Harold's Blog

What is eating my house?

2007-11-18T12:12:17Z

What is causing all these holes? Is it termites? Carpenter Bees? Some species of wood boring beetle?

Well there is no need to call the Pest Control Operators, or a repair contractor. These holes from Teredo Shipworm did not occur in the structure. However their evidence can be found in some older homes. The example in the photo below is from a 1950's structure.

The Teredo Shipworm can infest wood submerged in salt water. That is how this damage appeared in our subject structure. Trees are cut down and stored in the water before they are processed at a mill.

The Teredo had a chance to bore into the lumber, yet the damage was insufficient to consider the materials structurally inadequate.

Here is what the Teredo looks like (from Wikipedia);

For more information see the Wikipedia site; Shipworm

Double trouble.....Test plugs, and vent flashings

2007-11-08T02:37:39Z

I bet the plumber is wondering what keeps happening to all his test plugs. Well I found one of them.

For those that don't know..... test plugs are installed on each plumbing vent so that the drain, waste, vent (DWV) system can be pressurized with air. Any leaks will prevent the system from holding air. If it holds air, then it should not leak when water is introduced to the system. After this test is performed, the test plugs are removed, so that the vents can function.

OK so the vent plug is no problem to remove, but what were they thinking when they installed the flashing? It is upside down and not properly "integrated" with the roof covering. Do you think that it might leak....lets' look at the attic.

Sure enough, it has been leaking. Fortunately not so bad as to rot the roof sheathing. So the fix should be simple.

This home is five years old.

Some more examples of why it is important to have your new home inspected.

When hot water tanks go wild......from an Everett Home Inspector

2007-11-08T00:49:49Z

Defective safety equipment on your hot water tank can result in serious consequences. I was reminded of this tonight as I watched an episode of Mythbusters with Jamie and Adam.

They were testing out the "myth" that hot water tanks can rocket out of a home when safety devices fail. Well I already knew the answer to this, so I had to look up the news story where it did happen just a few years ago.

Puget Sound Energy workers examine a water heater tank in a parking lot in Burien, a block away from Cuautla Video, where it was before it exploded yesterday morning. (July 28, 2001) Credit: Paul Kitagaki Jr./Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The tank in the above photo rocketed through the roof of a video store and landed on the other side of a 6 lane road in this parking lot.

During home inspections I regularly test the TPR (Temperature Pressure Relief) valve to verify proper operation.

This is one of the devices that Jamie and Adam removed to perform their test. The hole was capped. The second device they removed was the thermostat. This allowed the hot water tank heating elements to run constantly. The results were explosive.

Discovery has some of the video here The force is incredible...You have to watch this!

Faulty Vapor Barrier installation (Everett Home Inspector)

2007-11-07T00:07:44Z

This structural support wall appears OK from a distance.

But fortunately the rodents had torn away the vapor retarder in places to reveal that it is sandwiched between a double bottom plate. The plate is not treated lumber... I can only wonder what this builder was thinking when they placed the barrier over conventional lumber. Did the builder not realize that the bottom plate would be pickled in a bath of moisture?

You can see that the bottom plate suffers from fungal wood rot decay. It was set up to fail.

The seller and the listing agent did not believe my report on these conditions (surprise) ..until we forwarded the photos. Digital pictures are great.

No one can deny, because the photos don't lie .............All the denial turns into stammering and studdering. :)

Blocking crawl space vents....Advice from an Everett Area Home Inspector

2007-11-06T23:32:11Z

Blocking crawl space vents....

Being a northwest native, I am not sure what part of the country this practice is acceptable, but one thing I can tell you is that it is not OK here in Western Washington. Yet I see it done, and have no idea why people think it is OK.

I have heard all sorts of excuses from; it keeps the humidity out, to it keeps the pipes from freezing, it keeps my floors warmers, and that is what my dad did, so I thought I should.

Lets' dispell a few myths;

(A) It keeps the humidity out; In Western Washington we get a fair amount of precipitation. The water absorbs into the ground and as a result the soil in many crawl space becomes wet or at least damp. Naturally this moisture becomes a vapor in your crawl space, and if you plug the vents the vapor becomes trapped and forms condensation. This leads to conducive conditions for wood destroying organisms, mold and mildew. NO- Installing vent blocks does not keep the humidity out, it holds it in.

One example I can think of is getting into your car with a few of your best friends, on a rainy day. Notice the windows fogging up on the inside of the vehicle. But if you crack the windows, and get some "ventilation" going the fogging disappears. That may not be the best example, but water vapor is hard to describe sometimes.

(B) It keeps the pipes from freezing; OK so this assumes that the pipes are uninsulated.

....Remember that modern construction either have a poly foam insulation, or the pipes are installed in the "thermal envelope". This should always be inspected to confirmed.

So I guess that in older construction, with no sub floor insulation, where heat moves freely through the floor to the crawl space this might have some possibilities. But after the PUD packages of the 70's and so on, it seems that I rarely encounter a crawl space with no sub floor insulation. It does happen, but it is not as common.

If the sub floor is insulated, then there is no way the vent blocks are going to make a dent in the ambient crawl space temperature. If you want to protect pipes from freezing, then installed insulation around the pipes. This is the best defense. NO-It is not a good way to keep the pipes from freezing. The best way is to insulate the water supply lines.

