Bellingham Wa. Home Inspection Blog, Steven L. Smith

May the Power Be With You -- Active Rain

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:54:16 -0600

Even though I am one of the old timers here at Active Rain, I am still amazed at the cyber power this site can provide to those who work hard, wisely and within the parameters of the system.

Sometimes people ask me whether there is any point in working hard for active rain "points." I would answer that question with a resounding "yes". Based on my experiences with search engine optimization, Active Rain is so dominant as to be completely amazing. Now I say that as a blogger who, with the help of Active Rain, has a strong presence in my market area and the state. Yes, I have lots of points so I can only tell you what Active Rain does for me. My years of work here at the keyboard have paid off.

If I post an article on some topic and use the right key words, that article will be prominent in the top search engines. This applies nationally but even more so locally. Obviously, when people are online and looking for home inspection advice, my articles come up first and that makes my phone ring and garners multiple Emails.

What occurred yesterday is a good example of the power of Active Rain in one's local market. I wrote a simple post about a friend who, class by class, earned her college degree over that past 20 plus years. This information was originally published in the top local newspaper, the Bellingham Herald -- owned by a major publisher. The story was also picked up by another regional news source that has been around for years -- the Seattle PI.

Well, this morning, I wanted to see if my piece "Amazing Perseverance" had made the search engines. Did it ever. On google my piece had three hits on page one. Between AR and the affiliated localism I had more hits than the PI or the Herald. At Yahoo, the Herald did better, but my piece was the "top" hit.

That is right, this one guy operation home inspector in Bellingham, WA, who wrote a personal recollection and put in a link to a story at a leading local paper, ended up with stronger SEO presence, on the subject's name, than the paper itself did with their own story. Maybe McClatchy newspapers and the PI need to get on board with Active Rain. It sure works for this guy.

Link to today's google results here.

Link to today's yahoo results here.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Amazing Perseverance -- Viva Barnes

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:09:01 -0600

I saw a story in the local paper today that was very interesting and heartwarming. It all started more than 20 years ago. My daughter Alicia had a good friend named Nichole. Nichole's mom was named Viva.

Viva worked up at Western Washington University. one of the premier colleges in the state. Part of the deal, with her job, was that she could take college level classes but only a few credits at a time. I remember, sometime back 20 years ago when I, too, was in my 30's, Viva talking about the various classes she was taking, would be taking and had taken.

Well, she did it! We have kind of lost touch with Viva, now that the daughters are grown, but Viva made the front page of the Bellingham Herald today. She has earned her college degree. Way to go Viva.

You can read the story, and see photos, in the Bellingham Herald, click below.

Viva Barnes graduates, Bellingham Herald story.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Deer Me

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:44:05 -0600

I think that my ever growing photo collection of deer that I have seen while inspecting has to be up there in the realm of among the best. It is now large and ongoing. When I inspect near Lake Whatcom or Lake Samish and, most specifically, at Sudden Valley, I run into deer by the dozen.

Yesterday I was down in Anacortes, a great city here in the northwest, and sure enough, here come the deer. I think this is mom and a youngster or an adolescent.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Carpenter Ant Damage

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:53:50 -0600

Today I had to take the state structural pest inspector's test. I last did that five years ago but my time was now. We call it renewal time.

One of the most common insects in this region is the carpenter ant. I went down with a friend and we were talking about carpenter ant infestations and the shavings that the species leaves. One note here -- they do not eat the wood, they live in it.

Below is one of the best photos I have, in my collection, of major carpenter ant activity at a bank owned property. The WSDA views carpenter ants as the most significant insect pest in the northwest.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Van Wingerden's Nursery and Poinsettias

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:07:50 -0600

Families are always looking for, and building on, Christmas traditions. When my daughter was young, we used to get our Christmas tree out in the county at Phil's Christmas Trees. Phil, deceased now, would offer cheerful conversation and a cup of cider in his warm little out building.

