birch bay home inspection: Mix and Match Wiring - 05/12/08 11:49 AM
Mix and match might work for some things. However, it does not make for a pretty or safe sight when working with electrical wiring when circuits include both copper and solid-strand aluminum wiring. The panel below has both -- mix and match. The terminal on the left clearly has a solid aluminum … (4 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Thin Air Up There - 01/14/08 10:31 PM
This photo probably does not do the driveway justice, as far as how steep it really is, but this is a fairly common problem in Whatcom County -- especially in a community out by the lake. That problem is driveways that are really, really, really, really steep. I have done inspections at some … (3 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Human Betrayed By Water Heater - 01/10/08 05:23 PM
This is a photo of an unfinished basement (lucky) that was victim to a sudden and unexpected water heater leak. The tank had a small leak one day, a plumber was contracted to get a new tank installed but, before that could be done the tank developed a major leak. The … (8 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Classic Damage -- L-P Siding - 01/09/08 09:58 PM
For some reason, not sure why, I have been seeing a number of homes lately with L-P innerseal siding. This is the OSB (oriented strand board) installed prior to 1996. The photo below is a great photo of the siding in distress. It is de-laminating. Frankly, when it starts going it … (3 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Nice Roof Work - 01/08/08 12:08 PM
When a home inspector is out working, this is the sort of thing you do not want to see. You might think this is someone in a rural area with a TV antenna. Wrong! This is part of the support for the main electric service mast. First, the bolts are not … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: The Rains Came - 01/07/08 02:58 PM
The rains came and suddenly the crawl space was full of water. The issue of crawl space, and even more serious usually, basement water, is a real concern. It is also tricky for the home inspector. In the Pacific Northwest it is possible to inspect a home in dry months and think it … (2 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Evidence of Leaks - 01/01/08 07:35 PM
A home inspector needs to, consciously, look at upper wall and ceiling areas. Sometimes it seems like an inspector is so busy running around looking at things that are eye level and below, that one might forget to look up above. Ceilings are a primary place to find signs of past … (8 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Reference For Realtors: ID of L-P Siding - 01/01/08 06:15 PM
I have posted about this before, probably almost a year ago, but the issue comes up enough that I think it is worth spending some time on it again. If you are a real estate professional, you might want to save this for easy reference. Realtors, often the seller's realtor, have to … (2 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Lack of Flashing - 12/31/07 02:10 PM
Although at times it seems redundant, I am not sure that an inspector can overemphasize the importance of having a proper metal flashing at a deck that attaches to the exterior wall of the home. As a review, the flashing goes up under the siding, then comes down over the ledger … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Traction But No Attraction - 12/31/07 10:01 AM
Composition shingles, roll roofing and carpet are something a home inspector really does not like to see tacked on a wood deck. People put these surfaces down, usually because they feel the deck is slick. The carpet, immediately, allows rain through to the wood, so the wood stays wet and rots. … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Proper Cover For In-Service Use on Outdoor Outlet - 12/30/07 11:36 PM
It seems like we home inspectors spend much of our time posting photos and descriptions of problems. I saw this photo and decided to post a photo of something that is right. While it does not have anything plugged into it, this is an "in-service" cover for an exterior outlet -- … (4 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham WA Home Inspections (King of the House): Water Intrusion - 12/30/07 11:27 PM
Below is a photo of a deck, actually a small landing, that is in front of a door that faces south. The southern exposure door receives heavy weather, wind and rain, and to make it even more harsh the home is not too far from the ocean. You can tell by looking … (3 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Wa Home Inspection (King of the House): Attention To Detail Is Important - 12/30/07 05:14 PM
This is a photo of a sink located in the center island of a kitchen. The main water was shutoff at the home, so I could not perform all of the standard plumbing examinations that I normally do. However, even in such a situation, I do try to look for loose … (6 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham WA Home Inspection (King of the House): Conducive Conditions - 12/30/07 12:16 PM
In a blog yesterday I wrote about Washington State mandated conducive conditions. Conducive Conditions -- In this state, they are a big deal to any home inspector who is properly licensed and operating in a legal manner. Below is a photo of one of the most common conducive conditions. Over and … (5 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspections (King of the House): Private Wells - 12/26/07 04:11 PM
In an earlier post today, I wrote about septic tank inspections. Since septic tanks and wells often go together, I thought this information would be appropriate as well.
