new construction inspections: What Happens When A Spring Is Found Under New Construction?
- 03/03/19 03:33 AM
What happens when a spring is found under new construction?
In the Washington DC suburbs all the lots in a few counties have all been used for development, commercial or residential.
As such, in older neighborhoods, if one wants to live there, but not in the small house built there many decades ago, one buys the lot in a desired neighborhood, razes the former house, and builds a new house.
Many developers are doing this, buying all the houses on a street and building newer, larger homes, sometimes taking up two former lots.
Such was the case of this house. It was a 6500 sq … (40 comments)
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new construction inspections: True Or False - You Don't Need A Home Inspection On New Construction?
- 09/14/17 03:02 AM
True or false - you don't need a home inspection on new construction?
So, what do you think?
This is what you hear from the builder or builder's Realtor:
--> We only employ the best subcontractors to work on your house.
--> We have a supervisor on site, every day. He is making hundreds of regular inspections, every day.
--> The County or local jurisdiction makes multiple inspections of the house to insure code compliance.
--> We allow you inspections of the property with our supervisor so you can stay on top of the work.
--> You can contact us any time with questions, and we will answer … (23 comments)
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new construction inspections: "All Our Houses Are Built Strictly To Code..."
- 02/27/17 02:47 AM
"All our houses are built strictly to code..."
That's what the young supervisor said to me and my clients when he showed up at the end of our pre-drywall inspection.
Me - "Are you sure you want to say that?"
Supervisor, smiling proudly - "Yes! We are very careful and the county checks us."
Me - "Well, that's not very impressive. The code is a minimum standard. Do you have ads which say, 'All our houses are built to the minimum standard! Buy our homes!'?"
The code is the minimum REQUIRED standard. It is not necessarily very impressive.
And often there is confusion about what the code … (25 comments)
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new construction inspections: New Construction Inspection - Would You Like To Take A Bath Here?
- 02/18/17 03:41 AM
New construction inspection - would you like to take a bath here?
I do a lot of pre-drywall and then final inspections on new construction. And it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. We never know what we will find.
On every inspection I do a sweep with my thermal camera. Mighty Mo is great at finding missing insulation, weak or poorly-placed insulation, unknown leaks, HVAC ducts that aren't working properly (or where HVAC registers are missing! - click here), and even predictive electrical issues.
In this house Mighty Mo found an interesting circumstance. This is in the second bedroom bath. This would be used by the … (12 comments)
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new construction inspections: Would You Want To See Labels On Your New House Features?
- 02/11/17 03:33 AM
Would you want to see labels on your new house features?
This is a brand new house, not lived in, and my client and I were conducting the final inspection prior to the final walk through.
When facing the house one interesting feature is a thin, horizontal trellis over the garage door.
It is beautiful.
But when you look at it, staring right back is a label on the end of the beam!
Wouldn't you think that labels like this would be removed?
The beam still has the factory finish because the weather does not permit painting. The builder has a county waiver to complete the painting … (32 comments)
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new construction inspections: Where's The HVAC Floor Register In The Closet?
- 02/10/17 03:33 AM
Where's the HVAC floor register in the closet?
This is new construction! Walking into the spacious master bedroom closet (almost 300 square feet) which had a wall on the exterior of the house, I looked for and did not see the floor register.
There has to be at least one.
So how can we find out if one is actually there?
I don't have X-ray vision, so how would that be possible?
Mighty Mo would know!
A quick scan of the room showed EXACTLY where the register should have been. I don't need no stinkin' X-ray vision. I have Mighty Mo!
The intended duct underneath was servicing the … (17 comments)
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new construction inspections: Dangerous Carpentry. Watch Your Head!
- 11/10/16 06:05 PM
Dangerous carpentry. Watch your head!
When climbing up an attic access ladder I am often not looking directly above my head. And that might be true with everyone. And often the attic is dark until I turn on a flashlight or can hit the light switch that is up there.
