The proliferation of vacant homes in the last few years, due to foreclosure and shortsale (when vacant), has led to a subsequent proliferation in particular problems. I could list dozens of issues that are more common on such properties, but one that I wanted to mention is "the damaged garage door".
General bank owned properties, HUD properties, Fanny or Freddy properties, etc. will be winterized after they are taken over, and many of the winterization companies or others involved in the property will put locks on the garage door tracks or if the door has a lock on it they will at best lock it and at worst lock it then put a pad lock on it. Other "methods" include: using electrical wiring or a hanger in the track to "tie the door in place". Regardless of the method, what these people are trying to do is keep the door from being opened, particularly if the door has a door opener.
But, then co
mes the showings... the garage door is impeded from use, but in many if not most cases the door opener will still be hooked up. Buyer or Realtor (or various contractors, especially if it is a HUD property) comes along and "tests the door opener".
Opps...
They didn't realize that the door was pad locked or otherwise locked...
At this point various things can happen:
1. If the door is a very (very) basic metal door with no insulation (in other words, a cheap-o), the entire door can cave in. Been there... done that... unfortunately...
2. The door opener itself (the arm that is connected to the door) can rip off the door.
3. The door can bend or buckle where it is conneted to the door opener.
4. The chain can become loose or damaged.
5. And a host of other issues...
6. If not all of the above...
Which, again, has led to a proliferation of bent or cracked doors; damaged door openers; arms having pulled off the door; etc.Four years of this, and nobody has learned...
Solution:
If I was in charge of these properties, either as a realtor or other representative for the banks, I would do the following:
1. If you are going to lock the door, be sure to UNPLUG the door opener!!! This takes hardly any time, but could be all the difference.
2. Put up a small sign next to the door opener control, usually in the garage, that says "DO NOT OPERATE".
3. Put blue tape over the button/control, making it clear that the person who see is should "think twice" about the prospect of operating it.
These very basic things could save the door/door opener...
And While We are On It:
Another common problem is that the door will be locked when I arrive at the home inspection, but NO KEY IS TO BE FOUND. The inspection comments on the home "as it exists on the day of the inspection". It is unfortunate that some people are unable to have their garage door opener/door operation inspected during this important part of the buying process. If people are going to lock these doors on such properties, they should have the courtesy of leaving the key in the kitchen drawer or something...
If you or anyone you know is in need of professional home inspection services and structural pest inspection/pest and dry rot inspection services in NW Oregon or SW Washington, please consider referring them to us. We cover the Gorge to the Coast, and Salem to Olympia, including Vancouver and Portland and much more.
Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast
Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates
Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.
From my experience, the majority of roof leaks originate at one of the many penetrations through the roof line found on the vast majority of homes. Some of these penetrations include roof vents, dryer exhaust vents (on newer properties), satellite dish fasteners, and a host of other penetrations and connections to the roof.
Of these, a very common leak point is at the plumbing vents which penetrate the roof line. These plumbing vents, part of the plumbing system, have a "boot" or a "jack" (or a host of other commonly used names...) that acts as a sort of "shirt" around the base of the plumbing vent. The "necks" on these (the rubber part) has a tendency to start cracking, generally around 10/11 to 15 years. It would be rare for me to go to a home, for example, that has a 14 year old roof and find that the plumbing vent boots (the necks on them) in good condition.
Once these "necks" start to crack, the barrier between your roof and your attic space (if not the inside of the home itself) is compromised. Water from rain can begin to travel down the vent and into the attic, getting the insulation wet (at best), or leading to revealed leaks on the inside of the home itself. Snow creates a bigger problem, because the roof only needs a couple of inches to end up sitting on the vent boot above the crack, leading to more direct and intense leaking.
If you have a roof that is over 10 years old, you should carefully inspect the plumbing vent boots/jacks for such cracking. If you have them, we would recommend that you replace entirely the boot/jack.
While there are other acceptable repairs, one that is not acceptable, in our humble opinion, is caulking the neck where it meets the plumbing vent pipe.
People often do things to homes without thinking about it... They don't think, for example, "if this neck was intended to be caulked and subsequently conneted to the pipe then it would have been installed that way." Indeed, there are good reasons why this area isn't caulked and of them the main reason is this: the neck is intended to expand and contract, allowing movement in the pipe and boot itself, which is a natural occurance in fluxuating weather throughout the year.
If you caulk this area, either at the point of installation, or as a "repair" for a cracked neck or leaking neck, then this expansion and contraction is impeded. The result is that the neck cracks more. This "repair", ironically, accellerates deterioration and results in more leaks.
My only exception to this would be if the roof is very near the end of its life design (say, an 18 year old roof that has a 20 year rating), and one is trying to get things to last for a bit longer until a full replacement is made. In that situation, then caulking (and continuing to caulk...) may be acceptable. But, for the vast majority of situations, the best thing to do is to just replace the boot/jack.