(C) It keep my floors warmer;This really is the same issue as the pipes freezing. If the floors are cold, adding blocks probably will do very little to improve the temperature of the floors. Maybe it is psychological because I have heard this excuse over and over, even on homes with sub floor insulation. Science does not support it. NO-In most homes it would not keep the floors any warmer. Sub floor insulation will keep your floor warmer than crawl space blocks.

(D)That is what my dad did, so I thought I should;Bingo, this is so common. Dad had uninsulated pipes, floors, walls, and maybe even uninsulated ceilings. Many also had a wood stove for the primary heat. Older homes may have had wood skirting. It did not matter that dad installed blocks, because everything leaked air like a sieve. ... To top it off.....Dad lived in Nebraska (where it might be OK to block the vents-but I don't know)

With modern homes, and improved insulation in older homes, better methods to seal air leakage, it is easier than ever to trap moisture where it does not belong. I have performed too many inspections, that revealed tens of thousands of dollars in damage from blocked crawl space vents.

NO-Someones' dad owned the house below....see what happened.

My advice is to keep all the vents clear of obstructions, make sure that the screens are in good condition to keep the rodents out, and if you have metal louvered vents, change them out for the 1/4" hardware mesh cloth, which ventilates much better.

Sound of Freedom

2007-11-06T22:28:00Z

I was out enroute to an inspection for a nice young Navy family near Ault Field at NAS Whidbey yesterday and thought I would snap a photo of these A6's.

My wife and I live on the north end of Camano Island and only about 8 miles .....as the ~~crow~~ (EA6B Prowler) flies away from Ault Field. :)

I have heard that the Prowlers cruise somewhere around 480 mph ,and max out just over 600 mph. At those speeds these guys can cover alot of distance in no time at all.

This close proximity to the NAS Whidbey allows us to experience the "Sound of Freedom" as they fly above during routine training every once in a while. Pre Sept 11th, 2001 I wasn't all that excited about the "sound", but for some reason that event, coupled with our service members heading to Afghanistan, and then Iraq, just put it all into perspective.

That sound tells me our pilots are up there honing their skills so they can be most effective when they are sent back to carry out their critical missions overseas. We appreciate their courage, hard work and dedication!

Boating in the San Juan Islands and Deception Pass

2007-11-06T12:36:27Z

When my wife and I aren't working, and the weather is warm, we like to enjoy the best that our region has to offer. We have spent coutless days and nights in the waters around the San Juan Islands in Washington State. There are so many places to see and experience.

The people we meet are just as interesting as the locations we visit. It amazes me how many folks travel to our area to enjoy boating in the Northwest.

One gentleman I met this last summer, regularly flies in from the LA area to Sea Tac and then drives up to Anacortes where he keeps his boat. He used to keep his boat in Newport, CA, but the drive took him all day to get there. He tells me that it was faster to hop on a plane at LAX and travel to Anacortes. He also stated that he prefers the boating in this area.

Lime Kiln Point off the west side of San Juan Island, Wa. This can be a great place to view the Orcas from. They can be seen by boat, but there are restrictions on how close you can get. We have yet to get a good photo of an Orca. They are too fast, the boat is rocking, and current pushes you around. Makes me appreciate the professional photographers ability to catch some incredible shots.

This is our second home, ...and sometimes my remote office. Named "Barracuda" she is a 2001 Bayliner Ciera 2855 Sunbridge, with a 7.4L Mercuiser, and the Bravo III drive. In this pic we are tied up to the dock at Reid Harbor on one of our favorite islands in the San Juans named Stuart Island.

Reid Harbor is one of many Marine State Parks throughout the State of Washington. A short walk across the island and you discover Prevost Harbor, with more docks and mooring buoys.

Above is one of the "gateways" to the San Juan Islands through Deception Pass. This is such an incredibly scenic area. I also love the thrill of running the tidal rapids through this pass.

This photo I just took the other day as I was on my way to a home inspection on Whidbey Island. This shows Deception Pass from the bridge above. The photo is of the smaller of the two passes. The currents were moving pretty good.

In this photo you can see to the west into Rosario Strait. This body of water can be smooth as glass on some days, and pretty rough on others. It all depends on winds and currents. The other factor is fog. We have arrived at Deception Pass to encounter a wall of fog in Rosario Strait. That makes navigating a boat, like driving a car with a blindfold, unless you have radar, chartplotter, and a good compass.

Hey maybe we'll see you on the water next boating season!

Anatomy of a Post Frame Building

2007-11-06T10:13:18Z

A couple years ago wife and I were facing a dillema. Our garage was getting too small with all my power tools, equipment, etc. etc. and it was so bad that I couldn't park in the garage any more. Compounding our issue was a 28' boat that we could either keep at an indoor heated storage facility for about $400 a month, or park on the trailer in our driveway and allow the harsh elements to degrade the boat.

The answer to our problems was a 26' X 40' Post frame building (Pole Barn). The structures are both versatile and cost effective. To us it just made sense to add value to our property, instead of throwing money away on keeping the boat at the marina.

Our first step was to get the site prepped for the building. It had to be level. Unfortunately the lot sloped so much that we had to use ecology blocks to form a retention wall along the north and west sides of the building site. The wall is almost 4 feet in height in the rear corner. The fill materials had to be installed in "lifts". Each layer was compacted to build a stable base for the concrete floor slab of the buillding.

