anacortes home inspector: Good Lookin' Bad Idea - 05/04/08 03:09 PM
Crowding. Crowding. Crowding the house. How else would you describe this? I am sure the homeowner likes this plant, probably likes the way it covers the siding. But the problem is that siding needs some space between it and the vegetation. How much? Well usually a foot is recommended. In actuality, … (8 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Nice Plumbing Repair - 04/17/08 10:41 PM
My friend Charles Buell is always very critical of duct tape -- the miracle cure of last century and still a hot commodity today. I have seen everything from the skins of mobile homes and fuel tanks to shoes repaired with the stuff. I always love it when I open a … (10 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Another Close, But No Cigar, Job - 04/17/08 10:15 PM
Below is an electric water heater with an installation that is close to right. But close is not good enough. There is a temperature pressure relief valve and the drain line from it is even routed down and out of the home. And the lower section of the drain is CPVC tubing … (4 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Common and a Real Mess! - 04/16/08 11:30 PM
The view in this photo is so very common, but I always hate to see it. When a roofer takes an old wood shingle or shake roof off, it seems that about eight times out of ten the wood debris ends up inside the attic. Just what a homeowner wants is … (16 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Gambler's Guide To Home Buying - 04/16/08 09:44 AM
In life there are many gambles. Anyone in business has to assume some risk and take some gambles. Even hanging out your shingle, doing whatever it is you plan to do, involves risk. I am not one who is afraid of some risk. One of the best business decisions I ever … (5 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: They're Alive, They're Alive - 04/15/08 10:35 PM
This is not an out of body experience, or some tale that will make you think I am any weirder than what you might already think. After all, you have probably heard stories of the dead coming back to life -- on shows like the Twilight Zone. Call it reincarnation, call it hibernation, … (10 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Steve's Greatest Hits And B Sides - 04/14/08 11:48 PM
I was looking at my statistics the other day and found that my first serious activity at Active Rain was one year ago yesterday, as in last Sunday. Wow, how time flies when you are getting all wet in the rain. A while back, a friend had suggested that he had … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Canada and US Border Communities - 04/11/08 09:37 AM
The local daily newspaper, the Bellingham Herald, had a story today that confirmed a trend I have noticed in my inspection business for the past eight months or so -- the rising Canadian dollar, which fluctuates from a bit below to a bit above the US dollar, has led to more Canadians spending … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Cricket, More Than Just A Game - 04/10/08 07:04 PM
No wonder people who are learning English go crazy sometimes. Take, for example, the word "cricket." You probably think it means an insect or a game the British favor that is similar to baseball. Well, there is a third meaning as you are about to learn. The photo below is a … (4 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Home Inspection, Why Must We Get Out Of The Car? - 04/09/08 10:02 PM
Charlie Buell and I sometimes joke around that there are times you could do a home inspection from the publicity photos of the property. It is amazing the things the trained eye can see and, from the photos, you know to look very carefully at certain areas or you might be … (1 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: If It Fits It Must Work - 04/09/08 08:48 PM
This photo has to go in that goofy and misguided category we home inspectors see so often -- "if it fits then it has to work". The photo below, believe it or not, is a dryer vent. If you have ever cleaned a dryer vent, or looked at all the lint … (4 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Little Mistake, Big Problem - 04/09/08 04:02 PM
Warning, unsafe workmanship on display. In some cases, getting something "close" to right will probably get you by for quite some time. There are other times when "close" just does not cut it. No truck driver thinks "close" is good enough if his or her semi whacks an overpass.