For the past few years we have gotten into, a few weeks before Christmas, visiting Van Wingerden's Nursery in Blaine, a few miles north of Bellingham near the Canadian border. The number of poinsettias they have in their greenhouses is absolutely amazing. I am posting below a few photos from our last family visit about two weeks ago.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Exterior Doors and Energy

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:21:18 -0600

As a home inspector, often I see exterior doors that work just fine. They open, they close and they lock. But, often, these doors that function just fine are at older homes and the pane of glass is a single-pane -- not a thermalpane -- window. Most clients, planning to remodel, do not care much about that as long as the door works. And, sometimes there is protection from a storm door as well. This is one of those none critical issues that, over time, the clients might wish to upgrade for better energy efficiency. But, compared to some other critical factors at a home that is being refurbished, this might be a pretty low priority. We would call it a "small concern."

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

What's that funky smell?

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:52:57 -0600

I had one pretty rasty inspection in the past week and, in looking at Jason's blog, I saw this one and thought it deserved another run on the fast track.

Via Jason Aldrich Sequim, WA Home Inspector (Aldrich's Home Inspections, Inc.):

As most of us are aware, there is an increased number of short-sale, repos (and the like) on the market right now. When I am called in to do an inspection on one of these types of homes, I am always leary of what I might, or might not, find--that is, some folks can get pretty dang malicious before moving out of a house. I have seen complete kitchens and bathrooms (cabinets and all) ripped out of the house; all the light fixtures and door hardware removed; all the appliances (including the generator and wood stove) taken; all the heat ducts disconnected in the crawlspace; and the list goes on...

I think the nastiest thing I have found so far has been the two full-sized fish that were tossed up into the attic space. When I popped open the attic access lid, I almost fell over from the stench!

When I told my clients about the fish they laughed and said that it explained why the windows were wide open in that bedroom the first time they looked at the house.

This and other similar experiences are making me consider wearing a full rain suit when traversing the attic and crawlspaces. Yuck!
---------------------------------------------------------
Jason Aldrich | Owner, Licensed Home Inspector
Aldrich's Home Insepctions, Inc.
Serving the Sequim and Port Angeles Areas
JasonA@Olypen.com
www.AldrichsHomeInspections.com

Your Leaking Gutters

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:17:26 -0600

The concept of gutters seems quite simple. There are troughs at the eaves that collect rain and route the water, harmlessly, away from the home through downspouts and extensions. Fact is, there can be many problems with gutters -- poor slope, holes or rust in metal gutters, leaks in gutters or downspouts, water that is not being routed away from the structure.

The photo below is a lesser seen problem, but a problem just the same. This corrugated roof extends too far over the gutter. As a result of that, the water overshoots the gutter defeating the purpose of the gutter.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Tools Can Make For An Easier Life

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:44:55 -0600

The bulk of a home inspection is a visual examination of the structure and components and systems at a home. However, sometimes tools are a real blessing -- and save on the knees. I am always surprised, because it seems so basic to me after all the years, how many people have never seen a laser thermometer.

I use this device for so many purposes, from reading the temperature in a hot attic to reading the water temperature from the hot water heater to checking the heat supply registers -- in progress here. When the furnace is running, you can make sure that heat is coming out the ducts from several feet away, without having to get down and feel for air.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Maintaining Trees and Roofs

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:24:49 -0600

In my northwest corner of the country, we have both evergreen trees and deciduous trees. People like the look of their trees. We are noted for our great lush green forests.

These trees can be a problem when they grow up over the roof. Sometimes limbs come off and crash through roofs or gutters come down. However, the most common problem is simpler than that -- the trees lead to a buildup of organic debris on the roof and that debris keeps the roof from shedding water. When a roof cannot shed water, the likelihood of leaks increases. The photo below gets the point across quite nicely.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Washington State Home Inspector Education -- Supplemental Training

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:17:07 -0600

With the new Washington State home inspector licensing laws, there are three types of education that are being submitted to the state for approval.

The most basic class, and the longest, is "Fundamentals of Home Inspection" this is a 120 hour class. Those people who were not able to be grandfathered in, based on experience and passing all state tests, are taking this training as are those who are just getting into the field. Bellingham Technical College is presently teaching such a course.

The next major form of education is the "supplemental" course. This is a course designed for those students who took a significant amount of home inspector education previously, yet did not take official state approved classes because there were so such classes at the time. The people who are taking this training tend to be newer inspectors, who were not grandfathered in, but they did have the professional training. At BTC, we are presently working on putting together such a course to go with the fundamentals training. This course, however, is short-lived. Once full licensing kicks into effect on July 1, 2010, the supplemental course will be out of business. Our initial intent was, simply, to offer a supplemental course to our own past students. However, we are getting requests to make it available to others so we are looking at that. Of course, prior to doing anything of the sort, we have to get all of our ducks in a row so it is accepted by the Department of Licensing home inspector division.