Here is the frame of our building all ready for siding, roofing, and doors. They are very simple structures that provide many years of serviceable life. When I encounter these buildings during inspections, there rarely are any serious problems found.

Getting the building posts set was time consuming. The holes have to be deep. The contractor digging the holes for each post was having great difficulty. They use a Bobcat with an auger attachment to drill the holes, but we have a ton of rocks, ...some are better described as boulders. Needles to say he was not a happy camper. But once the posts were set, things went up fast.

And here is the finished product, well at least on the outside. On the inside I have completed the electrical, and plumbing, Currently I am in the process of insulating, and soon will be completing the drywall. Eventually I will construct a loft.

The large door is 14' foot high by 12' wide, and the smaller door is 8' high by 10' wide.

And now my wife is happy to be rid of all my "junk" out of "her" garage. :)

Stand Off with a "Vicious Creature"

2007-11-05T01:31:28Z

With steely eyes, an attack posture, and fangs that look like they could inflict some serious pain....My heart was racing as I looked around for my possible routes of escape. I was at a disadvantage standing on a steep townhome roof three stories above the ground........

Well with this picture I am sure you just won't believe how viscious he was.

This little furry guy was not real happy about my presence on the roof. Seems this was his territory....and he is just not use to seeing a human up on the roof.

Turns out that the builder failed to install the blocking between the rafter tails, which makes a nice home for the squirells.

OK...so he wasn't that vicious....but I would call it a creature.

Public Service Announcement; ....Get you soffits checked by a professional home inspector, or you too could have squirrels living the high life in your attic

Licensing for Washington Home Inspectors, ....will it really help?

2007-11-03T23:31:14Z

Recently the Sunrise Review process convened and published a 93 page report called "Report on Home Inspector Licensure"

In this report ( on page 45 ) the Wa State Dept. of Licensing makes the following recommendation;

"In light of the testimony by stakeholders from many disciplines, the evidence of consumer harm, the lack of methods of recourse, the lack of any form of standardization in education and experience, the potential for collusion between the real estate and home inspection profession, and the evidence of inconsistency, the Department of Licensing recommends that the Legislature pursue licensure of the industry."

This coming legislative session should be very interesting as Senator Spanel, (sponsor of last years SB5778, and a previous years bill to license home inspectors) now has a recommendation from the DOL to strenghten her position in pushing through inspector legislation.

I know many people claim that it will help, and I know there are people that are harmed by inspections gone wrong. But we already have a law on the books that says we have to be licensed with the WSDA as a structural pest inspector. Did you know that of all the media attention on inspections gone wrong, I have not found one that does not involve the aspect of structural pest inspections.

In the widely publicized Moltz case the item that the inspector missed was $30K worth of "Dry Rot" according to the KIRO 7 Story found here; LINK (By the way I cringe when I see the words DRY ROT put together because there is nothing dry about this rot.....the proper term used by SPI's is "Fungal Wood Rot Decay")

So couldn't this horrible story have been averted if the Moltz's hired an inspector that was in compliance with State law and had his/her SPI license? I would think so. $30K is alot of missed damaged.

How about this story; "Choosing the wrong home inspector could cost you big!" These folks also were harmed by sub standard inspections. And clearly the answer to avoiding this pitfall, under the heading "What to Do" states;

"You want home inspector who is also a "licensed structural pest inspector." That means they will check for wood destroying organisms, such as ants, termites, wood beetles and wood rot. "

So here are two good examples of homes that suffered damage that required a home inspector to be a licensed structural pest inspector to be able to render a qualified opinion on the conditions observed. And even with a licensing law in effect, the consumers were still harmed.

My question is will another law governing home inspectors really have any more positive impact in protecting consumers from a bad inspection?

I am not certain that similar stories won't continue to be told long after we get a home inspectors licensing requirement. In fact the licensing proposed sets the bar lower than what professional inspectors, who are members of a professional association, must adhere to. Just making sure the inspector is licensed will not be enough on its' own. Consumers have to do their due diligence when finding an inspector.

Again this next legislative session will be interesting......stay tuned!

Amazing October 18th Storm Photos- Washington State Ferry

2007-11-03T00:29:56Z

I know, the title is "storm photos" and if you read long enough you will find the link to the photos below. However the beginning is some normal weather photos to show the contrast. Make sure and click the link to the storm photos below.

It is not every day that I get to drive onto a Washington State Ferry and travel to my next inspection. Today however was one of those days. The weather was calm and the scenery was incredible. I boarded the Cathlamet in Mukilteo for a short journey to Clinton on Whidbey Island.

Mukilteo Light House...

Gedney Island and Mt Baker in the background... The Cathlamet....

Calm waters crossing Possession Sound to Clinton Terminal...

Today was a stark contrast to the weather we had on October 18th. The winds were howling at approximately 50 MPH, which is a 9 on the Beaufort Scale and is called a severe gale.

Some amazing photos were taken of the Cathlamet on that day, by a photographer named Ross Fotheringham. .

.............Here is his link where he has posted the photos; STORM PICS Enjoy!

Having trouble finding an address? Distracted driving with maps?