A private well is a specialized and complex system, mechanically and biologically. Generally speaking, these systems are beyond the scope of a standard home … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: The Home Inspector Is NOT A Specialist - 12/26/07 03:46 PM
I thought I would take this opportunity to better define the role of the home inspector. The home inspector is a generalist and, if properly trained, should know lots about many different systems and components of the home. With a few exceptions, however, the inspector is not a licensed electrician, licensed … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Septic Tanks - 12/26/07 03:36 PM
Often homebuyers want to know why a standard home inspection does not include an inspection of the septic system. The truth is that the home inspector is not equipped to do a septic inspection. And, due to the nasty nature of the job, people would not want him or her doing it … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Point Roberts Home Inspections (King of the House): Facts About Old Pipes - 12/24/07 12:42 PM
"Just the facts" that is what Joe Friday used to say in Dragnet, if you are old like me and remember the show. Providing facts to the client is what a home inspector attempts to do. Sometimes interpretations are made of those facts, for example, explaining why something is a problem … (8 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Mount Vernon WA Home Inspections (King of the House): Knob and Tube Wiring - 12/23/07 08:57 PM
Below is another photo of a situation that is frustrating to the home inspector. To begin with, as real estate professionals I imagine everyone here knows that knob and tube wiring is a concern in older houses. I am not saying it is automatically going to cause a fire, or is … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Whatcom/Skagit County Home Inspections (King of the House): Damp Crawl Spaces - 12/23/07 02:11 PM
Here in the Pacific Northwest, due to our damp climate, those of us who do state mandated inspections for wood destroying organisms (as part of a home inspection) look for water or dampness in the crawl space. Damp conditions can be caused by a multitude of problems: poor management of runoff … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): This Is A Shock - 12/23/07 01:47 PM
This Square D electric panel has a serious defect. In fact, it is a major life and limb safety issue. Yet, unless someone knows what to look for, the problem might be overlooked. Look to the left terminal in the photo, and you will see that there is a fairly small … (7 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: My First Clue That Something Was Wrong - 12/22/07 05:32 PM
I have seen weird problems with water heater temperature pressure relief valves before, but this was the most "slap you in the face" startling discovery I have seen. Usually, the problems are pretty standard: There is only a plug where the TPR valve should go; there is no TPR drain line; … (3 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Beware: Yucky Photo But Proof Positive - 12/22/07 05:24 PM
In a post earlier this week I wrote about the problem an inspector might have in trying to determine if rodents are present in a home or if the inspector is seeing signs of a paranoid homeowner who thinks there are pests, but in reality there are not. Sometimes it can be hard … (6 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House): High Deck Safety - 12/22/07 04:02 PM
When a home has a high deck, or a balcony, an inspector should look to see that lag bolts or screws were used to attach the ledger board to the home. Obviously, high decks coming down with party goers can result in some pretty serious injuries. In a related matter, at … (4 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Blaine Home Inspector (King of the House): Rodents In Our Midst? - 12/18/07 04:52 PM
Sometimes a home inspector finds clues without being able to absolutely, for certain, state that a problem currently exists. The photo below is an example. While I did not see rodent droppings in this crawl space, this big rat trap was conspicuously placed on a heat duct. The question was: Is … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House): Deck Flashings - 12/18/07 04:42 PM
Sometimes, when doing a home inspection, even if you as the inspector know what you are looking for it can be hard to tell what you are really seeing. This is particularly true as no destructive testing is done. For example, the photo at the left is a deck where it … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House): Slow Drains - 12/13/07 10:59 AM
One issue, usually not serious, that can be missed by an inspector unless quite a bit of water is run, is the slow drain. In most homes the slow drain at bath sinks is caused by hair. More often than not, if the P-trap is cleaned, the sink will drain okay. … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Home Inspector's Hands Tied On The Job! - 12/10/07 03:24 PM
When I say the home inspector's hands were tied, I mean it as a joke. However, it is not uncommon to find this to be the situation in the real world of inspection. It is most often the case at a home that has been vacant. The seller decides to winterize the … (3 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham WA Home Inspection (King of the House): Wood to Earth and Rot - 12/10/07 02:56 PM
