home inspection: What does that plumbing valve do? - 05/25/10 03:18 AM
The most important part of a good home inspection is the education about the home.  Above and beyond the defects that good home inspectors will find, helping the new home owners understand the weird knobs and switches that are in a typical home is really where good inspectors earn their wage. One type of knob in particular that I see often in more recently built homes is the "hose bib winterization valve." It seems simple enough however they usually are not anywhere near the hose bib (outside water faucet)! In a two-story home, these valves are usually stuffed under an upstairs bathroom sink.  The placement is good … (4 comments)

home inspection: Die Furnace! DIE!!! - 07/11/09 10:39 AM
Most home maintenance items are very simple.  In fact most are so simple it is easy to underestimate the importance.  If home owners would do these routine maintenance items my job might be severely limited.  One item in particular I often say gets done when people move in to the home and when they move out:  it's the furnace filter.
How great it feels to take a deep breath.  To feel the stretch of the lungs as they fill with air.  It is refreshing and satisfying. 
Now imagine a restriction in your airway, never being able to take a full breath.  … (11 comments)

home inspection: Not all vent systems work the same - 03/18/09 11:20 AM
I had the pleasure of inspectinga very creatively remodeled home here in Silverton, Oregon today.  This in particular had me scratching my head: 
 
The exhaust vent for the master bathroom was tied directly to the plumbing vent system.  I guess they are both "vent systems" however they do very different jobs.  The plumbing vent is built to hold water, so any condensation or rain water or bugs can all go down the drain no problem.  The exhaust vent for the master bathroom may begin to have issues with most of those things.
Very creative "custom" remodel job anyway.
 
 
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home inspection: Heating Oil Tank Program in Oregon - 03/10/09 04:28 PM
The presence of oil tanks is an issue that can rear its ugly head on an inspection every now and then.  Thankfully the Oregon DEQ is doing something to help.
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) here in Oregon, has a program to help keep track of those oil tanks that may have been forgotten.
  The site is:  http://deq12.state.or.us/fp20/
If excavation or redevelopment is planned you can find information on known and suspected Heating Oil Tanks (HOT).  Information on: if the site has received a closure letter for the decommissioning, assessment and certification of a HOT is available.
  If … (4 comments)

home inspection: Leaks cannot hide from me - 03/09/09 10:15 AM
Manufactured homes are wonderful if you know what you are getting.  They are supremely efficient.  They are so tight you actually have to be aware of this to ensure indoor air quality is not compromised.  They do have some downsides apart from the obvious fact of poor appreciation.
  The roofs of many manufactured homes are relatively low slope and the interior ceilings are often vaulted.  Both of these conditions add up to shorter than average roof life.  Failure to the roofing materials and leaks can be chased and individually repaired if they can be located.  Without an accessible attic space … (16 comments)

home inspection: What's still Lurking under homes - 03/05/09 02:23 AM
  I recently vented about a new home I had the pleasure of inspecting here in Salem, Oregon.  That home had some issues with a lack of vapor retarder and a lot of excess wood that was a big contributor to a advanced stage of current fungal rot.
  The home also had issues with lack of crawlspace ventilation.  In this climate ventilation of the unfinished areas (attic and crawlspace) is extremely important.  Moisture vapor that escapes the vapor retarder will rise and condense into liquid water if not allowed to ventilate and escape the confines of the crawlspace or attic.  … (29 comments)

home inspection: A Flashy Little Trick - 01/17/09 01:58 PM
A vast majority of plumbing vents I see during home inspections in the Salem, Oregon area are sealed with a heavy rubber boot.  These are great little things.  The soft rubber is able to mold to most any angle it is forced into and still create a tight seal.  As the summer sun beats down and raises the temperature of the roof to 180 F+ the wonderfully elastic rubber boot allows the building components to expand and still remain sealed.  And as the cold winter temps cool everything down and the roofing and plumbing contract at different rates the rubber boot maintains a seal which … (6 comments)

home inspection: Smoke detectors can detect much more than smoke - 01/17/09 08:18 AM
  2:30am  Instantly awake!  All of the smoke detectors in our Salem, Oregon home are going off.  BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!!! For close to 30 seconds then they turn off.  I jump out of bed and run into the hall between the kid's and our room ready to assess the situation and get the kids out of the house......Nothing, no smell of smoke, no crackling fire.  No indication of fire at all!  At this point, the sudden rush from being totally asleep to totally awake and high on adrenaline for no apparent reason has me more than a little irritated.
  Our … (20 comments)

home inspection: Comfort level: Regular, Delicate Sheer, or Permanent Press? - 01/09/09 03:15 AM
 Home owners are very creative people.  This is especially true of people from previous generations.
If I had a nickel for every automotive part used in plumbing repairs that I have seen....I would have enough for a happy meal....maybe.
Recently while diligently checking a home's heating system during a home inspection in Salem, Oregon this dryer control knob was noted on a wall heater.  I am not sure how hot 'permanent press' is or even ‘Delicate sheer' but I am sure the knob fits tight and with a little training, might help dry the home's air.
 
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home inspection: If it was a snake....it would have been too late. - 01/03/09 09:44 AM
We do get a fair amount of rain during the winter months in western Oregon.  All of that precipitation can sometimes lead to a high water table.  That is one reason there are so many crawlspaces in this area.  If water does come up out of the ground it is hopefully safely covered with a nice plastic vapor retarder, instead of wreaking havoc with finished surfaces.
It can be very common for inspectors to see standing water when it comes time to crawl around with the spiders.  I am not afraid of water, however when water is present with electricity that … (4 comments)

home inspection: Where is this Water coming from? - 01/03/09 08:56 AM
Being an inspector equipped with a highly advance thermal camera I have been called upon to find quite a few leaks.
   Leaks can be very frustrating and challenging.  Our modern, climate controlled, super insulated and immaculately finished homes do not respond well to storm water on interior surfaces.  Window sills swell, drywall turns brown, and wood floors crack.  How rude it is when Mother Nature invites herself into the world we control.
   A very interesting pattern has developed after a few dozen, "....help me find where this leak is coming from," calls.  A majority of the calls that were … (6 comments)