mount vernon wa home inspector: Mount Vernon WA Home Inspector (King of the House): Inspecting in the Rain
- 01/25/08 07:58 AM
As an old radio guy, way back when Marconi and I were buddies, I cannot help but to sometimes tie a streaming tune in with some of my blogs. This one has to be a classic and ties in well with the theme here. The last couple weeks in the Pacific Northwest have been cold, cold, cold. I almost hate going out on the job somedays but one makes hay when the sun is shining and the sun is shining even if it is cold. A few weeks back, instead of cold it was rain, rain, rain. The photo below, in all honesty, … (3 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Rain on the Roof
- 01/14/08 03:08 PM
In wooded settings, when leaves and debris clutter the roof, it can lead to problems. While rain on the roof is common, and popular in songs, rain is a primary reason we need roofs in the first place. Roofs do not perform too well when they are covered with debris. With a sloped roof, the key to performance, is keeping the water flowing down off of it. In a good system, it will flow down the roof, into gutters and downspouts, and then the water is discharged away from the home and foundation. But, when debris is on the roof, collected … (2 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Your Vents Are Below Grade!
- 01/09/08 02:12 PM
With an unconditioned crawl space an inspector does not want to see the vents below grade. When vents are below grade, rain and runoff water are likely to run into the crawl space -- which is something you do not want. Also, if they are far enough below grade, the dirt can actually block the vents so air will not circulate. When home inspectors see this condition, they usually recommend vent wells. Sometimes people do not know what vent wells are. The most simple vent wells consist of frames made from pressure-treated lumber. However, vent wells, specially made for the purpose, … (9 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Wiring Concerns
- 01/08/08 04:50 AM
The photo below gives you a pretty quick idea that a non-professional has been working on the wiring. Electrical connections are designed to be inside junction boxes, not hanging out the side. This was a high fan and the other thing you have to wonder about is how well is it attached to the ceiling. It looks suspect, especially when you realize probably the person who wired it also made the connection above. There are guidelines on attaching ceiling fans and it is improbable that this one would meet any of those standards.
Bellingham Home Inspector
www.kingofthehouse.com
Steven L. Smith
… (2 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Exposed Structural Lumber
- 12/31/07 06:56 AM
Over time, lumber that is needlessly exposed to rain will decay. The most common example of this is usually fascia or rafter tails that extend out from, and are exposed, at the roof. In my experience, quality roofers will put a small piece of shingle, sometimes a flashing, over the exposed wood so rain is carried out over the wood and then it harmlessly drains below. If that has not been done, I would say at least half the time in my experience, the structural lumber has signs of or serious decay. In the photo, you see a piece of exposed structural lumber … (4 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Ferndale Home Inspector (King of the House, Inc): Beyond a Reasonable Expectation
- 12/30/07 06:35 AM
A detail-oriented and thorough home inspector tries to look at as many standard components and systems in a home as is possible. This includes flipping the light switches and those that run fans, disposals, etc. Sometimes, even though the inspector has noble intentions, it is not possible to test, or even decipher, all of the switches and what they do, or might, do. Even with fairly simple lighting arrangements figuring this all out that can be a real problem. For example, if some outdoor lights are on motion sensors or photo-cell sensors so they come on after dark, it is … (4 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: It's The Law: In WA State This MUST Be Reported
- 12/29/07 10:33 AM
In Washington State, any for fee home inspection, involving a structure and a real estate transaction, must have a complete wood destroying organism inspection. This must be performed by a state tested, licensed and financially responsible (bond or insurance usually) structural pest inspector. If that inspector fails to call out conducive conditions in the crawl space it is a violation of state law.
This photo has great examples of conducive conditions. This is classic earth to wood contact. To the right is a structural member that has soil piled up at the footing. To the left of that is old form wood. … (5 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Bellingham WA Home Inspection (King of the House): Leaky Roof
- 12/23/07 10:21 AM
The photo below was quite an opportunity for a home inspector. Frequently an inspector sees a roof that has seen better days. If a composition roof, such as the one at this home, that can include missing granular material, tears, holes and penetrations, moss, debris, tar repairs, bad flashings or just plain lousy installation. Even though an inspector often sees those problems, it is not often the case that one actually sees a significant leak below the roof. Heavy rain was coming down and first I noticed a large damp spot on the sheathing used as an attic floor. When I looked … (0 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Whatcom County Home Inspections (King of the House): A Windy Topic
- 11/13/07 08:32 AM
Here in Whatcom County, Washington, we had a big windstorm yesterday. There are still several thousand people without power. Winds up to 70 miles per hour knocked trees and limbs down and took power lines with them. Only three houses away from my home a large tree was "topped" by the wind and it fell across the road, taking phone and cable lines with it. Thinking about all that hassle, and the number of people currently without power, made me pull out this photo as illustrative of something I point out during home inspections. If the power lines are co-mingled with … (0 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Bellingham Wa Home Inspection (King of the House): Galvanized Plumbing Pipes
- 10/24/07 08:38 AM
Obviously, the stated purpose of a home inspector is to inspect a home. That is really the only calling for a home inspector. A watch dog's job is to scare intruders and a home inspector inspects homes. So, if that is what an inspector does, he or she should try to do the job well and with detail. That is my opinion of course. However, even when one is serious about the job and trying to find all of the significant issues, there are times when a person might be misled or miss clues to a problem. An inspector has to be … (0 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: B-Vent Safety and Combustible Clearances