2007-11-02T10:29:21Z

Garmin Street Pilot

My friend has been harping on me for a few years about getting a Garmin Street Pilot. He and his wife have one in each of their cars, and because they moved away to a new city, they really need to find their way around. I made every excuse in the book, like "I have lived here all my life, so I know my way around".

Now it is not that I have anything against technology, In fact I still have a 12 year old hand-held Garmin (which has collected alot of dust), and my boat has a pretty sophisticated Chart-plotter with radar. I just figured I don't need this piece of equipment to get me around. I have the Thomas Guide, Google Maps, and a Totem Guide, and just my knowledge of most of the areas I travel to.

Well, my friend decided he wanted to upgrade, and was willing to sell me his year old Street Pilot for a song. I decided what the heck, I am not paying retail.

Wow, after using this thing for the last month, I am wondering what I will do if it quits working. This thing is great. It is way easier to use than any other piece of equipment I have ever had. You just input the address and it tells you how to get there, and gives you an estimated time of arrival. You can put in multiple addresses and it can navigate you to all of them.

If I miss a street it will re-route me another way. And no more looking down at my map, and back at the road, while talking on my cell phone, and writing down an appointment. It probably makes me a more attentive driver. The audible commands keep you from even having to look at the screen very often.

I think this is a great tool for any home inspector, real estate agent, or home appraiser. My expectations of the Street Pilot were definitely exceeded!

Don't wait to see if the buyer notices the failed siding.

2007-11-01T09:55:06Z

Failed exterior Louisiana Pacific (LP), Inner Seal, siding is a defect that I run into frequently. The product is an oriented strand board product (OSB), which has been the subject of a class action lawsuit. The Inner Seal product was manufactured from about 1985 to 1996, and was produced in both lap and panels.

The main problem with this particular material is that it tends to absorb moisture, which leads to buckling, swelling, edge checking, and fungal wood rot decay. The material has a porous bottom edge (drip edge) that is conducive for water penetration. Add to this the fact that when homes are constructed it is rare that a sufficient amount of paint would be applied to encapsulate this edge. And finally many of the homes I find damage on, also suffer from a lack of proper homeowner maintenance.

These three factors; manufacturing, finish paint, and deferred maintenance, have created a "perfect storm" for serious damage to the siding on many homes. The cost to remove, replace, and repaint often runs into the tens of thousands of dollars for homeowners.

Notice in this photo the siding has swelling and edge checking directly under the area of the roof wall intersection. There was never a kick out flashing installed, allowing roof drainage to makes it's way down between the gutter and the wall. This is a good example of faulty construction practices, instead of a manufacturing defect.

As the water swells this material, the edge checking increases, and allows even more water to absorb into the material.

Many times people are surprised to find that their LP Inner Seal Siding has failed. Buyers and agents often did not notice the problems. The reason for this is how people generally look at the siding. Most people look straight at face of the siding, when it is really the bottom drip edge that needs to be inspected. This often requires kneeling down and looking up at these edges. For upper levels you need to get in close to the structure and look up.

When damaged siding is found, buyers and sellers are left to struggle over who is paying for what. Such 11th hour negotiations can be stressful for all involved. Sometimes there is inusfficient time to get bids from siding contractors and closings, are delayed, etc. And I have seen buyers simply just walk away from the deal over the siding issues.

Sellers with homes clad in LP Inner Seal should consider having this issue addressed before an offer is received. I think that many homeowners are somewhat aware of the issue, as it is hard to ignore that a few homes in the neighborhood have already been re-sided. But having the siding inspected is a first step to determine the condition, and what repairs are needed.

Dealing with the faulty siding before an offer is received, removes a buyers leverage over that issue.

www.millerhomeinspect.com

Power at only half of the house?

2007-10-31T10:41:32Z

It was a rainy Sunday and my wife and I were arriving home after a 6 hour drive from Spokane, WA. All we wanted to do is come home and relax before the start of a new work week.

Our first clue that things weren't right was the garage door would not open. ......hmmm? I get out of the car and let myself in through the back garage door. After fiddling with the operator switch, with no response, I notice the typical red light is not on. I think that it is strange that the door operator has no power when the garage lights are on.

I check the circuit breakers and all looks fine. I get an extension cord and plug the operator into another outlet that is functional and open the garage door, assuming the problem is isolated to the one outlet. No big deal, I can troubleshoot that.

But not so fast. We enter the house and find that roughly half of our homes' electrical system is functional and the other half is dead. OK now I know that something more serious has occured, but what?

I proceed back down to the main panel, pull off the cover, and test voltage at the mains. (For those not familiar with electrical, this is a job for your electrician, for safety reasons. )

I found that one leg of the service entrance conductor has the normal approx. 120 VAC, but the other leg has pretty much zero. OK so I know that the fault is not in my house, and not in my panel, so where is the problem? I get on the phone to the Snohomish County PUD (our local utility) and explain the problem. They send a technician out right away.

The type of system I have is as follows; From the utilities pole mounted transformer an aerial (overhead) service runs to a power pole at the end of my driveway. My power meter is located on the pole, and the service then disappears underground where it travels to the home.

Ok, So the PUD technician arrives, he pulls the meter at the pole, and tests both legs from the utility. He finds that he has adequate voltage at each leg, and tells me sorry I can't help you. The fault has to be under ground between the meter and the home. This is not the utilities responsibility, so it is my problem, unfortunately.

