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Another great Seller disclosure: "There's a leak by the chimney...."

If you leave a comment, Russel will visit your blog and comment. Last week for my Clients apparently was "Give-the-home-inspector-a-copy-of-the-seller's-disclosure" week.

For me, it was "Wow!-The-seller's-disclosure-actually-has-something-on-it" week.

One Seller's disclosure I got said that "There's a leak by the chimney. We've had it ever since we put in cable last year."

I could have guessed:

Satellite dish attached to chimney

There are two main reasons why you don't want to let the cable or satellite dish guy attach that little dish to your chimney:

Chimneys generally have not been designed or engineered to have additional stuff attached to them.
The chimney is naturally prone to leaking around it because it is a big roof penetration, so there's lots of flashing and sealant that can be damaged by the cable or satellite dish installers.

What I've generally found here in Southern California is that there is little or no cross-training between trades, so the satellite dish installer is not trained about how poor roof-walking practices can affect the roof itself or that he needs to actually seal the bolt penetrations into the stucco chimney.

*****

This week's posts (they'll open in a new window)

I love it when Clients follow up with me.... - 6/2/09
Manic Monday pop quiz: "There is a small roof leak...." - 6/1/09

Last week's posts (they'll open in a new window)

Russel's Gardening Handbook: Grafting - 5/31/09
How to easily and naturally keep ants out of your home - 5/31/09
SST (Speechless Sunday with Text): S&S (not for the squeamish) - 5/31/09
After yesterday's inspection, I'm quite happy to be alive.... - 5/30/09
Frenetic Friday pop quiz: Kitchen sink cabinets and electricity - 5/29/09
I love it when the Seller's Realtor calls me.... - 5/29/09
Thunderstruck Thursday: Commander of the lake - 5/29/09
If you're trying to get your ActiveRain comments in for the day.... - 5/28/09
Suicide journey leads to a 15th anniversary - 5/26/09
Memorial Day for me.... - 5/25/09

Previous week's posts (they'll open in a new window)

SST (Speechless Sunday with Text): I can't inspect it if I can't get it - 5/24/09
Be proactive with your homeowners' association - 5/23/09
How do you determine if repairs were done properly, or even done? - 5/22/09
How to lower your blood pressure naturally - 5/22/09
My first Foto Friday: Tree textures - 5/22/09
Thankful Thursday: Hydrangea - 5/21/09
My new digital SLR camera system - 5/20/09
Providing FREE HELP can be fun (if there's a rose garden involved) - 5/19/09
Manic Monday pop quiz: Concrete cracks - 5/18/09

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Posted by Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector on 06/03/2009 05:42 AM

Comments (10)

Home Inspections in the ActiveRain Channel

chimney, satellite dish, home inspections, san diego county

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10 Comments on Another great Seller disclosure: "There's a leak by the chimney...."

JUN

Thanks for the post. I will mention this to people condidering installing satellite dishes.

I do like it when the sellers disclose things like this. The inspector can them really delve into the 'whys' as you professionally did.

Thanks for sharing your post with us this morning. I found it very informative and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Keep blogging

wow.. and I sure wouldn't risk allowing my cable guy to "walk" my tile roof!

Hey, Gita - What I find funny is that the installers try to get the dish as high as possible. For some strange reason they don't realize that it doesn't need to be high, it just needs an unobstructed view of the sky. The thing that needs to be high is the satellite, and it is.

Hey, Kris - So true. I just wish more Sellers would actually disclose things so that I could help them find the problem so that they and the Buyers can get on with the business of the sale. A pre-listing inspection is the best way I can help those Sellers.

Hey, Harry - Read through some of my older blog posts; I believe you'll find some good information and some good reading.

Hey, Alan - I sometimes find it difficult to let the roof guy walk on my tile roof, so the cable guy definitely is out of luck unless he can prove that he has a current roofing contractor license -- LOL

Hey, Russel. Now that you mention it, we see a lot of that here. Thanks or sharing, Jim

Satellite installers and other utility workers will almost always do work in a way that makes it easier and faster for them, without regard to convenience for the owner, possible property damage, etc.

And here I thought stucco was self sealing. Wow, learn something everyday.

JUN

Hey, Jim - I think it's becoming problematic throughout the nation. People just don't want to work, and if they do have to work, they always are looking for the short cut and the easy way out.

Hey, David - I won't let a utility worker come onto my property unless I'm here. I got one either fired or transfered to a new route several years ago. There's about a five-foot difference in elevation between my neighbor and me, a little hillside, so I landscaped it. Mr. Utility Reader thought I landscaped it so he could see how many plants he could trample climbing up those five feet. The first time I didn't realize what had happened until the utility bill came the next day. The next month I was laying in wait for him and took pictures. I met him down at his car after he had trampled everyone else's property and told him that the hillside was not a walkway since there were no steps there. He said a few words and waved me off. The next month, I laid in wait again and got some more good pictures. I sent a letter with the pictures to the utility company. The next month there was a different utility work assigned to our street.

Hey, Jack and Izzy - You are so funny. Self-sealing stucco. Hmmm. Maybe not so funny. Wanna start a new business with us? We could call ourselves "The SSS" (Self-Sealing Stucco). LOL

JUN

AM going to pay attention to that satelite and chimney situation! In fact, you've alerted me to a couple of things to pay attention to regarding stucco and brick! Hmmmm I like the idea of self sealing stucco or anything for that matter!

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