And, the third form of education, and people keep asking if BTC will be putting any such courses together, is continuing education. Inspectors need that, everyone does, for license renewal. As to the answer to that question -- I really do not know if we will do anything in that arena or not. Maybe not. All of us who teach with the inspection program are adjunct faculty and tend to keep pretty busy in the real world of inspection. As a result of that, there is only so much time in any given day.

Anyone who wishes information on the BTC fundamentals program, or the progress we are making on the supplemental program, should give me a call at 360-676-6908.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

What The Client Should Expect From A Home Inspection

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:53:32 -0600

The longer I am in this field of home inspection, the more apparent it becomes to me that most buyers, or sellers contracting for a pre-listing inspection, have no clue as to what it is that a home inspector is looking for or what that inspector will be reporting on.

Home inspections and standards of practice vary from association to association and from state to state. My description of the process is general but it should be helpful for those who are unfamiliar with the field of home inspection. In this synopsis, I am not attempting to list every system or component that might, possibly, be viewed during the course of a home inspection but this should provide a good overview of the process.

A home inspection is a non-technically exhaustive, primarily visual, inspection of a home and it's systems and components.

An inspector will not be spending much time looking at minor cosmetic details, or checking phones, cable, outdoor garden lighting or built-in vacuum or speaker systems. Those items will almost certainly be excluded.

Some people think the inspector will be overwrought about housekeeping and cosmetic details -- interior paint, whether or not the pictures on the wall are straight. I have seen the seller tidy up like crazy and then the deal hit a snag because of a totally unexpected, and serious, structural or electrical issue.

The inspection flow:

The site and the exterior, including the foundation, siding or other cladding, exterior doors, decks, stairways and rails, driveways and grading of the lot will be inspected. An inspector should report defects, such as slope or grade that routes runoff water against the home, foundation cracks or damage, rot or problematic conditions of cladding, unsafe decks and stairs, defective doors.

While the routine may vary, from inspector to inspector, the roof might be the next stop. On the roof the inspector will get a second look at some of the components he or she probably got a cursory view of from down below -- gutters and downspouts, chimneys, plumbing stacks, vents and roofing materials. It is not always possible to traverse every roof. But, when it is possible to do so safely and without damage to the roof, the inspector should go up on the roof. There are defects that can only be seen from up above. If the inspector cannot go on the roof, it will be viewed, as best as can be, from the eaves or from the ground.

The inspector will inspect attached garages (not usually detached garages unless additional fees apply), verifying that there is a firewall that protects the home and making sure that any powered vehicle doors have proper safety features such as sensor eyes and auto-reverse.

Often the furnace and water heater will be located in an attached garage so they may be inspected when the inspector is in the garage. The inspector will, with some limitations, check the safety and function of water heaters and furnaces/heating devices. He or she should make sure that garage appliances are protected so they cannot be hit by a forward moving automobile. This protection is often provided by a bollard. The inspector should measure the water temperature and report temperatures that are unsafe -- such as a temperature over 120 degrees F, which is conducive to scalding burns.

Often the attached garage will be the site of the attic hatch. A home inspector should try to find the various attic hatches. If it can be done safely and without risking damage to the property or insulation, the attic should be traversed.

The attic can hide many secrets that should be exposed. There might be leaks from the roof above, exhaust fans could be blowing moist air into the attic. There could be ventilation issues, old or unsafe wiring, or even rodent activity in the attic. The inspector should note whether or not the attic is insulated.

Somewhere, in this general sequence of events, the inspector will inspect the electric system. Standard procedures include looking at the service entrance and removing the cover from the electric panel and viewing the wiring inside of it.

The inspector should report visual defects in the panel, report if there is a grounding electrode in place and report the placement and function of GFCI receptacles -- the kind of receptacle that gives extra protection in wet environments. In newer homes, there should be AFCI breakers that protect against electrical fires at bedroom receptacles and lights. The inspector should check most receptacles and many light switches, ceiling fans, etc. It is not always possible to check every switch or receptacle, but an inspector should get to many of them.