So where is the fault? I decided locating this problem is well beyond my abilities so I call in the pro's. The next morning I contact a local electrician, Dennis Calabria, Calabria Electrical of Camano Island. He explains that in order to find the fault we need a locator service. He refers me to CNI Locates of Auburn, WA http://cnilocates.com/

By Tuesday morning I have CNI Locates and Dennis Calabria on site. The electrician must disconnect the service lateral from both the panel and the meter box for the locator to do his testing. The locator sends a low voltage signal down the line, and with with detector can pinpoint with amazing accuracy the location of the break. Within less than 15 minutes he has located the problem and marked it.

I agreed that I would be the one to excavate so that the electrician could come back and make the needed repairs.

In the pic above you can see the section of wire removed by the electrician. The aluminum stranded conductor basically turned into powder from corrosion. We know that the wire insulation had been compromised, which allowed moisture to enter and attack the wire.

Why did this happen/ We have to make some assumptions. There are a couple ways this happened. First the builder chose the low cost, minimum code acceptable method to install this service lateral. (Direct burial) I and my electrician both prefer that laterals be placed in conduit. But the builder was within codes, however minimal they are.

Next in a direct burial application the trench must be backfilled with sand to protect the insulation from rocks. Well the builder did not line the area around the wire with sand. So it is possible that a rock damaged the insulation. Another thought was that the insulation had been damaged during installation some other way.

The picture above shows Dennis's repair of the failed section. While he and I both would prefer to have put in another complete service lateral, buried in conduit, it came down to economics. This repair should last many years, but it is not the perfect answer. If there are other portions of the service that have damaged insulation it is a matter of time before we will experience this same problem again. But none of us know of that will ever happen.

"Anything Can Break at Anytime" at an Everett Home Inspectors house.

2007-10-28T11:50:34Z

Well it was a rainy day in the Pacific Northwest when my wife called to inform me that our basement carpet was sopping wet. I had just wrapped up an inspection an hours drive away, and proceeded directly home.

In the meantime I talked my wife through some things to check. First we had to establish was it ground water or plumbing related. I asked her to make sure all the plumbing fixtures were off and asked her to go look at the homes water meter.....bingo, she told me she could see the meter running....slowly but it was running. I had her shut the water off, and use our carpet extractor to get as much of the water out of the carpet.

Now the trick for me was to determine where in the heck the leak was. We could see that the carpet was most saturated along the front wall. I pulled up the carpet, and used my shop vac to remove all the water I could. Then I had my wife turn on the water, while I listened and watched for water. It did not take long to find the location.

Our home was almost three years old when this occured, and I was not excited about hacking into the drywall. But it had to be done. Zip, zip, zip and out came a rectangular peice. This allowed me access to visually pinpoint the leaky menace.

Lucky me, the leak was not on the side of the foundation wall where I had just torn out the drywall. Probably was of little consequence since the wall had to be opened to get everything dry and prevent mold. So out to the exterior I headed to excavate at least 3 feet deep to access the water main where it enters the foundation wall.

Wish I had a photo, but what I found was that the pipe on the exterior had been bent downward, which weakend the pipe, and eventually caused a crack, that allowed water to enter through the foundation wall penetration. I must assume that the pipe was bent during the original construction when they were back filling.

Fortunately I have worked with copper plumbing a lot and it was easy enough for me to repair. For me it was much easier and less time consuming than patching and texturing the drywall.

We spent alot of time getting everything dry. Extracted all we could with the machine, shop vac, pulled the carpet and padding to dry the back, and in between. I did not want any mold or mildew, anywhere.

Just goes to show it does not matter the age of the home. Any thing can break at any time.

House built to encourage pest infestations in Washington State.

2007-10-26T09:21:14Z

Why would anyone build a house so poorly that termites, wood boring beetles, ants, and wood rot fungi would easily infest the structure? The answer is .......research and training.

Washington State University and numerous sponsors have constructed what is called a "Structural Pest Research and Demonstration Facility" located in Puyallup, Washington. In April I got my first opportunity to attend a Structural Pest Inspector re-certification course at the facility.

The house has been built with numerous design flaws to re-create conditions we find in the field. Improperly installed gutters, insufficient flashing, lack of caulking on exerior, earth to wood contacts, to name a few things. The structure also has its' own "irrigation" system, to wet specific areas to duplicate conducive conditions for pests, and encourage their infestations.

WSU tells us that this is the only facility of this kind in the United States. It gives us inspectors a unique opportunity to have some hands on training. I think everyone who attended the course learned something new.

Corey Chantry of All Seasons Pest Control in Spanaway points out a gutter defect on the research house.

The class broke up into four groups all lead by veteran inspectors/ instructors, and we essentially conducted an inspection of all areas of the home. As we walked around, inside, up to the attic, and crawled underneath, the instructor kept us engaged in discussion about what we were finding.

At the end of the mock inspection we discussed how the deficiencies should be written in a report and illustrated in a diagram. A roundtable discussion was then held with the instructors.

While I think I have been in business for a long time (over 10 years), to these instructors I am relatively a "newbie". They have been in the business a long time, and that is what makes them good at training other inspectors. I always learn a way to improve upon my inspection protocols, and reporting methods when I get around these guys.

