On a recent thermal examination of a house I was called on to find the usual - diagnose why rooms are hot and cold, if recent roof repairs stopped further moisture intrusion as intended, and so forth.  It went well. 

I had a very unusual diagnosis to make also.  My client said, "When I am standing at my kitchen sink, I can smell what is going on outdoors.  For example, when my neighbor fertilizes his yard, I can smell it almost immediately."

There are many things a thermal image camera can detect, but I have never used it to diagnose fertilizer smells.

But why not try?  So I set out to find the problem.  Air infiltration was happening somewhere.  But where?

Looking above the kitchen sink it wasn't hard to see why.

The sink is located in a 3 foot bump out, with its own double window. That's a pretty common architectural design.  But looking above we see why air, and smells, can get in.  The left image is of the window and the ceiling above the sink.  The right image is the corner of that bump out, over the corner cabinet.  The cannister lights and square light over the sink are evident.

The purple area is the ceiling of that bump out.  There is no insulation there!  That area is 58 degrees F.  The outdoor temperature is 55F.  There are soffit vents under the gutter just over that window, where air is supposed to get in.  It does!

What is in that air will easily filter into the kitchen, through those lights and even through the drywall!  Hence, the fertilizer smell.

She said, "Oh, so that's why it gets so hot and cold there when I am at the sink!"  Um, yes!

My recommendation:  Don't underestimate the power of your home inspector's thermal infrared camera!  We inspectors are finding new uses for them every day!

During a thermal infrared inspection today, among other things I was there to investigate, I thought this would be an interesting picture.

This is a thermal image of a high efficiency condensing gas furnace.  It is the one you have seen with PVC tubing exiting the unit.  They are terrific furnaces.  The one pictured here is 6 years old, which makes it the fourth generation.  This later generation has worked out all the kinks.  They work great.

Many gas furnaces, like my own, have flues which exit through the roof.  My furnace loses a lot of its heat through that flue.  Of the heat remaining to send through my house, I am gaining only a portion of that.  Therefore, a small portion of the dollar I am spending for natural gas is actually converted into heat for my house.  My furnace is "85% efficient," but that does not mean I am getting $.85 worth of heat for every dollar I spend on gas.

This unit eliminates the need for the flue that exhausts through the roof because it captures and re-burns that exhaust!  So for every dollar spent on natural gas, it is getting nearly a dollar's worth of heat. And the exhaust is so cool, a PVC tube can handle it and you could virtually blow dry your hair with it (well, except for that pesky carbon monoxide presence).

Another terrific advantage it offers is that it brings in fresh air every time the system turns on.  It exchanges 10-12% of the air in the house as it works to heat the house.  So it is not simply reheating the same stale air. 

Today, the outdoor temperature was 56 degrees F during my inspection. 

This furnace is working as intended.  The purple line just to the left of center is the air intake tube.  The vertical yellow line to its right is the exhaust tube.  The purple intake is 57.6F, and the yellow exhaust 95.7F.  That is really efficient!  And pretty cool, too, so to speak...

My recommendation:  If you have a gas furnace and are contemplating replacement, look into a high efficiency condensing gas furnace.  They are more expensive, to be sure, but very, very efficient.  You will notice the difference on your first gas bill!

I have learned not to enter a property without an agent present.  I have learned not to be alone with a client during a home inspection without the agent present.  During the home inspection, I prefer to have the agent walking around with us and not sitting in the kitchen catching up on text messages.

Why?

Because I have learned that some sellers are desperate enough to do anything to sell the house.  In my experience they have gone so far as to try to booby trap my inspection, and lay land mines for me to step on.

There is only one way I can protect myself.  Witnesses.

This is my experience in just the last 18 months:

~~  When testing the washing machine the knob simply came off in my hand.  Everyone saw it.  That wasn't the only appliance broken in the house.  The seller placed the knob like that for me to "break," said I had broken it, and that I probably broke all the other things in the house too, so the inspection report was not valid.  My client's agent said no and described the experience.  The seller went so far as to mail me a receipt for the "repair," for $480!  He could buy a new washer for that.  I ignored the receipt and did not hear further.

~~  I turned on another washer and we all went upstairs to check it out.  Coming back down for my ladder I found the middle level flooded and flooding!  Before turning on washers I always check behind to see if the connections are properly made.  Only then do I turn it on.  This leak was coming from inside and underneath the machine.  It flooded the basement too.  My client's agent called the other agent, who let this slip, "Oh no!  He said he would have that fixed before the inspection!"  My position was that I am there to test things.  The seller harassed me for two weeks, to no avail, and let it drop.  Turns out this had happened before.

