There is nothing I can think of that has an infinite capacity on this planet. Sooner or later, if something is put in, the vessel reaches capacity and something must come out or a failure will occur. One example I use quite frequently as a home inspector is with regard to forced air type heating systems. For these types of systems to operate efficiently, not only must they “force” air into the rooms, it also must be removed at the same time. If the air is not given a way out, the system operates almost like a person trying to blow air into a bottle.

There are less obvious places in buildings where the in and out principle not only applies, but if not in place can cause, as I said, a failure.

I was reminded of the need for a way out on a job not long ago. I was contacted to investigate a failure of the cladding on three buildings built in 2004. The siding was fiber cement, a good durable product that takes paint well. The paint started peeling off the new cladding on the three buildings about a year after construction was completed. The cladding itself was also deteriorating which was certainly related to the failing paint.

Houses are protected from exterior water infiltration basically by layering. The first layer is building paper, the most familiar is probably Tyvek. Before Tyvek tar paper was used. The second layer is flashings around penetrations like windows and doors. Lastly the cladding is installed.

The building paper serves to protect the wood sheathing beneath from incidental water penetration. What many people do not realize, this would also include some contractors, is that all cladding leaks. When water does get behind the siding, the next important consideration must be to provide it a way out.

Remember what goes in, must come out.

What I noticed on the building I was inspecting through the infrared camera was not only water behind the cladding, but a concentration of moisture at the base of the walls.

Another principle to remember, gravity.

Checking the base of the wall with a moisture meter where the siding meets the trim, I found it to be saturated basically confirming the thermal anomalies to be moisture.

What I noticed when checking various spots along the wall base was I had to work to get the meter into the seam. There was no gap. I noted the same above windows and doors. Without the gaps, the water has no place to go and thus there can be no drying. By omitting this simple but important detail, the cladding and paint has been deteriorating for close to eight years.

You can’t alter physics.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

Sorry, but I do not have a good joke to share in this post. You may have thought about laughing when reading the title. Cracking up has another meaning, going crazy, but no, nothing too weird or outrageous today. What I find cracking up so very frequently are brick chimneys.

Brick and other masonry chimneys are a common sight on many, many homes here in Connecticut and the Northeast. Some homes may even have two or more. No question in my mind, brick chimneys are an attractive addition to the home. The problem I see however is many are neglected and or poorly built. Performing a recent home inspection I saw an example of both instances.

This home was a modest Cape Cod style that had two chimneys, an interior and exterior. The exterior chimney served the two fire places, while the interior chimney was dedicated to venting the heating system.

The parts of the chimney I want to be able to view if at all possible during the inspection are the top or crown and also the flue liners. The crown is the protective, usually concrete cap over the brick at the top of the chimney. Many I find are constructed not incorporating best building practices.

This was the case with both chimneys on this home. The house and therefore the chimneys were not exceptionally old, a bit over 35 years. The first chimney I looked over was the exterior. The crown was in very poor condition. It was cracked and falling apart, with pieces missing.

What I noticed was the large gap between the flue liner and crown. The cracks basically radiate out from this point. What this tells me is the seam where the liner and crown meet was probably never sealed. Because of this, water has been seeping through into the chimney structure. Over the years the freeze thaw cycle has caused the cracks seen in the crown. Further it is fairly clear the water is finding its way further into the structure. Cracks directly below the crown, some through the brick, are a strong indication water is inside the structure working it slowly, but surely apart.

The repair may look to be a fairly simple, but it’s quite possible it will involve rebuilding some of the upper portion of the chimney.

I doubt anyone will be cracking upon hearing the news.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. A simple phrase I’m sure everyone has heard repeatedly since they were very young. It simply means to stop and consider your words before you speak. In the business of inspecting homes this is good advice.

Home inspectors are hired for the most part by home buyers to examine a house to look for current or potential defects prior to purchase. Home buyers not only look to the inspector for good information, they expect it.

Vague language is typical in the business of home inspection. It is also a complaint I hear often, the inspector didn’t explain the problem.

In my experience in talking with my colleagues for over 10 years now, there seems to be a general consensus that providing too much information will land an inspector in court. At the same time taking ownership of the report by writing in the first person is also deemed a for sure way to end up in front of a judge. I am told numerous attorneys have said these things to be true.