About now, we are ready to move inside the home. Inside the house, the inspector -- along with looking at floors, walls, ceilings, doors, windows and stairs -- should check the plumbing, including under sinks and at tubs and showers. A primary emphasis is on drains, traps and whether or not there are signs of leaks.

Toilets will be flushed and checked to make sure that they are tight to the floor and that they are not leaking -- often leaks are visible as a result of stains on or under flooring. Regarding plumbing, when the inspector was outside, he or she should have checked the water pressure at a hose bibb to make sure it was in the normal range of 40 to 80 PSI.

Many inspectors will operate and inspect the dishwasher, the refrigerator, the range, the microwave and some will even operate laundry appliances. Certainly, an inspector will try to view connections and operate gas fireplaces or look inside wood stoves and fireplaces. If the wood burning devices look to be full of soot or creosote, then an inspector will call for service or further evaluation by a qualified chimney sweep. Since we are talking fire safety, the inspector will, when inside the home, verify the presence of smoke detectors.

Last, but not least, the inspector will inspect the sub-structure of the home. This can be merely a slab, which often leaves little for an inspector to view. Or it might be a basement or a crawl space that has ample access.

If it is a finished basement, there might be little to report on. However, at an unfinished basement or crawl space, the inspector will be looking at the structure -- posts or columns, beams and joists and many other components -- plumbing pipes, heat ducts, under floor insulation. Especially in a crawl space, the inspector will be alert to signs of damage from wood destroying organisms or rodent activity. Often, in a sub-structure area, the inspector will locate a main water shutoff valve for the home. For sure, when it can be found, the inspector should report the location of the main water shutoff valve and, also, the location of the main gas or fuel shutoffs.

Again, the methods of inspection vary from inspector to inspector and this article is not intended to describe how every inspector does the job. When the inspection is complete, the inspector should, in a reasonable time-frame, provide the client with a concise and accurate written report that has photos and describes the conditions that were found at the home at the time of the inspection.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Cat-Napped

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:52:05 -0600

While their relatives are outside in the cold weather, the three formally feral cats that the wife and I took in -- the boys -- are adapting quite well to a life of luxury. It might have been below twenty degrees outside, but that did not interfere with their sleep cycle.

I think that the photo indicates content kitties. Since they are all marked the same, you have to look closely to even know how many cats you will find in the huddle. By the way, it is seventy degrees inside so they are not piled up for warmth -- they actually like one another when they are not wrestling. They are all brothers, the one with the yellow collar is six months younger than the other two who are just now a year old.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

What Is This Device?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:21:00 -0600

Okay, I have a photo, two actually, that I want you to take a look at. Do you know what this device happens to be, hanging on the edge of the gutter?

Maybe if that one does not look familiar you will have a closer affinity to this one.

If this looks to you like some sort of device from outer space, then I think that I need to let you know that it goes with this.

That device, strategically placed on the gutter, with the wire running down, is the "rain sensor". It is installed on many lawn irrigation systems. And the device has a noble purpose. It monitors for rain and, if it has rained, then it keeps the yard irrigation system from over-watering, wasting water or both all at once. So, if you ever see devices such as these, and they are not always on gutters but they will be outside and exposed, then now you know what you are looking at. Mystery solved.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham Technical College -- Washington State Approved Fundamentals of Home Inspection Training

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:36:20 -0600

Due to state licensing requirements in Washington state, all new home inspectors must take a 120 hour class in the fundamentals of home inspection and complete 40 hours of field training, prior to be allowed to sit for the state licensing exam. There are several courses now approved by the state to provide fundamentals training. The longest running, and most established program offered by a state college, is at Bellingham Technical College.

The next fundamentals class at Bellingham Technical College begins on January 4th. I was checking the registration statistics today and discovered that we only have two slots left in the class and we are still thirty days out from classes beginning. This is a college level class offered through the state community college system.

Anyone interested in enrolling in this class should plan to do so quickly because the initial 14, of the 16 possible, enrolled in the first week of registration. Hyping someone to take the class is not my goal, as you can see there is plenty of interest, but anyone who is mulling it over, trying to figure out if they want to take the class or not, had better make a decision pretty soon or the class will be full.

