HABITEC's Blog

What's Wrong With This Picture? (11/01/09)

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:50:49 -0600

HINT: Two things are potentially wrong. And, the house is about 75 years old

ANSWER: Sure, the electrical box should have a cover. But what is that white stuff in the back ground? Could it be asbestos? Only a test will tell for sure.

Thank you,

Richard Acree

Comments in this blog posting are the copyrighted intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, and contributing members of the Active Rain Real Estate network, and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real estate investors, property managers, and lenders in the process of owning, buying or selling homes or commercial buildings. HABITEC is a residential (home) and commercial building inspection company serving Middle Tennessee including Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Mt. Juliet, Hendersonville, Dickson, Belle Meade, Columbia, Spring Hill and more! In addition to building inspections HABITEC offers Environmental Services for mold assessments, radon testing and water quality analysis. Additional information about HABITEC can be found on our website at www.habitecinspections.com, or call 615-376-2753.

Richard Acree is the author of the HABITEC Home and Building Inspections Blog and founder of the ActiveRain Group Tennessee Home and Building Inspectors. All are welcome to join and see more blogs like this one.

What is Wrong With This Picture? (9/26/09)

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:33:37 -0500

HINT: These things hunt for their food.

ANSWER: This guy, a recluse spider we named Spider MAN, was sitting right at the top of the attic stairs. He is about the size of a silver dollar!!

Thank you,

Richard Acree

What's Wrong With this Picture? (6/30/09)

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:06:49 -0500

Hint: You are looking at the underside of an eave and specifically the soffit vent. Anything look odd?

Answer: Paint! Lots of it. But in all the wrong places. Soffit vents provide cooling air to the attic ventilation system. If they are painted over, like these in the picture, the space for cool air to enter is compromised and hence the entire ventilation system is compromised. Without adequate cool air, the attic can overheat and this in turn can "cook" the roof shingles and cause premature aging of the shingles. About the only thing to do here is replace the vents.

Thank you,

Richard Acree

What's Wrong With This Picture? (6/30/09)

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:45:12 -0500

Hint: You are looking at the underside of an eave and specifically the soffit vent. Anything look odd?

Thank you,

Richard Acree

What's Wrong With This Picture? (6/26/9)

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:18:11 -0500

Hint: You are looking at the inside of an HVAC split system interior unit after the front cover has been removed.

Answer: Rust! Lots of it. But the unit was 18 years old so some deterioration is expected. But not this much. The rust happened because the insulation on the line set that tracked into this unit had deteriorated above the manifold housing. Condensation dripped down throughout this area and above and rusted the unit significantly. Probably time for a replacement, given the age and amount of damage.

Thank you,

Richard Acree

What's Wrong With This Picture? (4/17/9)

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 09:19:27 -0500

HINT: Did you ever wonder how those brick veneer walls stay up there?

ANSWER: Brick veneer walls exceeding 4 ' in height require a concrete foundation to rest on and usually there is an angled metal drip edge between the bottom row of bricks and the concrete foundation. Wainscots not exceeding 4' may be exempted depending on local codes. However, bracing any veneer wall with bricks installed in a vertical position using lots of mortar to hold the entire wall up is rarely approved!! Fortunately this was under the deck so it wasn't so painfully visible.

Thank you,

Richard Acree

What's Wrong With This Picture? (3/27/9)

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:01:26 -0500

HINT: Funnels work best if the stuff being funneled is flowing down, not up.

ANSWER: So in this case, sure, some of the exhaust will enter the exhaust pipe. But how much will miss? And how much is too much? This is a good reason why water heaters must be installed by a licensed plumber.

Thank you,

Richard Acree

What's Wrong With This Picture? (3/24/9)

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:59:57 -0500

HINT: Creativity without restraint can lead to chaos.

ANSWER: Well, it is creative. Maybe even artistic? And as a guy I admire the use of duct tape. But connecting/taping bathroom exhaust vents into the plumbing drain, waste and vent system can lead to unexpected and unintended consequences. In this case septic vapors may be drawn into the bathroom and then living spaces. Never a good experience. HABITEC recommends that bathroom vents should terminate at the exterior of the building.

Thank you,

Richard Acree

Comments in this blog posting are the copyrighted intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, and contributing members of the Active Rain Real Estate network, and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real estate investors, property managers, and lenders in the process of owning, buying or selling homes or commercial buildings. HABITEC is a residential (home) and commercial building inspection company serving Middle Tennessee including Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Mt. Juliet, Hendersonville, Dickson, Belle Meade, Columbia, Spring Hill and more! In addition to building inspections HABITEC offers Environmental Services for mold assessments, radon testing and water quality analysis. Additional information about HABITEC can be found on our website at www.habitecinspections.com, or call 615-376-2753.