Here are some great links with articles, more information on the house, and upcoming training.

http://structuralpest.wsu.edu/pdf/SPI_Facility.pdf

http://washington-state-magazine.wsu.edu/stories/2007/February/mildewmanor.html

http://cahnrs.wsu.edu/ag/archives/2007/pest-facility-puyallup-20074-04.html

http://structuralpest.wsu.edu/

WWW.MILLERHOMEINSPECT.COM

Everett Area Home Inspector

Deck attachment defects by an Everett Home Inspector.

2007-10-25T13:20:22Z

Most people do not know that their decks are improperly attached, when I find the defect during a home inspection. They assume that since they bought the house new, the code compliance officer should have made sure the builder installed it right. Seems logical, but the reality is that many details like this escape code officials every day.

What defects on deck installation do I find?

Missing lag bolts. These secure the deck ledger board to the structure of the home. In their absence only nails are holding the deck up at the intersection with the house. Lag bolts provide both shear support as well and resistance against lateral movement. Conventional nails have poor resistance against lateral pull out.
Missing ledger board flashings or insufficient drainage plane. The absence of flashings allows water to enter the intersection between the decks' ledger board and the home. Homes with wood, OSB or hardboard sidings are at risk of developing fungal wood rot decay, and other wood destroying organism activities. Such damage compromises this critical connection point and deck collapse is possible.

In the photo above you can see that there is no flashings, no lag bolts and water stains can be observed on the interior drywall above the windows.

In this photo it is obvious that someone thought about flashings after the fact. They tried to just slide it under the siding, but water was still getting in.

How much was saved by not installing the flashing when it was built? Not much. How much will it cost to repair? Alot more than was saved. The entire deck has to come off, siding needs to be removed, then the real work of repairing the compromised structure of the home starts. I am guesssing tens of thousands, but we will leave that to the contractors to decide.

Check your deck. If it is not flashed and bolted, then you should seek some professional help to repair it before it gets as bad as the one above. It took only five years for the example to get this bad, some take much longer.

A great reference to building a deck that is based on the 2003 IRC can be found at;

http://buildingcodes.jocogov.org/documents/Deck%20Book.pdf

www.millerhomeinspect.com

Check to make sure your inspector, and/ or contractor is licensed here.

2007-10-25T11:33:29Z

It is so important to verify the status of any individual you hire for your self and your clients. It is due diligence. Unfortunately many people take the easy route, and take the prospective workers statements at face value. We all need to remember that the people willing to do sub standard work, probably have no problem telling us that they are licensed, when in fact they are not.

I have provided some links to sites where anyone can check the status of inspectors, and contractors.

For home inspectors there is no site in the State of Washington, however to make a long story short, you should verify that we have a Structural Pest Inspectors (SPI) license. This link will allow you to search the WSDA for licensed inspectors. If your inspector is not licensed, they will not be able to legally comment on plumbing leaks, wood rot fungus, water damage, etc. A clue is that the inspection report does not have a valid ICN number.

Home and Pest Inspector look up http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/LicensingEd/Search/default.aspx

Contractors have their own site under Labor and Industries (L&I) and this encompasses a wide variety of specialities. General, plumbing, electrical, insulation, HVAC, Roofing, etc.

Contractor Look up https://fortress.wa.gov/lni/bbip/

Washington State L&I has some very good tips for hiring contractors that you should review. It will walk you through the process. http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Contractors/HireCon/default.asp

My thoughts are if I hire someone and I don't do the research first, then I am partly responsible for any problems that arise. Do the homework, ask the questions, make sure the people you use are qualified. This doesn't mean everything will go perfect, but at least is reduces the risks.

WWW.MILLERHOMEINSPECT.COM

Power Outages and Generators-Safety Tips from Everett Home Inspector

2007-10-24T19:29:46Z

Generator Manual Transfer Switch

With Fall and Winter storms approaching, and already one large wind storm under our belt for the season, many people may be considering the purchase of a generator. There are some very important safety considerations when installing and using a portable generator.

Never use the a generator indoors. Doing so can result in carbon monoxide poisoning. While this seems obvious, it is amazing how many people died from this just last winter.
Never back feed power from the generator into the homes' wiring. This is very dangerous because workers repairing lines can become electrocuted from the power you generate this way, and when the power comes back on your generator will be damaged. Turning the main off does not stop electrical current flow on the neutral / ground conductor.
Have an electrician install a manual transfer switch to prevent backfeeding, or;
Only plug appliances needed into generator, bypassing the homes electrical system.
Always use heavy duty extension cords with an amperage rating that exceeds that of the appliances plugged into them.
Always read all manuals supplied by the generators' manufacturer. These detail safe operating procedures.
Size the generator to meet your needs. This will depend on what appliances you want to run, and how many amps they draw. Other factors include how many items might be running simultaneously. And another important consideration is start up amperage draw. Some appliances use more power when the motor starts than during normal operation. And also don't run the generator at more than 80 percent of its capacity.

www.millerhomeinspect.com

Is your Washington Inspector licensed? ...by an Everett Home Inspector

2007-10-24T10:36:03Z

That is a trick question. And I will explain. You see as Home Inspectors there is no license here in Washington State. But here is the tricky part; We do have to obtain a Structural Pest Inspectors license (SPI) from the State, if we report on of course pests (wood destroying organisms) and/ or their conducive conditions.