This photo is a classic example of what happens when soil is piled against wood. This is the side of a garage. The garage, especially an unattached garage, is a common place to find this problem as the structure is often ignored compared to the house. There was a concrete foundation here, … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Crawl Space Vapor Barrier - 12/03/07 12:32 PM
This photo shows a crawl space that is missing the plastic vapor barrier. While not uncommon to find it like this on some older homes, the vapor barrier is an important part of the construction process. Basic physics makes it obvious that the plastic helps keep all the moisture in the … (1 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Why Gutters And Downspouts Help - 12/03/07 12:20 PM
In some climates they might not be necessary, but here in the wet Pacific Northwest, the runoff water and splashing from missing or damaged gutters or downspouts can lead to decay of structure. The photo below is typical. In general, the deck is holding up; however, just above this rot there … (6 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Whatcom County Home Inspection (King of the House): Flat Roofs - 12/03/07 12:12 PM
This photo is an interior ceiling area right below a flat roof. When I say a flat roof, I really mean low-sloped. Even a flat roof should be designed to have some drainage. The flat roof, from above, did not look too bad. But, from below, there was this stain and … (1 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Remember, Privacy Is Where You Can Find It - 12/02/07 12:55 PM
On our recent trip in Italy, my wife and I really enjoyed Verona, a city not far from Venice with much the same architecture. But, instead of the canals, a river pretty much went around the city. We were out for a walking adventure on a September day and ended up … (1 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Vegetation and Siding: Cause and Effect - 12/02/07 12:34 PM
The photos below are one of the better photographic opportunities I have had to illustrate, in depth, the problem with vegetation touching siding. This is T1-11 siding, a veneer wood like plywood, and it is even less resistant to moisture than many other types of siding. In this case, you see the photo of … (6 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Marketing Jingles - 12/02/07 11:59 AM
Well, another week has gone by where circumstances were such that I did not get the time I wanted for AR blogging. However, I thought that some members might find this post interesting. As many of you know, prior to inspection, I worked as an engineer and finally the manager and owner … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Short List of Favorite Places In Italy: Lake Como - 11/24/07 10:02 PM
In the past, when I have posted photos from my recent trip to Italy, people have said that they enjoyed the photos. I was going through some of my pictures today and thought I would write about, and post these. We have visited Italy four times now and we are starting … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Unique Chimney Caps From Italy - 11/24/07 09:44 PM
In the past, I have written articles or blogs here at Active Rain about the benefits of chimney caps on chimneys. In my wet climate, they are pretty much essential for keeping the rain out. On my trip a couple months back, to Italy, I could not resist but to … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Whatcom County Home Inspection (King of the House): Detecting A Multi-layer Roof - 11/24/07 09:24 PM
Actually, this title is a bit like the old question: "Who is buried in Grant's tomb?" The way you detect a multi-layer roof is by looking. That can, however, be harder than you would expect. The photo below is the simple way, just tweak the shingles a bit and you see … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Real Estate Professionals: Great New Inspection Blogger - 11/19/07 08:57 AM
I know that many of the real estate professionals here at active rain, along with members of the public who find us through search engines, are very interested in obtaining information about homes, problems found at homes. I am aware of this because dozens of people have, for nearly a year … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Re-inspection Complications - 11/18/07 06:33 PM
Frequently a home inspector is asked to go back and re-inspect repairs at a house where that inspector had previously done an inspection. This is typically done at a fraction of the cost of the original inspection. On the surface, this sounds simple enough. But, for the record, most of those companies … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Kerbooooooom!!!! If You Refer Home Inspectors Watch This Video - 11/13/07 05:05 PM
I was told about this video and it really is worth seeing. I had dropped by the Bellingham Technical College today, where we are running a college level inspection training program, and Charlie Buell, a friend and instructor, told me to check out this posting at youtube. I cannot tell you, … (1 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Conducive Conditions and Rot - 11/13/07 04:44 PM
People tend to take gutters for granted, that is for sure. Even at new homes, just being sold to someone for the first time, the builder will not clean gutters that have large quantities of accumulated debris -- from pieces of shingle and nails to organic matter that collected in the … (4 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Whatcom County Home Inspection (King of the House): Follow The Water - 11/13/07 04:14 PM