Richard Acree is the author of the HABITEC Home and Building Inspections Blog and founder of the ActiveRain Group Tennessee Home and Building Inspectors. All are welcome to join and see more blogs like this one.

What's Wrong With this Picture? (3/8/9)

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 20:44:03 -0600

HINT: KABOOM!!

ANSWER: The homeowner installed a free-standing gas stove in the living room as an after market device. Then he placed the supporting propane tank on the opposite side of the wall and ran the gas line into the crawl space and up into the living room. Now look at that picture and imagine a fire that starts in the house at the new fireplace. How long will it take the heat and eventual flame to reach the propane tank? Minutes? Before the fire department shows up? Probably. Now imagine how large the explosion will be when the tank goes. The good news is that the explosion will probably blow the fire out as well. The bad news is that any people or other homes nearby will suffer greatly.

There are rules for locating propane tanks relative to the structure and the property line. Building codes may differ depending on the municipality. In general, a tank that is 500 gallons or less should be located at least 10' from the structure or property line. Tanks sized from 501 to 2000 gallons should be 25' from the structure or property line. Tanks exceeding 2000 gallons should be at least 50' from the structure or property line. No tank should be stored within inches of the structure. Otherwise, you may hear a loud KABOOM!!

Thank you,

Richard Acree

What's Wrong With This Picture? (3/7/9)

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:31:49 -0600

No hint this time. You should be able to figure this one out on your own.

Did they run out of money?

Richard Acree

What's Wrong With These Pictures? (3/5/9)

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:04:29 -0600

HINT: Water gravitates to the lowest point in a surface area.

This pier and surrounding moisture barrier is stained and holding a soil buildup as if substantial water has been here.

Same thing here.

And this pier has a nice little lake around it.

Answer: There are stains and in fact standing water at the base of several piers in this crawl space. Why is that? Could it be that after the dig for the pier foundations and construction of the piers, nobody bothered to regrade the crawl space to provide a slope to the positive drain? And away from the piers? HABITEC recommends just that. In this case, water in the crawl space gravitates to the lowest point(s) in the grade. In these cases, the lowest points are at the piers. This much water, again and again over time, will cause the piers to settle as their foundations are weakened and sink. Now, your next question is where is all the water coming from? And that is the subject of another blog! HINT: A failed water management system.

Thank you,

Richard Acree

Comments in this blog posting are the intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, and contributing members of the Active Rain Real Estate network, and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real estate investors, property managers, and lenders in the process of owning, buying or selling homes or commercial buildings. HABITEC is a residential (home) and commercial building inspection company serving Middle Tennessee including Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Mt. Juliet, Hendersonville, Dickson, Belle Meade, Columbia, Spring Hill and more! In addition to building inspections HABITEC offers Environmental Services for mold assessments, radon testing and water quality analysis. Additional information about HABITEC can be found on our website at www.habitecinspections.com, or call 615-376-2753.

What's Wrong With This Picture? (2/12/9)

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:59:51 -0600

Hint: Something is missing! You are in a crawl space looking at the end of a beam. What's missing?

ANSWER: The end of the beam is suspended in the air. A notch was cut or built out of the foundation wall to allow room for the beam to insert. But, someone forgot to install material under the beam to support it from below. What you cannot see is that the next support for the beam, a concrete block pier, is almost 10 feet away to the right. The "end" result is a beam that works better as a diving board than a support beam. Anything supported above by this end of the beam will start to move as the beam starts to fail and drop.

Also, a feeble attempt to protect the end and sides of the beam from moisture using plastic has been made. A more professional job could should have been completed.

Thank you,

Richard Acree

Rick Cozby joins HABITEC!

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:53:28 -0600

RICK COZBY JOINS HABITEC!

HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, is pleased to announce that Rick Cozby, formerly President and Owner of House Sense, Inc., has joined Richard Acree and Ron Rittiner at HABITEC as a full time Home Inspector and Environmental Services technician. HABITEC is extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work with one of the premier inspectors in Middle Tennessee.

Rick's experience and credentials as a licensed Home Inspector (#258) and certified Environmental Services Technician are impressive. Rick has been a Home Inspector in Middle Tennessee since 1994. Since then Rick has completed over 4000 home inspections! He is certified as a Radon Measurement Technician with the National Environmental Health Association through the National Radon Proficiency Program and he is certified as a Mold Assessment Technician through the Environmental Solutions Association. These significant credentials and experience as an Inspector combine with his knowledge and perspective as the former owner and President of House Sense, Inc., provide an impressive addition to HABITEC!

Rick also has many references for his past performance. One Realtor said "Rick is the Inspector I would use for my own home!" Another Realtor said "I always put Rick's name first when providing a list of Inspectors to my Clients. He is professional, on-time, accurate and he works well with the Client."

Please contact Rick at 615-376-2753 or rick@habitecinspections.com, or visit his page on our website at www.habitecinspections.com/rickcozby.aspx .