The photo below … (14 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: And The First Clue Was - 04/09/08 03:24 PM
We home inspectors look for clues to problems. For example, the leak from the bathroom sink might have also created conducive conditions or damage that is apparent in the crawl space. One component of a home that we look at carefully is the furnace. Especially gas and oil furnaces, are complex and can … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Mushrooms on the Siding or Anyone know a Mycologist? - 04/05/08 02:48 PM
L-P innerseal siding was the oriented strand board (OSB) siding that probably received the most negative media coverage and, among other manufacturers, was involved in a huge class-action lawsuit and a payout to consumers. This Louisiana Pacific product went off the market, officially, in the late 1990's. Fact is, as most … (5 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Pressure-treated Lumber - 04/02/08 02:23 PM
In the State of Washington, a conducive condition that is mandated by the state is "wood to earth contact". Wood to earth contact will, sometimes sooner than later, lead to rot or decay of the wood. Generally this is pretty clear cut -- if wood does not have proper clearances to … (5 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Oh My Achin' Back - 04/02/08 01:27 PM
It is like workin' on the chain gang. But the fact is, despite the title, my back is fine. The photo below is a good example of something that can really complicate and slow down a home inspection. And, since so many realtors have to ensconce themselves on-site during the inspection, that … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Hosebibb -- Two Or More Problems - 03/27/08 03:19 PM
A hosebibb, such as the outside faucet shown below, has a number of vulnerabilities. First, let's talk about freezing. This is not a frost-free installation. In the winter, water would stay in the pipe not only below ground but in all of the exposed pipe that is above ground. If, in … (9 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Wood to Earth Contact - 03/27/08 02:55 PM
The photo above is a commonly seen issue for the home inspector. At least I know that is true in the Pacific Northwest. What you see there is the post at a deck. It is buried in the soil. The problem is our old nemesis known as wood to earth contact. … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Roofs That Can't Drain - 03/27/08 02:11 PM
Earlier today I posted a blog dealing with large trees near homes. In that, I described that a primary consideration for the home inspector is the amount of organic debris such a tree will drop onto the roof. Most homes I see have low-sloped or sloped roofs. When roofs that are … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Your Roots Aren't Showing - 03/27/08 01:48 PM
Actually, the tree in the photo above does not support the home. It is a few feet to the south of the house but you would not know it from the photo. This tree presents a few potential problems. Some of those I will address in this blog and other problems I … (3 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Sweating Windows - 03/25/08 12:08 AM
Yesterday I wrote about mobile homes and the fact they really do need to have a vapor barrier underneath them. Mobile homes, especially the older ones, were noted for poor windows. This had to do with leaks and also it involved missing thermal breaks in the old metal windows. Charlie Buell says … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Mobile Homes: Vapor Barrier Vs Vapor Barrier - 03/23/08 12:07 PM
Mobile and manufactured homes have some oddities of construction compared to stick-built homes. One of those, that is often misunderstood, is the issue of the "vapor barrier." Under a conventional home, everybody knows what we are talking about when we discuss the crawl space vapor barrier -- the plastic sheet over … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House) -- Electric System Grounds - 03/22/08 12:10 PM
The photo below is of a grounding electrode that was never fully pounded down into the soil. We wonder why. Did they hit a rock down there, so they could not get it to go any farther, or did the installer just decide it was in deep enough? These things are … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bzzzzzzzzzzz - 03/22/08 11:02 AM
One thing people often do not think about is bees, the bad kind, gaining access to the attic area. I work with one realtor who looks for gaps from the outside to the attic while I am doing the rest of the inspection. I asked him why that is of such … (4 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Whatcom County Home Inspection (King of the House) -- Garage Door Safety - 03/20/08 01:06 AM
Doors that close automatically, by powered devices, present safety problems for children and pets. For these devices to be considered safe, it is essential that there be a safety feature that will stop and reverse them. The classic example, that we get involved with in real estate, is the overhead garage … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspections (King of the House) -- Deck Flashings - 03/18/08 08:33 PM