~~  Arriving at the house to the buyers anxiously waiting for me in the driveway, they pointed out the chimney on the house, leaning and separated from the house about 6" at the top.  We discussed the possible reasons and I put it on the report.  I received an angry phone call that night from the seller saying I had gone onto the roof, pushed they chimney over with my legs, "so you would have something to put on the report!  I'm suing your A$$!"  I said, "Sir, I am strong, but not that strong.  Good luck with your lawsuit." 

~~  A recent roof repair revealed a carefully finished drywall repair with just joint compound, and a lot of primer and paint.  From the attic I could see loads of a "moldy" substance.  A basement room similarly smelled very moldy, and I could see a horizontal foundation crack leading from the furnace room toward the direction of that room.  There was a similar amount of primer and paint used there.  It was noted on the report.  My clients bolted.  That evening an irate seller called me, said I "cost [him] $350,000," and that he was coming to my house to "let [me] have it!"  I told him he didn't want to deal with me and that if he shows up his rights are left in his car.  I then immediately called the police to tell them of the threat and told them that in self defense I would use "protective force."  (That gave me a phone record of two calls in a row.)  The seller never showed up.  Good thing!

~~  Some sellers had moving boxes carefully arranged along a concrete block basement wall.  That was witnessed and noted on the report.  My clients moved in to see a gaping, horizontal foundation crack right where the boxes were.  Not good!  They called me and an engineer.  The sellers said that must have opened up after the inspection.  Yeah, right...  We said no, and that the crack had been "artfully concealed," which is the legal phraseology for such circumstances.  The sellers ended up paying for wall reinforcement (the case didn't get further than that) and my clients were VERY upset, not even wanting the house.

My recommendation:   Sometimes people are not honest.  Be present with your favorite home inspector during the inspection.  You don't want anyone stepping in it.

Old house, new boiler, new flue, new connection to the old chimney.  All good.

Except for a couple of things.

First, the hole beneath where the flues connect to the chimney has been filled with mortar.

That is not good.

Second, the new connection to the chimney required that the old connection from the water heater inclines downward. That impedes exhaust drafting.

That is not good, either.

On top of the hip roof, the chimney is on the side of the house.  It is very high, too high for most ladders.  And dangerous to access from the roof side.  It is covered with a flue cap, which is good.  But if something inside the flue, like bricks or spalling ceramic flue liner, should become dislodged and fall, how could they ever be removed?  That clean-out port was there for a reason.  To fill it with mortar is short sighted, at best.  It is dangerous at worst.

If enough material should fall, it could conceivably clog the flue and the boiler/water heater's ability to discharge exhaust gases.  The resulting back draft into the house could be deadly.  It would be deadly over time - carbon monoxide is unkind.

Chipping that mortar out, putting in a new tube to allow easy access and sealing it tightly with a cute cover (tin plate, acorn, pineapple) would be an easy and good fix!  And very Colonial!

My recommendation:   When you see new installations, it is sometimes hard to know if they are installed correctly.  Time to call a home inspector!

It's that time of year again.  It's time for:

THE LIST

Specifically, the Fall/Winter Seasonal Chores List.  You have to do it anyway, so this gift is for you.

Every year I will be driving home and hear on the news that it will get below freezing during the night.  That's the time I usually realize I have not gotten ready for fall or winter.  My hose bibs immediately spring to mind.  Note: Obviously this is long past true for some of the country.  My list is pretty complete, though likely not totally complete.  No one ever knows everything.  But, I thought it would be helpful to share some of it with you.

* Winterize the exterior hoses. Turn off the interior valves, open the exterior bibs and loose the little cap beside the interior valve to let water drain out.

* Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  Replace the batteries if that has not been done in a while.

* Spruce up any disastrous exterior caulking. Be sure to use the right caulk for the right application! Caulking is the cheapest and easiest energy saver.  Be sure the caulk is fully dried before it freezes.

* Boilers - check the safety relief valve.

* Steam Boilers - Each month, flush the blow-off valve on the low-water cutoff; test the water feed valves.

* Furnace - replace (or clean) the filters monthly; oil the fans or circulators; manipulate the duct dampers or register covers to divert more hot air downstairs and less up (do not close off air completely to any level or room). Oil furnaces should be checked for back puffing. Ideally, all furnaces should have annual maintenance examinations by a licensed professional.

* Clean moss on the roof - be sure to use something that does not kill the grass or garden shrubbery. A product called "Spray and Forget" is a recent favorite of mine.

* Clean gutters of debris. If your house is near many trees, solid gutter covers are highly recommended.

* Place sticky cricket catchers in the basement and garage.

* Septic system - pump the tank if it is time. If you have two fields this is a good time to divert to the unused field.

* Check your chimneys for creosote and sweep if needed.

* Improve foundation drainage as necessary.

* Test GFI outlets.

* Check the garage door reversing mechanism.

* Gas water heater - drain some water from the bottom valve to remove sediment.

