la verne home inspections: Pools, links and ladders (A Home Inspection Blog) - 07/21/09 12:39 PM
Well we're in the full swing of summer and "the heat is on." Therefore many people here in Southern California will be enjoying their pools on a daily basis. Unfortunately, many accidents happen around pools every year, some of which can be avoided.
Take a look at the picture below.
Yes, I know, I should be a professional photographer, but that's not what ‘m focusing on here.
The picture is a close up of a single link in a chain link fence around a pool. As you can see, the link is about 2 ¼-inches wide. This is a … (2 comments)
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la verne home inspections: AFCI Breaker Recall Info (A Home Inspection Informational Blog) - 03/02/09 09:40 AM
Part of being a good home inspector is being familiar with recalls. One such recall is listed below.
AFCI breakers were instituted for safety beginning in 2002 and are required in bedroom circuits. They provide protection against arcs, which could lead to scorching, overheating and fires. They are a good safety item. However there was a recall from the Consumer Product Safety Commission on some Square D AFCI breakers with blue reset buttons, as shown below. These are located in main electrical panels.
As a home inspector I have information for recalls on my laptop and print them out for additional information for my … (9 comments)
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la verne home inspections: Wet Shower (A Home Inspection Blog) - 01/21/09 10:33 AM
Do you see any problems with the shower below? No, I'm not talking about the paint and decorative scheme. Yes, a shower is supposed to get wet (obviously) as the title of this blog reads, but there is an issue...
The shower head is too high for the shower enclosure. The yellow wall is not water proof and if the water from the shower head continually hits that yellow portion of the wall, water damages and possible termites and mold could occur. So what appears to be a "funny" mistake could actually turn in to a very serious situation.
… (12 comments)
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la verne home inspections: Uncle Rusty (A Home Inspection Blog) - 01/15/09 10:12 AM
Many people have heard of galvanized plumbing. They are commonly found in homes built in the 1960's and earlier in our area. The problem with this type of plumbing is the pipes rust from the inside. So like an artery that gets clogged with cholesterol, the galvanized pipe will rust from the inside and essentially the size of the pipe gets smaller and smaller over time. It is not a question of "if" this will happen but "when and how badly."
Having said that, we seem to have pretty good water in the area and I still see homes with galvanized … (25 comments)
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la verne home inspections: On The Edge (A Home Inspection Blog) - 01/12/09 09:13 AM
This is one of the more interesting items I've found during a home inspection. Take a close look... can you see the problem? And no, I'm not talking about the dust on the lens that caused some spots.
It's not the guard rails or hand rails. Those are fine...
Look at the little "walkway" the builder made. At the top of the stairs all the way to the left and it ends at the top of the guard rails on the left. The builder essentially made a little "walkway" that a small child could walk on and … (12 comments)
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la verne home inspections: Losing a Home and Losing IT (A Home Iinspection Blog) - 01/07/09 09:09 AM
The fact that many people have lost their homes to foreclosure is very sad. However, I just don't understand how some of these people think they're "getting back" at the lender by destroying their house. I've seen it way too many times. Do these people ever think that they are ruining a home that another family will be moving into? Is the bank really the one who suffers through all this? I guess it's just one of those things people do "in the heat of the moment?"
Anyway, I thought I'd share one I came across in case some of you out … (12 comments)
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la verne home inspections: What a Crack Up (A Home Inspection Blog) - 01/06/09 12:04 PM
My last blog was about safety and I'd like to continue with that theme again today. Tempered safety glass is another serious safety item in a house. This glass is like those in windshields of vehicles. It can break but is made and designed not to break into shards like typical glass. There are many areas within a home that require tempered glass. Here are some examples, but is not an exhaustive list: in doors, windows close to doors, windows in bath/shower areas, windows in stairways, windows close to the floor, etc. Within the list just mentioned there are still certain … (14 comments)
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la verne home inspections: Watch Your Step (A Home Inspection Blog) - 01/05/09 12:00 PM
It's 2009, I wish everyone a blessed, joyous and prosperous year. One of my goals for 2009 is to blog more often, so I guess I'm off to a good start with my first blog of 2009.
There are many aspects to a home inspection, but the one I take most to heart is occupant safety. I want everyone who lives in the house and everyone who visits the house to be safe. As they say, "Safety first."
I came across this at a home inspection late this past summer.
The problem here is railings. Railings consist of … (7 comments)
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la verne home inspections: "Green" with envy - 04/10/08 06:38 PM
Sometimes during a home inspection you get to see some very interesting things. I saw this from the roof. Nothing looked too unusual to me. It was overcast that morning.
I then remembered that there was a pool but for some reason my calling center didn't have the extra fee for a pool. I was a little upset... that is until I got closer.
It was the greenest pool I have ever seen.
Now I knew why the fee for the pool and spa wasn't included. As I was walking around the pool I was thinking how freaked out I'd be if I fell … (10 comments)
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la verne home inspections: Do You Have a Tired Evaporative Cooler? - 04/01/08 01:06 PM
Sometimes during a home inspection I see things that just make me laugh. I came across this and just had to share it with everyone. I guess the evaporative cooler was overworked and underpaid and just had to sit down and take a rest. We all need that every once in a while, right?
