Jayme's Blog

Pier modification for plumbing drain

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:35:40 -0500

Sometimes the defects found during a Raleigh Home Inspection are not this obvious...

Clayton NC Home Inspection - new home - wet crawl space

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:12:09 -0500

This is a perfect example why everyone should have a home inspected - even a new home. May people forgoe the home inspection as the mind set is "what could possbily be wrong with a new home?" Well, lots of things. Our Clayton NC Home Inspection turned up a significant moisture problem in the crawl space (we've seen this before on brand new houses - so this is not one in a million). Condensation was dripping from the insulation, framing and puddles were found on the ground. A Clayton NC Home Inspection is very, very important.

Clayton NC Home Inspection - new home

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:51:39 -0500

We inspected a nice home today in Clayton NC. Our Clayton NC Home Inspection found several important items but overall, we were impressed with the builder's attention to detail. We have two more home inspections scheduled in Clayton this week and hope they go as smoothly. For more information, please visit our site here.

Raleigh Radon Testing using the E-Perm system

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Tue, 12 May 2009 05:31:51 -0500

We performed a Raleigh Radon Testing service a few days ago and found radon levels right at 4.0 (the EPA's limit). In this case, we will install long-term monitoring equipment just to make sure there was not a spike in levels for some reason. Our Raleigh Radon Testing equipment is the most accurate available. We do not use charcoal canisters that are affected by humidity, temperature, etc. Plus those canisters are only accurate to 20%. We use the E-Perm system; consistently the most accurate during EPA testing. For Radon Testing and Home Inspection services, contact Clear Choice Home Inspections.

Home Inspection west of Raleigh in Bahama NC (5,700 sq ft)

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:52:27 -0500

We inspected this large home today in Bahama NC (west of Raleigh). A home inspection on this size house takes most of the day.

Raleigh Home Inspection on foreclosure town home

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:50:03 -0500

Another Raleigh Home Inspection has been completed by Clear Choice Home Inspections. The list of defects was about typical for a town home this size and age (less than 10 years). Some of the items our Home Inspector found include: fungus on interior wall, several slow drains, leaky plumbing supply pipe, defective smoke detectors, mis-wired receptacles (rendering their GFCI function useless, non-functional electric fireplace, low insulation in the attic, several damaged shingles plus about ten other items. This Raleigh Home Inspection paid for itself many times over and our client was very glad he paid for this service.

Clayton NC Home Inspection; cut floor joist (new construction)

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:41:33 -0500

Another Clayton NC Home Inspection in the books with nearly 35 items in need of repair (new construction). One of the more noteworthy items is the floor joist that had been cut to allow a plumbing drain pipe to pass through. Joists get cut as construction and planning are not perfect. However, they must be braced properly to avoid potential settlement and sagging problems (I have seen plenty of this on older homes). This is one more example of why a Clayton NC Home Inspection should be considered mandatory. Clear Choice Home Inspections is located in Clayton NC (just East of Raleigh ).

Raleigh Home Inspection 27613 townhome

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:05:21 -0500

We completed another Raleigh Home Inspection today on a 1,300 sq ft townhome and found a good number of plumbing issues for such a small six year old home. Two of the sinks leaked from their internal overflow passage, both sides of the kitchen sink leaked and the shower diverter valve did not divert all of the water to the shower. And the dishwasher filled with water but nothing more - would not even drain. During our Raleigh Home Inspection, we noted that the seal was broken on a window as well. Plus a few other items. All told, figure on $700 - $1,000 in repairs. Not bad.

Home Inspection Clayton NC (outside of Raleigh)

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:23:42 -0500

We completed a Clayton NC Home Inspection on a new house over the weekend. Clayton is just East of Raleigh and offers a lower price per sq ft and larger lots (typically). Our Home Inspection generated a list of about 35 items - most were typical "teething" issues found in new construction. This Home Inspector found a floor joist that was notched greater than allowed (weakens the framing), a few outlets that were not protected by a GFCI circuit as required (both were in "wet" outdoor areas) and the most exciting issue was the stone veneer outside wall cladding that was lacking drainage provisions. This has the potential to allow moisture to accumulate behind the wall and cause damage to framing, wall sheathing, etc and can lead to mold problems. New or old, a home inspection is always valuable.

Raleigh Home Inspection - crawl space photo

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:22:45 -0500

We completed another Raleigh Home Inspection today and found a messy crawl space. The biggest issues with this home were the 3-4 rotten window sills (quite a bit of rotten trim/siding as well). So badly damaged that water had entered the holes and damaged the siding under the windows. Additional damage behind the siding on this Raleigh Home is very likely. Our Raleigh Inspection paid for itself many, many times over today.