No flashing! That is something that inspectors see over and over again at decks that attach to the exterior of the home. When the inspector states that there is no flashing and one is needed, virtually all sellers claim it is not necessary and they never heard of such a thing. Others … (4 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Pacific Northwest Home Inspections (King of the House) -- Wood Decay - 03/18/08 08:17 PM
Okay, I admit it, there is wood here. But what a mess it is. Take a look at those joists that are being beaten by our weather here in the Pacific Northwet. When you see these you realize why an inspector likes to see a deck with a sub-structure built of pressure-treated lumber. When … (5 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House) -- Debris on Roofs - 03/16/08 05:27 PM
It was a cold and rainy night. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have many conditions that lead to a high risk of roof leaks and water damage in the attic or in the home. Those conditions include lots of tall trees that shade a roof and, more significantly, they shed … (3 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspections (King of the House) -- Coiled and Ready to Strike - 03/16/08 04:55 PM
The menace is there, almost in plain sight, but not quite -- slightly concealed. It is not unlike a tightly coiled rattlesnake waiting to strike, except the snake will give you it's telltale warning that your life might be in peril. Not so with the danger that is lurking at the … (9 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House) -- Old Codes vs New Codes - 03/13/08 02:55 PM
A home inspector seldom specifies something as a code issue. There are legal reasons for this. However, that does not mean that an inspector does not know a number of codes and is looking out for violations, especially with safety issues. Unless a major renovation is underway, codes are not retroactive. … (3 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: The Home Inspector As The Storyteller - 03/13/08 02:28 PM
A reference was made today, in a blog, to the home inspector as a storyteller. I look upon writing a report in much that manner. While not always possible, it is my goal to get the point across, good or bad, with detailed descriptions and interesting photos. Where possible, I try … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspections (King of the House) -- Skylight Thinks About Leaking - 03/13/08 01:53 PM
You might argue that a skylight does not "think". That well may be true but I would argue that if a skylight could think, this one would be thinking about leaking. I know a roofer who says that there are two types of skylights: "Those that are leaking and those that are going … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Let There Be Light - 03/13/08 11:33 AM
Lights, and determining if they operate, can be problematic for the home inspector. In old homes, and new homes, there might be combinations of burned out bulbs or missing bulbs. Also, light switches are unidentified (as in not labeled) so sometimes when a switch does not operate it can be hard … (4 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House) -- The Furnace Requires Service - 03/12/08 06:52 PM
Gas and oil furnace manufacturers recommend that a furnace have professional service by an HVAC professional each year. That applies to a new furnace, after it has been in for a single year. That does not mean that it should be run for the first five years, then it gets on … (4 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House) -- Floor Slope - 03/10/08 05:42 PM
It is pretty common, in older homes, for buyers to notice or speculate that floor slope is present. This can be caused by many factors, from settling to wood destroying organism damage to workers that did not spend too much time looking at "level". An inspector, or anyone, who wants some idea … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House) -- That's a No No! - 03/10/08 04:33 PM
The photo below, from a recent home inspection, is a classic example of the attic insulation being poured in around old knob and tube wiring. Knob and tube wiring, at least in the modern day, is problematic even at best. Many insurers do not want to insure homes with old knob … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House) -- The Care And Feeding Of Wood Destroying Organisms - 03/10/08 03:26 PM
As a working home inspector, and a Washington State licensed structural pest inspector, I find numerous wood destroying organisms sharing residences with the mortgage paying, tax paying homeowners. The various wood destroying organisms are not helping pay the mortgage or the taxes but they are having a significant impact on the property. … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Daydreaming In A Perfect World - 02/03/08 11:16 AM
I am writing this blog in winter. For some reason, the best days for daydreaming are considered to be those heady days of summer. A person, thinking of daydreaming, will picture the student stuck in the classroom with the warm weather just outside.
