Deck on front of house old. Built when the house was built, 1960’s. Is peeling paint, and beginning to rot in addition to being built badly out of square. In the picture you can see the east post (closest to camera) is out of position with the far post buy 2.5”. If you look closely to the front plate you can see a distinct curve in it. Top plate of railing has been replaced. It is square but looks bad because deck is not. Recommend replacing entire deck. Maybe redesign to a single level. 2 level deck is a tripping hazard right by front door.
This is an outdoor outlet. It meets the requirements for cover, GFCI and is mounted on Stucco. Although it is not calked to the stucco, it does have a gasket that will not allow water to seep in behind the outlet. There is only one outlet on the patio. The square footage is estimated at 240 sq ft. This meets the requirement as well. I would pass this as the inspector.
This picture is from a recent appraisal that I did. This picture shows a stairwell that has seen better days. First thing that I checked was the durability of the handrail. This particular handrail was not as sturdy as it should be. When I shook it there was play and movement. The other safety issue that I saw was the rug was so worn out that it was causing a slip issue. On my way down the home owner was in front of me and he actually slipped on the step before last. I would recommend that the rug be replaced and that the handrail be properly secured.
Deck of home being inspected is in good condition. The deck is made up of trex. the baluster is within 4" and is safe. The guardrail is a safe height as well within 4"
The article that I chose was Deck Receptacles. As of 2005 the NEC required at least one outdoor receptacle in the front and in the rear of the house. The receptacle must not be more than 6 1/2 feet from the ground. For moisture protection the receptacle’s face plate must rest securely on the supporting surface to prevent moisture from entering the enclosure.
After learning more about deck inspections I decided to learn more about deck receptacles. I found it interesting to learn that the main reason to have receptacles on decks or porches is to avoid the use of extension cords. Extension cords can cause harm and injuries, such as lacerations, sprains, electrical burns, electrical shock, or even structure fires.
This is a deck I inspected for a friend after his contractor built it. The deck has the correct 16’ on center spacing between joists, the seam is staggered correctly with boards catching at least 4 joist and is properly flashed. The railings have post every 4 ½ feet and a 4’ ball will not pass threw them. The stairs leading up have a railing on both sides and are within the allowable 3/8 difference between riser heights. I told my friend his contractor did a good job on his deck.
Article: Laminate floor inspection
Laminate flooring is a cheaper alternative of hardwood, it is environmentally friendly and easy to maintain. Laminate floor is easier to install than hard wood and does not require any special training or tools. There are some common defects to look for when inspecting,first watch for gaps at seams caused by temperature changes. Also watch for peaking caused by insufficient expansion space, and buckling caused by water damage. These are the most common defects to watch for in laminate flooring.
This image shows a deck we constructed. the girders are hung on the posts with 1/2 galvanized through bolts. The deck structure is then built on the girders. The posts extend through the deck to support a trellis.
Eyebrow dormers are an attractive way to improve the roofline of a house, as described in the article, “Eyebrow dormers”. However, they are tricky to build and finish correctly, and can result in a leaky roof. they are at least three times the cost of a skylight. This explains their rarity.
This is from an inspection that I did earlier today, just happened to coincide with the course work. Everything about this deck was wrong or broken. The first thing I noticed was the decking or planking, what used to be very nice hardwood planks have now turned into scrap wood. All of the boards were warped and deformed. The boards weren’t staggered, and many of them had been cut down and are now only spanning 2 or 3 joists. The rim joists were sagging, and had spans that were obviously too great for the framing materials and/ or design. The posts were untreated 4x4’s that were sunk into the ground, to an unknown depth. The whole thing needs to be ripped out and rebuilt.
Aging In Place. I anticipated this article being about homes that are no longer covered under current building codes, but I was wrong. Its all about Senior citizen friendly modifications or adjustments that a home might need to make it’s occupants life la little easier as they become less mobile and capable. As I read the list of Items, I found myself thinking back to the words of a professor I had in college. He had observed an elderly couple, well into their nineties, that was living happily on their own. After spending some time to discuss their history he had adopted this philosophy. “With modern medicine improving our ability to deal with sickness and disease, It’s not unrealistic to think that we might all live to see our 80’s or 90’s. The problem is that many of us are not taking good enough care of ourselves to be independent and active at that age, leading to and extended portion of our lives that will be under the care of others.” His lasting advice was to maintain a healthy lifestyle, in an attempt to lessen the years that we will be dependent upon others. I’m glad the article I read did mention that healthy choices were also important to Aging in Place.
The picture below is of a covered patio. Most “patios” in Oregon where I live are covered. It does have an operating GFCI outlet available just behind the table, but the weather cover is missing. I understand from the How to Perform Deck Inspections course that the cover should be an “in-use cover”. Since this is a well covered patio, I don’t know that it would be required. I have other outdoor outlets around the property that are “in-use covered” outlets where the cord enters a plastic lid from the bottom.
This is a pic of a deck that is incomplete and has many issues. You can tell that the post are not sitting on a footing and are just buried. The ledger board is drywall screwed into the house and doesn’t have the proper flashing. The little bump-out at the end of the deck doesn’t have the proper support. No handrails or steps but it is less than 30 inches so handrails are not a necessity.
The most common reason for deck collapse is the ledger board improperly attached to the house. Ledger boards must be have lag screws directly into the studs or through bolts through the rim band. If neither of these can be achieved the deck must be self supporting. If there is a ledger board attached to the house it must also have the proper flashing to keep water from rotting the wood. It should also have hold down tension devices installed.
This deck is a raised concrete slab supported by a joist and ledger system. There is a perimeter concrete footing and wall supporting the deck. The deck was waterproofed between the deck sheeting and the concrete using a PVC or single ply roofing material and flashing on both sides of the deck are done correctly and are in good condition.
There is welded wire used for closure between the bottom and top rail of the guard rails and this wire runs both vertically and horizontally. This allows for climbing and could potentially be dangerous. The areas of the deck that exceed 30” in height, the horizontal wire should be removed.
This is a picture of a recent deck inspection. Note the broken nosing on the step, which is a major trip hazard. And, the majority of the decking is pressure treated lumber, which has split/checked, along with numerous nail pull-outs. Both conditions can cause injury to bare feet. I recommended the deck under go major repairs.
Barn Inspection
by Nick Gromicko and Kate Tarasenko
Inspectors working in rural areas and asked to inspect barns should consider how the buyers’ intend to use the building and can make some helpful recommendations regarding hazards. The article states that in addition to mechanical, electrical and fire hazards, barns should be maintained properly by their owners. The article lists a number of farm maintenance tasks and daily chores.
In and around the barn, inspectors can look for kick damage from livestock and recommend that electric wires are run in conduit, receptacles are protected with GFCI, fire hazards are mitigated, and defensible space around the barn maintained.
I chose the article “Inspecting a deck illustrated” for the research section of the course. The article basically followed the main course, but was still interesting. It still surprises me that only 40% of decks are safe. As for them usually failing in summer, makes sense because that’s when they get the most use. I’ve personally seen a lot of decks with too wide a span on beams, and excessively wide spacing of joist, i.e. Joist on 30" centers, covered with 5/4" decking. These are really spongy, could easily be over loaded, and are just accidents waiting to happen. I think too many big box lumber yards encourage DYI home owners to attempt structural projects without warning them of all the pitfalls. The owners don’t have the expertise or take the time to gain the proper knowledge, and end up building unsafe decks.
This is a picture of a small deck at the rear of a house. The fasteners are all very loose which causes the deck to move when a load is placed on it. Also there are no balusters between the posts on the deck and along the stairs. The tops of the posts are also cut level which will not allow water to drain off.