Municipal Inspections -- Myth Busted

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:37:28 -0600

I recently wrote a post showing a high deck with missing nails in a single joist hanger. Let me be clear about it, I had to be up on a ladder to catch this easy to miss construction oversight.

I was surprised by the number of comments from those in the real estate industry who were shocked that municipal code inspectors had not zeroed in on this one. Stop right there. You will probably not see any similar comments of dismay from the working home inspectors. In fact, I know two inspectors who have, over the past two days, written posts about this myth of being able to rely on a municipal inspection as proof that a home is properly built. Codes are a good thing and they are information stored in multiple books.

What is in these books consists of bare minimum standards. The jurisdictional code inspectors, using whatever variation of rules that apply to their jurisdiction, are a good safeguard. But, essentially, they are only offering cursory reviews. They are NOT detail-oriented inspections. Please do not assume that a house that passed a city or county or state code inspection is "clean" and does not have multiple mistakes on premises and some potentially serious safety problems.

A municipal code inspection is usually done by an employee of a government body.

The people who do the inspections are busy and saddled with many such inspections per day. The work load is heavy, with cities and counties trying to get more work from fewer people, so the inspectors spend a short period of time at multiple sites. They do not, like a home inspector does, spend hours on a single job.

Let us look at a typical code inspection (and I admit there can be some variations): In the beginning of the project, assuming new construction, the code inspector will visit the site and look at forms for the footing/foundation to make sure that, as is required, reinforcing steel is in place for the concrete pour.

Next comes the rough-in inspection where the inspector signs off on all the framing components -- there can also be other "special" inspections along the way. In some jurisdictions the rough-in inspection comes after the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are also in place.

The code inspector will have a few more on-site visits to look at some of the other systems and components. For example, they want to see the wiring and the insulation inside cavities that will be covered prior to the sheet rock being installed.

As to decks and landings, requirements are basic. I have seen builders put up a simple three foot square landing and some steps. The municipal code inspectors, if it meets minimum codes, will sign off on it. The only time they would be likely to catch anything at decks, assuming there are decks when they do the final (see below) is on that final inspection where they are primarily interested in handrails and guardrails and, inside the house, smoke detectors. No way are they going to be crawling in the crawl space -- they never do that at any point in the process -- nor will they be crawling under or climbing up a ladder to see the fine details of a deck. Sure, they should be able to see, from the ground, missing lag bolts or lag screws at the ledger but not the finer details at any high or very low deck.

Then there is real estate scenario two: A year down the road, the homeowner will take down the landing and any rails that met basic code and build the real "dream" deck. That deck is likely to be a botched-up mess with no joist hangers, no lag bolts or screws, no flashings, no positive connections, no guardrails or handrails and steps with uneven risers. Later down the road, when this deck has weathered a bit, everyone affiliated with the sale, except for the seller who is mum and the home inspector, will argue that all of this house met the code. Not! Some did, some did not and even those areas that were inspected by the municipal inspectors might have mistakes on premises.

The point: The municipal inspectors are important. They do a good job at steering the boat through rough waters but what they do is basic. The job is not detail oriented. They look at, and paint, the big picture.

Here is a photo from my files. This high-end house had been given a final occupancy permit.

That would imply that it met the codes. Fact is that the missing rails at the long run of steps is a code oversight and a safety issue. Code violation + final occupancy = not a good combination. This, honestly, could have been caught from the city inspector's car. I have numerous such photos, some of the most egregious being obvious safety issues in sub-panels. The problems were signed off on, missed, by the electric inspector.

Municipal code inspectors, in general, do a good and important job based on their specific role and their standards or guidelines of performance. Their standards are very different than the standards of practice of a qualified, or state licensed, home inspector. Be glad that jurisdictional code inspectors exist, but realize that they are only one safeguard in the construction process. They are not the end all be all. Myth busted!

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

When Frost Free Isn't

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:22:50 -0600

Many people know that they have frost free hosebibbs outside the home. They anticipate that come the ice and rain and general cold, those hosebibbs will not rupture. That is the idea of purchasing a frost free hosebibb. But sometimes people do those silly or forgetful human things that lead to a rupture.