I believe that one of the main reasons a … (3 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham WA Home Inspection (King of the House): Pride Of Ownership -- The Sequel - 01/31/08 02:10 PM
Hollywood puts out sequels, so why not me? This is part two of my article on contractor owned older houses. I did a blog a week or so back about contractors, those flipping older houses usually, who often leave some amazing sights for the home inspector or the unsuspecting buyer. That blog received … (5 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: "The Contractor Stakes His Reputation On This House" -- Start Running! - 01/25/08 02:58 PM
I have got to tell you, especially with remodels and contractors "flipping" houses, you really need to start running when the contractor or his agent says "This contractor stakes his reputation on this job." Over and over again, I have heard that. The first time I thought, wow that is neat … (6 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Whatcom County Home Inspection (King of the House): Over and Over Again - 01/23/08 09:37 PM
A home inspector, who is realistic, knows that he or she will see many of the same things time and time again. Let me name only a few: Gutters full of debris; downspouts that drain against the foundation; trees over the roof, moss on the roof; creosote in fireplaces, wood stoves … (6 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Rain on the Roof - 01/14/08 11:08 PM
In wooded settings, when leaves and debris clutter the roof, it can lead to problems. While rain on the roof is common, and popular in songs, rain is a primary reason we need roofs in the first place. Roofs do not perform too well when they are covered with debris. With … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Trees and Roofs - 01/08/08 12:36 PM
It seems that most homeowners do the realize that organic debris on the roof is a defect. In the past, I have written on moss before. However, while easier to deal with than moss, huge quantities of leaves on a roof are a problem too. I have inspected homes where even … (1 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection Photos (King of the House): Carpenter Ants - 12/09/07 12:08 AM
I went hunting in a crawl space the other day and made a rather dramatic find. If you look at the top photo, this is evidence that a competent structural pest inspector will be on the lookout for. That is classic carpenter ant frass. Look above the sill plate. Now, honestly, sometimes an inspector wonders … (5 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Beware: Hairy Homeowner Does Electricity - 12/02/07 06:34 PM
That is not a typo. In this case, when I say Hairy Homeowner, I spelled hairy the way I wanted. This is one of the more bizarre things I have seen in the last couple months. This was in an older home where the owner had done much of his own … (4 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Whatcom County Home Inspections (King of the House): A Windy Topic - 11/13/07 04:32 PM
Here in Whatcom County, Washington, we had a big windstorm yesterday. There are still several thousand people without power. Winds up to 70 miles per hour knocked trees and limbs down and took power lines with them. Only three houses away from my home a large tree was "topped" by the … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Wa Home Inspection (King of the House): Galvanized Plumbing Pipes - 10/24/07 03:38 PM
Obviously, the stated purpose of a home inspector is to inspect a home. That is really the only calling for a home inspector. A watch dog's job is to scare intruders and a home inspector inspects homes. So, if that is what an inspector does, he or she should try to do … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: B-Vent Safety and Combustible Clearances - 10/24/07 10:18 AM
I was rummaging through my inspection photos and found a couple that I thought make a good point about an often seen problem -- combustibles packed around the B-vent in the attic. Especially in older homes, time and time again, the inspector sees insulation resting in contact with the B-vent. A … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: When Anobiid Beetles Strike - 10/18/07 09:28 PM
This is another photo from the Pacific Northwest, where the anobiid beetles had been working in a crawl space. I enlarged the photo, so you can take a good look. All the little shot sized holes are where the larvae pupated, turned into an adult and then left the wood. The … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Whatcom County Home Inspection (King of the House): Duplex Pricing - 10/18/07 06:22 PM
It makes sense to me, but sometimes people balk when they find that it costs more, or they have to pay more at least, to have a duplex inspected than a home of the same size. If you think about it, that should not be such a surprise. The uninitiated will think … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Ground rods - 10/16/07 04:09 PM
In newer homes, the grounding electrode (or electrodes) almost always have been put in by licensed electricians. As a result of that, the electrode is done properly and usually driven deep into the ground. However, when I inspect older homes that had knob and tube wiring, which had no such ground originally, … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Wa. Home Inspection (King of the House): Unsafe Deck Surfaces - 10/16/07 03:49 PM