* Open crawl space vents.

* Dryer - clean behind, clean what is possible of the vent inside the wall and check the vent flap outside for lint.

* Private water system - pump air into the tank if the pump turns on often.

* Sprinkler system - if you cannot do it yourself, have your maintenance company by to blow the water out of the lines, disconnecting things where necessary, so that only air is left inside.  You don't want your tubing breaking underground over the winter.

* Kitchen - clean dust from behind or under the fridge; clean the range hood fan and replace vent screens; clean disposal (vinegar and baking soda work well, followed by lemon peels).

This is by no means a complete list, but it will serve you well. It works for me!

Preparation is everything. As a guy associated with the Boy Scouts for a long time, I can tell you it is good to "be prepared...!" That may be one of the best mottoes ever written.

My recommendation: Be regular and have foresight! Home maintenance, in the long run, costs about 1% of the value of a home per year. Pay attention to the small stuff, and the big things will take care of themselves.

I LOVE doing inspections on old, historic homes in Alexandria, Virginia.

The city is so full of history, virtually everywhere you go.

Over the years I have done many inspections on many historic homes there.

Yesterday was no exception.

This is a carriage house to a mansion directly behind.  It was built in 1860.  While nobody could tell me who the owner(s) of the mansion were over the years, it was fun nonetheless to have a look at the place.

While a bit hard to see in this photo, there have been many repairs to the brick work over the decades.  There has been settling.

There were serious repairs evident in the crawl space below.  Everything appeared to have been done very well.

While there were a few things to bring up on the report, nothing too severe to be easily fixed.

The buyer wants to do remodeling too, so some of the things can be done when that is underway.

Next to this house there is one of the two original cobblestone streets preserved by the city.  It is fun to walk on them and know they have been there a long time.

Doing the inspection was a pleasure.

This is what you see looking out a rear bedroom window.

The house on the left is the historic mansion for which this is the carriage house.  It is located on a famous thoroughfare in Alexandria.

The house on the right, I was told, is Robert E. Lee's childhood home.  His front door faces the mansion. You can see that when his house was built, they had duplexes!

From this angle you cannot see how pretty the back yard is.  It is narrow and long and a little park. 

The walls surrounding it are eight feet high.

They have been there a while too.

This is the view of the side of the house.  It shows the pathway between the two houses, all the way to the mansion seen behind, about 50 yards away.

Question:

Look carefully and you can see four stars.

WHAT ARE THEY FOR?

Home inspectors probably will know what they do.

Hint:  The stars are NOT decorative!

Hint:  There are four more stars on the other side directly opposite these.

Hint:  You will not find them on new structures.

You can pick this little puppy up for just under $1 million!  Well, that is, if the new buyer is willing to sell.  Likely he is not.  But who knows?  Maybe you can cut him a deal.

My recommendation:  When you purchase an old, historic property, try to find out the history.  That will make the whole experience come alive.  Who knows - a Founding Father may have slept in your bedroom!

Why don't I?

Because either way I go I take it on the chin.  But if I don't mention it, sooner or later I will be bitten in the hiney.

Bring up what?

The two small, decorative roofs over the front porch roof window are not level - look at the trim.  The right side is much worse than the left, but you can see that neither is level.

And the guardrail is not level either.

The buyer did not even notice it.  If the building supervisor did, he had not tried to correct it.  But I am a purist and I look for things like that, particularly on new homes.

Why don't I like to bring these kinds of things up?  Because once the buyer sees it, it will always be noticed.  And it will eventually be a bother! 

If I don't bring it up, one day the buyer will notice, or the neighbor across the street will bring it up.  Then I get the phone call - perceived structural problems (when there aren't any)! 

So it was brought to the buyer's attention and put into the report.  The mention got heads shaking.

Overall it was a nice house, with just a few mentionables.  But...

At least it has American drywall!

My recommendation:  It is always best to be complete and thorough.  Sometimes, though, that causes problems in and of itself!

At a home inspection yesterday on a brand-new house, my client was buying a home built by one of the companies that has installed Chinese drywall in the past.

They are having obvious problems because of that installation.

My client wanted assurance that there was no Chinese drywall in this house. 

I was able to find a spot where the stamps were visible to show that this drywall, in fact, was American made!

While I cannot guarantee that there is no Chinese drywall in the house, it is a pretty good bet that there is none!  This builder likely wouldn't open that can of worms again, a scant couple of years later.  Especially since it's in the news.

Although Chinese drywall is showing up in more and more states and locations, it is apparently not in this neighborhood in Northern Virginia.

My recommendation:  if you have concerns when selling a house built any time from 2004 on that there may be Chinese-made drywall, have your inspector try to find the stamps on the backside that demonstrate where it had been manufactured.  Peace of mind is worth a million bucks...  and a picture says a thousand words.