… (14 comments)
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la verne home inspections: A Contractor Hiring a Home Inspector? - 03/24/08 07:10 PM
Why would a licensed contractor hire a home inspector? I thought being a contractor automatically qualified you to be a home inspector?
Well, last week I was hired by a licensed contractor for a home inspection. You see he specializes in paving roads and parking lots. So he hired me to inspect his home. Most people don't think about the fact that many contractors have very specific knowledge. They might specialize in plumbing, heating/cooling, roofing, etc. Also, most contractors are contacted when a problem is known. However we as home inspectors are hired to find problems that no one knows exists. Finally, many contractors are … (13 comments)
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la verne home inspections: X-Ray Vision - 03/06/08 04:45 PM
I found this at an inspection today.
Even though "curiosity killed the cat," I still decided to lift the piece of cardboard and take a look. There was mineral build up and a leak at the copper water supply pipe under the sink. So of course that went in my report.
But it got me thinking... what if they seller decided to just patch the wall and pretend like it didn't exist? I would have needed x-ray vision to detect the leak. Though I tell my kids I'm the man of steel, I still don't have x-ray vision. What would have happened when the … (16 comments)
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la verne home inspections: The Door to No Where - 02/29/08 07:43 PM
I came across this today...
The bottom of the picture is a mirrored closet door and the door to the bedroom. The door on top?
I think it's the perfect discipline for kids. Put them in the room up there and just see them try to get out... it's a long way down, about 7-feet.
So what's behind door #1? A dungeon? A dark room? A monster? Take your best guess. I'll reveal it later.
… (25 comments)
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la verne home inspections: There's Never Problems with New Construction Homes... Right? - 02/26/08 10:55 AM
I've posted about this subject before but I'll keep plugging away until people get it. I just inspected a new construction home this weekend, this one was the model home, the cream of the crop, right? Why would someone waste their money and have it inspected? Here's why:
The tiles meeting the wall is called a head wall. You can see a flat piece of metal over the tiles, that called a head wall flashing. However, there is a gap between the flashing and the curves of the tiles. There needs to be weather blocking there to keep water on the field tiles. … (14 comments)
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la verne home inspections: The Roof, The Roof, The Roof is on Fire... or at Least the Garage is. - 01/21/08 06:35 PM
I came across this last week during a home inspection. It's pretty obvious there was a fire in the Garage at some point. I guess the tenant has been there for 17-years and stated there's never been a fire. I'd have to disagree. I recommended the buyers contact the local or county fire departments to see if they were ever at the residence for a fire. The charred roof sheathing is definitely something to further investigate.
It's also another example of how vital it is for a home inspector to enter the entire attic when its accessible.
I hope this gives you a little … (14 comments)
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la verne home inspections: Water Shut Off Locations - 01/11/08 05:27 PM
It is essential you know the location of the water shut off valve. What if a pipe breaks and water is gushing out in the house? You need to know how to shut off the water.
Here in Southern California, there is a house main water shut off and a city shut off. The house shut off is commonly by the front hose or in the garage. Of course there can be many other locations, but these are the most common in Southern California.
This is a picture of my house main water shut off valve. There's a common problem with gate valves in … (15 comments)
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la verne home inspections: Why Would Anyone Have a New Construction Home Inspected? - 01/11/08 04:37 PM
That's a waste of money, right? It was just built, what could possibly be wrong?
The answer, anything and everything could possibly be wrong, not to say that it necessarily will, of course. But I inspect quite a few new construction homes and I always find items that need correction, repair or need to be installed. I've inspected custom built $8,000,000 homes to your standard cookie cutter new tract home. It doesn't seem to matter, problems still exist.
My basic explanation is that with new homes there are a lot of sub contractors coming in and out of the project. That's how problems … (12 comments)
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la verne home inspections: Safety Gates for Children - 01/03/08 08:48 AM
...and three kids later I finally decided to install permanent gates for my children. I have a two-story house and we've had a temporary type gate at the bottom of the stairs for years. It's been quite cumbersome as it was difficult to operate and would sometimes come out of place.
So I went to every (pregnant) woman's dream store, Babies R Us. My wife is pregnant with our 4th child and we decided to install a better gate at the bottom of the stairs and also install one at the top of the stairs. Things were easy with two young ones. … (11 comments)
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la verne home inspections: Blow It Out Your... - 12/06/07 06:22 PM
Did you really think I was going to post something inappropriate?
I came across this picture and thought I'd share it with you. Exhaust fans in bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms need to terminate somewhere, right? They are attached to a duct and that duct should terminate to the exterior so that the moist and possibly greasy air can go out to the atmosphere.
But in the picture the exhaust duct terminates in the attic. This is a potential for moisture problems in the attic and insulation, which in turn can possibly cause fungus, mold and other problems.
I hope this gives you a little more … (13 comments)
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la verne home inspections: What Do Accordions and Drains Have in Common... - 12/06/07 05:51 PM
Well, they should have nothing in common. The interior of drains should be smooth to allow liquids and debris to drain properly. Someone had the "great" idea of developing the "accordion-style drain," as I call them. They are for the amateur plumber or homeowner who just can't get two drain pipes to meet up.
Sounds like a good idea in theory. But look at the picture below and you can see that debris can easily catch inside while draining. Not to gross anyone out, but think about toothpaste and all the other things that come out of your mouth and into the drain. … (12 comments)
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