But in this new construction, fortunately, I did look up. And at the second from the top step, had I not been careful, I'd have gotten a noggin surprise.
Sticking out from the framing was a long 2x4! And it stuck way out!
And it was positioned to hit anyone accessing the attic in the … (10 comments)
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new construction inspections: New Construction Plumbing - A Thud Inside The Wall, Then This!
- 10/26/16 08:11 PM
This is a test. This is only a test on New Construction plumbing - a thud inside the wall, then this!
It was the last of 6 bathrooms. When the tub handle was turned on only a trickle of water came out. Then the sink was turned on with a similar trickle. Turning off the sink faucet first, then the tub handle second a loud thud was heard inside the wall. The agent on the middle level heard the thud as well.
Then the scream, "Turn the water off, there's a leak!"
Well, the water was off. But I heard spraying inside the wall. … (18 comments)
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new construction inspections: When The Cable Guy Shovels The Snow In The Attic
- 06/11/16 09:30 PM
This is what you get when the cable guy shovels the snow in the attic.
On new construction it is best to get subs to do things in proper order.
What if the cable guy is scheduled to show up AFTER the insulation is blown into the attic space?
Gee whiz, Mr. Wizard, that might not be the best time!
Starting at the attic access opening, the cable guy decides to begin his journey to the rear of the attic where his wiring has entered the house.
My client had paid for EXTRA insulation, bringing the R-value up to 48. That is a lot of extra … (12 comments)
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new construction inspections: How Would You Like To Walk Around Your New House And See This?
- 05/23/16 08:41 PM
How would you like to walk around your new house and see this?
You have your final walk through and you are walking around what will be your new home. It's time for the great reveal! You are excited and waiting to see what's in store.
The foundation has never been painted. It is supposed to be the same color as the siding.
Siding material is laying around. It's in the yard and on top of the fire escape hatch.
It's strewn under the rear sitting porch.
Trash.
There's no other word for it, but trash.
Not only is trash strewn around the yard, and under the porch, … (14 comments)
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new construction inspections: We All Have Gas, Which Needs Venting. Just Not Under The Kitchen Sink.
- 05/17/16 08:40 PM
We all have gas, which needs venting. Just not under the kitchen sink.
This is new construction, and a final walk through.
Looking under the kitchen sink I noticed the problem immediately.
Pointing under there I asked everyone present to have a look and tell me what was missing.
Nobody knew.*
The red arrow came later for the report, but shows you what was in question.
As the house has not really been used there was no residual odor.
BUT THERE WILL BE!
This is missing the vent cap, a special cap called an AAV, or Air Admittance Valve.
This valve has special baffles which allows air in to vent … (4 comments)
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new construction inspections: What Two Downspouts Had To Say - Inspecting In The Rain
- 05/15/16 07:24 PM
What two downspouts had to say - inspecting in the rain.
We have had many days of rain this May. I like doing inspections in the rain because I can see and know things that otherwise would not be known.
This new construction inspection had a large front roof that drained to two downspouts.
Both drained in front of a window and onto a front porch. While discharging downspouts in this fashion is not recommended, that is not the issue here.
Although it was not raining hard, still water could be seen and flow could be determined.
Looking out the front window onto the porch water … (5 comments)
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new construction inspections: This Is New Construction - And This Is The Wet Bar Disposal
- 12/07/15 04:53 PM
This is new construction - and this is the wet bar disposal. We did a home inspection a few days before the final walk through to give the builder time to do anything that needs to be finished up.
What do the words plug, switch and squelch have to do with a disposal?
What do you see?
Yes, there is a disposal and it has a plug.
That is to plug in the unit so you can use the disposal.
What don't you see?
I didn't see a receptacle into which to plug the plug. No plug, no play. If you can't plug in the plug the … (27 comments)
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new construction inspections: Askew, Askant And Aslant
- 05/31/15 07:43 PM
What do you do on new construction when the water heater is every bit of askew, askant and aslant?