Clayton NC Home Inspection; structural problem in crawl space

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:40:20 -0500

A Clayton NC Home Inspection last week turned up several minor issues and one structural problem. When inspecting the crawl space we noted the soil around a block pier was cracked and slightly lower than the surrounding soil. The pier was slightly leaning and it was no longer in contact with the girder above it; pier is supposed to support the girder. The pier sunk and a PE will need to evaluate further to determine if the pier has stabilized or if work is needed. Also, during our Clayton NC Home Inspection, we found a good deal of wet soil and foundation wall - gutters and grading changed were needed at this home. This Clayton NC Home Inspection paid for itself many times over. Photo in comments section.

Pre-listing Home Inspection Raleigh area

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:53:02 -0500

Would it not be nice if all of your clients prepared their houses to sell quickly? Even FSBO Home Inspections should be done (best to work with an agent though). We completed a pre-listing Home Inspection in Raleigh last week and found a lot of rotten exterior trim, some siding issues and the other typical flaws. If a buyer fell in love with the home, paid for a Home Inspection, and a long repair list was generated, it often turns people off.

Raleigh Home Inspection

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:08:31 -0500

We completed another Raleigh Home Inspection on a home built in the mid 1980's. Typically houses of this age have exterior wood decay issues; this Raleigh Home Inspection validated that. The siding had swollen areas at joints and nail heads affecting approximately 20% of the house while approximately 5% was very soft to probing. Our Raleigh Home Inspector also found several cases of moisture damaged brick molding, window sills, window drip caps, lower window rail; fascia in 3 or 4 locations damaged heavily by carpenter bees. The most interesting wood/moisture issue was the thin (about 1/2") piece of wood between the fixed panel door and the threshold at the rear deck - soft and wet as noted inside of the home. Several deck 4 x 4 treated posts were rotten at ground level - yes, treated wood does deteriorate. Another Raleigh Home Inspection for the books.

Home Inspection Clayton NC - wet crawl space

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 08:39:49 -0500

This home was built in the late 1990's and overall looked good other than one big issue. Our Home Inspection in Clayton NC turned up a very wet crawl space. Not just around the perimeter, it was damp in many areas throughout with several puddles. Not from plumbing leaks, this was due to water issues coming from outside and under / through the foundation. Mitigation costs will be significant. A Clayton NC Home Inspection always pays for iteself.

Foreclosure Home Inspection

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:57:32 -0500

Clear Choice Home Inspections completed another Foreclosure Home Inspection a few days ago. This home was in pretty good condition cosmetically. Other than the typical items, the HVAC system did not function properly. We recommended an evaluation by a licensed mechanical contractor to determine the exact problem we discovered during our Foreclosure Home Inspection. For more information on our home inspection process, please visit our web site.

Wake Forest NC Home Inspection

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:05:23 -0500

We completed a Wake Forest NC Home Inspection today on a brand new custom-built home. Very nice house with the typical flaws and three worth mentioning. 1) soil and foundation wall damp in crawl space due to discharge of a downspout combined with a flat lot, 2) plumber ruined some of the blocking between the floor joists to run drain pipes, 3) water heater flue pipe was too close to the side wall of the house - this is a safety issue due to a potential disruption of proper venting. Here is what we said about that in our Wake Forest NC Home Inspection report:

Safety Concern Gas water heater vent pipe is too close to the side of the house. Generally accepted building practices call for the pipe to extend n

ot less than 2 feet above any portion of a building within 10 feet horizontally. Current configuration could affect proper venting of the exhaust gases. Consult with the local building inspector for specific information on how to correct this issue.

Benson NC Home Inspection - HVAC problems

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:59:38 -0500

Clear Choice Home Inspections performed a Benson NC Home Inspection today and found the typical minor issues and one surprise. Home was only 8 years old but the HVAC was not functioning properly. Investigating further as a Benson Home Inspector should, we found the service panel had been removed from the air handler in the crawl space. Our Home Inspection report had the following language: "Investigate Further The side cover on the HVAC air handler was not installed as visible in the crawl space (cover held on with multiple screws and cannot fall off on its own.) Covers are typically removed for repair purposes only. We do not know why cover was removed. Condition will cause the air from the crawl space to be drawn into system, dirt and moisture can enter system, system will not heat/cool properly and system will be over worked. A licensed mechanical contractor will need to evaluate entire HVAC system, test for proper function and repair as necessary." Good think this person hired us for her Benson NC Home Inspection!

Raleigh NC Home Inspection

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:37:11 -0500

Clear Choice Home Inspections completed another home inspection in Raleigh NC this week. Beautiful home - new interior paint, hardwoods just refinished and very clean. Had the usual minor problems and three more significant issues. 1) soil in crawl space was wet and there were a few puddles on top of the vapor barrier, 2) the rear deck was lacking flashing and the subfloor and joists behind the deck were wet and soft, 3) a stain under the master bath window revealed a moisture intrusion problem (90% moisture) due to rotted wood around the window. This buyer was very glad he hired us for his Raleigh NC Home Inspection.

