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It's just bass ackwards!

By Erby Crofutt

Home Inspector with B4 U Close Home Inspections&Radon Testing (www.b4uclose.com)

November 20, 2010 08:02 AM

Sometimes you just gotta wonder what they were thinking!

This finely installed plumbing vent boot flashing was found during a Lexington, KY Home Inspection a couple of days ago. .

Lexington Kentucky Home Inspector, plumbing vent flashing backwards

Someone didn't look at the instructions that say "This Side UP!"

Ten feet away was another one (of the same apparent age), installed right!

I guess the second time was the charm as they got it right. I wonder why they didn't take the time to come back and do this one right.

The plastic and rubber boot flashings are commonly dry rotted at the top after about six or seven years. Have you checked yours lately. Most people don't notice until a mold spot starts growing on the ceiling.

Don't know what you're doing? Can't read instructions? Hire a Lexington, KY professional roofer!

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Bob "RealMan" Timm

Ward County Notary Services - Minot, ND

Owner of Ward Co Notary Services retired RE Broker

Erby, Even though I'm a do it your self kind of guy with no roofing experience I think I would get this right.

Nov 20, 2010 08:11 AM

Andrzej Niemyjski

Realty One Group - Sun City West, AZ

I'm sure the owner wanted to save money and install it himself and as a typical person did not look for instructions.

Nov 20, 2010 08:43 AM

Barbara-Jo Roberts Berberi, MA, PSA, TRC - Greater Clearwater Florida Residential Real Estate Professional

Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL

Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor

I love reading blog posts like this - they are so helpful for those of us who want to learn about what to look for (although I would never go on the roof)

Nov 20, 2010 09:28 AM

Jerry Wright Homes, Inc.

New Homes for Sale Killeen Copperas Cove Ft Hood TX - Copperas Cove, TX

Things like this happen in new construction, too.. sometimes something just gets overlooked by the builder and the superintendent. Your buyers should always have a home inspection so homebuilders can fix any deficiencies before closing! Makes for a happier buyer for sure.

Nov 20, 2010 10:37 AM

Erby Crofutt

B4 U Close Home Inspections&Radon Testing (www.b4uclose.com) - Lexington, KY

The Central Kentucky Home Inspector, Lexington KY

I'm a bit of a do-it-yourselfer too, Bob, but smart enough to know when to read the instructions or call in the professionals.

Andrzej, It was an agent/owner and his son working on a flip.

Glad you enjoyed if Barbara-Jo. Roofs are easy. It's the ground that's hard!

I agree with you, Jerry. But most agents around here tell em, "It's new, you don't need an inspection. The warranty will cover anything you find wrong after you move in!" Problem is, buyer's don't find problems, problems don't get fixed, and then they go to sell a few years later. Guess what happens when I find the stuff. The seller is stuck for the cost of those repairs the builder would likely gladly have taken care of had they been told about them. They do remember who told them they didn't need an inspection.

Nov 20, 2010 12:57 PM

Nick T Pappas

Assoc. Broker ABR, CRS, SFR, e-Pro, @Homes Realty Group, Broker/Providence Property Mgmnt, LLC Huntsville AL - Huntsville, AL

Madison & Huntsville Alabama Real Estate Resource

Hello Erby, the dry rotting seems to be pretty common in the south. I had all the boots replaced in the house I bought here as they did start to leak. As I look at your photo I see a couple other problems. Uncaulked nail heads and a shingle that doesn't look like it's installed correctly.

Nov 22, 2010 12:11 PM

Erby Crofutt

B4 U Close Home Inspections&Radon Testing (www.b4uclose.com) - Lexington, KY

The Central Kentucky Home Inspector, Lexington KY

Nick, good eye. Those nail heads in the shingles shouldn't even be exposed, let alone caulked. The shingles are NOT installed correctly. The whole job was a muck up.

The dry rotted rubber boots are a common find around here, but most people don't notice it until the mold spot comes through the ceiling drywall and sometimes not even then. The ceiling mold spot beneath this one was in a bathroom closet. No one had looked at t Lexington Kentucky Home Inspector, rotted plumbing boot flashing plumbing vent flashing backwards he ceiling of that closet in who knows how long.

Check your roof!

Nov 22, 2010 12:33 PM

Robert Butler

Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC

Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

Amature workmanship, even if money was charged to do the installation.

Most likely it was DIY work.

As an inspector, I know there is no way to determine whether a qualified professional did the installation or not. If an amature installed it and executed all the steps correctly, then it is correctly installed and will function as designed.

So we make no comments about who did it or if they are qualified. We only say someting when we can see problems, errors, poor execution and damage.

So all you DIY homeowners can relax about inspections if you've taken the time to learn, execute and integrate your repairs and renovations into thew home's existing systems.

Dec 18, 2010 02:55 AM

Erby Crofutt

B4 U Close Home Inspections&Radon Testing (www.b4uclose.com) - Lexington, KY

The Central Kentucky Home Inspector, Lexington KY

There is a way when the proud homeowner is standing there telling you how fine a job he did on it!

Dec 18, 2010 04:42 AM

Wilbur Lloyd

AR Home Inspection Service of New Jersey - Ridgefield Park, NJ

I love the post keep them coming. I love homeowner input during an inspection.

Dec 29, 2010 03:02 PM

Erby Crofutt

B4 U Close Home Inspections&Radon Testing (www.b4uclose.com) - Lexington, KY

The Central Kentucky Home Inspector, Lexington KY

Wilbur, We make fun of the homeowner repairs, but quite frequently it's the contractor that did it. There's a lot of good homeowner repairs out there, we just get to see the "not so good" ones, alot.

Dec 30, 2010 04:46 AM