A Home Inspector's Perspective

Big Phil

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:56:57 -0600

I had an inspection recently with a couple who were buying a new home.

As far as problems with new construction go, this house took the cake.

The buyer introduced himself as "Big Phil." And Big Phil he was. Two of me could fit inside of Big Phil. His wife was as small as he was big. Let's call her "Little Gail."

After dozens of problems, we came across the master bath tub. It was the large one that fits into the corner of the bathroom. It was big enough for Big Phil to use!

I noticed something. It was not attached in any way, even the plumbing. I could even pick it up out of the cavity it was sitting in. And when I got inside, it bowed badly. It was sitting on nothing. Typically a platform of mortar or something that solidifies is put underneath to cradle and support the tub. If Big Phil was to get in without that support, I think it would certainly have cracked.

This was Big Phil's last straw. Very unhappy, he went to find Small Supervisor! I went downstairs to talk with Little Gail while Big Phil and Small Supervisor went upstairs. Unknown to me at the time, this supervisor had been on the job only a couple of days. He had no idea what was up with this tub. Or the house, apparently.

While speaking with Little Gail, a couple of employees came by with tool belts and tool kits. They went upstairs. A couple of minutes later Big Phil started screaming, there was a loud, breaking noise, lots more screaming and sudden silence. I thought for sure Small Supervisor was no more.

Then Little Gail did something that surprised me. She said, "Phil is hungry. All he needs is some food." She left immediately for the local grocery store! She left me alone, with Big Phil. I ran upstairs.

I was passed on the stairs by Small Supervisor and the other employees. Their eyes were bulging wide open and they were all white as sheets. They were in a hurry...

Big Phil told me what happened. Small Supervisor asked Big Phil to leave the bathroom while he explained what was up to the employees. He locked the door! He spoke to them in Spanish. He told them to set the tub on some foam, glue it down and nobody would know. And that he needed to get "the buyer" off his back. What he did not know was that Big Phil had grown up in a Central American country! Big Phil heard (and understood) all this, through the door. Small Supervisor then would not open the door when Big Phil asked him to. Big Phil asked more than once. They would still not open the door. So Big Phil apparently did what Big Phil usually does.

Big Phil literally broke into the bathroom! I have never seen that before on any home inspection! When I got there, Big Phil was breathing heavy, beet red and asking for Little Gail.

She showed up a minute later with two of the biggest sandwiches I have ever seen. I could eat one quarter of one of them, barely. She said, "Don't worry, Phil will finish it." And he did. After eating he was as calm as a lamb. He apologized to Small Supervisor, and gave him money to fix the door.

Little Gail knew just how to handle Big Phil. Thank goodness.

My recommendation: With some clients, it might be a good idea to bring food to the home inspection. Oh, and don't lock Big Phil out of the bathroom. He doesn't like that.

Habitat For Humanity Home Inspection

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:10:27 -0600

For some time now I have done home inspections for one of the Habitat for Humanity organizations in Northern Virginia.

This County requires a private home inspection. Somehow Habitat found me, and, the masochists that they are, they have continued to call me with each new house built.

Many would consider this to be a basic house. Maybe, but worldwide the people moving into this house will probably live in the 95th percentile of comfortable living.

It is a nice place.

Located on a country road outside of Middleburg VA, it sits on about 1/3 acre.

It has James Hardee siding, a 25 year roof and a nice front porch.

It is mostly put together, as you know, by volunteers.

There is some professional input. The construction supervisor, Ben, has been doing this a long time. He does a great job.

Here you can see the rear, a crawl space, a nice rear deck, a very efficient heat pump and a storage shed about 8x8'.

Notice that the hose is by itself and usable! What a concept!

The crawl space is dry, insulated, sealed and vent less (a new "green" building technique).

It houses the interior furnace mechanism for the heat pump, the private well water pressure tank and a sump pump.

The house sits on three large steel beams. It is well constructed.

This is what you see as you walk into the front door. The house has a comfortable tile-floored kitchen with an eating space.

The cabinet immediately to the left of the sink can be removed and there is pre-wiring under the sink for a dishwasher. It is a large kitchen, 10x12', and very suitable for a family.

The living room is opposite the kitchen and 16x16' in size.

The floor is real hardwood.

All the bedrooms and this living room have ceiling fans.

There is a center hall the width of the house.

At each end of the hall is a full bath. Each has a tub and shower.

The bathroom floors are ceramic tile.

There are five bedrooms!

Two are neutral in color. One is lavender, one blue and one pink, which you see here.

Obviously the bedrooms were painted with children in mind. Perhaps they picked the colors.

Perhaps they painted them themselves.

The utility/laundry room is simple but large and efficient.

It boasts an air exchanger, seen on the upper left. That is bringing in fresh air from the attic space for circulation throughout the house.

Each time the HVAC system turns on it is not merely reheating or cooling the same stale air in the house. Quite a bit of the indoor air is exchanged.

That is healthier living.

This is a comfortable house much of the world would give an arm to live in.

Why do I post this? To demonstrate what happens in our country. This is what our great country does.

These projects are not give aways. The people who will live here have contributed their time and effort to build this house. Many people have volunteered their time to help put it together and otherwise make it happen.

A phrase I hear a lot is "giving back." These people who volunteer themselves are not giving back.

They are giving.

These are people, like myself, who are contributing to the economic engine of this country. They pay taxes, work hard, play by the rules, volunteer their time and try to live good lives. What are they giving back? Why should they think they need to give back?