Thank you,

Richard Acree

Rick Cozby joins HABITEC!

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:41:32 -0600

RICK COZBY JOINS HABITEC!

Please contact Rick at 615-376-2753 or rick@habitecinspections.com, or visit his page on our website at www.habitecinspections.com/rickcozby.aspx .

Thank you,

Richard Acree

What's Wrong With This Picture? (1/27/09)

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:22:42 -0600

Look at the first 3 pictures pictures. What's wrong with them? Taken individually, they might seem like minor cosmetic cracks. When considered as a group, they point to a common theme and one that can be significant. Then look at the fourth picture.

On the left is a floor crack in the hardwood flooring on the first floor.

On the right is a crack in the dry wall on a door frame also on the first floor. The door also impacts the frame when closing.

Same thing but a different door, again on the first floor.

Again, when taken individually, maybe not that big of a deal. When considered as a group as a series of cracks on the first floor and the fact that the doors impact the door frames when closed, settlement of the foundation comes to mind. Now look at the picture below.

In the crawl space, the main beam was placed on block piers with dimensional lumber spacers and shimmed with small wood shims. The beam ran directly under the areas where the cracks were found on the first floor. Over time, these shims have crushed under the weight of the house. This movement may well have been the cause of the cracks in the first three pictures and the door misalignment. Probably an easy fix with a house jack and some metal shims to replace the wood shims. While at it, HABITEC recommends the use of plastic poly between the concrete piers and the dimensional lumber spacers.

Thank you,

Richard

Mouse Wars?

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:08:50 -0600

You are looking at a furnace B Vent pipe penetrating a roof. What's wrong with this picture?

Answer: All B-Vent piping requires at least 1 inch of space to combustibles due to the possibility of heat transfer to the combustible and a chance for a fire. Cotton rags are very combustible. We usually don't see this, unless the house has a significant mouse issue! Poor guy, never got a decent burial.

Thank you,

Richard

Radon and the Empty House

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:43:58 -0600

RADON AND THE EMPTY HOUSE

Recently I inspected a large home with a foundation that consisted of a crawl space and a partial basement. The home was sophisticated in design and construction including a moisture extraction system for the crawl space. This system was active at the time of the inspection. Also, the crawl space moisture barrier was well done and in tact.

Like many houses for sale these days, this house had been on the market for approximately 8 months and had been vacant for most of that time. Wisely, in addition to the Home Inspection, my Client requested a radon test on the house. Unfortunately, the house tested positive for excessive radon gas with a Continuous Radon Monitor reading of approximately 6.0 pico curies per liter (pCi/L). This despite the active moisture extraction system!.

The listing agent approached me about the reading after discussing these results with the builder and another measurement technician. Both of those two individuals convinced her that the radon measurement reading was high because no one had lived in the house for many months. The listing agent suggested that when the Client/buyer moved into the house the radon gas level would go down because of the normal coming-and-going of a family. She went on to suggest that I inform the Client/buyer of this "fact" by frequently repeating that "this is a valid point".

While I agreed with the "premise" that the radon gas level may come down under normal occupancy, my questions to the listing agent was "How low will it go with normal occupancy?" And, "Is she or her contacts willing to guarantee to the Client that the radon gas level will not only be lower but within EPA guidelines?" Silence.

The point of this article is that we will all see many homes now that are in areas prone to radon gas intrusion and that have been sitting vacant for some time. Regardless, if the radon gas concentration is at or above 4.0 pCi/L, the EPA says the home/building should be mitigated. There is no allowance within EPA guidelines for how long the house has been sitting empty. In fact, the purpose of the Closed House/Building process is to create the worse case scenario for radon gas concentration by closing the building as much as possible for 12 hours prior to the test and then during the test. These days, 12 hours of closed house conditions before starting the test is all too easy to come by.

Thank you,

Richard

Housing Market Curve Starting to Bend?

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:15:00 -0600

Maybe we are seeing some improvement in the housing market?!!

Recently I have seen articles indicating that although the housing market is still weak and perhaps weakening overall, certain segments of the national market have seen significant improvement. Most noteably is a year-over-year improvement in sales of existing homes and pending home sales in places like California, Detroit and Minnesota. We all know what those markets have been like as they represent some of the worst during 2007-2008, But local numbers in those markets are showing significant improvement. Specifically, Detroit sales increased almost 30% in October 08 vs 07, and pending sales in Detroit were up almost 50%!! This may not hold up if the auto makers go Chapter 11, but for now the news is good.

Also, the CEO of Citigroup recently held a meeting with Citi employees (where he announced 52,000 layoffs!!) and he said "their data suggests the housing market curve is starting to bend". More positive signs that we may be seeing a slow but overall improvement in the market. What have you heard?