What do you think it is?  The microwave?  Toaster?  Hot tub?  Computer (for lots of reasons...)?

Actually, it is none of the above.

The most dangerous appliance in your house may be your dryer!

Think about it.  Dryer fires cost Americans as much as $100 million annually!  They result in almost 50,000 fires that require the fire department, and average 400 injuries and 15 fatalities - annually.  They cause more fires than electrical problems.  And 81% of them happen in residential homes. (1)  That is dangerous!

Most dryer fires are reported in the laundry room.  In the olden days, that meant the basement or the garage.  But in modern society, the laundry room location has shifted to the bedroom, kitchen, family room, hallway or closet.

When to most fires happen?  Incidences increase dramatically from November to March, with 10.6% happening in January.  Why?  Probably because that is when we wash our heaviest clothing.  It takes more time to dry them, they heat up and poof!

And what is the most common cause of dryer fires?  VENTILATION.  And that for many reasons:

1.  In modern houses dryer vents cover longer distances to reach an outside wall.

2.  Clogs that occur because of sharp bends or turns.

3.  Plastic or foil wrapped "slinky" venting.  This venting has lots of pockets that can trap lint.  Solid vents are highly recommended.

4.  Incorrect venting which does not exhaust outdoors but into a crawl space, attic, or interior walls.  This can also contribute to the increase of molds and air deterioration.  Also, incorrect venting which allows animals to get inside where they nest or otherwise obstruct air flow.

What is the most important thing we can do to prevent dryer fires?

Keep our vents clean!  That means disconnecting the vent tubing from the dryer every one to two years and either cleaning it all ourselves (including as much of the tubing as possible) or hiring a professional company to do it. 

And by following proper installation guidelines when the dryer is first installed.

____________________________________

Dryer Loss Control Recommendations -- Per the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):

1. Clean the lint screen/filter before or after drying each load of clothes – If clothing is still damp at the end of a typical drying cycle or drying requires longer times than normal, this may be a sign that the lint screen or the exhaust duct is blocked.

2. Clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct periodically – Check the outside dryer vent while the dryer is operating to make sure exhaust air is escaping.

3. Replace plastic or foil, accordion-type ducting materials with rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct – The flexible plastic or foil type duct can more easily trap lint and is more susceptible to kinks and crushing, which can greatly reduce the airflow.

4. Take special care when drying clothes that have been soiled with volatile chemicals – Special care is required when drying clothes exposed to gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning agents, finishing oils and stains. If possible, wash the clothes more than once and, preferably, hang the clothes to dry. If using a dryer, use the lowest heat setting and a drying cycle that has a cool-down period at the end of the cycle.

___________________________________

My recommendation:  When you buy a new dryer, have it installed professionally.  Most retailers will deliver and install nowadays.  And pay special attention to keeping your vent clean where the vent exits the dryer and enters the wall, and where it discharges on the outside of your house!

(1) “Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings”.   Topical Fire Research Series.  U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  U.S. Fire Administration.   Volume 7, Issue 1.  January 2007.

The house was warm, so I knew there was a furnace.

The water was hot, so I knew there was a water heater.

I just couldn't find them!  The layout of the (lovely) basement made it hard to get my house geography.  The six "bedrooms" were placed in a weird array.  The former laundry room was no more, in favor I guess of rent from another "bedroom" and the local laundromat.  But I was undaunted in my search.

I knew where they should be, I just couldn't see how to get to them!

Finally, behind a "bedroom" bureau, I saw some peg board on the wall!  HA!  It was screwed tightly to the wall but I did peek in.

The furnace!  The water heater!  And I saw another door.

That door was in the garage, hidden behind a tool shelf.  Though heavy I moved it.  Wow, the door worked!

What you can't see here are dimensions.  I could barely fit between the two units to get to the front of the furnace.  That front is about 15" from the peg board.  Finally getting the cover off, I could see that it was extremely dirty and rusty inside, and the blower was quite dirty.

I was worried that the filter had not been replaced in a while, like, um, a loooong while, and politely went to remove it.  Instead of finding a very clogged filter, I was happy to discover that there was none!  Well, that how-often-do-we-have-to-replace-the-filter problem was solved!!  Just remove the little sucker!  And hide the furnace room...  Out of sight, out of mind!

You also can see that the water heater is stressed, with some flame out happening when it turns on.  And the vent from the water heater was angled downward.  And it's been there a while!  Well, those are just minor problems anyway.

The rest of this lovely home was just as laugh out loud!!  I believe it will cost as much to bring the house back into an American condition, as it does to buy it.  Welcome to my world in Northern Virginia.

My recommendation:  When you can't find something, it helps to have a compass with you, a map of the terrain and a good guide.  Gimme a call!