When it comes to decks, I have to reiterate again just how careful a person needs to be when walking on them. I did an inspection this weekend, where the deck surface clearly had some problems. In closer investigation, it was apparent that a person could step in the wrong place … (1 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: My Much Anticipated, Long Awaited Dissertation On The Italian Pizza - 10/11/07 03:42 PM
While in Perugia, which is in Umbria, I wrote about the real life Italian pizza. Now, truth is, there is quite a variation in pizza recipes just inside Italy. Naples claims to have invented the pizza and is quite snobbish about it. My wife's tutor came from that area and only … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Skagit County Home Inspection (King of the House):Common Point Of Contact - 10/11/07 02:39 PM
Over the years, many building or construction details have changed. In the older homes - like the one I live in - they commonly had the ends of rafters, fascia or trim rest on the roof. And at my house, in spite of this taking place for 50 plus years, the … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Anacortes Home Inspection (King of the House): Shedding Roofs - 10/11/07 02:30 PM
Sometimes, while doing home inspections, I see expensive and nicely applied roofs that are well maintained. That is the exception. I am astounded at how few people seem to realize that a roof takes some upkeep. For example, any roof that continually has moss, leaves, needles and other tree debris on … (0 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Lake Whatcom Home Inspection (King of the House): Watch Your Step - 10/05/07 02:08 PM
It always seems like common sense to me, that one should protect against children falling from high decks, but I guess that is not the case. I am amazed by the number of times, on home inspections, that I see unsafe situations like those apparent in the photo below. This is … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Skagit County Home Inspector (King of the House): Unsafe Outside Electric Outlets - 10/05/07 02:03 PM
A home inspector sees many outdoor outlets. Probably the most dangerous outlet I have seen was in Skagit County, at a house between Mount Vernon and Burlington. It was a serious shock hazard. Some of the time outlets work great and are well maintained but others have problems. What kind of … (1 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham WA Home Inspection (King of the House): Moss - 10/02/07 02:49 PM
In the Pacific Northwest we have moss. It can be very beautiful, especially in the rain forests. But when it is growing on the roof, as in the photo, or on the roof and the siding then it is not a good thing. Thick, green, healthy moss collects moisture, leads to … (1 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Pacific Northwest Home Inspection (King of the House): Unsafe Junction Boxes - 09/18/07 02:11 PM
The purpose of a junction box is to safely contain splices inside the box. This keeps people from coming in contact with live voltages. And, should the splices build up resistance and overheat, the box confines the wires and reduces the chances of a fire. If you think about it, it … (3 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Assessing Anobiid Beetle Activity - 09/03/07 01:25 AM
I have posted before about anobiid beetles and the damage they can do here in the Pacific Northwest in a damp, unventilated crawl space. The home buyer's question is always the same: Are they still active? Sometimes the damage they have done is so extensive that that concern becomes a moot point -- … (7 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Skagit County Home Inspection (King of the House): Tree Roots and Structural Damage - 06/10/07 04:12 PM
Tree roots are a judgement call for home inspectors. A Bellingham home inspector, due to all the trees in the community, has to make lots of such judgement calls. Tree roots from large trees often damage sidewalks and walkways. We see an abundance of this in Whatcom and Skagit counties. In such … (8 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Skagit County Home Inspection (King of the House): Improper Plumbling - 05/28/07 12:20 PM
Earlier I posted a blog about home-brew plumbing. One of the most commonly seen problems at a home inspection is the S-trap where a P-trap should be. Basically, to the novice plumber, as long as the pipes fit and do not leak, then it all works swell. Unfortunately there is some … (3 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Anacortes Home Inspector (King of the House): Correct Water Pressure - 05/17/07 08:25 PM
The truth about water pressure at homes. Water pressure is somewhat subjective. What one person thinks is adequate, may be a trickle to another person. This can be problematic for a home inspector who is supposed to tell the client if the pressure is satisfactory or not. Almost all of us … (2 comments)
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anacortes home inspector: Skagit County Home Inspection (King of the House):Can you identify this photo? - 05/12/07 10:40 AM
Realtors often have a suspicion that there is something fishy with the siding. But they sometimes do not know how to tell if it is LP siding. The photo below is what they should be looking for, if they suspect LP inner seal siding. That was the oriented strand board that … (4 comments)
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