My Smell Detector wasn't having to work hard on the day I walked into the Berea Kentucky Home Inspection with my client.
The purpose of the trap is to HOLD water to prevent sewer smells coming back up the drain pipe into the house.
That's right. This "trap" isn't going to stop any smells.
Nowadays, a "P" trap is used, and has been for quite awhile. You just know someone was smelling a lot of crap for a long time with this in the house.
For your elucidation (yes, sometimes I like to use those big words, but not in Kentucky home inspection reports)
here's a proper "P" trap and proper (though old and not used anymore) "S" trap configuration! The bottom pictures show you why they're called what they are BUT they should NOT be installed vertical.
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Sometimes people resist the concept of gutters and downspouts. In the climate around here, in the Pacific Northwest, it is hard to believe that anyone can ignore the need of a means of controlling runoff water.
However, there are those who think that an inspector, who recommends gutters, is simply trying to make work for a gutter contractor.
Sometimes, however, the necessity of gutters is so readily apparent that nobody can argue.
There are, actually, a couple causes for the rot on the fascia. The shingles are cut too short so the water runs right over the fascia, and there are no gutters. If there were gutters, and a drip edge flashing to route the runoff into the gutters this fascia would be in much better shape than it is today.
I am asked this all the time. Is there toxic Chinese Drywall here in North Carolina and more specifically in Charlotte NC? Since I am a home inspector in Charlotte NC that is a pretty valid question. Before I answer that though I feel it is necessary to explain what the problem is with this drywall.
During the housing boom of 2004-2006 (some sources say 2001-2008) some drywall suppliers imported drywall from China. This is a little unusual to import drywall because it is so heavy and expensive to ship. The reason it was it made sense though at this time was the high demand for drywall caused by the housing boom at the time. Demand exceeded the US domestic supply. This demand was increased further by several hurricanes. The drywall was obviously shipped into seaports and most of the drywall that has been found so far has been found near ports on the gulf coast, Southeast sea ports including Charleston SC and Wilmington NC.
Drywall is made from gypsum which naturally contains sulfur compounds. It is thought that the drywall from China was held up at sea. If the gypsum is exposed to humidity it can cause the sulfides in the gypsum to off gas. The drywall once installed in the houses starts to emit these sulfides. These sulfides cause severe and rapid oxidation of metal. This has caused the air condition coils to rust out prematurely, metal plumbing pipes to rust and electrical fixtures and outlets to rust prematurely. Beside physical problems associates with this drywall there are some health concerns as well. These have been identified as some of the drywall causing problems. People exposed to this toxic drywall include respiratory irritation, headaches, eye irritation, nose bleeds coughing and difficulty breathing.
What are the warning signs that you might have toxic Chinese drywall in your house? Was your house built between 2001 and 2008, particularly 2004-2006? The first and foremost sign is a constant "rotten egg" smell. The second sign would be corrosion or turning black of metal including plumbing, electrical, jewelry, hinges and guitar strings etc. The sulfur also rusts out the air condition coil early. Another thing that you can do to check is to get to the back of the drywall. You can do this in attics or partially finished basements and garages. If you can get to the back of the drywall look to see if you see Knauf or ASTM C36 stamped on it.
The answer to question is there toxic Chinese drywall in NC? The answer is yes. In July of 2006, a cargo ship called the Star Djervanger was docked in Wilmington NC after a trip from China. Its cargo was about 9,000 tons of drywall, enough to build about 2000 homes. It is also estimated that several ships loaded with drywall have come through the harbor at Charleston SC. On April 22, 2009 the first North Carolina Family files a lawsuit involving toxic Chinese drywall in Holly Springs NC. The plaintiffs Daniel and Mary Flannigan have filed a lawsuit against Stafford Custom Homes in Southern Pines NC. The couple alleges they noticed a "rotten egg" egg smell soon after moving into their new house. The Stafford employees said it was coming from a water heater. Stafford replaced the water heater. Then the evaporator coil for the AC rusted out after 3 years. Many metal things in the Flannigan's house turned black including jewelry and guitar strings. The couple said they were experience severe headaches. The Flannigan's are suing for compensatory and punitive damages.