Thank you,

Richard

What's Wrong With This Picture? 10/6/08

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:33:19 -0500

Hint: When is the last time you saw a good stucco job?

Answer: Hopefully you can see the many openings and exposed membrane around the EIFS stucco. It is clear that any surface water will run behind the EIFS and do significant damage. Another question is "How old do you think this house is?" Answer: Brand New!!

Thank you,

Richard

What's wrong with this picture? 9/23/08

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:08:23 -0500

Clue: Yes, the gutter spike is bent, but the real issue is in the gutter.

Answer: Look at how much accumulation of shingle granulation is present in the gutter. This is a good indication of the deterioration of the shingles on the roof. Next look up at the darker lower edge of the first row of shingles. The dark area is where the granules have departed the most, leaving exposed felt material. A sure sign these shingles are nearing the end of their useful life expectancy.

Thank you,

Richard

Home Inspection FALL SALE!!

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:09:48 -0500

FALL HOME INSPECTION SALE!

HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, (HABITEC) is pleased to announce that our FALL HOME INSPECTION SALE starts September 2, 2008 and goes through December 20, 2008!! During this time, if our schedule will allow, HABITEC will beat by 10% any reasonable and written price for a Home Inspection that is offered in the Nashville, TN Metropolitan Area to include the Tennessee counties of Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Sumner, and Cheatham.

For this limited time you can have the thoroughness of a HABITEC Home Inspection at the best price in the Nashville Metro Area!

Call Now at 615-376-2753!!

This offer does not include Environmental Services or Commercial Building Inspections. HABITEC may not be able to schedule this inspection due to other constraints. Inspections that are contracted for within the guidelines of this offer must be completed within the dates set forth above. A HABITEC representative will be the sole determinant of the reasonable and written criteria above. The competitive offer for a Home Inspection must be forwarded directly to HABITEC in writing using fax, email or US mail and must be the same written offer submitted to the Client from a Home Inspector or Home Inspection company licensed in the State of Tennessee through the Tennessee Department of Commerce Home Inspector Licensing Program. Competitor offers relayed verbally or otherwise forwarded indirectly to HABITEC will not be accepted for this sale. Competitive offers must include the name of the company and individual submitting the offer to the Client and must include contact information including telephone number, email address and title. Only 1 competitor price offer for each individual home will be considered for this sale. HABITEC will not engage in a bidding war or bidding competition for this sale. Should the Client accept this offer and a HABITEC price for the Home Inspection be established and agreed upon either verbally or in writing, then that price is the final price and no subsequent competitor price will be considered for this offer. All conditions, terms, limitations and exceptions of the Contract for Home Inspection and Environmental Services from HABITEC will apply to this offer. The minimum price for any Home Inspection included in this sale is $200.

HABITEC IS HIRING!

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:05:24 -0500

HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, is please to announce we are hiring for a full-time position as a Home Inspector!

HABITEC is looking for an experienced Home Inspector who can fulfill the requirements posted on our website at www.habitecinspections.com/employment.aspx. Pay will be commensurate with experience. The applicant will be responsible for booking and completing Home Inspections, assisting with Commercial Building Inspections, and completing radon tests, water quality analysis, and mold assessments.

In addition to the minimum requirements posted on our website, preferred experience will include at least 2 years as a Home Inspector with at least 100 inspections. The applicant should be familiar and experienced with computer generated Home Inspection reports including embedded digital pictures. Radon measurement certification with NEHA is preferred. Mold assessment training and experience is preferred. The applicant should be licensed in the State of Tennessee as a Home Inspector and should be able to provide three (3) references from the real estate community of realtors. The applicant can expect to conduct Inspection services within the Nashville Metro Area.

Those interested should contact Richard Acree at HABITEC at 615-440-6539, or using email at richard@habitecinspections.com.

Thank you,

Richard

HABITEC IS HIRING!

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:15:18 -0500

HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, is please to announce we are hiring for a full-time position as a Home Inspector!

Those interested should contact Richard Acree at HABITEC at 615-440-6539, or using email at richard@habitecinspections.com.

Thank you,

Richard

What's Wrong With This Picture? (8/16/08)

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:40:34 -0500

Well, this is not really fair because my first picture is not close-up enough. But you might still be able to see that a component is missing. There is no vertical stopper arm as part of the faucet. Not to be left out though, under the sink is the horizontal component of the stopper control and the downspout component is turned so the horizontal arm is useable from in front of the pipe. Very clever?!!

Richard

I Wish the Home Inspector Would ................... (Fill in the Blank)

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:19:29 -0500

Do what? Please send in your thoughts and comments on what you would like to see from Home Inspectors. Regardless of where you work in the real estate market, from realtor to loan officer and everyone in between, send in your thoughts on what you would like to see from Home Inspectors in general. What can we do to make your job easier?

Thank you!

Richard