If you or anyone you know is in need of professional home inspection services and structural pest inspection/pest and dry rot inspection services in NW Oregon or SW Washington, please consider referring them to us. We cover the Gorge to the Coast, and Salem to Olympia, including Vancouver and Portland and much more.
Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast
Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates
Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.
This is a great opportunity for home buyers in the Portland, Oregon metroplex. The people involved in this event will be p;roviding a wealth of information. Free and Pizza!
The home buyer forum is FREE and open to the public.
When is the Next Home Buyer Seminar in Portland?
If you are interested in attending a FREE home buyer event, please mark Feb. 15, 2012 on your calendar. ROSE Community Development is hosting a home buyer event.
2012 Portland Home Buyer Seminar -- When and Where
When is the Home Buyer Event: Wednesday February 15, 2012 from 6:00 pm. to 8:30 p.m.
Where is the Home Buyer Event: David Douglas High School - 1001 SE 135th Ave Portland, OR 97233-1924 in the South Cafeteria
Why Attend the Home Buyer Event: Learn about homebuying in Portland, connect with resources and organizations to assist through the process.
FREE PORTLAND HOME BUYER EVENT -- OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Home Buying participants may enter to win a drawing to win $4,000 homebuying assistance grant.
All organizations are there to help answer questions about this event. ROSE Community Development and been gracious enough to co-ordinate this event.
Dinner will be provided, which has been supplied by Pizza Baron
Who Will Be Participanting in the Portland Home Buyer Event
EBAPortland ~~ 100% BUYER REPRESENTATION ~~ 100% of the Time
EBAPortland, LLC is an Exclusive Buyer Agency serving the Metro Portland real estate market since 1999. If you’re a Buyer in the Metro Portland area (including: Beaverton, Tigard, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Downtown Portland,) and contemplating a purchase, talk with a Buyer’s Agent . . . better yet, talk to an ExclusiveBuyers Agent. Exclusive Buyers Agents do not work for listing brokerages or Sellers. An EBA’s fiduciary dutyis: 100% BUYER REPRESENTATION . . . 100% of the Time.
If you or anyone you know is in need of professional home inspection services and structural pest inspection/pest and dry rot inspection services in NW Oregon or SW Washington, please consider referring them to us. We cover the Gorge to the Coast, and Salem to Olympia, including Vancouver and Portland and much more.
Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast
Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates
Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.
Got another great review today! What a wonderful surprise! This is what makes my job so worthwhile:
"Where to start?My husband and I moved here from out-of-state, saw our home once, fell in love with it, and promptly made an offer. This was a long-distance purchase and we wanted to feel secure before signing on the dotted line. Not knowing anyone in the area, and not liking our real estate agent's suggestions for home inspectors, I looked for one myself and found Nickelsen Home Inspections. I left a message and Justin Nickelsen immediately phoned back. Impressive in the world of contractors, and as the process moved forward he never disappointed us. We always felt solidly represented. We bought from a less-that-scrupulous seller who showed up for the inspection and feebly attempted to steer things. Justin had none of it and made it clear to this man, that he was representing us and would not be distracted from the inspection he was hired to complete, or led in any way. This was huge and we knew we were in excellent, capable hands, and that we'd found someone who had unshakeable ethics. After he completed the inspection, not only did we receive a very thorough, professional report with many images, he also provided video of the inspection, and spent a lot of time on the phone with us, explaining that which we didn't fully understand. Justin was extremely knowledgeable, professional, articulate, principled, trustworthy, patient, thorough, and forthright. Hire Nickelsen Home Inspection and don't waste precious time looking any further. They are excellent."
If you or anyone you know is in need of professional home inspection services and structural pest inspection/pest and dry rot inspection services in NW Oregon or SW Washington, please consider referring them to us. We cover the Gorge to the Coast, and Salem to Olympia, including Vancouver and Portland and much more.
Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast
Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates
Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.
Drip edge flashing, while not technically "required" in most municipalities, is a good idea, and if it isn't present I will often find problems on homes. Subsequently, whether there are problems or not, I will always call out missing drip edge flashing (with a couple notable exceptions...) in a home inspection report.
But first, what is drip edge flashing?
Drip edge flashing tucks up under the shingles, resting on top of the roof decking/sheathing (which also happens to be, in this case, the top side of the "eave"...), then angles down over the gutter providing an "edge" for water to "drip" off of. See the picture to the left. You can see me pulling up on the shingles, and then below that you can see the edgeing of the roof deaking/sheathing. Below it you see the gutter. What you don't see: drip edge flashing. It isn't there. On this particular house, the lack of it (combined with gutters that tended to over flow at times) lead to wood decay. This is something that would not only get brought out in a home inspection report, but would also be listed as a "conducive condition to wood destroying organisms" in a Washington State compliant "pest and dry rot" or (more accurately) "Wood Destroying Organism" inspection report--i.e., since no drip edge flashing is present, it can (or has) lead to decay, and is subsequently a "conducive condition" to decay.
