livermore: 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)
livermore: 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)
livermore: What's This?
- 01/16/12 06:00 AM
This flexible natural gas connector line is installed through the sheetmetal side panel of a heating furnace... A standard practice in the past.Passing through the center of a sheetmetal cutout isn't so much of a concern, but when the flexible connector is tight up against the edge of the sheetmetal... This is cause for action."What's the problem with this?" you may ask.When you turn on your central heating forced air furnace, a large blower motor turns on to move the warm air throughout your house. As the the blower motor bearings wear... mechanical vibrations occur.The sheetmetal edge is thin and 'sharp'. … (1 comments)
livermore: Amazing Tenacious Termites
- 01/04/12 04:53 PM
Happy new year! Termites have lived longer than the dinosaurs and continue to eat their way through all the wood they can find. Termites are 24/7 bugs, which means they eat non-stop - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They have hard, saw-toothed jaws that help them to eat lumber, wallpaper, plastics and fabric make of plant fibers. These pests cause up to $2 billion of damages per year. Termite Fact: The total weight of all of the termites in the world is greater than the weight of all the humans in the world... Believe it or not... (don't … (3 comments)
livermore: What's in Your Closet?
- 12/22/11 04:08 PM
Googling 'light bulb temperature'... states a 60 watt bulb can reach 260 degrees at the surface... a 100 watt bulb is in the neighborhood of 390 degrees. Closet light fixture clearances require all incandescent light bulbs be enclosed (glass globe) and that the light fixture be installed at least 12" from storage. It's common to find unprotected light bulbs in older bedroom closets. Today's construction will include fluorescent, CFL or LED light fixtures or ceiling recessed lights... these lights operate at much cooler temperatures. In this photo, the glass globe is missing... not good. Say you're running late in the morning and leave this closet … (7 comments)
The purpose of a plumbing trap under your house sinks is to prevent odorous sewer gases from entering the house back through the sink and tub drains... By having water sit in the trap, it effectively blocks sewer gas. There are two basic types of traps: P and S configurations. Both configurations have a trap section, which is a U-shape pipe where water sits in the U and creates a water seal between the sewer gases found at the street sewer system and the house interior. The P-trap water discharge is a horizontal pipe to a wall, rather than … (1 comments)
livermore: Duct Tape Band-Aid
- 12/14/11 02:47 AM
As a home inspector at Pacific Coast Inspections, I encounter grey duct tape being used all the time - mainly on heating and cooling ducts - which turns out to be a non-compliant use of the tape. It's probably true, that duct tape has a 1001 uses. There's even a book about duct tape that you can buy this year at Amazon.com called... you guessed it... the Duct Tape book. In the photo, I spotted a single rust-streak on the duct tape on a water supply pipe above the 2005 model water heater. The tape above the streak was peeled away … (1 comments)
livermore: 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)
livermore: Not a Tap Dance Step
- 10/24/11 08:41 AM
There’s a term used when two electrical wires are connected to a single circuit breaker lug called ‘double-tapping’.
For most home inspectors, double-tapping or double lugging is one of the top observations found in electrical panels.
In the photo, there are 4 pairs of double-tapped electrical wire.
What’s the problem? It’s not allowed. Only 1 wire should be connected to any single circuit breaker lug, Double-tapping can cause one or both wires to have poor contact and/or cause circuit overloading.
What’s the correction? Contact a licensed electrician. The electrician’s options for repair include ‘pig-tailing’ the … (1 comments)
livermore: Photo Worth 1000 Words
- 10/10/11 04:28 AM
Sometimes the home inspector discovers more than one condition requiring attention from a single photo. A 10" floor beam supporting a 1986 Danville, CA house subfloor had been over- notched to accommodate a drain pipe from an addition... Not to mention that the cut end of the beam wasn’t supported with an added post and pier. This can affect the condition of the floor above… such as a sagging floor, a floor that deflects when walked on, cracks may develop in a tiled floor, or cause a door to rub its frame. The 4” ABS plastic drain/waste line didn’t … (0 comments)
livermore: Electrical Wiring 101
- 09/29/11 03:03 PM
It was obvious to the home inspector, that whoever installed this electrical wiring, failed Electrical Wiring 101.
Sometimes you just have to shake your head and wonder what else in the house could be a potential electrical safety concern. This is a great example why home inspections benefit homebuyers. With the number of forclosures and shortsales these day, many real estate purchases are 'as-is' sales... with no warranty and in its present condition. If you're an investor with a crew that flips houses and has a licensed electrican you can call... It's probably no big deal. The typical homebuyer may … (2 comments)
livermore: A Sight To Behold
- 09/20/11 07:11 AM
Pacific Coast Inspections covers the entire San Francisco Bay area. Today, I found myself in a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of Walnut Creek. The older house had been completely upgraded: new roof, new stucco, new kitchen and bathrooms.
While walking on the roof… I saw that the spark-arrestor/raincap assembly was mising from the top of the chimney flue. The spark-arrestor or screen mesh of the assembly keeps hot ash and sparks from landing on a roof. The sheetmetal cap keeps out most of the rain from going down the chimney and corroding things. As I walked up and … (3 comments)
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