WHO should give back? I think people who don't do those things above should give back. And burglars, and rapists, those who assault other people, identity thieves, scam artists, the millions of illegals, sexual predators and other vile criminals, those in insurance fraud, car jackers, and white collar criminals. All of them. Every one.

These are people who take. I think the takers should give back, and give back and give back. Every one.

And I hope organizations like Habitat for Humanity continue to give. We all benefit one way or another.

Unthinking Installation

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:52:42 -0600

This is a hose bib on a new house. It has never been used. It may never be used!

At my house, the hose bib is by itself.

It is not near an electrical junction box!

It is not so close to anything else that the handle cannot be turned.

It is not so close to the wall (here 1/4") that installing a hose is not difficult.

It does not pull 3" out of the wall of my house.

It is usable and I can use it. In fact, it is easy to use!

This new hose on this new house is none of that.

IT IS ALSO NOT SMART!! THIS HAS BEEN LOOKED AT EVERY DAY BY SOME BUILDING CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR FOR SOME TIME AND NOTHING WAS EVER DONE ABOUT IT!!

Apparently it was also approved by the County. Hmmm... Apparently all the foresight that went into this installation is to code. Remember, the "Code" is a minimal standard. This installation certainly is ALL of that!!

My recommendation: While it doesn't take a home inspection to see some unthinking installations, when you are buying a new home, get a home inspection! THAT shouldn't take a lot of thought...

How Many Things Can You Find Wrong Here?

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:42:30 -0600

So if I was to ask you, how many things could you find wrong with the installation you see here?

By way of information:

This was a new home I inspected today.

That downspout discharges the entire front roof over the main house to the gutter you see here in front of the garage. That is a lot of square footage of rain water, approximately 1500.

That is not faux stone, but granite.

The siding is vinyl.

That drip edge under the shingles is interior casement molding. It is wood, unlike most of what is on the house.

There is NO wood trim - what you are looking at is all MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard).

Toward the right is a small, metal roof draining into the gutter.

I'll wait for your answers. There are some things you cannot see in this photo.

My recommendation: Get a home inspection on new properties!

It's Curtains, I Tell You, Curtains!

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:35:31 -0600

When bathrooms are put into places they are not intended there might not be room to do certain things, like shower doors.

This shower opening is so narrow that a sliding door might leave too small an opening (15") for some people to fit through.

The alternative to a door is a curtain.

When a curtain is employed, it must be situated so that it actually seals the opening all around. If not, it can leak.

Hardwood floors do not handle constant wetness well. And it takes a while for what you see in this photo to happen.

I noticed the floor before I entered the bathroom. It was cleverly hidden under many bathroom rugs, which you can see in the foreground. The bulge under the rugs and the toilet listing like the Titanic was a sure give away.

When I first entered the bathroom I had not yet seen the decorator's touch on the walls. Or the constantly leaking "shower" tube coming out of the wall. Continual splatter from that will also damage a floor.

This toilet has been lifted up so high the wax donut (which seals the gap between the toilet and the toilet flange) has opened up and there has been leaking around the toilet base as well. It is only 6" or so from the shower.

All in all, this "bathroom" was a mess.

My recommendation: When there is a bathroom in spots that don't look right, they probably are not right. And often that portends problems down the road. This "bathroom" is curtains...

A Decorator's Touch

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:51:25 -0600

Well, you just don't see this every day.

I know I don't.

So what do you do when your shower tiles are coming loose and water is leaking behind?

How about some vinyl wallpaper?

It's waterproof, stylish and easy to install.

And, let the decorator in you come out! Pick something that compliments the personality of your home, or what's on sale at the local discount store. And add a splash of color!

You can't go wrong with lavender.

These shower tiles are literally held in place by that wallpaper! There are spots where they are loose and if you push on them they crunch.

What you cannot see in this photo is the steady stream of water coming out of that designer shower head. And it's splattering all over the hardwood flooring.

This is a bathroom created out of what I think used to be a laundry room. It's so hard to tell these days where things used to be in relation to what is there now.

People are getting so creative. It's really hard to tell.

To top it off, this "bathroom" did not have a vent fan.

I cringe to think what is going on inside the walls. The corner to the left of this photo abuts a "bedroom" behind (I say bedroom because the wall between it and the family room is a vertical mattress and a curtain which, lately, seems to define a bedroom). The one real wall of that bedroom is demonstrating a growth that looks suspiciously like black mold, possibly stachybotrous. That was hard to tell too - there were so many different black colors. And a LOT of growth.

My recommendation: When you see something you don't see every day, stop, enjoy the moment, and relish the idea that your horizon may have been expanded. But don't smell the roses too much - there may be mold in the air.

"Nonsense"

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:58:55 -0600

On a home inspection last week the house had a newly finished basement. It was supposedly finished by a Class A contractor, who is also an investor. The common term would be flipper.

The Realtor told me this particular investor has flipped many houses in the area.

Let's call him "Flipper." Flipper is not using a Realtor - he's selling it himself!

Among other things in the basement, there were many "clues" that the electrical alone was not professional, not to code and done without a permit. Alright, they weren't clues, they were obviously unprofessional installations!

For example:

~~ The entire basement was wired off of the original 15 amp breaker left by the builder to service the light in the furnace room. That includes ALL the new receptacles on the wall, and the one switch for ALL the lights in the basement.

~~ The GFI in the bathroom was made for a 20 amp circuit (How can you tell? Beside the vertical opening for the plug is a horizontal opening, FYI) and when it tripped the light and fan in the bathroom and the light in the furnace room turned off.