The problem with any attorney giving advice on how to run ones business is this; The attorney doesn’t have a clue how to inspect a house or run any other business for that matter. What they do know is how to defend a person in court. The advice they give is basically not tailored to operating the particular business, instead it is given as a way to hopefully make what ever screw up occurs defensible in court. Any advice given should be disseminated and used accordingly to fit one’s business, allowing for the job to still be performed.

Giving good, accurate information is what is expected of the home inspector. What can get one in trouble is when one gives information or advice one is not qualified to give. Worse may be not giving enough information or missing a defect.

On a recent home inspection I was informed the home had been previously inspected. One of the major issues was “the roof was beyond its useful life”. This information was given to me second hand. I did not see the inspection report.

When I climbed onto the roof, I saw that while there were some cracked shingles, the roof was certainly not “beyond its useful life”. What I noticed were several things. First the attic ventilation was minimal, a single roof vent and a fan. I dislike fans, they should only be used as a last resort. I did note soffit vents, but without a ridge vent their function is suspect. The other thing I noted was the cracking was generally isolated to a few distinct areas, the lower portions and where the sun seemed to fall on the roof. In the attic I discovered the roof vent had been sealed and the soffit vents were blocked by insulation. The only vent was the fan, which was not operating because it was cold. Attic ventilation should be continuous.

So in my assessment the attic ventilation or lack of is quite possibly the problem with the shingles and will continue to be a problem. The other thing is the roof is quite possibly repairable assuming the ventilation is fixed.

Did the other inspector identify these issues?

I’m not sure, but these issues were not brought up at my inspection. Was the roof problem properly assessed? From the information I heard, no it was not.

What I think occurred was the use of an “out”. A defect was observed and the roof was stated as in need of replacement. The liability had been passed off to the buyer and ultimately the roofing company.

Any attorney would be proud.

I’m not so sure the first buyer would be so happy if they knew the details.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

As a kid I loved climbing trees. I wasn’t content to snake my away among the limbs, finding a good perch to sit and dangle my feet. No, I would try to climb to the very top. Shinnying up the thinnest branches that stretched out like fingers trying to grab the clouds. They seemed to be seeking the same thing as me, height.

I was a height junkie. I loved climbing trees or hiking the nearby mountains, where the view from the cliffs fed my fervor for altitude. I was and still can’t understand those that get squeamish about elevation. Vertigo is not something I can comprehend.

As a home inspector, climbing is part of the routine. I do love a roof with a view. While up on the roof, after taking in the sights, I actually have to work. Sometimes the sights on the roof are worth the climb. For example as I crested the edge of the roof one day not long ago, I was greeted by an amusing sight.

Just about every roof has a plumbing waste vent poking through. Since this penetration is a hole, it needs to be flashed. Plumbing vents being so common, there are ready made flashings. These flashing come with a built in slope to fit the angle of the roof.

When I peered over the edge of this particular roof, I saw that the flashing had been installed in reverse. Could vertigo have caused the installer to get turned around? Or is this just another case of a backwards thinking?

No one can ever know for sure, but this view on high was good for a chuckle.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

Many people in my experience love to DIY. Many more fancy themselves as DIY experts. There is no doubt with each finished project comes more confidence in ones abilities. Sometimes it’s over confidence.

Now I have no issue with anyone putting on a tool belt and tackling a home project. The thing I do have a problem with is when people delve into areas that absolutely should be left to the professionals. This would also include certain contractors as well.

The other afternoon while inspecting a home, I discovered one of the most horribly unsafe electric panels I have seen in some time. Anyone can tell the work is 100% amateur. It’s a mess, but…..

It works!

Which is the scary part of electricity and wiring, even when it’s wrong it will work. This of course this gives the installer a false sense of accomplishment. Really it’s not the electricity that’s wrong, it’s the method employed to harness it safely. After all electricity is a force of nature, it doesn’t conform to any of mans’ rules.

As bad as this first panel looks there was a second panel in the basement that looked beautiful.

It was also incorrectly wired.

The second panel was added for the newer kitchen and bathroom. I was told the person who did the work on the kitchen and bathroom was a master carpenter. The work looked very professional. I would also guess the master carpenter decided to perform the electrical work. The work in the rooms upstairs was neat and professional, so was the work in the electric panel. To the untrained eye everything would look okay.

And everything works!

It is also once again potentially unsafe.

When it comes to electricity, one should remember that if it works, doesn’t mean it’s safe.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

It’s funny how ones attention can become so intently focused on something, that a maelstrom can be occurring a few feet away and it can go completely unnoticed.