The picture to the left clearly shows how the sheathing/decking of the roof (the "eave") has decayed along the exge due to lack of drip edge flashing.
The picture to the right (below) shows a diagram of where it would be present.
If you or anyone you know is in need of professional home inspection services and structural pest inspection/pest and dry rot inspection services in NW Oregon or SW Washington, please consider referring them to us. We cover the Gorge to the Coast, and Salem to Olympia, including Vancouver and Portland and much more.
Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast
Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates
Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.
It is quite common for me to go to homes where foundation vent blocks are being used. Sometimes these blocks are actually "flaps" which are built in to the vent screen framing, and others are Styrofoam blocks that people found at Home Depot. Other people block their foundation vents with towels, wood, or bury them entirely (which is kind of another issue).
Don't do it if you live on the west side of the mountains in Washington or Oregon, from at least Eugene, Oregon to Seattle WA (generally speaking).
Blocking your foundation vents cuts off ventilation to your crawl space. You want your crawl space to be able to "breath", especially during the winter months where the most amount of moisture will be in the ground and, subsequently, in your crawl space.
Crawl space environments with limited ventilation are usually quite different from crawl spaces
with good ventilation year round. Damp and unventilated crawl spaces tend to attract insect, rodent and animal entry; they tend to lead to more general moistness and humidity, which would yield to mold, mildew or wood decay or accelerate the aforementioned's spread throughout the crawl space, etc.
Another consideration if you live in areas where radon is a concern, such as SW Washington and NW Oregon, blocking off your vents could lead to higher radon counts inside the home.
Finally, if your home has insulation in the crawl space and insulated pipes, having blocked foundation vents likely does very little to nothing in terms of energy efficiency.
Unless you live in places where it gets SIGNIFICANTLY cold during the winter months, regularly well below freezing, then don't block your foundation vents. And if you live in such areas, the vents should only be blocked during the temporary periods where it is that cold (which would mean installing and uninstalling them multiple times per year).
Remember that crawl spaces need to breath; foundation vents were installed for a reason: you are likely causing a problem by blocking them and you have eliminated the rationale for their installation in the first place.
If you or anyone you know is in need of professional home inspection services and structural pest inspection/pest and dry rot inspection services in NW Oregon or SW Washington, please consider referring them to us. We cover the Gorge to the Coast, and Salem to Olympia, including Vancouver and Portland and much more.
Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast
Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates
Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.
With the radon tests collected today (among those I collected and set), I have now moved into the 50+% (percentage) for homes that have high levels of radon (meaning >4pCi/l). One this morning was on a house in Portland that had levels of 9.7pCi/l, and, as mentioned, over 50% of the homes I have performed radon testing on in the greater Portland Metro area and SW Washington in December 2011 and January 2012 have elevated levels of radon, with over 25% of those having levels over 7pCi/l.
Per the EPA, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, right after cigarette smoking, and right before second-hand smoking. Over 21,000 radon induced or related lung cancer deaths occur each year, and over 2000 of those are among people who have never smoked before, even casually.
The good news is that you can have us perform state-of-the-art radon testing (the type of testing that you can't even do), which yeilds accurate results on a graph showing hourly reading and any signs of tampering, and if the reading is high you can have it FIXED. This IS A FIXABLE ISSUE.
But you can't fix what you don't know about.
January 2012 is the National Radon Action Month in the United States. Do yourself and your family a favor and have your home tested for radon. If you are buying a home, consider having your home tested for radon. THIS CAN BE DONE WELL WITHIN THE TIME FRAME OF AN AVERAGE INSPECTION CONTINGENCY PERIOD FOR A REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION (LET NO ONE TELL YOU OTHERWISE... YOU USUALLY HAVE 10 DAYS... THAT MEANS YOU HAVE... 10... DAYS... (though we usually will have no problem getting it done well within your contingency period)).
Call or shoot me an email!
Price match guaranteed through the month of January for comparable testing/monitoring!
If you or anyone you know is in need of professional home inspection services and structural pest inspection/pest and dry rot inspection services in NW Oregon or SW Washington, please consider referring them to us. We cover the Gorge to the Coast, and Salem to Olympia, including Vancouver and Portland and much more.
Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast
Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates
Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.