~~ The voltage drop in the basement, with nothing plugged in, was over 20% with impedance registering well over 2 Ohms. My meter only goes to 2 Ohms, and 20% voltage drop, so it all could have been 77 for all I know. Not to get technical, but that means something -- like the connections, or quality of product, or wiring job, or cables inside the wall, or something is causing the electricity which flows through the basement to resist its flow or meet something which impedes its flow. Remember, alternating current (AC) comes to the house, flows around the house, and exits again. It wants to flow freely, without resistance.

~~ The voltage throughout the basement registered less than 100 volts. My meter has a light which indicates LESS than 100, so I don't know how low it was. But, on a 120 volt receptacle you really would like it close to 120!

~~ All the wiring in the bathroom (fan, light and GFI) all met in a huge spaghetti mess behind the bathroom wall. It was not in a box and I could not find a ground line. All that could be the subject of another blog by itself!

~~ An old junction box in the ceiling was half covered with drywall, including one of the screws.

~~ Another old junction box was just hanging by its cables.

~~ The two new cable TV jacks were completely filled when they spray painted the walls.

~~ The dryer receptacle was stuck out 1/2" from the wall without a cover plate.

And that's all just the electrical for the basement! It does not include the new electrical in the rest of the house!

It also does not include the HVAC or plumbing for the basement...

And when presented with the contract addendum from the buyer's Realtor, what did Flipper do? He struck all the items from the list! He said, "Your inspector doesn't know what he is talking about and is only trying to scare your buyer. His report is

NONSENSE."

He said other things too which indicate he might not have a "Class A" contractor's license from Virginia, or the United States, but we'll let that go. He also could not find the permits he supposedly pulled to do the work. Surprise, surprise, surprise!!

My recommendation: When you have a flipped house with a newly finished basement, before you go any further, ask to see the county-issued occupancy permits for any new work, or look for the new sticker on the panel box door. If there aren't any, instead of a pro you might be dealing with, well, do I really need to say it?

Thermal Camera - The New Smell Detector?

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:04:37 -0600

On a recent thermal examination of a house I was called on to find the usual - diagnose why rooms are hot and cold, if recent roof repairs stopped further moisture intrusion as intended, and so forth. It went well.

I had a very unusual diagnosis to make also. My client said, "When I am standing at my kitchen sink, I can smell what is going on outdoors. For example, when my neighbor fertilizes his yard, I can smell it almost immediately."

There are many things a thermal image camera can detect, but I have never used it to diagnose fertilizer smells.

But why not try? So I set out to find the problem. Air infiltration was happening somewhere. But where?

Looking above the kitchen sink it wasn't hard to see why.

The sink is located in a 3 foot bump out, with its own double window. That's a pretty common architectural design. But looking above we see why air, and smells, can get in. The left image is of the window and the ceiling above the sink. The right image is the corner of that bump out, over the corner cabinet. The cannister lights and square light over the sink are evident.

The purple area is the ceiling of that bump out. There is no insulation there! That area is 58 degrees F. The outdoor temperature is 55F. There are soffit vents under the gutter just over that window, where air is supposed to get in. It does!

What is in that air will easily filter into the kitchen, through those lights and even through the drywall! Hence, the fertilizer smell.

She said, "Oh, so that's why it gets so hot and cold there when I am at the sink!" Um, yes!

My recommendation: Don't underestimate the power of your home inspector's thermal infrared camera! We inspectors are finding new uses for them every day!

A Furnace Working As Intended

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:57:32 -0600

During a thermal infrared inspection today, among other things I was there to investigate, I thought this would be an interesting picture.

This is a thermal image of a high efficiency condensing gas furnace. It is the one you have seen with PVC tubing exiting the unit. They are terrific furnaces. The one pictured here is 6 years old, which makes it the fourth generation. This later generation has worked out all the kinks. They work great.

Many gas furnaces, like my own, have flues which exit through the roof. My furnace loses a lot of its heat through that flue. Of the heat remaining to send through my house, I am gaining only a portion of that. Therefore, a small portion of the dollar I am spending for natural gas is actually converted into heat for my house. My furnace is "85% efficient," but that does not mean I am getting $.85 worth of heat for every dollar I spend on gas.

This unit eliminates the need for the flue that exhausts through the roof because it captures and re-burns that exhaust! So for every dollar spent on natural gas, it is getting nearly a dollar's worth of heat. And the exhaust is so cool, a PVC tube can handle it and you could virtually blow dry your hair with it (well, except for that pesky carbon monoxide presence).

Another terrific advantage it offers is that it brings in fresh air every time the system turns on. It exchanges 10-12% of the air in the house as it works to heat the house. So it is not simply reheating the same stale air.

Today, the outdoor temperature was 56 degrees F during my inspection.

This furnace is working as intended. The purple line just to the left of center is the air intake tube. The vertical yellow line to its right is the exhaust tube. The purple intake is 57.6F, and the yellow exhaust 95.7F. That is really efficient! And pretty cool, too, so to speak...

My recommendation: If you have a gas furnace and are contemplating replacement, look into a high efficiency condensing gas furnace. They are more expensive, to be sure, but very, very efficient. You will notice the difference on your first gas bill!

Booby Traps And Land Mines

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:17:56 -0600

I have learned not to enter a property without an agent present. I have learned not to be alone with a client during a home inspection without the agent present. During the home inspection, I prefer to have the agent walking around with us and not sitting in the kitchen catching up on text messages.

Why?

Because I have learned that some sellers are desperate enough to do anything to sell the house. In my experience they have gone so far as to try to booby trap my inspection, and lay land mines for me to step on.