It is estimated that some 100,000 homes are affected by this toxic Chinese drywall. So far the majority seem to be in Florida and the Gulf coast but anywhere that there was a housing boom that is fairly close to a port of entry may be susceptible. As of this writing none has been identified in my city of Charlotte NC but all of our inspectors continue to look for signs in houses built between 2001 and 2008. For additional information on toxic Chinese Drywall or other home inspection issues check out or website http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com or our blog at http://www.askthecharlotteinspector.com
While I was working at home today I noticed the city of Charlotte NC had some guys out on the street doing some............oh.........work. Actually I only ever saw two guys working at one time and two guys siting for 2 hours. Does it really take four guys to dig a hole and fill it up? http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com
How do you know if your air conditioner is broken. Charlotte home inspector Preston Sandlin's kids show you what home inspectors look for when they inspect the air conditioning on a house. Home inspectors are looking for a 15-20 degree differential from the return to the registers. If you differential is too low your fan speed could be too high or you could be low on Freon. If your differential is too high you fan speed could be too low or your filter could be dirty. Either way if your differential is too high or too low you will want to call a lisenced HVAC contractor. If you have any other air conditioning or home inspection questions please visit Preston at his website http://www.charlottenchomeinspector.com
Home Inspection Carolina has put on a reproduction of the three little pigs. We all know the story of how the wof blew the first house and the second house down. What the didin't tell you is that the first two pigs didn't have a quality home inspection. If they would have had there inspection done by Home Inspection Carolina in Charlotte NC The first two houses wouldn't have been blown down by the wolf. Fortunatey the third pig had his house inspected by Home Inspection Carolina. Join Meredith, Sarah Margaret, Walker, and Connor as the weave the true story of the Three Little Pigs. http://www.charlottenchomeinspector.com
There once was a realtor in Charlotte NC named Goldie. Goldie had a time with three home inspectors with her buyer. The first home inspector was too scarey. The second home inspector couldn't see very well. The buyers were not happy at all. The third home inspector was from Home Inspection Carolina. They were the just right home inspector. They were thorough but not scarey. The buys were happy and Goldie was happy. Join Sarah Margaret Sandlin, Meredith Sandlin, Connor Meetsma, and Walker Misek as they illustrate why Home Inspection Carolina is the best home inspection company in Charlotte NC. http://www.askthecharlotteinspector.com
Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolina was recently doing a home inspection in Monroe NC near Charlotte when hw noticed some trouble with the gutter system There are several causes of overflowing gutters. In could be that they are clogged, rusted or leaking at the seams. They might also be loose or sloped the incorrect direction. To find out for sure what the problem might be you need to climb up on a ladder to inspect your gutters.
Overflowing gutters can cause problems worse than just stained siding. The repeated flow of water from overflowing gutters can cause wood siding to rot. A more serious problem can be caused when gutters overflow and water backs up under roofing shingles and flows down inside the wall cavity. Moist conditions like these can also increase the likelihood of termite infestation.
Every homeowner should clean and inspect his or her gutters twice a year: once in late fall and once in the spring. If you cannot do it yourself and cannot afford two cleanings per year, clean your gutters once after the last of the leaves have fallen in late fall. Don't wait until spring because seeds will have sprouted in the leaves and other organic matter that accumulates in your gutters, which makes them much more difficult to clean.
If you have a single-story house, first use a gutter-cleaning attachment for a leaf blower/vacuum or a wet/dry vacuum. These attachments have a long tube with a U-shaped bend on the end designed to reach into gutters. The ideal time to clean gutters is after a long, dry spell so the debris in the gutters will be dry and more easily sucked into the tube.
Next, climb up on a ladder near the downspout end.
Always have a helper steady the ladder. Move the ladder often and don't try to reach too far because it is easy to lose your balance.
Wearing gloves to protect your hands from sharp metal or protruding screws clean out the downspout opening and stuff a rag in the opening so debris will not fall into it. A garden trowel works well for scooping out debris.
After you have the gutters cleaned out, remove the rag from the downspout opening. Move the ladder to the other end of the gutter. Flush the gutter with water from a garden hose and observe the flow of the water. It should flow toward the downspout and there should be very little standing water when you turn off the water. Also, check for leaks from beneath the gutters.
If you notice leaky spots, hopefully they are at the seams. You can repair leaking seams with caulk and probably get many more years of service before the gutters need to be replaced. If the leaks are from a non-seam section, the gutters likely need to be replaced.
When water is left standing in the gutter, this means the slope of the gutter is incorrect or it is sagging. Changing the slope is a major job you might not want to tackle yourself. If there is a just a sagging spot, several of the mounting nails have pulled out.
Don't just drive the nails back into the holes. They may feel tight, but they will pull out during the next rain. Go to your home center and get some long gutter screws made for this purpose. They screw into the old mounting holes and support the gutter. http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com
http://www.askthecharlotteinspector.com
Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolina recently used a Rigid See Snake to find out where a plumbing leak was in the ceiling od a Charlotte home. The advantage of this is that we did not have to tear out the whole ceiling to find out where the leak was. The new RIDGID® SeeSnake® micro™ Inspection Camera allows you to perform detailed visual inspection in hard to reach areas. Its comfortable pistol grip design and forward facing controls make it easy to detect and diagnose the unreachable. Available with a 17mm camera head for general use or a 9.5mm camera head for up-close visual inspections in tight spaces, the SeeSnake micro Inspection Camera provides solutions whenever and wherever you need them.
http://www.askthecharlotteinspector.com
http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com
During a recent home inspection in Waxhaw Nc by Charlotte home inspector Preston Sandlin, he found exposed raw exterior wood that is going to be vulnerable to the weather which could now delaminate and weather. All exterior wood on a house needs to be primed painted and caulked to be protected. After you've cleaned, sanded, and masked, don't forget the important step of priming exterior surfaces. Bare wood needs a primer to seal the surface. You'll use less topcoat and the color will lay rich on the top layer. If the surface is new construction or a recent repair, or if you have sanded down to bare surface, apply a high quality primer before painting. Duramax High Performance Exterior Paint does not require a primer over bare surfaces. More on Exterior House & Trim Primers http://www.askthecharlotteinspector.com
http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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