Conducive conditions, what does that mean? Well that includes a whole host of items such as plumbing leaks, roof leaks, water intrusions around windows and doors, earth to wood contacts, drainage defects at gutters and in crawl spaces, etc, etc. etc.

Reporting these conducive conditions both (a) Cross over into items that are also required to be reported in our professional home inspection associations' Standards of Practice. And, (b) Require that we be licensed by the State of Washington to report these findings.

For many years quite a few home inspectors ignored the requirements stating that they were not pest inspectors, yet they continued to report on plumbing leaks, etc. And today there are still inspectors who you will not find licensed as an SPI.

As licensed Structural Pest Inspectors, we have to pass a state test to demonstrate knowledge, and have to meet continuing education requirements. Every year I attend a technical seminar with other structural pest inspectors, and recently WSU has opened up a hands on training facility in Puyallup where I trained last Spring.

It pays to do some research as a buyer to confirm the status of your inspector. While an unlicensed inspector might charge the lowest fee today, you may pay later when missed problems arise, or when you sell your home in the future.

If you would like to check the licensing status of your inspector, follow the link to my website below. At the bottom of my home page I have links that will help you find the information you need.

www.millerhomeinspect.com

Water in crawl spaces

2007-10-24T09:42:10Z

Here in the Seattle area we are known to receive a fair share of precipitation. It is no surprise to me when I crawl under a home and find ponding, pooling water. Modern homes typically have a footing drain installed around the exterior foundation perimeter during construction. Inside the space they may also have a footing drain. Sometimes these systems are inadequate or have been crushed during back filling. I see so many interior footings drains clogged with mud, and some are roughed in but never cut to length.

Water is a destructive force. It has been called the "universal solvent" and there is some truth to that. In a crawl space standing water may reduce the load bearing capacity of the soil to cause footings, and foundations to sink.

A more common concern is the elevated levels of moisture in the crawl space. These levels create an environment that is conducive for wood destroying organisms (WDO's). In my service area, I see mostly fungal wood rot decay as the most common WDO. However I do see Anobiids, (wood boring beetles), Dampwood Termites, Moisture and Carpenter Ants.

It is very important to correct the drainage defect in order to remove the conducive conditions for these WDO's.

Here is a crawl space that has been neglected for years. Water was allowed to pool in the space, with no vapor barrier, and inadequate crawl space ventilation.

The floor system is significantly weakened as a result of Anobiid (wood boring beetle) activities and fungal wood rot.

Sometimes the water problems in the crawl space can be directly attributed to a defective gutter system. It would amaze many people how much water the roof system collects. When this water is discharged at the base of the structure, it is no mystery that it will find its way to lowest point, which is under the home.

The worst drainage problem I have ever encountered was several years ago on a beautiful high end home near Snohomish. The home had been meticulously maintained by its' owners, and during the inspection I was not finding any material defects.

Upon entering the crawl space everything changed. The crawl space clearance was 6 feet plus. The deepest end of the space was about 12 feet. The problem was that the water had no where to go. It continued to fill up this space until it looked like a swimming pool. The only dry ground in this space was at the access, and along some of the upper concrete footing ribbons. Everything else was a pond.

I wish I had before and after pictures, but this inspection took place before I was using digital cameras as an inspection tool. The water lines on the foundation were over 5 feet high in some places.

Needless to say the sellers' were shocked. Like most homeowners, they never entered their crawl space. The house was new when they purchased it, and they had no reason to believe a problem existed. I know these folks would have had the problem addressed had they been aware.

After pumps were installed to remove the water, it was found that an underground spring had changed course and was dumping water into the space. The drainage contractor came up with a permanent system designed to remove this water.

...And the buyers, they did purchase the house.

House on Fire in Marysville-Pictures from an Everett Home Inspector

2007-10-22T09:55:54Z

Several months ago I was driving through Marysville, WA and saw a huge column of smoke rising into the air. I decided to alter my course towards the fire. I came upon a controlled burn being performed by the Marysville Fire Department. It was the first controled burn I had ever seen.

I was surprised by how close they allowed the public to the burning house. But they clearly had it under control. It was pretty awesome to watch the process.

I was wondering if any one brought hot dogs and marsh mallows. :)

While I hate to see an old house house go up in flames.....I do concede that there are the rare cases where a can of gas and a lighter are the best answer. This was probably one of those rare cases.

I like Free advertising on the web from an Everett Home Inspector

2007-10-21T12:25:40Z

The other day a web developer saw the phone number on my truck, so he decided to call and ask if I needed a web site. I already have a website (which is free) and politely declined his offer.

It got me started thinking about all the places I advertise for free on the internet.

MICROSOFT OFFICE LIVE

http://www.millerhomeinspect.com/ is my free website that is hosted by Microsoft Office Live

I am no webmaster by any means, and yet I found it simple to set up. The site serves my needs perfectly.

Anyone interested can find out more at; http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officelive/fx102390721033.aspx

MERCHANT CIRCLE

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Miller.Home.Inspection.425-501-2382

Is another place to advertise for FREE. What I like about this listing is that it ranks high in Google Searches. Carefully choosing my keywords to reflect those that my clients might use has helped put this high on the first page of the Google search results.

