This is a photograph of a commercial deep-fryer, located in the kitchen of a restaurant I inspected. I advised the client that this deep-fryer had not been in service for three years, based on the disclosure of the current owner. I advised the client to have it professionally serviced, cleaned, and certified prior to him opening his restauarant.
The inspector should inspect:
; for visible decay,paint failure and buckling;nail pullout,
for fastener rust, iron stain and corrosion;
and verify that flashing was installed on the deck-side of the ledger board;
for vertical members (posts) that have exposed end grains;
for obvious trip hazards;
for non-graspable handrails;
railings for height less than the 36-inch minimum*; guardrails and infill for openings that exceed the 4-inch maximum*;
open tread stairs for openings that exceed the 4–inch maximum*;
triangular areas between guardrails and stairways for openings that exceed the 6-inch
maximum*;
built-up and multi-ply beam spans for butt joints;
for notches in the middle third of solid-sawn wood spans;
for large splits longer than the depth of their solid-sawn wood members;
for building egresses blocked, covered or hindered by deck construction; and
for the possibility of wetting from gutters, downspouts or sprinklers.
A foreclosed home may be sold at a public auction, in which buyers can expect a discount of 10% to 25% of market value. Interested bidders are generally required to show proof of financing, and must have a minimum cash deposit before they are qualified to bid. It might be impossible to gain entry to inspect the interior, too, which makes this type of purchase risky. The local building department may have permit records that can clue you in to the buildings layout and appearance.
The hand rails at the stairwell was missing at the time of inspection. The standard states that there should be a grippable hand rail that is no more that 34"-38" from each riser. The hand rail may project into required with of 4.5".
Side entry of commercial office building. Step to door is severely cracked and may need repair. Leading edge of step needs to be repainted for safety purposes. Need documentation of door purchase/installation in order to verify the use of safety glass.
While commercial inspections have many things in common with residential inspections, I noticed that commercial inspections appeared to be significantly more detailed when it comes to safety, fire and when it applies to the American Disabilities Act. As well as the hiring of other contractors to help complete the task at hand.
Anatomy of a Commercial Inspection Report-A commercial inspection report should clearly identify the property address, inspector and inspection company contact information, the date of inspection, and a total page count. Following this should be the Standards of Inspection, inspection agreement including scope of work, and copies of all surveys, questionnaires, and consultant reports.
This is a photo of a Radon Gas Mitigation system being installed in the Gainesville, FL area. The box contained the motor that would pull the air from under the foundation of the structure into a vent pipe that was attached to the side of the structure. When I tested the inside of the structure the radon gas level was almost 3x the level for which the EPA recommends mitigation.
Checking for Anti-Tip brackets is one of the first things I do when entering a residence. After I get the dishwasher running I take a picture of the range and then check for the bracket. Its about 50/50 if a bracket will be in place. Funny thing is I look around the area when one is not installed and a lot of times its in a drawer or a cabinet. I snap a picture of that too and show my client.
The flat roof was comprised of a rolled roofing membrane and was approximately 10+ years old. There was significant ponding on the roof surface, the 2 drains were clogged. There was a leak in the area of the electrical service mast. Recommend having a qualified roofing contractor repair.
Carcinogens on the Job. Carcinogens exist in many areas of the homes and buildings we inspect. It is important to know and understand the risks so you can wear the appropriate personal protective equipment. Formaldehyde and fiberglass are two of the most common carcinogens in houses and commercial properties.
The oil tank shown here in the photo is full of oil but is no longer in use. A plan to remove the oil responsibly should be in place soon before the tank has a chance to leak out any oil into the basement.
When inspecting a commercial property, following the standards of practice is a must and is critical. Also staying away from making reccomondations, cost estimates, and life expectancies can save you from being held liable for any issues beyond your control.
I read the article about Renters Insurance. Renters insurance affords tenants financial compensation for unforeseen misfortunes. It provides coverage for personal property, personal liability and loss-of-use. Most renters lack insurance. The misconceptions of the renters are that they assume that the landlords policy will protect the renters belongings. They also underestimate the value of their belongings and dont get enough insurance or they believe they cant afford insurance.
I recently read Anatomy of a Commercial Inspection Report by Ben Gromicko. I found it a helpful summary of the reporting portion of the course. The most important take-away I noted is the advisory to avoid commenting on code violations, problem causes and solutions, life expectancies, and repair/replacement estimates. While this may be useful information for the client, it may place the inspector in a legally vulnerable situation.
This is a picture of the exterior commercial fire door. It is a metal door that is fire rated. All the hardware is correct. There are no obstructions in the way of the door opening or closing. The door has automatic closers attached.
Thermal image of a gas water heater. The use of thermal imaging is beneficial in commercial and residential inspections. It provides the inspector another tool to not only help identify possible problems, but also helps to diagnose an issue. In this pic, the water heater appears to be in good working condition at the time of the inspection.
Barn inspections…I found this article to be informative. Having been around horses and some livestock, barns are not very clean! This article gives recommendations to utilize the appropriate personal protective equipment when inspecting barns. I also found the recommendation in asking the buyer what their intended use of the barn is. If the barn is to be converted to living space, then possible upgrades will be needed, I.e, insulating the barn.
This picture shows a small section of attic space in a new construction home I recently inspected. The insulation had been installed and left intentionally out of the areas above the exterior front entry way and rear patios. The issue I found was that the first 5 foot of the foyer and adjacent front guest room ceilings were also not insulated!
I chose the read the barn inspection article by Ben and Kate. The article offered a good insight to some of the aspects of inspecting barns for clients looking to use them just as barns and also for clients who may be looking to use them for other purposes. I found it particularly interesting that the body heat produced by livestock stored in some barns can actually be crucial to the buildings survival in extreme cold climates. I recommend this article to anyone who may find themselves being asked to perform such inspections!