What, you say?
Isn't a water heater supposed to be straight up and down and rest flat on the floor?
Well, yes, yes it should.
In some places they even strap them so they not only are straight and rest flat, but don't move. Here they are not strapped, but still they should be plumb and flat on the floor.
This one is not only askew, askant and aslant, but it wobbles dramatically as well.
This isn't good since the plumbing is plastic and can so easily snap.
Why … (16 comments)
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new construction inspections: This Is New Construction - And You Call This Finish Work?
- 05/29/15 08:01 PM
This is new construction - and you call this finish work?
There were so many problems on this house that within a couple of months the homeowners knew they had huge problems. The builder is no where to be found. Disappeared! The phone answering machine is "full." Nobody responds to emails - company or individual.
Builder warranty? A builder warranty is only as good as the promise to honor it. This couple was told all along the way that they did not need a private home inspector as so many other inspections were being done daily by the builder "professionals" and county.
They were … (25 comments)
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new construction inspections: New Construction Hardwood Floor - Is This "Cosmetic?"
- 02/13/15 07:04 PM
Here we are standing on a new construction hardwood floor - is this "cosmetic?"
We are in the wide hallway leading from a grand entrance and into a sweeping kitchen opening to a very large, bright family room beyond.
This is a multi-million dollar house.
As you walk in the front door and walk down that hallway, a few yards in front you see a little dab of white.
From the distance it looks like it might be a piece of paper or swaddle of cloth laying on the floor.
The closer you get you realize it is something in the … (26 comments)
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new construction inspections: What You Get With Your New House Is Always What It's Cracked Up To Be?
- 12/27/14 08:06 PM
What you say? Your new house is always what it's cracked up to be?
Don't you mean ISN'T what it's cracked up to be?
No, I mean IS. When cracks abound that is...
And you ask, "How can there be any cracks? It's new construction?"
People are told that with the thousands of codes, and dozens of diligent inspections performed by the local jurisdictional authority, and the supervisor on site every day inspecting every minute of every aspect of every job, a private home inspection simply isn't necessary. And in a perfect world that might be true.
But this is not … (11 comments)
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new construction inspections: There Should Not Be Hardwood Flooring Scratches In New Construction
- 09/10/14 04:36 PM
There should not be hardwood flooring scratches in new construction.
There, I said it.
New construction is new. Everything should be new. The house should convey looking new.
NEW is the key word in the term "new construction."
In older homes flooring scratches are what you get! Normal. Dings are normal. Scuffs and smudges are normal.
But not in new construction.
I am never impressed when the clients and I arrive at a final walk-through inspection and the house has not been cleaned.
This is the final reveal time!
And then while we are there the house fills up with a … (10 comments)
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new construction inspections: New Construction HVAC - Installed, Supervised, Inspected And Approved
- 05/27/14 07:55 PM
Here we are again - new construction HVAC - installed, supervised, inspected and approved.
It looks great! Very professional!
This type of installation is getting more and more popular - the cabinet base on the side or the front is used to install an HVAC register.
Especially in areas where there is limited wall space.
Somebody from one of the trades - the HVAC professional, the cabinet professional - some professional cut the hole in the side of the cabinet to heat and cool this bathroom.
And it looks fine.
The professional supervisor had to have known this was done. It's … (31 comments)
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new construction inspections: Testing The Plumbing In New Construction - Here The Master Bath Shower
- 05/22/14 06:57 PM
This can happen when testing the plumbing in new construction - here the master bath shower.
Builders never like to see this happen. I have even been blamed in the past for making it happen! But this is why we do the inspection!
You would think that this shower had been tested, and examined, more than once by now by the installing plumber and the supervisor building this house.
In new construction I like to turn the shower on when there is a glass surround to see if the surround will leak.
I just spray around the edges for a while … (19 comments)
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What happens when a spring is found under new construction?
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