crawlspace: Duct Concerns
- 04/23/12 02:17 AM
The photo shows both a larger heating/cooling duct and a disconnected dryer lint duct... Can you spot the concerns?During the inspection, it was noted that the soil was very moist.. That the large duct is not supported off the ground... And is in contact with the moist ground.There can be moisture and rodent intrusion, that could lead to health issues.Flexible clothes dryer lint ducts are not permitted for use in a crawlspace and are prone to lint buildup. The open lint duct discharges warm, moist air into the crawlspace making the wood framing susceptible to fungus growth...Lint accumulation under a … (2 comments)
crawlspace: Not White Paint
- 03/28/12 12:52 AM
Not White Paint At first glance, the home inspector thought the bottom of the subfloor had been painted white.Upon closer inspection, the inspector concluded it was a bio-growth. An inspector (unless they’re a certified industrial hygienist) shouldn’t say ‘mold’, as doing so makes them the expert in a court of law.If there’s a bio-growth growing on crawlspace surfaces, there’s a good chance there are issues with inadequate or poor ventilation; leaking toilets, negative grade; no drainage system; downspouts discharging next to the foundation; over-irrigation; leaking water supply or drain pipes; swimming pool leaks; high water table all of which can contribute … (2 comments)
crawlspace: Telltale Signs
- 02/17/12 12:29 PM
A good property inspector is always on the lookout for telltale signs. A door that rubs its frame… Exposed electrical wires… Loose handrails… Missing smoke detectors, etc. High water marks under a house; usually gets people’s attention. In the photo, the bottom of a heating/cooling duct in the crawlspace is rusted in a straight line… A telltale sign that the duct sat in water approximately 6-8” deep. This isn’t good. Who knows what grows inside a duct when water intrudes. Can’t be healthy. High water marks or silt marks can occur when:-There are no installed roof gutters-Downspouts discharge water next to … (4 comments)
crawlspace: What Happened?
- 01/20/12 03:03 PM
The crawlspace... You know it as the dark, creepy place under the house, filled with spiders and other critters. For the plumber, the electrician and the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) contractors... It's the shallow unfinished space beneath the first floor to provide access to the plumbing, wiring and heating/cooling ducts.Home inspectors ‘love’ crawl spaces, which is why they save crawling under the house usually as their last inspection step. Put a group of seasoned home inspectors together and ask them what they've seen in crawlspaces. They'll tell you they've seen it all. The shoes...What happened? Do they belong … (5 comments)
crawlspace: Duct Tape on Ducts
- 12/17/11 01:53 PM
A partially disconnected duct was discovered in a very moist crawlspace under a 30 year old San Ramon, CA house. The non-professional installation was evidenced by the amount of grey duct tape used and the absence of support straps. Grey duct tape was never intended for heating and cooling ducts (see previous blog on duct tape). With heated air flowing through the ducts, the adhesive on grey duct tape softens and loses its 'grip' on the steel air duct. A disconnected duct wastes a lot of energy and affects the heating and cooling performance in the room where the duct … (2 comments)
crawlspace: Disconnected
- 11/11/11 01:57 PM
Disconnect… to terminate a connection. Ask any home inspector, disconnected heating and cooling ducts in the attics are a common occurrence. Why? Because standard gray duct tape was used… It says ‘duct tape’ right on the label… It must be the right tape for ducts. Right? Wrong! During World War II, before it was called duct tape, the U.S. military bought a cloth-backed, rubber-adhesive tape for making emergency repairs on the battlefield. Sometime after WWII, heating and cooling contractors begin to use the tape to seal the joints in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) ducts. This tape … (4 comments)
crawlspace: Drain/Waste Line Woes
- 10/29/11 03:27 AM
Water weighs approximately 8 lbs per gallon.... In a large household, it's conceivable to flush a toilet, take a shower, run water in a sink, and have both the washing machine and dishwasher discharging water at the same time... a lot of water weight flowing through a drain/waste pipeline. With these older plastic support straps shown in the photo, which fail in about 5 years... Or possibly an earthquake occurred at the time water was flowing through the drain line... The drain/waste line came down. Whatever the cause, ABS pipe requires support every 4 feet using approved straps. No wire or … (1 comments)
crawlspace: Makes You Wonder
- 10/21/11 05:31 AM
The crawlspace… You know it as the dark, creepy place under the house, filled with spiders and other critters.
For the plumber, the electrician and the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) contractor… It’s the shallow unfinished space beneath the first floor to provide access to the plumbing, wiring and heating/cooling ducts.
Home inspectors love crawl spaces, which is why they save crawling under the house usually as their last inspection step. Put a group of seasoned home inspectors together and ask them what they’ve seen in crawlspaces.
They’ll tell you they’ve seen it all… … (0 comments)
crawlspace: A Sign
- 10/17/11 04:07 PM
Merriam-Webster: Definition of SIGN: 6b - something indicating the presence or existence of something else <signs of moisture> Every so often, home inspectors encounter mushrooms in damp crawlspaces. When water seeps into a crawl space for many reasons, it creates the perfect environment for mushroom spores to begin growing, if present. For the inspectors at Pacific Coast Inspections… it’s not uncommon to identify several other property conditions (signs) associated with mushroom growth: No gutters… Partial gutters… Clogged downspouts… Downspouts terminate next to building… Negative grading… Walkways slope to foundation… Poor yard drainage... Crawlspace ventilation… Bio-growth under house… Sprinklers… Hillside… … (1 comments)
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