The other day while inspecting an attic I was making my way back towards the entrance looking for the plumbing vent penetrations. The client had said he had detected a leak when he initially viewed the house during a rain. The flashing on the roof was in horrific condition, so the leak was no surprise. As I was looking down the roof framing for the penetration I was halted in my tracks by what I saw, a cracked rafter.

Last winter in Connecticut was a record setter for snow fall. In January a blizzard dumped over two feet of snow on top of a foot already on the ground. Several more storms through out the month piled the white stuff so deep, roofs were collapsing throughout the state. Consequently, cracked rafters have been something all home inspectors are finding since.

The client was nearby and I said to him, “you should have a look at this”.

He shuffled over, the kid is over six foot tall in an attic that is barely four feet at the peak. I showed him the rafter. He says something like, “Oh I didn’t see that one. There’s one more here.”

Right behind this cracked rafter was one that was split wide open. I hadn’t seen it because I was looking at the one with, compared to the other, was a little bitty crack.

My jaw dropped when I saw that one.

Funny how ones attention can be drawn down a tunnel.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

If I had a dime for every time I heard it said, “they don’t make things like they used to”, I’d be retired lounging on a warm beach sipping a tall, frosty adult beverage. The previous statement is supposed to mean everything built today or at least the subject of the declaration is inferior to something made from yester year. The way I see it all the crap that was made long ago has gone where all junk ends up, in the dump. The well made and well cared for are still around, but remember this, time and nature always has the final word.

I was reminded of how buildings have improved over the years when during an inspection I saw a dichotomy right in front of me.

The trend has been and continues to be for improved energy efficiency in homes. Many years ago energy was cheap and no one really though about insulating homes. Generally from what I have seen through inspections and energy audits is that homes were first starting to be regularly insulated in the 1950s. The insulation was minimal and usually only in the ceiling and sometimes inside the exterior walls. Over the years houses have become super insulated, but there is still room for improvement.

During a recent home inspection where the customer had requested infrared scanning the differences in time were captured in infrared light. On this home the differences in wall insulation and its performance can be seen and compared.

The portion of the house in the fore ground was built in 1952, while the newer section in the back ground was made in 2009. The chimney is basically the border between the two parts. Two things that are distinctly noticeable and show the “good old days” compared to the here and now.

First is the uniformity of the temperatures on the new compared to the old. The old side shows patchiness which is indicative of minimal insulation inside the wall cavity. Second are the temperature differences. There is an about 5 degree difference between the two walls. The old wall is warmer, indicating more heat loss. Since the day was mild, with temps in the mid 40s, the difference isn’t too great. As the temperature drops, the difference will become much more pronounced.

The differences in time and in this case temperature are distinct.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

On a Sunday not long ago these two girls found a wild tunnel to skate through. Or maybe it's just their dad having a little fun with the lens.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

Zzzzzzip, that sound means your pants are secure, your jacket and you are ready to head out into the cold or that silky black dress is seconds from hitting the floor. When we say something is “zipped up tight” we take it to mean all is safe and sound.

Houses are not zipped together, at least not yet. Maybe sometime in the future someone will invent a way to zipper up a house. Today and for the last couple hundred years or so, houses are fastened together with thousands of nails and screws. Nails had a profound effect on building houses. They were a strong and quicker method than the post beam construction at the time of their introduction. Initially nails were expensive because they were not mass produced. Once nails were able to be produced quickly and in huge quantities, home building methods changed significantly.

Since mass production works so well for making a lot of something fast, it seems to follow that homes started being mass produced in factories. Sears, Roebuck may have been the first producer of factory built homes. The sometimes mistakenly referred to Craftsman homes, actually more an architectural style, are a popular with some home buyers today. The modern modular home appeared around the 1950s. They are quite common now. I inspect several every year.

Modular houses consist of factory built sections or modules. Each section is built and then packaged for transport to the customers building site. The sections are then assembled and fastened together. Each section must be joined together using fasteners. Most often I see large bolts spaced along the seams where the modules join.

On a recent home inspection I found some of the attic / roof seams of a modular house separated. The gap was quite wide, about one inch in most places.

The contractors I found had used nails to fasten the sections together. Standard framing nails from a nail gun. Not a bolt or screw could I find anywhere on this all important connection. Now not to jump to conclusions, the factory may specify skinny little framing nails are fine for securing this seam, but I strongly tend to doubt it.

It looked like the house was coming unzipped from the top down. Kind of like that silky black dress, except this unzipping doesn’t conjure up the same kind of good time feeling.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.