- 10/24/07 03:18 AM
I was rummaging through my inspection photos and found a couple that I thought make a good point about an often seen problem -- combustibles packed around the B-vent in the attic. Especially in older homes, time and time again, the inspector sees insulation resting in contact with the B-vent. A B-vent is the metal duct that is normally used to vent gas and propane appliances such as furnaces and water heaters. These vents can achieve temperatures of 300 degrees when gas appliances are operating. Therefore, insulation, including fiberglass, should be a couple inches away from a B-vent to eliminate the hazard of … (2 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Skagit County Home Inspection (King of the House):Common Point Of Contact
- 10/11/07 07:39 AM
Over the years, many building or construction details have changed. In the older homes - like the one I live in - they commonly had the ends of rafters, fascia or trim rest on the roof. And at my house, in spite of this taking place for 50 plus years, the wood is still okay. Fact is, over time with the wood touching the shingles, the wood will decay. Knowing that, today builders should leave some space, ideally a couple inches between the wood trim and the roofing. As long as there is a reasonable gap, most home … (0 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Lake Whatcom Home Inspection (King of the House): Watch Your Step
- 10/05/07 07:08 AM
It always seems like common sense to me, that one should protect against children falling from high decks, but I guess that is not the case. I am amazed by the number of times, on home inspections, that I see unsafe situations like those apparent in the photo below. This is by the lake, a high deck about 12 feet up, and there is another 20-foot drop down a cliff below. As you can see, the deck's guardrail has holes in it that you could drive a small car through. To be safe, based on today's standards, a guardrail for … (2 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Mount Vernon, WA Home Inspection (King of the House): Failing Windows
- 10/02/07 07:51 AM
As I inspect around the Pacific Northwest, even in the older homes, I usually see newer windows: thermal pane vinyl or sometimes aluminum. But, sometimes at older homes, the inspector will find old single pane glazed windows. Obviously, such windows are not as energy efficient as newer windows. However, often the bigger problem is plain and simple -- a lack of maintenance. The window below is an example. The glass is about to fall out and if it is held in by anything it would have to be a few old metal glazing points. A buyer, who wishes to repair … (2 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Bellingham WA Home Inspection (King of the House): Moss
- 10/02/07 07:49 AM
In the Pacific Northwest we have moss. It can be very beautiful, especially in the rain forests. But when it is growing on the roof, as in the photo, or on the roof and the siding then it is not a good thing. Thick, green, healthy moss collects moisture, leads to the wood and other materials, being kept wet virtually all of the time. Over time, and not necessarily over a very long time, this will lead to degradation of all of the materials. This home is not unlike many homes that I see located in the woods, with dense, … (1 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Bellingham WA Home Inspection (King of the House): When Plants are Problems
- 10/02/07 07:44 AM
Often buyers fall in love with the foliage and plants growing around the home. Sometimes the vegetation is spectacular. In Washington state, by law, the home inspector has to throw a bucket of water on the jubilation (and admiration of the plants beauty) if the plants are touching the home. The state lists vegetation against the home as a mandated (you have to call it) conducive condition. If you are wondering what the problem is, the answer is fairly simple. Basically there are two concerns (1) the vegetation keeps the exterior of the home from drying quickly (2) some pests, … (1 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Mt. Vernon WA Home Inspection (King of the House): Showers and Wall Damage
- 09/28/07 06:41 AM
It does not seem to matter if it is a shower curtain or a shower door, often the most significant water damage in a home is around the tub, especially when the tub has a shower. The problem is that people do not adequately caulk floor areas or they fail to caulk, properly install doors or monitor water that is getting out of the tub during showers and entering the wall. Sometimes that can be fairly subtle as the water gets around a shower door. Other times it is pretty hard to imagine that someone did not see what was … (0 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House): Odd Structures
- 09/28/07 06:39 AM
As a home inspector, I see lots of odd crawl space structures and repairs that were not part of the original construction. These range from structures with an obvious purpose, such as stiffening the underneath of a tile floor, to the very weird. For example, this is among the poorer bits of workmanship I have seen. The floor, at the back porch, was unstable and, when you walked on it, the floor sagged. Someone decided to shore it up by tacking this in place. It consists of two 2x4's resting on a 2x6 that is flat and a couple bricks … (0 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Skagit, Whatcom County WA Home Inspection (King of the House):Reverse Perimeter Slope
- 09/25/07 06:49 AM
One thing a home inspector should look at, at least in a wet climate like the Pacific Northwest, is the slope of the property. Is the slope of the land going to lead to water running back against the structure of the home? If the answer is yes, and soil is involved, it is hard to predict exactly what might happen. But if the soil is heavy clay, and drainage is pour, it could lead to moisture issues -- such as in the crawl space. On the other hand, if the soil has great drainage, then it may not be any … (0 comments)
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mount vernon wa home inspector: Whatcom-Skagit County Washington Home Inspection (King of the House): Conducive Conditions
- 09/25/07 06:47 AM
You will probably have trouble figuring out the photo below. It is not a loose plumbing supply pipe. This is something a home inspector sees over and over again. The drain from the temperature pressure relief valve from the hot water heater is routed to drain under the house into the crawl space. There are a couple problems here (1) it is contrary to plumbing guidelines which state that the TPR drain should be visible, just in case the TPR valve develops a leak because you want to know there is a problem (2) should the TPR valve develop a leak, … (0 comments)
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