builders' product, contact me.
I repeatedly witness the remaining legacies of the casualties of the construction market - the vacant homes! Fall is here in metro Atlanta and north GA. We have four seasons and get the benefit of rain from the coastal hurricanes if not from our own rain clouds. If you are considering from elsewhere, locate a good Realtor and check out the good buys!
Well.. maybe this is not a frequently asked question, but it does come up. I'm talking about rain. Yeah, you could refer to it as "ActiveRain." I'll sometimes have a client ask me if we should reschedule an inspection because the forecast calls for rain or it's raining already.
I tell them that there's no better time to inspect a property than when it's raining or when it is going to rain. Just consider all the outside variables including but not limited to roof, flashing, grading, gutters and drainage. Inspecting the attic for roof leaks when it's raining. Does that make sense to you? You bet!
Areas that can make people nervous include the roof and the roof penetrations of piping and vents. Moisture can seep into basements and crawlspaces are notorious areas where water intrusion and moisture are problems. Ponding water in yards, driveways, walkways and patios can be easily located when it's wet outside!
So, although I am not always thrilled about inspecting and stomping around in very soggy conditions, it really is the absolute best condition for an inspection. So, check out the forecast and schedule that inspection on a rainy day.
I approach inspecting a townhome just like inspecting a single family residence. I do not distinguish between what the HOA is responsible for versus what the home owner is responsible for. The exterior will be inspected just like a single family home beginning with roof, flashing, walls, stoops, steps, decks, patios, driveways, railings, etc. Afterall, whatever goes on on the outside, could affect the inside and could result in a safety concern for the client.
In my reporting system, there is one additional item I comment on is that of "Firewall SeparationinAttic and Garage"
The first picture below illustrates a portion of a townhome unit's firewall in an attic that is totally sealed off to provide 1 hour of fire protection on both sides. For example, if there is a middle located townhome with adjacent units on either side, you will have 1 hour of fire separation at each side.
For older units with parapet walls using masonry blocks known as concrete masonry units or "CMU's", they provide a total of 4 hours of fire rating. You will see this on older complexes where there is a physical wall that extends on upwards (forming the parapet or "fortress") of approximately 3' above the roof line. On newer construction where a gypsum product is installed instead of CMU's with parapets, the underside of the roof must also be covered with 5/8" gypsum that exends from wall out to a distance of 4'.
Many older complexes utilized 5/8" Type X gypsum on walls and either Type X gypsum or fire-retardant-treated "FRT" wood on underside of roof decking to provide fire separation. While inspecting those townhomes, the firewall assembly is often incomplete or breaches have taken place. Personnel who have accessed attic areas often knock out a portion of the wall or there are missing panels. (Pictures 2 & 3) Tape between seams are often missing or loose. Penetrations of cables also produces a breach, allowing for faster spread of fire. Proper separation buys valuable time and provides important protection. In the metro Atlanta area, particularly in Dekalb County, it's common to hear of apartment fires that spread like wildfire because there was no firewall protection in place.
If you are in the market to rent an apartment or purchase a townhome or condo, hire a qualified home inspector to get up in the attic for you. It makes good sense to have it inspected for the purpose of safety and peace of mind, even if the property is sold "As Is" and appears to be a steal of a deal!
Well executed fire separation complete with visible sticker:
Holes knocked in firewall and missing panels in firewall:
"Looking for Hail in all the Wrong Places" Yeah, I feel that you have to get up on the roof (when deemed safe to do so) to know for sure. To view worn shingles with exposed asphalt, fiberglass & loss of granules, you have to look directly down on the surface.
Three clues to hail damage:
Ample build-up of granules in gutters on an otherwise newer roof. (Pic 1)
Random areas where granules are missing and asphalt and fiberglass is exposed. (Pic 2)
Look at the thin metal surface of your passive roof vents to see dimples. (Pic 3)
N. Metro Atlanta is a region where moderate to heavy hail is expected at least once every 20 years.
Is it worth the effort in trying to convert non-believers of the need to obtain a thorough home inspection on a newly constructed home? You bet it is, although many times it will still fall on deaf ears.
It comes down to dollars and no sense. "I'm covered by the warranty" and "Besides, it's passed inspection by the local building inspections department", or "I didn't really see anything of concern"
Veteran inspectors know that we often find it is easier to inspect a well-maintained existing home that has gone through the process of passing internal quality checks coupled with it having been inspected on one or more occasions.
Oftentimes, we inspect a new home where the execution of certain key aspects is, let's just say, not great. Or, there were numerous mishaps like the Lemony Snicket's book and movie titles a "A Series of Unfortunate Events" suggests.
I still try to tell them that quality inspections are performed by those who have specialized training in all aspects of home construction and installed components. As I've heard from another inspector, we are "jacks of all trades and masters of some." If you want someone who can see beyond the cosmetic items including trim and paint globs on the wall, give one a call.
New multi-family construction inspected today. Claw hammer punched hole for unused vent stack. Compromises the 1 hour fire-rating of wall/ceiling assembly:
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