Foundation wall made of poured concrete. Exterior of all walls were covered with a troweled on masonry parging. At time of inspection there were no visible cracks apparent in the parging on any wall. The parging completely covered the foundation wall. Any cracks in foundation wall were not visible.
It is strongly recommended to form a corporation or limited liability company when starting your inspection business. To protect you properly it must be operated as a separate entity. For example do not mix business and personal funds. Do not pay business expenses with personal funds or vice versa.
this is a crawlspace I inspected awhile back. The crawlspace has no vapor barrier and non supported wires. I recommended a vapor barrier to keep the water vapor from entering the crawlspace and damaging the wooden structural components. There was also some plumbing drain pipes that were not supported and were not the right slope.
My article was about aluminum wiring. These are a safety hazard a home inspector needs to be educated about. If a home inspector can see aluminum in the breaker panel he need to call it out and report on this. These are a fire hazard that the client needs to know about.
Crack in mortar outside master bedroom indicates some movement has occurred in this area. This could be caused by numerous things such as soil movement at footer or thermal expansion/contraction etc. The brick facing on this house is a veneer and is not a structural element. Masonry walls commonly develop cracks due to shrinkage or minor settlement over time. Recommend qualified contractor repair/seal as needed.
Becoming a homeowner is a very rewarding accomplishment for most people but with it comes the responsibility of periodic maintenance of the many components of the home. These tasks require specific tools for the job at hand. Homeowners should assemble a basic collection of tools which should include the following.
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A set of standard and metric size wrenches for loosening and tightening bolts.
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Flathead and Phillips head screwdrivers.
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A hammer for removing and driving nails.
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A caulk gun for sealing around windows and plumbing fixtures.
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Wood and Hacksaw for cutting.
With the addition of these and other essential tools you can accomplish many tasks to keep your home and its components functioning properly.
This link says that the course is supposed to include a student book, where can I find the student book in this course?
Here we have what appears at first glance to be evidence of spalling. Upon further inspection, this is the only area on the entire wall where the surface of the brick has any damage. There are no other signs of moisture intrusion. It is likely that this particular brick was damaged before or during installation.
Photo- Brick Veneer.
This photo shows how a brick veneer wall is properly attached to OSB via metal wall ties. There should be a 1" air space between the brick and the OSB. It should also be noted that there is a housewrap on the exterior of the OSB.
A structural failure is a major defect in a residential home. In this photo we can see where the foundation has begun settling due to a possible erosion in the soil. The foundation may not have been dug deep enough or it may have just been caused through erosion.
The main support beam consisted of three sistered beams in this basement. The end of one of the beams was rooted by moisture infiltrating from a hole in the exterior wall just above the concrete poured wall. It was recommended that the leakage into the basement be mitigated and a structural engineer be consulted.
Even though a home inspector is taught to be cautious of various situations, exposed crawlspace wire, snakes, insects, etc. within a job site, we must also be alert to certain dangerous chemicals that may also be present such as formaldehyde, styrene, and things of the sort.
The article OSB vs. Plywood identified the differences for using each product. This is important in understanding their use for subflooring. Relative to plywood, OBS weighs a little more, absorbs more moisture and but is a bit less in costs.
PATIO: CONCRETE WALKWAY WITH CONCRETE STEPS TO A 12 X 12 CONCRETE PATIO. ALTHOUGH RAILING IN NOT REQUIRED THERE IS A 1 FOOT DROP OFF AT IT’S HIGHEST POINT. THIS COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD. CONTACT A LICENSED CONTRACTOR FOR OPTIONS
foam-form foundation system. Polystyrene foundation forms are set on conventional footings, much like building a Lego wall. Concrete is placed into the forms where it cures to form both the structural and thermal components of the basement wall. Exterior foam, either foam boards placed on the exterior of a conventional foundation, or in a foam-form wall system, may provide a concealed entry path for subterranean termites. Termites can tunnel through and behind many foam products. If exterior foam insulation is used, a continuous metal termite shield must be used between the top of the foundation and the sill plate to force termites out of the foam and into view. Even then, treatment with conventional termiticides to stop the infestation may be difficult. Foundation waterproofing, site and footing drainage, and termite treatments are similar for insulated and uninsulated basements. However, if exterior foam insulation is to be used, use waterproofing products compatible with the foam.
A very old building that has a half inch wide crack that has been present for a numerous amount of years is not to be considered to be a part of rapid settlement. This could have been done over time by freezing.
There are lots of advantages in solar energy. One being thats its low in emissions. Solar panels produce no sound. It can be expensive to do solar energy but before long the savings with be coming in. You also get a tax credit for going solar.
This photo shows some mortar shrinkage next to a window. The stone veneer. Observed pests entering structure through the opening at the time of inspection. Suggest sealing all areas around windows to reduced pests entering and moisture penetration through the openings.
The article on Concrete for Exterior and Structural Walls by Nick Gromicko and Barry Fowler, gave a very balanced view of wood and concrete benefits. Personally, concrete is better, if not just for the safety and hazard mitigation it provides over wood alone.
Training Aids for foundation inspection, water intrusion, and Crawlspace Encapsulation: Recently used cinder blocks (4 levels) to represent a crawlspace and CMU piers for training. New hires learned to measure, cut and install vapor barrier of the floor surface, sidewalls and piers. Proper taping, sealing and placement were evaluated before discussing sealing vents, rim joists and crawl doors