This outside hosebibb was figured out by a homeowner, to get water from the lower deck to the upper deck. While it might not be exactly ideal, it does work. However, this time of year it is a very vulnerable area. Water that collects in that rubber hose, keeps the frost free hosebibb from properly draining. As a result of that, one ends up with a frost free hosebibb that is prone to a rupture in cold weather. This is an unusual situation here, more often than not, this problem is created by the homeowner who leaves the garden hose on in the winter. Same consequences.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Scenic Water Views -- Bellingham Area

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:44:06 -0600

People long for a water view. In this area, some of the most sought after views are those one gets by living on a lake. In Whatcom county, Lake Whatcom and Lake Samish come to mind as popular purchases. And those who buy those properties pay a hefty price for their piece of land and lake. There are also excellent lots at Sudden Valley and there are many smaller, and lesser known, lakes in the county.

Recently I did an inspection on Cain Lake. This is a lesser known lake, not far from Sudden Valley and south of Bellingham. Despite it being a small and lesser known lake, it had a certain charm on a brisk late fall morning.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Basement Rails and Steps -- Common Safety Issue

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:52:37 -0600

Around here most of the houses with basements are older homes. My house has a three-quarters basement and it is a typical older home. It has a common building design, a flaw have you, that I would cite as a safety concern at a paid home inspection.

In this field, there are some things that are just so predicable that an inspector can almost imagine the problem prior to arriving on the site. For example, if you are booked to inspect an older home with a basement, the handrail will, almost never, meet modern safety guidelines.

You see that handrail above? By today's standards, the gaps between the spindles shuld be of such a size that a four inch sphere will not pass between them. That keeps a headstrong child from taking a big fall. Now, that said, I have to tell you that there are even fewer spindles on the rail going down to my basement. After all, if the spindles were too close together the boys would have trouble jumping between them from the top step down onto the floor below.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Salt Spring Island Harbor

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:37:29 -0600

I was going through some photos that I had taken a couple weeks back when visiting Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. This was a very relaxing four day vacation. Being an island, there are water views basically in a 360 degree circle.

One morning we had breakfast at one of those water views, a small cafe near one of the main harbors where the boats are moored. I thought that these boats were good scenery despite the fact it was cold and windy that day.

If you ever get the chance, you should visit the Gulf Islands in B.C. I think this might become one of my regular mini winter getaways.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

You're At The Wrong House You Darned Fool

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:50:55 -0600

Oh yes, the age of the GPS. Those of us who have these devices know how much simpler they make our lives at least most of the time. Then there is that five percent of the time when the things give us crazy directions or incomplete directions. I have learned more than once to pay attention, do not jump to conclusions, when the voice says: "house ahead on right."

When it says that, sometimes, the house might be ahead at the right in 50 feet. Or it might be ahead on the right about three-quarters of a mile down the dirt road or it might be ahead on the left.

The other day an inspector friend told me that he had to share an embarrassing story. I was waiting and he said "I got a good start at inspecting the wrong house the other day."

Boy that sounds familiar. Well, I admit it, that has happened to me more than once. On one occasion, a realtor gave me the wrong address. I was an hour into it when she called and sent me elsewhere. Then there was another time that I got into a neighborhood with no addresses on the houses. I was where I thought I should be, house with the Re/Max sign and all, but it ended up that I was at the wrong house. I found out while up on the roof, by cell phone, when the realtor called to ask why I was late.

Another time I knocked at a door and told the man who answered, the owner, that I was there to do a home inspection and that I would be outside for an hour and then I would come inside but he could stay if he wanted to. He said: "Okay that is fine, glad to help and thanks for telling me." Something did not seem right here so I asked him if he had expected a home inspector at his door. He said: "nope". I asked his address and I was, true to form, at the wrong house.

Once my GPS routed me into the woods, essentially under a power company sub-station and it insisted the house was straight ahead. I got out and walked a few feet so I would not get the truck stuck in mud and then made a phone call.

While these stories are funny, fact is, if you are out there inspecting the wrong house -- especially traipsing around on the roof -- you just might end up getting in trouble, getting met at gunpoint by someone who thinks you are a burglar, or having an unpleasant talk with the police. Granted, you would probably be able to talk your way out of it, if you are talking to cops, but it would be an unneeded distraction.

In fact, bare with me. It happened again just today: My GPS led me to a remote site, two nearby properties. And, once again, there were no addresses, so I did not know whether I should inspect the house on the right.