CRAIGSLIST

I think most people know about the virtues of reaching the masses on Craigslist. This is just another great FREE advertising tool. ....AND again it ranks high in Google searches.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/search/bbb?query=home+inspector+everett

...and now that I have discovered vFlyer I can really grab the attention of potential clients on my Craiglist postings....guess what for FREE!

See my vFlyer as an example; http://activerain.com/blogsview/239069/My-vFlyer-for-Craigslist

Here are simple steps for the vFlyer set up; http://activerain.com/blogsview/239056/Flyer-Service-marketing

INSPECTION ZONE

For home inspectors another free listing is at; http://www.inspectionzone.com/page/homeinspectors/b.507.g.46.html

SUPERPAGES.COM

I was offered a premium listing with this company for $150.00 a month estimated. I am a little more frugal and went for the free listing, which places me closer to the bottom of the page, than the top. What the heck it is FREE.

http://www.superpages.com/yellowpages/C-Home+Inspection+Services+&+Home+Inspectors/S-WA/T-Everett/

YAHOO LOCAL

Another free listing; http://local.yahoo.com/results?p=home+inspector&csz=98282

INSPECTOR SEEK

My listing on this site is a direct benefit (free) for being a member of the National Association of Home Inspectors (NACHI)and is an effective tool for real estate agents and buyers to find Ceritified Residential Inspectors by area using a search engine.

Check it out; http//www.inspectorseek.com/results.php?q=camano+island%2C+wa&range=20

ACTIVE RAIN

Well if you are reading this you probably already know that Active Rain is a great place. Of course you may have stumbled accross this page during a search. And if you are not a member, then you should be!

Take a look at my Active Rain home page; http://activerain.com/kelly1

I hope this is helpful to those looking for some relief to their advertising budgets!

How about some exterior maintenance?

2007-10-21T10:01:07Z

These examples are from a 1989 one owner home. There was some significant deferred maintenance, which led to very serious consequences. This is not composition (LP, Weyerhauser, or Masonite) siding. This is real wood. The owners just did not pay any attention to the caulking and paint, so water was able to enter at failed caulking where siding meets the corner boards.

Once this water intrusion occurs, the process of fungal wood rot decay begins. In this case the home also suffered other wood destroying organism damage (pest). There were Carpenters Ants, Moisture Ants, Dampwood Termites, and even some wood boring beetles. It was unusual to find that many bugs all in one home. The water broke down the house wrap and allowed moisture and pests to attack the wall sheathing and framing. And we have not even started to discuss the issue of "mold".

It will take tens of thousands of dollars to correct these defects, when it would have been easily prevented at the cost of some inexpensive tubes of caulking, and a weekend here and there to replace any failed sealants.

Most homes don't get this far, but many do have water intrusions long before they look this bad. It amazes me that so many people do not take care of the exterior of their homes. I am guessing that many people see the 25 year warranty on the tubes of caulking and cans of paint and assume these products really last that long. This is so far from the truth. In fact, most composition siding manufacturers recommend repainting every 4 to 5 years. And trust me, most need it, especially those with the thinned out builder grade paint.

Caulking adhesion is affected by numerous factors, and people should realize that the materials that homes are built with expand and contract continuously. This affects the performance of the caulking. It is important to take a close look at your exterior caulking annually and maintain your homes' exterior.

FSBOs....Why buyers should have a real estate agent

2007-10-21T09:14:22Z

An old adage says "He who represents himself, has a fool for a client" As much as this is true in the court room, it also carries into other aspects of our lives. Take the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) method of selling real estate as an example.

In my ten years as an inspector, I have inspected numerous homes that were FSBOs. I can say from this experience that many times buyers who work without the professional assistance of a real estate agent have put themselves at risk.

I have had many clients ask the questions that should be posed to a real estate agent. But in the absence of an agent, they think they can turn to their inspector. Questions will range from "Am I paying too much for this house?" to "How do I ask the seller to replace the roof?" I find that many buyers often do not understand the nuances of negotiations, that real estate agent are skilled in.

What also frustrates me is that they are not saving a dime by not using an agent, but they think they are. The truth is the seller is the one saving all the real estate commissions, and the buyer ends up the with the short end of the stick.

An average FSBO inspection starts with the buyer and myself meeting the seller for access to the home. Because the seller and the buyer are both flying by the seat of their pants, no one really knows how the inspection process works. The seller thinks it is a 15 minute process, like an appraisal, and is shocked when I actually perform a real inspection that takes 3 or more hours.

Then there is the difficulty of preserving my clients confidentiality while conducting the inspection in front of the seller. Words have to be chosen carefully when describing defects, so as not to offend the seller, but to fully disclose the condition to the buyer. It is a delicate balance, but most of the time the seller continues to interject excuses for every thing found to minimize the deficiency to the buyer. That is always entertaining, it never changes the facts, and unfortunately wastes a lot of everybody's' time.

At the end of the inspection I go over the report with the buyer and often the buyer will ask advice on how to negotiate the repairs with the seller. Such as how to respond (i.e. verbally, in writing, etc.) Ugh....At this point I know they are ambling blindly towards a possible disaster.

I have found that that buyers who use a real estate professional in the purchase of their home routinely fair better than those with no professional guidance.