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birch bay home inspection: Wood Destroying Organisms -- Rot - 12/12/08 08:44 AM
One of the most sure-fire ways to guarantee that wood at your home will decay or rot is to put wood in contact with earth or the soil. Given time, and sometimes that is less time than at other times, that wood will decay. The photo below is not unlike what you might find at a home inspection here in the Pacific Northwest. As you can see, the wood (trim and siding) is in contact with gravel -- we consider that to be soil or earth.
That is a carefully manipulated photo, not really letting you see the bad stuff. … (4 comments)
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birch bay home inspection: Goofy People, Crazy Designs - 07/08/08 01:49 PM
As I have discussed before, we home inspectors see many odd things. Some of them, at least if you think about it, make sense in that you can eventually figure out why the person did what he or she did. There are many more of these crazy designs that make no sense at all.
Usually, I see one common thread that runs through these crazy designs. Often the designs are the result of the homeowner trying to repair, or adjust for, some other problem -- real or imagined. For example, I know of a homeowner who did not like the location of the … (7 comments)
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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 wire on the top breaker. The ones below that are copper. Solid-strand aluminum branch wiring, used for a relatively brief period into the early 1970's, has a history of safety problems. I have seen estimates that a home could be as much as 50 times more likely to have a … (10 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 of these houses in the icey winter weather. I pulled into the driveway, parked and my truck slid back out again. I am sure that would be the case here. At an inspection, I sometimes have trouble figuring out how to approach this topic. People get all excited about a home in … (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 tank was trying to heat water, which was running out of it just about as fast as it went in. In this case, being in an unfinished basement, it was an inconvenience and not a homeowner disaster. On the other hand, had it been in a finished room of 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 is much like cardboard -- it just pulls apart. There is an installation problem here that is often the case. The siding had its share of problems to start with so, when it is not correctly installed, that makes those problems even more pronounced. In this case, there is no trim … (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 tight, so the mast wobbles around. Add to that the whole issue of this being a likely source of a roof leak. The more the mast moves, the more it wiggles the bolt, and the cycle continues. Once an inspector sees something like this, it is usually the tip of … (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 looks good, or at least not alarming, underneath. Then you end up going back in October to February and the piers and posts are underwater or the vapor barrier is floating. At least that kind of situation can apply in the crawl space. In a basement, people's belongings might … (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 water damage. This is usually related to roof leaks or, sometimes, water from an upstairs bathroom or even a burst pipe. Water damage should be suspected, and looked for, especially if the roof has problems. I pay particular attention under flat and low-sloped roofs. One thing to remember is that, usually, just because … (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 deal wit the home inspection and a home inspector called out that the home had Louisiana Pacific (L-P) innerseal siding. If the siding is composition wood and the home was built from the early 1980's until 1995 or even later into the 1990's in some cases, then that is certainly possible … (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 board. The decking boards go over the top of that. Then, there should be a gap between the decking and the siding. That keeps water from collecting on the horizontal surface and then wicking up into the siding. The metal flashing is exposed at the gap, and fills the hole.
I … (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. The asphalt roofing material is not waterproof in such an application, and is not designed to be walked on, so it breaks down and is nothing but a cover over the wood which means that it stays soggy underneath -- at least in the Pacific Northwest climate that is what … (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 -- a GFCI. Inspectors often see outside appliances or devices, from lights to ponds, plugged into an outlet and an improper cover is in place. This ranges from no cover at all to a cover that swings open at the top and rain, and garden hose water, get down into … (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 at the threshold just how wet this area gets and the black coloring on the wood and on the floor covering is a sign of heavy moisture, likely decay is underway in this area. This is an example of why qualified builders or carpenters, who know how to properly fit … (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 faucets, shoe goo used to hold pipes together, rusted fixtures, signs of past leaks, etc. In this case, after locating the door to look under the island sink, I got quite a surprise. Despite it being an older home, the sink had never been plumbed in! There was no drain … (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 over again, the home inspector sees decks that have wood to earth contact in many different locations. In this case, there actually is a concrete pier under the post, but the homeowner has piled dirt around it and up onto the post. It has probably been this way for … (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 inspection. Many mechanical parts of the system are not visible and the biological aspects of the system require laboratory testing. Ifyou are buying a home that has a well, depending on the inspector you have hired, he or she will either exclude the well or attempt to … (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 plumber, licensed professional engineer or an HVAC trained technician. It is the job of the inspector to detect problems and then pass the upgrade or repair on to the proper professional. It is not unlike the GP who sends a patient to the skin doctor, who specializes in skin disorders, … (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 anyway. At least not if the inspector was then going to go inside and inspect the rest of the home anyway. This job needs to be done by specialists with equipment designed for working on septic systems. Here are some pretty basic reasons that the home inspector does not dig … (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 and not an annoyance. Other times, merely giving the facts is all that is required: "The sidewalk is concrete aggregate."
A year back I was dealing with a real estate professional who was very irritated that, on an older home, I stated that the drain pipes were old cast iron and … (8 comments)
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Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector
Bellingham,
WA
More about me…
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc
Address: Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Sumas, Nooksack, Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish, Anacortes, Mount Vernon, Whatcom County, Bellingham, WA, 98225
Office Phone: (360) 676-6908
Cell Phone: (360) 319-0038
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