There is only one way I can protect myself. Witnesses.

This is my experience in just the last 18 months:

~~ When testing the washing machine the knob simply came off in my hand. Everyone saw it. That wasn't the only appliance broken in the house. The seller placed the knob like that for me to "break," said I had broken it, and that I probably broke all the other things in the house too, so the inspection report was not valid. My client's agent said no and described the experience. The seller went so far as to mail me a receipt for the "repair," for $480! He could buy a new washer for that. I ignored the receipt and did not hear further.

~~ I turned on another washer and we all went upstairs to check it out. Coming back down for my ladder I found the middle level flooded and flooding! Before turning on washers I always check behind to see if the connections are properly made. Only then do I turn it on. This leak was coming from inside and underneath the machine. It flooded the basement too. My client's agent called the other agent, who let this slip, "Oh no! He said he would have that fixed before the inspection!" My position was that I am there to test things. The seller harassed me for two weeks, to no avail, and let it drop. Turns out this had happened before.

~~ Arriving at the house to the buyers anxiously waiting for me in the driveway, they pointed out the chimney on the house, leaning and separated from the house about 6" at the top. We discussed the possible reasons and I put it on the report. I received an angry phone call that night from the seller saying I had gone onto the roof, pushed they chimney over with my legs, "so you would have something to put on the report! I'm suing your A$$!" I said, "Sir, I am strong, but not that strong. Good luck with your lawsuit."

~~ A recent roof repair revealed a carefully finished drywall repair with just joint compound, and a lot of primer and paint. From the attic I could see loads of a "moldy" substance. A basement room similarly smelled very moldy, and I could see a horizontal foundation crack leading from the furnace room toward the direction of that room. There was a similar amount of primer and paint used there. It was noted on the report. My clients bolted. That evening an irate seller called me, said I "cost [him] $350,000," and that he was coming to my house to "let [me] have it!" I told him he didn't want to deal with me and that if he shows up his rights are left in his car. I then immediately called the police to tell them of the threat and told them that in self defense I would use "protective force." (That gave me a phone record of two calls in a row.) The seller never showed up. Good thing!

~~ Some sellers had moving boxes carefully arranged along a concrete block basement wall. That was witnessed and noted on the report. My clients moved in to see a gaping, horizontal foundation crack right where the boxes were. Not good! They called me and an engineer. The sellers said that must have opened up after the inspection. Yeah, right... We said no, and that the crack had been "artfully concealed," which is the legal phraseology for such circumstances. The sellers ended up paying for wall reinforcement (the case didn't get further than that) and my clients were VERY upset, not even wanting the house.

My recommendation: Sometimes people are not honest. Be present with your favorite home inspector during the inspection. You don't want anyone stepping in it.

New Boiler, Old Chimney, Missing Hole

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:05:30 -0600

Old house, new boiler, new flue, new connection to the old chimney. All good.

Except for a couple of things.

First, the hole beneath where the flues connect to the chimney has been filled with mortar.

That is not good.

Second, the new connection to the chimney required that the old connection from the water heater inclines downward. That impedes exhaust drafting.

That is not good, either.

On top of the hip roof, the chimney is on the side of the house. It is very high, too high for most ladders. And dangerous to access from the roof side. It is covered with a flue cap, which is good. But if something inside the flue, like bricks or spalling ceramic flue liner, should become dislodged and fall, how could they ever be removed? That clean-out port was there for a reason. To fill it with mortar is short sighted, at best. It is dangerous at worst.

If enough material should fall, it could conceivably clog the flue and the boiler/water heater's ability to discharge exhaust gases. The resulting back draft into the house could be deadly. It would be deadly over time - carbon monoxide is unkind.

Chipping that mortar out, putting in a new tube to allow easy access and sealing it tightly with a cute cover (tin plate, acorn, pineapple) would be an easy and good fix! And very Colonial!

My recommendation: When you see new installations, it is sometimes hard to know if they are installed correctly. Time to call a home inspector!

Jay's Fall/Winter Seasonal Chores List

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:04:47 -0600

It's that time of year again. It's time for:

THE LIST

Specifically, the Fall/Winter Seasonal Chores List. You have to do it anyway, so this gift is for you.

Every year I will be driving home and hear on the news that it will get below freezing during the night. That's the time I usually realize I have not gotten ready for fall or winter. My hose bibs immediately spring to mind. Note: Obviously this is long past true for some of the country. My list is pretty complete, though likely not totally complete. No one ever knows everything. But, I thought it would be helpful to share some of it with you.

* Winterize the exterior hoses. Turn off the interior valves, open the exterior bibs and loose the little cap beside the interior valve to let water drain out.

* Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Replace the batteries if that has not been done in a while.

* Spruce up any disastrous exterior caulking. Be sure to use the right caulk for the right application! Caulking is the cheapest and easiest energy saver. Be sure the caulk is fully dried before it freezes.

* Boilers - check the safety relief valve.

* Steam Boilers - Each month, flush the blow-off valve on the low-water cutoff; test the water feed valves.

* Furnace - replace (or clean) the filters monthly; oil the fans or circulators; manipulate the duct dampers or register covers to divert more hot air downstairs and less up (do not close off air completely to any level or room). Oil furnaces should be checked for back puffing. Ideally, all furnaces should have annual maintenance examinations by a licensed professional.

* Clean moss on the roof - be sure to use something that does not kill the grass or garden shrubbery. A product called "Spray and Forget" is a recent favorite of mine.

