One very common and potentially dangerous situation is a cracked chimney flue liner. During a home inspection one the items I am looking for are cracked tiles. The signs can often be subtle or even hidden behind creostoe that may have built up on the flue liner.
The chimney flue is the narrow passageway in which the combustion byproducts of the fire are removed. The construction and operation of the entire chimney system needs a proper design and function so that smoke and toxic fumes exit the chimeny and home.
The main purpose of the flue liner is to … (4 comments)
This is one of of those dilemmas when purchasing an older home, dealing with an older electrical system. Homes pre -1960's (1962 to be more exact) typically will have no grounding conductor for the wiring system, or if they do such as later 1950's wiring, they often cut the ground off because they did not know what to do with it.
The issue was these older systems where designed for their era. We did not have all the electronics and needs from an electrical system we have today. So quite often people … (13 comments)
In many cases the lending institution will require an HUD engineer's foundation certification for the Manufactured home. I am getting request for an engineers report on even new installations/sets. So if you are in the Chelan, Douglas, Grant county areas of Washington State you should be asking if you need one when buying and selling a manufactured home.
For New homes per Washington State's department of Labor and Industires (L&I) Manufactured homes in Washington must be installed by an L&I certified installer New manufactured homes must be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions or the specific instructions of an … (33 comments)
Such a simple plumbing item to do but so often done incorrectly... enter the fixture trap.
Plumbing fixture traps are devices that keeps a small amount of liquid every time the fixtures is used in it to create a trap seal. The amount of retained liquid is called a trap seal. Without a trap to seal off plumbing fixtures, unwanted and nasty things such as methane gas and vermin can creep into the house. In addition to a trap seal you want the trap to be self scouring or better stated self cleaning. These need to be properly installed to function properly. Under normal conditions, traps … (16 comments)
wenatchee home inspector: Panel Terminations of Romex
- 11/12/18 08:12 AM
Panel Terminations of RomexWenatchee Home Inspections One of the most common occurrences with those who should not be doing there own electrical work is terminations at the panel. Romex(a trade name) or more specifically NM Cable has to be properly secured to the panel per code. This is to prevent potential damage to the cable.
Per the electrical code, all cables must be secured to the enclosure with fittings designed and listed for the cable [312.5(C)]. From the 2017 NEC 312.5(C) Cables. Where cable is used, each cable shall be secured to the cabinet, cutout box. or meter … (1 comments)
wenatchee home inspector: Wiring a disposer… is it that hard? Wenatchee Home Inspector
- 03/08/17 09:40 AM
Wiring a disposer… is it that hard?Wenatchee Home Inspector Well if evidence is based on observation it must be because I see so many disposers not properly installed. Having the wiring not properly installed and secured is a recipe for a bad day. All electrical connection and wiring need to be properly performed by a qualified party.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” Benjamin Franklin
If you find any errors or have additional information that would expand on any code, building standards or manufacturer requirements please let me know.
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located … (1 comments)
wenatchee home inspector: What is the creepy crawler in my presence?
- 03/08/17 09:31 AM
What is the creepy crawler in my presence?Wenatchee Home Inspection What is this little bugger that is covered in legs, with a black to greyish-white colored body (they can also be yellow)? Their legs with a flurry of movement surround their body and propel these little creatures in quick, darting motions. Though Centi means a hundred these guys only have 30 legs consisting of 15 pairs of banded legs.
So what is it? The answer is the House Centipede. I run into these guys fairly frequently when and performing the crawlspace part of my home inspection. Typically I get the “what the … (16 comments)
Some people find inspiration in the doing. Here is a short clip from CBS Sunday morning a while back on Ra Paulette’s cave creations. Truly is amazing what with a little time, perseverance and love of what you are doing you can create with your own hands. This may be the true meaning of digging deep into one’s self.
Here is a link to a documentary on his work.
http://cavediggerdocumentary.com/about.html
“One just principle from the depths of a cave is more powerful than an army.”
Jose Marti
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed … (7 comments)
This comes up often in many forums and discussions. I even recently had a discussion with a very good builder I know. Like so often I hear “Closet” attached to the defining a bedroom.
Now I know many in the appraisal industry do use a closet as one aspect of a bedroom. Some municipalities may use this also but if we are strictly talking the building code a closet is nowhere to be seen. So let’s look at defining the bedroom space (sleeping room), it is important for several reasons: home value, safety and … (31 comments)
Hold tight, wait 'til the party's over, Hold tight, we're in for nasty weather There has got to be a way, Burning down the house
Well my little town made the national news this week. Not really for the reason I wanted it to.