Or the house on the left.

Oh my, what is a poor misguided home inspector to do?

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Whatcom County Home Inspection (King of the House) -- Dryer Ducting

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:23:53 -0600

I know that I have talked about this before, but below is an excellent photo of how dryer flex ducting should not be used.

Okay, let us be practical. People like convenience and using a short little section of this accordion style flex duct right behind the dryer is par for the course even at new homes. They are known as "flex transition ducts" and they are allowed by codes but with some stipulations: They cannot be concealed in construction (crawl spaces, attics, going through walls and floors) and the maximum length must not exceed 8 ft. Even for these short runs the semi-rigid ducting is better, just do not crush it.

The ducting in the concealed space must be, again per code, smooth interior ducting with joints in the direction of the airflow and with zero screws to catch lint. How long the smooth ducting can be depends on the number of elbows and the manufacturer's instructions.

The duct above, situated in the crawl space, is more problematic than most similar crawl space ducting. In this case, the duct is taking so many twists and turns that, no doubt about it, it is a potential fire hazard and it can be hard on the appliance above if the vent is, essentially, restricted. The other thing with this flex duct is that it tends to tear or come apart. Therefore, before long, you end up with the dryer spewing into the crawl space. Since we are setting the record straight here, not only should ducting under the house be smooth metal, it should, also, have R4 insulation around it. That reduces the amount of condensation that forms in the ducting when warm air is running through the duct in the unconditioned crawl space.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Food Disposal Wiring -- King of the House (Bellingham Home Inspections)

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:59:48 -0600

This is one that people seldom think about. Either the food disposal grinds and operates, it does not grind or it leaks. What they never think about is how the disposal is wired. I would say that, at least 25% of the time, I find that disposals are wired with the wrong cable.

The disposal should NOT be wired with unprotected soft-sheathed cable. In fact, at the disposal below, there is a ding in the insulation on the cable. This is from damage or repeated twisting.

The proper wiring for a disposal is either a soft appliance cord or wiring that is protected inside an approved flexible or armored conduit.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Lummi Island Ferry Dilemma

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:51:30 -0600

Here outside Bellingham, we have what you might call a bedroom community on Lummi Island. Lummi Island is a small island, part of the San Juan Islands. The last census, another one is going on now, put the population at 822. A real estate office on the island states that, as a result of the building boom a few years ago, there are now about 900 houses on the island.

I know, and have known over the years, many people who live on Lummi Island. They work in Bellingham and Whatcom County and take the ferry off the island a couple times, or more, per day. The ferry, the Little Chief, has been operating from Gooseberry Point for as long as I can remember and that is a really long time.

It is a small ferry and the crossing takes about ten minutes. Despite being small, it tends to handle the travelers most days. However, this might all be changing over the next five years. I have been following the newspaper stories in the Bellingham Herald. The county is at loggerheads with the Lummi tribe which actually has control of the land with the ferry terminal on the mainland side.

And the latest is that if the county wants to renew the lease on the terminal for another five years, then the tribe wants some improvements made. That sounds uneventful enough, but the other part of the story is that the tribe has said that at the end of five years the ferry terminal must be gone. At this point, county officials are scrambling and saying that they might have to move that terminal from the present location to another location that is closer to Bellingham but farther from Lummi. If they do that, it will turn that short ferry ride into a 50 minute trip. Presently, again, it only takes 10 minutes.

If this all comes to pass over the next five years, I think it could have a very negative impact on Lummi Island and the population over there. It sure would not help the real estate market if people could no longer count on quick transportation onto and off the island. They need good access for shopping, doctors visits, work, etc.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Gas Fireplace Servicing and Maintenance (Bellingham Home Inspection) King of the House

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:15:33 -0600

Homeowners don't always do it, but most of them know that they should have their furnace cleaned and professionally checked-out and serviced about every year or two. On the other hand, it seems that these same people have no clue that the gas log fireplace also requires periodic cleaning and a professional safety evaluation.

The fireplace above, from the standpoint of a home inspector, needs to be professionally serviced. The general guideline is that these devices, if used heavily, should be serviced annually. If, on the other hand, they are only used primarily for aesthetics then go with service every two to three years. Those guidelines were given to me by a friend who is an HVAC professional.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith