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unprofessional installation: Electrical Cable Improperly Stripped And Connected - 06/01/12 02:13 AM
Electrical cables need to have particular connections to be safe - they need to be clamped, and the insulation must remain intact and completely surrounding the electrical wires it protects. Often I see an electrical cable improperly stripped and connected.
This is most common under disposals, but behind the dryer, I think, it may be even more important.
Rubber insulation around electrical cables is very important.
Look at any electrical cord. It is insulated!
Most electrical cables have three individual wires inside - the hot black, the neutral white and a green ground wire.
They are bound together and protected by … (54 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Roof Pedicure - Toe Nailing! - 05/03/12 02:40 AM
A roof pedicure happens when "repairs" are made by using a nailing technique called "toe nailing."
To toe nail a technique that abuts two perpendicular pieces of wood by driving nails at an angle on the very end.
This attachment technique really isn't good for most long term applications and is often only a temporary thing until the proper strap or bolt is put in place. It should not be used long term for, say, roof support!
From the outside of the house there was a substantial dip in the roof.
That almost always means fun on the inside!
This roof … (23 comments)
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unprofessional installation: The Three Amigos - 04/26/12 03:42 AM
THIS BLOG IS ABSOLUTELY TONGUE IN CHEEK AND TO BE JUST A HAIR SARCASTIC. JUST SO'S YOU KNOW'S...
When installing attic fans, there are some things that are important. Let's call these The Three Amigos.
1. Thinking outside the box2. Position3. Consistency4. Professionalism
In order to improve ventilation in attic spaces, many people choose the old and reliable attic fan. They are thermostatically controlled and can be set to come on and turn off automatically. The factory usually sets the thermostat to turn on the fan at about 110F. It will turn itself off when the temperature reaches 100F.
This house … (18 comments)
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unprofessional installation: "Laundry Room Conveniently Moved From The Garage" - 04/18/12 04:06 PM
On the "features" list of the house it said: Laundry room conveniently moved from the garage.
And it was true. It had been moved.
Sure, it took up a portion of the basement family room.
And had a second fridge added to the room.
But never mind, the rest of the basement family room had been turned into a "convenient" basement bedroom!
It was comical, to say the least.It was very unappealing.It was silly because it looked silly. It was right off the entry way, with a 6' wide opening without a door!It was neither a laundry room or a bedroom.
… (52 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, And This Fence Rocks! - 04/11/12 03:04 AM
One of the folkloric sayings I studied in the Folklore class I took at the University of Virginia was the old idiom: "Good fences make good neighbors." May I add, and this fence rocks!
Fences, and forms thereof, have been the source of many things - property rights definition, containment, borders, lawsuits, fueds and even wars!
Much has been written about fences and neighbors - and whether they truly make good, bad or indifferent neighbors!
Well, it seems to me that it depends on the fence!
Here is one for the ages!
And so, can you tell me - what … (25 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Tipping The Toilet - 04/09/12 02:32 AM
I know it sounds alliterative, but on a home inspection one of the tests I do is tipping the toilet.
It is important that a toilet be secured properly to the floor and that the tank secured to the bowl.
Especially important, when I see new flooring, I want to know if the flange, which seats and anchors the toilet to the floor, is still in place and the toilet is bolted to it.
This bathroom has a new vinyl floor. I could see that the bolt under the one cap is very loose.
Difficult to see perhaps is the huge … (56 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Even One Lonely Cable Needs Protection - 04/05/12 02:03 AM
Electrical cable installations and their connections come with rules. One of the rules is that even one lonely cable needs protection.
How are they protected? They are made less vulnerable to being pulled or caught on, damaged or cut by being secured with such things as staples and plastic conduits, and properly terminated inside boxes and connected to those boxes with a clamp.
There are rules for a reason! The reason is safety.
So, when I saw these two unprotected installations on a house, I was reminded of a song.
Picked up and popularized by a band called "Three Dog Night," … (15 comments)
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unprofessional installation: One Size Fits All - 03/31/12 03:54 AM
One size fits all. This may be true in many contexts - Snuggies, athletic socks, certain Panama hats, maybe - but not carpentry! And certainly not carpentry on new construction!
This window is so high up and so far from the driveway that even the telephoto lens doesn't do it justice.
With the camera:
Too close and you would not be able to see the whole thing!
Too far and you wouldn't have a proper context for the problem!
This appears to be just right.
Can you see the horizontal trim over the window.
It is 2" too short.
Well, in … (18 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Faux Stone Might Become The New EIFS - 2 - 03/30/12 02:47 AM
Faux stone may become the new EIFS - 2*. This is a follow-up to a previous post.
When I see a house with faux or cultured stone installed, I look around and point things out to the buyers.
On my inspection report, I include language which looks something like this:
" Faux stone siding is found on this house and cannot be viewed except from outdoors and examining the wall structure underneath for damage or rot is not possible without destructive testing. Improper faux stone installation can cause serious damage.
Specific problems noted with the visible components can include, but may … (47 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Comical Deck, But The Comedy Won't Last Long - 03/21/12 02:22 AM
There were so many things about this deck, I could call it a comical deck, but the comedy won't last long.
It is comical for two reasons:
1. Flipper has apparently never built a deck.2. There was a final County inspection of the house with an Occupancy Permit.
Here are two examples of my problems with this deck:
Wonderfully erratic, the nails used for the decking are indoor nails. Their pattern is haphazard. This deck is less than one month old and already they are rusting. As they rust, their attractive pattern is even more evident. Also, as they rust they … (23 comments)
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unprofessional installation: I May Have Found The Stairway To Heaven - 03/18/12 02:48 AM
While going down a very bouncy staircase to the basement, I thought that I may have found the stairway to heaven.
When a staircase is that Bouncy, with a capital "B," hitting it with enough energy or weight it might just become somebody's stairway to heaven!
Viewing the underside from the closet below I could see why.
Apparently somebody, probably Uncle Bob (he gets around), decided to shore up a squeaky staircase by removing the factory-installed shims, which are nailed and glued, and added his own very special supports.
This material looks like it was retrieved from the scrap bin at … (28 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Prone To Less Sediment - 03/13/12 04:38 AM
This sediment trap may be prone to less sediment. For sure it is prone!
Gas appliances should have a sediment trap.
There are various nicknames for the technique, but we'll go with that one.
The sediment trap is the vertical, downward protrusion under the gas line. It's purpose is to capture sediment or moisture in the gas before it gets into the mechanism to be burned.
OK, this one is on the wrong side of the gas valve, but that was the point of another post!
Sometimes I run into things I have not seen before.
It isn't unusual - I … (16 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Unmasking A Problem - 03/12/12 02:10 AM
Unmasking a problem is what I usually do on new construction inspections. Well, it's more like unmasking problems.
It was the usual rigmarole. A couple of hours before the inspection I was asked to send all kinds of licensing and insurance criteria the builder did not think I would have. Well, I do, and even carry copies with me!
As a part of the inspections, I test the appliances.
But before I do, surely the installations must be investigated.
For instance, before I turn on the dishwasher, I check to make sure it is secured either to the counter top or … (21 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Not Drywall And Screwed Up - 03/10/12 03:30 AM
One of my pet peeves is when drywall screws are used for things that are not drywall and screwed up.
I have had many posts in the past, and using drywall screws in an incorrect way is not only commonly done, but simply bad work and unprofessional.
I AM ESPECIALLY BOTHERED WHEN DRYWALL SCREWS ARE USED IN AN UNSAFE WAY.
Flipper did all the right things to this floor. He stripped it, restained it and gave it a new finish, two coats. It looked pretty good! He even did the stairs.
But what protects people from falling down the stairs?
A … (18 comments)
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unprofessional installation: "This Is The Room That Smells Bad" - 03/08/12 02:48 AM
People call me to evaluate many things. Arriving at the house, an older home, I did a little interview to see what it is that they were trying to describe over the phone.
After the "interview," I always go to the complaint area first. This was in the basement. From there I knew where the problem was originating. So I went outside to see why.
When I saw this gap under the sliding door to the deck, I suspected long-term moisture intrusion and was not surprised, when in the basement, to have heard,
"This is the room that smells bad."
… (24 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Moving A New Gas Range Sparked An Idea - 03/06/12 02:42 AM
You know the drill. Flipped house, new and upgraded everything, beautiful work... And then it happened. Moving a gas range sparked an idea.
I always pull out a range, gas or electric, to see what was done behind.
It's smart because often times some things are not done properly and I want to see what!
First I try to tip the range over to see if they installed the anti-tip device that came in the installation package with the range.
Usually they have not installed it.
If it tips, then I look behind to see if they just did not install … (15 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Wiring An Outdoor Shed For Lighting And Making Sure It's Safe - 03/05/12 03:18 AM
Wiring an outdoor shed and making sure it's safe is something most homeowners should not try to undertake.
Whenever I go into an outdoor shed and see that there is wiring, I am careful to examine what they have done and make sure that how the power gets to the shed is done properly and safely.
This shed proved so interesting it inspired a song... You've heard it before. Please, sing along.
Yooooouuuu
light up my liiiiiiiffffe.
Yooouuu give me hoooooopppppe
… (34 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Flip List - 03/02/12 04:03 AM
On this house, the selling agent, FOF (Friend Of Flipper) created quite the little disclosure issue for him/herself.
A Flip List was left on the kitchen counter. It left for the buyer all the things done by the Flipper to "improve" the house.
I am sure the list is true. And I am sure the "improvements" were not done with any permit whatever.
"New roof and roof flashing" was on the list.
No permit is needed in Virginia to put on new roof shingles.
And everything was new - shingles, plumbing penetration sleeves and chimney flashing.
Obviously the previous roof covering … (26 comments)
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unprofessional installation: When Toilets Wobble - 03/01/12 03:57 AM
One test I do in every bathroom is grab the toilet and see how well it is seated on the floor. But what can be done when toilets wobble?
Toilets wobble for a reason. They have to be attached to something!
Those two bolts on the sides of the toilet bowl attach that bowl to a flange. The flange is itself ATTACHED TO THE FLOOR STRUCTURE.
That attachment is best made with stainless steel screws. One of my pet peeves on new construction pre-drywall inspections is to see drywall screws used to attach the toilet flange! What!!??
If the flange isn't … (20 comments)
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unprofessional installation: Don't Fall For This Trap! - 02/29/12 04:01 AM
It was a dark and stormy night, um, it was a very nice morning and a terrific couple buying a house. The husband had called me a couple of days prior to the inspection with some very circumspect questions. This was a house with a lot of "remodeling," but he was told that the "$100K or so" put into it was only "cosmetic." OK...
Well, you know me - that sent all of my radar dishes pointing in the same direction.
We had a nice conversation and he heard all my typical spiels. The biggest issue, as always, is getting a … (61 comments)
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Jay Markanich - Northern VA Home Inspector
Bristow,
VA
More about me…
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC
Address: 12315 Sherborne Street, Bristow, VA, 20136
Office Phone: (703) 330-6388
Cell Phone: (703) 585-7560
Email Me
An experienced home inspector's look at current home inspection events and conditions along with his useful recommendations.
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