Most of the epithelial cellular damage is not caused by breathing in radon gas itself, which is removed from the lungs during exhalation, but by radon's short-lived decay products (half-life measured in minutes or less). When inhaled, these decay products may be deposited in the airways of the lungs. The RDPs subsequently emit alpha particles as they decay further. The total amount of energy emitted by the progeny is several hundred times that produced in the initial decay of radon. The increased risk of lung cancer from radon results primarily from these alpha particles irradiating lung tissue. When an alpha particle passes through a cell's nucleus, the person's DNA is likely to be damaged. More specifically, available data indicate that alpha particle penetration of the cell's nucleus may cause genomic changes, most typically in the form of point mutations and transformations.
Since alpha particles are more massive and more highly charged than other types of ionizing radiation, they are more damaging to living tissue. As previously described, alpha radiation is able to travel only extremely short distances in the body. Thus, alpha radiation from decay of radon progeny in the lungs cannot reach cells in any other organs, so it is likely that lung cancer is the only major cancer hazard posed by radon.
By breaking the electron bonds that hold molecules together, radiation can damage human DNA, the inherited compound that controls the structure and function of cells. Radiation may damage DNA directly by displacing electrons from the DNA molecule, or indirectly by changing the structure of other molecules in the cell, which may then interact with the DNA. The latter mechanism will be described in more detail later. When one of these events occurs, a cell can be destroyed quickly, or its growth or function may be altered through a change (mutation) that may not be evident for several years.
An alpha particle emitted from radon daughter decay is in the form of a high-energy helium ion, known in scientific notation as He2+. These helium particles transverse a cell's nuclei in a linear pattern and deposit energy via linear energy transfer, or LET. This refers to the energy transferred per unit of path traveled by the ionizing particle. Since alpha particles travel short distances and are slow, compared to beta and gamma particles, their efficiency in transferring energy and affecting genomic change is very high, as is their LET quantity. Once deposited, this energy causes DNA alterations, cell-cycle stress, and occasional cell death. Epithelial cellular changes caused by the alpha particle emission from a single radon daughter can be seen with a microscope.
The Good News:
Radon doesn't have to be an issue in your home or your place of business. Having your home or place of business professionally tested for radon by companies such as Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC can let you know conclusively what your indoor radon count is and whether you need it to be addressed. As an unbiased service provider, you are sure to get accurate information from our company. If high, we will then refer you to a company or companies that can do the remediation work.
Radon in the SW Washington and NW Oregon regions is a well known issue, and the EPA gives Clark County, Skamania County, Clackamas County and Multnomah County some of the highest ratings it gives any counties in the United States for indoor air radon concern.
If you would like to have your home tested, please contact us during January 2012, the National Radon Action Month, for special pricing and guidence. We are happy to help! nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com, 360.907.9648, 503.502.1495
If you or anyone you know is in need of professional home inspection services and structural pest inspection/pest and dry rot inspection services in NW Oregon or SW Washington, please consider referring them to us. We cover the Gorge to the Coast, and Salem to Olympia, including Vancouver and Portland and much more.
Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast
Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates
Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.
JANUARY 2012 IS THE NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH, AND THE VIDEO ABOVE HAS BEEN PRODUCED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TO ACCOMPANY THIS YEAR'S AWARENESS MONTH. IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD YOUR HOME PROFESSIONALLY TESTED FOR RADON, CONSIDER DOING SO THIS MONTH. YOU NEVER KNOW: IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE OR THE LIFE OF THOSE YOU LOVE...
If you or anyone you know is in need of professional home inspection services and structural pest inspection/pest and dry rot inspection services in NW Oregon or SW Washington, please consider referring them to us. We cover the Gorge to the Coast, and Salem to Olympia, including Vancouver and Portland and much more.
Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast
Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates
Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.
If you or anyone you know is in need of professional home inspection services and structural pest inspection/pest and dry rot inspection services in NW Oregon or SW Washington, please consider referring them to us. We cover the Gorge to the Coast, and Salem to Olympia, including Vancouver and Portland and much more.
Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast
Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates
Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.
Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC is proud to be performing home inspections in all of the Clark County Washington and the Greater Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA metro areas. We specialize in offering a complete inspection process, from the inspection to the report, on site and in an expedient yet thorough manner. Prior to taking on the form of Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC in 2005, Inspection Consulting was one of the original home inspection companies in Clark County. We have collectively performed over 10,000 home inspections in the last 12 years, and we put all of this experience to work for you.
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If you need a home inspector in Vancouver WA, or anywhere in SW Washington and NW Oregon, Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC will offer you the most experience, the best service, and we guarantee it!
Call Today:
WA: 360.907.9648
OR: 503.502.1495
Toll Free: 1.866.284.3151
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
2. Put up a small sign next to the door opener control, usually in the garage, that says "DO NOT OPERATE".
neck where it meets the plumbing vent pipe.
The picture to the left clearly shows how the sheathing/decking of the roof (the "eave") has decayed along the exge due to lack of drip edge flashing.
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