So a little setup-
I was actually working on Sunday of the fire up on Lake Chelan and got back to Wenatchee at 3:00 pm. As I drive into town I could see smoke from the NW that had that look of a fire. At the time I was thinking glad it was over … (24 comments)
This has been a topic of discussion about receptacles under kitchen sinks between me and a few inspector and electrician friends. I even called the state head electrical inspector on this exact subject and I found this new interpretation interesting and along the line of thinking I had. The “Electrical Currents” is a publication Washington State Labor and Industries that oversees the Electrical Regulations in Washington State.
From the July 2015 Electrical Currents-“Questions have arisen regarding receptacles installed in cabinets under sinks, specifically in the kitchen, in accordance with revised requirements … (2 comments)
Leaving Wenatchee in the heat of the summer (100+ degrees) and fire season for Sweden seemed even better because we would get a little reprieve from the heat and smoke. But as luck would have it we would arrive in Sweden during a heatwave (for Sweden that is, it still felt cooler though).
The first part of our Journey starts off in Stockholm. Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and has over 900,000 residence. There is over 2 million people … (13 comments)
Well I can not believe its been a few weeks since leaving Sweden. But all things must pass.
( Arild )
One of the areas we explored was a little town of Arild. Arild is located in southwestern area of Sweden in Höganäs Municipality of Skåne County. It boasts a population of 522 residence in 2010. It has roots back to the 16th century and was officially named Arild in 1929.
We all loved just walking around the town and getting an … (13 comments)
Well I am back from a whirlwind of a trip to Scandinavia. Spending most of my time in Sweden but with stops in Denmark and the Netherlands.
(The shores of Landonia)
But one of the special little side trips was to a tiny little country that many do not know about. Well I did not know about it till we were to adventure there.
The country is Landonia. It is a Micronation created by Swedish artist Lars Vilks. Vilks is famously, or infamously depending on … (15 comments)
As a home inspector and former emergency responder safety is very dear to me. It is very common in older homes, about 20 years old and more, you will not have interconnected smoke alarms.
Interconnected smoke alarms are a very important part of fire safety in the home. In the event of fire smoke alarms that are interconnected will activate the alarm on all of the smoke alarms in a home. This will greatly improve the chance of hearing an alarm if a fire starts in another … (9 comments)
wenatchee home inspector: Flower Beds-The Wandering Wenatchee Home Inspector
- 01/16/13 02:33 AM
Flower Beds The Wandering Wenatchee Home Inspector As a home inspector we get to see some very creative things. During my time in Alaska last year we had a stop in Skagway. I had a few hours to play with and I went for a walk around town. I enjoy looking at homes and buildings. I make notes on things that they may do differently than in my area. I also enjoy seeing what neighborhoods are like in different places. So I am walking down the street and I happen upon this creative little arrangement. … (5 comments)
wenatchee home inspector: Jumping Jack Flash it’s a gas!
- 12/13/12 09:55 PM
Jumping Jack Flash it’s a gas! Wenatchee and Kittitas Home Inspection ServicesWell I really do not know how many jumping jacks I am doing when I am entering an attic space during a home inspection.I find attic inspections are maybe the most restrictive areas of the home for a thorough inspection. With the premise of do no harm to the home I have to always weigh doing my best for my client versus being very careful not to damage any ceilings, wiring, ducting and insulation.This is where in older homes I usually actually can do a much better attic inspection. They … (18 comments)
wenatchee home inspector: 50 in 51- A milestone is accomplished. Traveling to all the States.
- 08/16/12 09:52 PM
50 in 51- A milestone is accomplished. Traveling to all the States in the US. When I was young my family did not travel much. We made the states close to where we lived but that is about it. When I was 18 I decided that I will travel to all the States in the US. Hey I was young and thought no problem. It ended up taking much more time than I thought but I finally achieved my goal. I had one main rule to my travels, airports do not count. I had to be physically in the State for a distance of … (11 comments)
wenatchee home inspector: Acting a little Tippy
- 05/16/12 12:04 AM
Acting a little Tippy- Toilet Inspections by the Wenatchee Home InspectorI have done other blogs on this but this is an issue I see during home inspections quite often. (Blog-Shaking the poop deck)
Here is a little video I shot on a toilet during a recent home inspection. The water was off during the inspection so I did not have to worry about making a big potty mess.It is very important that this is corrected. This can lead to extensive damage of the subfloor and is an invite for wood destroying insects and organisms. “We cannot solve our problems … (2 comments)
With western Washington getting hammered with its bout of winter I am reminded how nice it is here in the Wenatchee Valley during winter.
We may get a blast and the snow may pile up, but then we get this beautiful sight like today. You have to love when 28 degrees feels like a spring day. “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.” Steve Jobs
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington … (4 comments)
Wenatchee Home Inspector
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