Heritage Wake Forest NC Home Inspection

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:21:40 -0600

We have done quite a few home inspections in Wake Forest NC lately - several in Heritage. Clear Choice Home Inspections is based out of Clayton NC but we travel all over Wake and Johnston Counties plus borders of the other counties. This was a custom built home and had very nice details. Some challenges we found during our Home Inspection include: missing insulation over 20% of the master bedroom, main support girders in the crawl space not in contact with their support piers - two cases (can cause uneven settlement), roof flashing not installed in accordance with the siding manufacturer's installation instructions, wood debris located under the vapor barrier in the crawl space (attracts termites), some nails sticking up about 2 inches (pointed end up) from the attic floor - would you not love to step on those!?! We noted several other minor issues as well. For more information about our home inspection services in Wake Forest and other areas outside of Raleigh NC plus our radon testing, please visit our web site.

Clayton NC Home Inspection - heat not working properly

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 06:27:34 -0600

We completed a Clayton NC Home Inspection yesterday and found the heating system to be in need of repair. The temperature split for this heat pump was inadequate and we told the client a mechanical contractor needed to evaluate the unit. During this Home Inspection we found several other items that needed repair but the heat was the most significant. For more information about our Clayton NC Home Inspection services, please see our web site.

Durham NC Home Inspection - new home - inspector finds shock hazard

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:00:20 -0600

We were hired for a Durham NC Home Inspection a few days ago and found a good number of items (about 30) on this new home. The most exciting find was this: Safety Concern A panel or switch box was observed with an interior cover that is not secure (fell on the ground when panel door opened.) Anyone opening this box, as a curious child might, would be able to touch the exposed live components. All equipment of this type is required to have a secure interior cover to eliminate shock hazards. A proper cover should be installed or the box replaced by an electrician. Location: 1) outdoors next to the HVAC condenser, 2) attic near the air handler These particular boxes have 220 volt, high amp live wires inside. The outdoor box was about 3' off the ground - well within reach of a child. I have found this exact same box during other Home Inspections outside of Durham NC. The first time I saw this, I contacted the manufacturer and was transferred to an endless string of voice mail boxes. I am glad my client had a home inspection done on his new house (many people do not - what could be wrong with a new house?) For more information on our home inspection services, please visit our web site here. I will contact the CSPC to report this hazard.

Raleigh Home Inspection - moisture in basement

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:20:27 -0600

We were hired to complete a Raleigh Home Inspection last week on a 1960s home that had a basement. All told, we identified approximately 50 items for repair. Several of the more notable (ie expensive) issues were stained and damp drywall on the interior basement walls, evidence of water damage to the basement floors, termite damage to floor framing noted in the crawl space, moderate fungus on the framing members in the crawl, damp soil in the crawl, and the air conditioner did not function (breaker on.) Our Raleigh Home Inspection put our client in a better position to understand the condition of the home at the time of inspection plus it allowed them to negotiate with the seller. This Raleigh Home Inspection paid for itself many times over. For more information, please see our web site.

Foreclosure Home Inspection

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:35:47 -0600

Foreclosure Home Inspections are very common these days. With all of the foreclosures on the market, a home inspector is bound to inspect quite a few. When scheduling a foreclosure home inspection, it is very important to have all utilities turned on prior to the home inspection. That would include water, electricity and gas (if necessary.) Often the gas is not turned on in time for the Foreclosure Home Inspection and gas systems, like the home's heating system, cannot be tested (plus, it is cold as ice in the house for the home inspector!) In order to get a thorough Foreclosure Home Inspection make sure the utilities are on - this will help the home inspector and you in the long run! For more information on Home Inspections, see our site.

Radon Testing - Raleigh Home Inspection - high levels

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:38:25 -0600

We did a Raleigh Home Inspection and Radon Test for a client last week and he was on the fence regarding radon testing. He gave us the go ahead and the results came back at over twice the EPA's limit. This was a new home and the builder hired a Radon mitigation company in Raleigh to install ventilation equipment. Radon Testing costs about $100 and mitigation in this case was about $1,500. My client effectively saved $1,400 and potentially major health implications. For more information about our Radon Testing and Home Inspection services, please see our web site.

Qualified Raleigh Home Inspector

Jayme Clarke (Clear Choice Home Inspections, Inc) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:55:12 -0600

If you are looking for a Qualified Raleigh Home Inspector, look no further. Clear Choice Home Inspections is a highly respected company serving the Raleigh area. Just today, we performed a Raleigh Home Inspection on a mid 80's home and found approximately 30 issues - standing water in the crawl space, stained and damp subfloor under a shower, defective dishwasher drain pump, loose bolt on a toilet tank (talk about a potential for a massive leak!), rotten window sills, etc, etc. A little maintenance goes a long way and helps a house sell - finding this many items during a home inspection really turns buyers off.