* Clean gutters of debris. If your house is near many trees, solid gutter covers are highly recommended.

* Place sticky cricket catchers in the basement and garage.

* Septic system - pump the tank if it is time. If you have two fields this is a good time to divert to the unused field.

* Check your chimneys for creosote and sweep if needed.

* Improve foundation drainage as necessary.

* Test GFI outlets.

* Check the garage door reversing mechanism.

* Gas water heater - drain some water from the bottom valve to remove sediment.

* Open crawl space vents.

* Dryer - clean behind, clean what is possible of the vent inside the wall and check the vent flap outside for lint.

* Private water system - pump air into the tank if the pump turns on often.

* Sprinkler system - if you cannot do it yourself, have your maintenance company by to blow the water out of the lines, disconnecting things where necessary, so that only air is left inside. You don't want your tubing breaking underground over the winter.

* Kitchen - clean dust from behind or under the fridge; clean the range hood fan and replace vent screens; clean disposal (vinegar and baking soda work well, followed by lemon peels).

This is by no means a complete list, but it will serve you well. It works for me!

Preparation is everything. As a guy associated with the Boy Scouts for a long time, I can tell you it is good to "be prepared...!" That may be one of the best mottoes ever written.

My recommendation: Be regular and have foresight! Home maintenance, in the long run, costs about 1% of the value of a home per year. Pay attention to the small stuff, and the big things will take care of themselves.

Alexandria Virginia 1860 Carriage House

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:52:40 -0600

I LOVE doing inspections on old, historic homes in Alexandria, Virginia.

The city is so full of history, virtually everywhere you go.

Over the years I have done many inspections on many historic homes there.

Yesterday was no exception.

This is a carriage house to a mansion directly behind. It was built in 1860. While nobody could tell me who the owner(s) of the mansion were over the years, it was fun nonetheless to have a look at the place.

While a bit hard to see in this photo, there have been many repairs to the brick work over the decades. There has been settling.

There were serious repairs evident in the crawl space below. Everything appeared to have been done very well.

While there were a few things to bring up on the report, nothing too severe to be easily fixed.

The buyer wants to do remodeling too, so some of the things can be done when that is underway.

Next to this house there is one of the two original cobblestone streets preserved by the city. It is fun to walk on them and know they have been there a long time.

Doing the inspection was a pleasure.

This is what you see looking out a rear bedroom window.

The house on the left is the historic mansion for which this is the carriage house. It is located on a famous thoroughfare in Alexandria.

The house on the right, I was told, is Robert E. Lee's childhood home. His front door faces the mansion. You can see that when his house was built, they had duplexes!

From this angle you cannot see how pretty the back yard is. It is narrow and long and a little park.

The walls surrounding it are eight feet high.

They have been there a while too.

This is the view of the side of the house. It shows the pathway between the two houses, all the way to the mansion seen behind, about 50 yards away.

Question:

Look carefully and you can see four stars.

WHAT ARE THEY FOR?

Home inspectors probably will know what they do.

Hint: The stars are NOT decorative!

Hint: There are four more stars on the other side directly opposite these.

Hint: You will not find them on new structures.

You can pick this little puppy up for just under $1 million! Well, that is, if the new buyer is willing to sell. Likely he is not. But who knows? Maybe you can cut him a deal.

My recommendation: When you purchase an old, historic property, try to find out the history. That will make the whole experience come alive. Who knows - a Founding Father may have slept in your bedroom!

I Don't Like Bringing These Things Up

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:11:17 -0600

Why don't I?

Because either way I go I take it on the chin. But if I don't mention it, sooner or later I will be bitten in the hiney.

Bring up what?

The two small, decorative roofs over the front porch roof window are not level - look at the trim. The right side is much worse than the left, but you can see that neither is level.

And the guardrail is not level either.

The buyer did not even notice it. If the building supervisor did, he had not tried to correct it. But I am a purist and I look for things like that, particularly on new homes.

Why don't I like to bring these kinds of things up? Because once the buyer sees it, it will always be noticed. And it will eventually be a bother!

If I don't bring it up, one day the buyer will notice, or the neighbor across the street will bring it up. Then I get the phone call - perceived structural problems (when there aren't any)!

So it was brought to the buyer's attention and put into the report. The mention got heads shaking.

Overall it was a nice house, with just a few mentionables. But...

At least it has American drywall!

My recommendation: It is always best to be complete and thorough. Sometimes, though, that causes problems in and of itself!

American-made drywall

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:52:30 -0600

At a home inspection yesterday on a brand-new house, my client was buying a home built by one of the companies that has installed Chinese drywall in the past.

They are having obvious problems because of that installation.

My client wanted assurance that there was no Chinese drywall in this house.

I was able to find a spot where the stamps were visible to show that this drywall, in fact, was American made!

While I cannot guarantee that there is no Chinese drywall in the house, it is a pretty good bet that there is none! This builder likely wouldn't open that can of worms again, a scant couple of years later. Especially since it's in the news.

Although Chinese drywall is showing up in more and more states and locations, it is apparently not in this neighborhood in Northern Virginia.

My recommendation: if you have concerns when selling a house built any time from 2004 on that there may be Chinese-made drywall, have your inspector try to find the stamps on the backside that demonstrate where it had been manufactured. Peace of mind is worth a million bucks... and a picture says a thousand words.

The Most Dangerous Appliance In Your House

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:06:02 -0600

What do you think it is? The microwave? Toaster? Hot tub? Computer (for lots of reasons...)?

Actually, it is none of the above.

The most dangerous appliance in your house may be your dryer!

Think about it. Dryer fires cost Americans as much as $100 million annually! They result in almost 50,000 fires that require the fire department, and average 400 injuries and 15 fatalities - annually. They cause more fires than electrical problems. And 81% of them happen in residential homes. (1) That is dangerous!

Most dryer fires are reported in the laundry room. In the olden days, that meant the basement or the garage. But in modern society, the laundry room location has shifted to the bedroom, kitchen, family room, hallway or closet.

When to most fires happen? Incidences increase dramatically from November to March, with 10.6% happening in January. Why? Probably because that is when we wash our heaviest clothing. It takes more time to dry them, they heat up and poof!

And what is the most common cause of dryer fires? VENTILATION. And that for many reasons:

1. In modern houses dryer vents cover longer distances to reach an outside wall.

2. Clogs that occur because of sharp bends or turns.

3. Plastic or foil wrapped "slinky" venting. This venting has lots of pockets that can trap lint. Solid vents are highly recommended.

4. Incorrect venting which does not exhaust outdoors but into a crawl space, attic, or interior walls. This can also contribute to the increase of molds and air deterioration. Also, incorrect venting which allows animals to get inside where they nest or otherwise obstruct air flow.

What is the most important thing we can do to prevent dryer fires?

Keep our vents clean! That means disconnecting the vent tubing from the dryer every one to two years and either cleaning it all ourselves (including as much of the tubing as possible) or hiring a professional company to do it.

And by following proper installation guidelines when the dryer is first installed.

____________________________________

Dryer Loss Control Recommendations -- Per the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):

1. Clean the lint screen/filter before or after drying each load of clothes – If clothing is still damp at the end of a typical drying cycle or drying requires longer times than normal, this may be a sign that the lint screen or the exhaust duct is blocked.

2. Clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct periodically – Check the outside dryer vent while the dryer is operating to make sure exhaust air is escaping.

3. Replace plastic or foil, accordion-type ducting materials with rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct – The flexible plastic or foil type duct can more easily trap lint and is more susceptible to kinks and crushing, which can greatly reduce the airflow.

4. Take special care when drying clothes that have been soiled with volatile chemicals – Special care is required when drying clothes exposed to gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning agents, finishing oils and stains. If possible, wash the clothes more than once and, preferably, hang the clothes to dry. If using a dryer, use the lowest heat setting and a drying cycle that has a cool-down period at the end of the cycle.

___________________________________

My recommendation: When you buy a new dryer, have it installed professionally. Most retailers will deliver and install nowadays. And pay special attention to keeping your vent clean where the vent exits the dryer and enters the wall, and where it discharges on the outside of your house!

(1) “Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings”. Topical Fire Research Series. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. U.S. Fire Administration. Volume 7, Issue 1. January 2007.

A Compass, A Map, And You Can Find Anything

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:58:26 -0600

The house was warm, so I knew there was a furnace.

The water was hot, so I knew there was a water heater.

I just couldn't find them! The layout of the (lovely) basement made it hard to get my house geography. The six "bedrooms" were placed in a weird array. The former laundry room was no more, in favor I guess of rent from another "bedroom" and the local laundromat. But I was undaunted in my search.

I knew where they should be, I just couldn't see how to get to them!

Finally, behind a "bedroom" bureau, I saw some peg board on the wall! HA! It was screwed tightly to the wall but I did peek in.

The furnace! The water heater! And I saw another door.

That door was in the garage, hidden behind a tool shelf. Though heavy I moved it. Wow, the door worked!

What you can't see here are dimensions. I could barely fit between the two units to get to the front of the furnace. That front is about 15" from the peg board. Finally getting the cover off, I could see that it was extremely dirty and rusty inside, and the blower was quite dirty.

I was worried that the filter had not been replaced in a while, like, um, a loooong while, and politely went to remove it. Instead of finding a very clogged filter, I was happy to discover that there was none! Well, that how-often-do-we-have-to-replace-the-filter problem was solved!! Just remove the little sucker! And hide the furnace room... Out of sight, out of mind!

You also can see that the water heater is stressed, with some flame out happening when it turns on. And the vent from the water heater was angled downward. And it's been there a while! Well, those are just minor problems anyway.

The rest of this lovely home was just as laugh out loud!! I believe it will cost as much to bring the house back into an American condition, as it does to buy it. Welcome to my world in Northern Virginia.

My recommendation: When you can't find something, it helps to have a compass with you, a map of the terrain and a good guide. Gimme a call!

What's Wrong With This Picture... I Mean Panel Box?

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:18:44 -0600

"Must See the Newly Renovated Basement!"

Dèjà veux!

This might seem similar to my previous post. And it is.

When the heat pump in that previous post did not come on, the first thing I checked was the panel box to see if the breaker for the heat pump was turned off.

I was able to peek into the box, literally, and see that it was on. So I knew the heat pump had electrical power.

Entering the basement I was able to see a fine new paint job.

And this clever, nearly square, nearly level, neatly-cut hole around the panel box.

Can you see what is wrong with this hole?

No, it is not that wire. That is the cable for the security system which is connected to the window just to the right of this photo. It goes from the window, into that hole and then somewhere else.

You can hardly see it.

But that isn't what I meant about what is wrong with the panel box. Can you see it now?

It's OK, I'll wait.

Hint: That's the original panel box, with the original stickers placed there in 1977. So that isn't it.

I'm still waiting...

THAT'S RIGHT! Ding, ding, ding! The clever, nearly square, nearly level, neatly-cut hole around the panel box is a bit small. No can openo the dooro. (Para tradujir eso - no se puede abrir la puertita, lo más sea...) The security cable is just an extra decorator's touch.

My recommendation: If you see or hear that a house you will be showing your clients is newly remodeled, ask a couple of questions. A good question to start would be: "Gee, was it done professionally?" and/or "Was there a permit pulled to do the work?" If not, caveat emptor!

What's Wrong With This Picture... I Mean Heat Pump?

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:27:20 -0600

"Must See the Newly Renovated Basement!"

So said the marketing info on the kitchen counter in the house I arrived to inspect.

I could hardly wait! OK, when I see things like that, lately anyway, I kind of cringe.

When I enter houses for inspections, I begin by turning things on. The dishwasher, washer, dryer, AC or furnace, and so forth. Obviously I test 'em!

The house was kind of cold. Not unusual, sometimes the listing agents leave the heat low, especially after the house has a contract on it. So I found the thermostat and turned on the heat.

No reaction.

No sound.

No click, grind, buzz. Or heat.

No nothing.

Maybe it's turned off at the panel box? I checked. Nope, the breaker was on. So what could it be?

I found the heat pump.

And this is what I saw.

The label states that this heat pump was manufactured a mere three years ago. Already it doesn't work.

Can you tell me why? It's OK, I'll wait.

Hint: the old heat pump was of a different era and configuration. They took the white AC condensate line off that old one and used it on this one. I guess to save time and money.

I'm still waiting...

THAT'S RIGHT! Ding, ding, ding!! The condensate line blocks the filter's ability to come out for washing or replacement. This filter is a washable, high efficiency filter. It captures everything. And it really should be washed every month! If not, it will clog quickly.

This one was so clogged it had the density of a brick. I think that broke the unit. So much for saving time and money...

Water, Yes, But From Where?

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:16:06 -0600

I was called to do a One Year Inspection prior to the expiration of the builder's warranty. I do a lot of them.

Looking at this deck and door from the rear yard everything seemed normal enough.

Until I got closer.

You might not notice it from this photo.

I'm talking about what you see in the photo below.

That's it, right there. Water.

Now, it had not rained in the past month. There is a bedroom window above this door, but it could not have been opened during a recent rain storm. There is no plumbing in the wall, service or drain. There is a typical soffit overhang with a gutter, but all that was dry.

Coming inside, the floor around the door was dry according to my moisture meter. I had my IR camera with me and looked at the wall above and around the door inside and out. Nothing visible. Similarly, inside, nothing thermal was visible in the floor or ceiling above.

Neither upstairs bathroom is anywhere nearby. The closest, the Jack and Jill bath, is 20 feet above and to the left of this photo. I had not tested the bathroom yet, it was dry, and this water is fresh, the puddle even growing slightly during the inspection. The plumbing penetration to vent the kitchen and that bathroom is 30 feet or so to the left of this photo. He had not used the hose or watered the lawn that day.

I have to admit, I was stumped.

I NEVER DID FIGURE IT OUT!

My client had never noticed this puddle before. I advised him to call me if it continued or grew. He never did.

Sometimes things remain a mystery. Any ideas as to this water's source?

My recommendation: when you notice something out of the ordinary, and you cannot figure out a reason, watch it to see if it changes. Maybe then you will find a change that leads you to the cause. And then maybe you won't...

Washington Post Article

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:42:49 -0500

About a month ago, while in the hospital with my wife, someone from the Washington Post called and interviewed me about a problem she was researching. She said my remarks would appear in a Washington Post article in the next few weeks.

She found my website and blog posts by putting key words into her search engine. I popped up many times, and she reviewed me website. She was impressed, which prompted her to call me.

I got a Google alert this morning - apparently the article appeared!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/27/AR2009102703475.html

That isn't the only thing I said. I actually offered four reasons for the problem, off the top of my head. But this is the one that impressed her the most.

Interestingly, scroll down and see my name at the bottom and click on it. Some of my blogs appear, INCLUDING other people on Active Rain. Very cool. We are all interconnected.

I might add: dehumidification does not solve the problem, just soaks it up, but who am I? You have to discover and eliminate the source of the moisture.

That's where I come in... If the person with the problem calls me, I will let you know. That would be a cool post too.

One Thing Leads To Another

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:55:47 -0500

I have the tendency to notice things about a house I am to inspect when I am driving up to it. When pulling up to this seven year old house I noticed even before I got into the driveway that the front porch roof seems to incline toward the house. Looking closer I determined that it did!

That isn't good. One thing leads to another.

Then I noticed the staining on the brick. You can see it running from the inside corner of the porch roof all the way to ground beside the garage door.

Beside the front door there was staining and rot in the molding.

Inside the house there was staining on the drywall over the transom window.

In the living room there was staining on the floor molding and some damage to the hardwood flooring under and to the left of the window nearest the front door. And staining and cracking in the drywall.

In the garage, there was staining on the ceiling under that window and in the drywall on the upper left corner of the garage door. And more cracking in the drywall there.

That isn't good. One thing leads to another.

It had not rained in some time. There was little moisture to detect, either with an IR camera or a moisture meter. But there looked like there was stress over the garage door. Was the front of the house resting on a steel beam for support or a built-up micro-laminate (wood) beam? The brick would have its own angle-iron or steel beam support. But sometimes the house itself is supported another way.

The cracks in the drywall, in the living room above and in the garage below, indicated movement. And that movement was right where moisture had been getting in from that front porch roof. Not being invasive during a home inspection, I had little choice but to suggest that it be evaluated by a structural engineer. My clients took my advice.

After all, by then I had convinced them that one thing leads to another.

An engineer came to the house. They opened up the wood trim covering the support behind the brick work.

This is what that revealed. The entire front of the house was resting on a triple micro-laminate beam. While very strong when dry, this beam system had gotten so wet it had begun not only to rot but attract termites!

The engineer said that the house was essentially resting on the one remaining interior beam. That is testimony in itself as to how strong those things are! A later termite inspection revealed that the vertical support under those beams was similarly infested with termites! Yikes!!

The engineer said it was only a short period of time before the house may have collapsed! Maybe even before settlement. What a DISASTER that would have been...

And why? Because one thing leads to another!

Even the sellers were grateful for the home inspection.

Wouldn't you be?

My recommendation: recognize that houses are intricate systems. Things are interconnected. One thing does lead to another. If you pay attention to the little things, the big things will often take care of themselves.

And get a home inspection!

I Have A Leak Nobody Can Find - Can You Help?

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:43:56 -0500

That's what the voice in the phone call said. It was an elderly lady who has puddles show up on the floor in her breakfast room after rains.

Four years ago she had a bay window put in. Beautiful job. It overlooks the golf course and was a very nice addition. But it began leaking recently. She knew she had a problem, but didn't know what it was.

She called many contractors. She paid them to come out. Nobody could find the problem, or the source of the leak. The leaking is too new to manifest staining, surprisingly. There is no damage anywhere. They told her that it must be coming from when she waters the plants, or from an open window, or leaving the door open, etc. They were not too helpful!

She knew she had not done those things - after all, we all open windows and doors during rain storms, right? What to do?

A friend suggested that she Google thermal imaging inspectors in the area. She found me. She called me. Good for her! I asked her if the other contractors had used thermal cameras. "No, they never mentioned one."

I asked, "If they are roof, siding and leak contractors, why wouldn't they have one?" "That's why I called you!"

I was her lucky day.

It took me about 1 minute to discover where the water was getting in. Literally.

Thermal imaging cameras measure temperature differences. They do not see "inside" walls. They do not "see" leaks. They do not "see" anything. Well, except hot flashes.

But with one you can "see" a lot! It is a bit of an art, and a bit of a science. But I could "see" right where water was getting in. I bet you can too.

The purple indicates cooler spots. The darker the spot, the cooler the area. You might be able to see the darker spots. Moisture!

From there it was easy to see how the gutter and flashing installation outside created these problems.

I also could tell that there was very poor insulation around the two sky lights and in the ceiling generally. "So, that's why this room is cold?!"

Yepper!

I charged her one half my normal fee, emailed her the report and referred her to a good roofing guy I know.

And I rode off into the sunset...

My recommendation: When you call contractors to determine where a leak might be occurring, get ahold of your favorite, certified (NOT certifried) thermal image inspector. That will save you time and money. And that would be a big help. It might be your lucky day too!

Do You Have A Mattress In Your Living Room?

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:51:56 -0500

I am not a termite inspector. There may be some, but personally I don't know any home inspectors in Virginia who are. The home inspection and termite inspections are usually done at different times in Virginia, by two different companies.

If I see evidence of termites I mention it in the report. But if I was to see a 300 pound termite, and said so, it would be poo-pooed as "well, he is just the home inspector."

Outside a house recently I noticed this on the front porch, directly under a window. It is rotting wood siding and sawdust coming from under and through that siding. This can be a termite indicator.

We had not been indoors yet. I said we would check the floor of the room just inside this photo.

There were other things outdoors that would encourage termites to this house - gutters that didn't discharge properly, improper flashing admitting water down walls, rotting this and that.

This house was a termite invitation card.

When we got inside we were surprised to see this in the living room:

That is the window under which we saw the above sawdust.

That is too cute for words.

You should know, when home inspectors see furniture in spots it is not typically found, they wonder.

I wondered about this one.

I said, "Uh, oh, are we trying to hide something?"

The Realtor giggled.

I asked, "What's so funny?"

"Well, the seller has put into the contract that they will only be responsible for $200 of any termite damage found."

Well, that's interesting...

So I moved the mattress. And heah 'tis:

This was hidden under the mattress.

And it's not money.

In front of the client and Realtor, I very gingerly stepped on the flooring. I could have gone through to the cellar! All along that wall!

You can even see a previous repair to the left. This is both a previous and ongoing problem!

And it was "hidden" under a mattress.

Going into the cellar we saw the what was below, with substantial damage to floor joists, the sill plate over the foundation wall, and the underside of the flooring in general.

This is quite a problem!

Looking further, into the dining room to the right of these photos, there were extensive repairs to the flooring, under pinning, support joists and sill plate, and extra columns. Extensive repairs! And years ago.

THAT is why they would only take responsibility for $200 of any termite issue found. That would not even pay for an engineer to come by and smell the house from the outside!

My recommendation: when you see furniture out of place, or things where they usually are not, send your antenna up and question it! And don't think people won't try to hide things! I see that all the time...

Be Very, Very Careful Where You Step!

Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:32:58 -0500

If you ever go into the attic space of an old farm house,

get to the top of the creaky stair case,

and look around to decide where to go,

but see a spot in front of you,

between the floor joists,

that appears to have been stepped into before,

and you feel glad that it wasn't you,

but wonder what that dimple,

with the light coming through,

might look like from the other side,

well,

this is what it might look like!

My recommendation: when you go into the attic space and need to walk around, walk only on the rafter joists!