Below is a picture of a flat roof system on a commercial mixed use building. Evidence of water ponding was observed on the roof system, with recommendations made for further evaluation and correction to roof drainage from a qualified roofing specialist. Areas of water collection and ponding may increase risks of leakage into the building. Rubber membrane roofing should also be considered for an reflective UV coating to help extend the life of the roofing materials.
Research Article and Summary for Commercial Inspection course:
I read the article on InterNACHI regarding Pest Birds. Many buildings and commercial properties in city and urban areas have constant concerns with Pest Birds such as pigeons. Droppings from these birds create concerns for human safety as well as concerns with possible property damage. Droppings have a low pH and are acidic. This can deteriorate almost any building material from wood to masonry to steel. I am aware of some bridges that have sustained structural damage from years of bird droppings. Disease and health concerns can arise from droppings and are a particular concern with food manufacturing facilities and warehouses.
Took these photos at the location of the office where I work. The meters electric and gas are not labeled to each office/suite. Three electric meters and four gas meters. I informed the landlord to check and see if the service companies would come out and identify which meter goes to which suite.
Anatomy of a Commercial Property Inspection Report
As building inspectors it is important to mitigate our liability in case an inspection goes wrong. We can reduce our risk on an inspection by:
o don’t talk about or getting too in depth about the cause of an issue/problem with a building.
o don’t give a solution to the problem
o don’t quote any local or building codes
o don’t give your opinion on life expediencies
o don’t quote or estimate repair costs
Remember these tips and add to your risk management plan.
This plumbing stack is improperly flashed and attempts have been made to seal around the apparent oversized boot. Even at best this is purely a bandaid solution and the boot should be replaced by a roofing professional. Left unattended this situation will allow water penetration which may cause structural and other damage.
Hello friends. Once again I am being different. You ask, what does a computer, a card caddie, and a NC State Wolfpack sign have to do with this class, or inspections. A lot. They are all forms of reference information. I am just starting to look into commercial inspections. Taking this course I have learned the importance of having good reliable subs to do inspection in the special areas. I am enjoying, have a good ways to go yet.
EPDM or Rubber Roofs have been out for some time now. I was first introduced to them back in my RV days, first as a buyer and then as the Service Director in different RV dealerships. It has been my experience working with EPDM roofs in the RV business to be fairly easy and trouble free. Most problem were either the roof was just worn out or the person hit something tearing the roof.
There are five classes of fires.They are A,B,C,D,K
Examples are:
A-wood, paper
B- gas, oil
C- electrical
D-combustible metals
K- vegetable oils, animal fats
Extinguisher types are: dry chemical, carbon dioxide, water and wet chemical. The latter is used primarily in restaurants and commercial kitchens.
Training should be provided for all necessary personnel and/or the in-house brigade.
Every Commercial operation should enlist the services of a Fire Inspection company to, on a regular schedule, inspect, record and maintain all fire prevention and fighting equipment.
In this image, I have observed a connection loss leading from the rooftop rainwater mitigation systems to the sub terrain rainwater drain system. This issue can result in excessive amounts of water being discharged too close to the foundation of the structure. This can cause water ingress and consequential damage leading to costly repairs. It is a relatively inexpensive correction to make. Additionally, the drainpipe which is installed here is splitting into two smaller pipes which causes a backflow due to the reduction of the overall draining ability of the system. It is advisable to have a continuous pipe of same diameter leading to the drain below the grade to avoid overflow or disconnection caused by excessive pressure.
I have chosen an article on stairway inspections as my research exercise. I has added some important insights to my approach for inspecting stairwells, in that the article expressed among other elements, the aspect of lighting. Learning about how shadows and glare from improperly positioned or excessively bright lighting can cause a person to fall will help me in better assessing this important element of personal safety.
I am so excited to get my First Commercial Inspection Client. This is a pic of a commercial HVAC unit on top of a Commercial building. The observation and visual inspection is similar to residential except just on a much larger scale.
I have chosen Air Sampling for Mold Inspection. This is an article I have spent much time on and find this to be most beneficial to my profession. I have passed the exams to become a certified mold inspector and I am also looking forward to my first client for this as well.
athacker
(Andrew Thacker, TEXAS Professional Inspector License # 22133)
313
The image attached shows an accessibility ramp for wheelchair use for physically challenged individuals. The slope was measured at 6 degrees which is above the standard of 5 degrees. Also,note that there is no handrail to prevent falls and/or stopping a wheelchair from rolling off unexpectedly resulting in possible injury.
athacker
(Andrew Thacker, TEXAS Professional Inspector License # 22133)
314
Drones and Inspections Article.
I know InterNACHI is about to have an online seminar on drone usage but i read the existing article for our library and noted its conclusions are outdated now that the FAA Part 107 is available for commercial use of drones. This allows flights under 400 feet and rooftop inspection of difficult roofs are now accessible. The one thing I want to point out is that doing a low flight level inspection has a few catches that one should be aware of. It is very important to notify neighbors around the property of what you will be doing with your drone at this low level to assure them you are not invading their privacy or taking photos of their backyards etc. This is important because a drone at that level makes enough noise to bring them outside to see what is going on. Notification is as easy as knocking on a door or leaving a courtesy note the day before with the time you intend to fly the inspection.
PS: I have gotten leads for roof inspections from “nosey” neighbors coming out to see the photo results.
Electrical conduit for commercial real estate can vary in size and material based upon its application. PVC, rigid metal and seal-tight are a couple of conduit types you may encounter during an inspection. Each has their own benefits and drawbacks.
Here are a couple of pictures from 2 of my recent inspections of a well know drug store chain. these rooftop HVAC units looked to be in relatively good condition along with the roof surface and roof draining systems. [ATTACH]
Drones, or UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) appear to be a great tool for us, as inspectors to use for roof inspections and/or larger commercial inspections. however, without approval from the FAA in the form of a Special Airworthiness Certificate or similar approval, you can’t use them. Hopefully, when they get through the backlog, we’ll be able to register our drones and offer it as a service to our clients.
Here we have 2x10 16" oc floor joists. The joists are standard cut with no visible defects. All electric wiring is run properly through the joists. The wood is dry with no evidence of moisture, rot/mildew or mold.
I chose the topic of the Visual Inspection of Concrete, specifically the three material properties needed to create what we know as common “concrete”.
There are 3 “stages” that are involved to arrive to the end product of concrete. First, a certain ratio of Cement and water must be mixed to create the cement paste. Next, the Cement paste must be combined with an amount of sand to create the mortar. Finally, the Mortar must be combined with an amount of aggregate to arrive at the final product of concrete.
Depending on climate, the mix ratios of the above items, skill of the tradesman, and other conditions affect the final outcome, performance and durability of concrete. Additionally, there are other substitutes or “binders” that may be mixed to reduce the porous nature of concrete.
Inspection
For my commercial inspection I inspected my wife’s work. It is a mattress sales store. I didn’t find much out of the ordinary at her store. In the pictures below you can see the electrical service panel. The panel was adequately sized for the business needs. I did notice there is no way to turn the lights on in the store other than the breakers. While this is not a defect it is an inconvenience. In the other picture there is evidence of moisture intrusion. This is directly next to a sprinkler. However I was informed by the client that the air conditioner had leaked a few months ago.