In investigative reporting, or trying to track racketeers, they always say: "follow the money." In Washington state, to be a competent structural pest inspector, one needs a similar philosophy and catch phrase. That catch phrase is "follow the water." Wood decay fungi or rot is common on wood with a moisture … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): What Is Wrong With This Photo? - 11/11/07 10:26 PM
If you take a look, you will see that there are a couple things wrong here. The cause of the second problem is the first problem. If that does not make sense, let me explain. The big tree over the roof is shedding onto the house. And the shedding tree has … (3 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Whatcom County Home Inspector (King of the House) Pressure Treated Lumber, What Is It Good For? - 11/11/07 10:47 AM
Pressure treated lumber is advertised as having a long life (some say 40 plus years) with direct earth contact. The manufacturers soak the lumber in chemicals, it penetrates into the wood at the outside surface. The most vulnerable area is where the wood is cut, such as to length and then that end … (2 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Sodium Borate and Anobiid Beetles - 11/10/07 10:45 AM
I have done a number of posts here about the pest known as anobiid beetle which is so common in crawl spaces here in the Pacific Northwest. The insect leaves exit holes in soft lumber and will live for years and years if the conditions are right -- literally destroying the … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Whatcom County Home Inspections (King of the House): Drywood Termites - 10/24/07 05:20 PM
Well, the photo below is something I have yet to run into doing inspections. In fact, many inspectors in this state, probably most, have never seen the pest below -- in action at least. Now, most of us have seen some species of this world-class house-wrecker. But this particular termite species … (10 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Whatcom County Home Inspections (King of the House): Water Heater Safety - 10/24/07 03:03 PM
I know, I have written about this before. But it seems that I see poorly installed temperature pressure relief valves and their drains so often that it is obviously a concern that needs to be front and center. In older homes the valve or drain is installed wrong at least thirty … (2 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House): Unchain My Gutter - 10/24/07 11:16 AM
While I do not see this arrangement much, the whole concept of chains for downspouts is certainly not a wise idea, at least not in the wet Pacific Northwest. It might work great somewhere where there is minimal rain, but then again, in such locations they often have no gutters to … (0 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Not The Wood Burner You Want To See - 10/20/07 09:42 PM
A couple times I have inspected homes where the wood stove (burner) was some concoction designed by the homeowner. This dual arrangement of old metal barrels probably took the cake for me. I remember seeing a number of single barrels like this, as stoves, in the 1960's but not recently. This … (4 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Travel Photo: Gelato in Italy - 10/16/07 03:23 PM
I know, this would be better to look at in the summer, when it is hot, but I think this is a nice photo. Those of you who have visited Italy have seen this type of display before. Gelato stores, like pizza parlors, are a major part of the storefronts in … (5 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Skagit County Home Inspection (King of the House): Knob and Tube Wiring - 10/16/07 10:16 AM
The photo below shows a situation where the evidence tells you one thing, but it does not go far enough to make a general statement. Uncertainty prevails. This is knob and tube wiring, removed, from a home that is more than 100 years old. Now, the fact this is not energized is … (3 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): How Do You Spell Shot? - 10/12/07 07:38 PM
The composition roof in the photo below is on its last legs. It is shot! I do not care if it is a 25-year roof at only 12 years of age, this roof is toast. The manufacturer's warranty means little more than being a rudimentary guideline of quality and durability. The … (2 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Birch Bay Blaine Wa. Home Inspection (King of the House): Crawl space variations and ventilation - 07/16/07 12:58 AM
Recently, I saw a general statement telling people to block their crawl space vents permanently. I have made skeptical remarks on this, based on conditions I personally see out in the field inspecting in western Washington and based on Washington WDO laws.
While the practice of blocking vents might be a good … (4 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Birch Bay WA Property Inspector: Conducive Conditions - 07/14/07 02:15 PM
By Washington state law, home inspectors involved in real estate deals are mandated to thoroughly inspect for and report on wood destroying organisms and conducive conditions. Often realtors and others say "so just what is a "conducive condition." There is not any specific list, although some of the more common ones … (2 comments)
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