Research & Writing Assignment:
Vapor barriers are an important tool in controlling the moisture inside of a home. Although the name can be a little misleading, vapor barriers do allow some moisture to pass through. There is a grading system that signifies how much moisture will pass through the barrier. The unit of measurement is called “perms”.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
I performed a home inspection on a slab on grade home with block around the perimeter. I found several blocks that appear to have shrinking mortar joints, which I pointed out as needing inspection and repair by a foundation or block mason. An appraiser for FHA has called these seddlement cracks and is saying they need a structural engineer to repair. This course deals with them specifically.They should be pointed or sealed with a synthetic product.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I performed a home inspection on a slab on grade home with block around the perimeter. I found several blocks that appear to have shrinking mortar joints, which I pointed out as needing inspection and repair by a foundation or block mason. An appraiser for FHA has called these seddlement cracks and is saying they need a structural engineer to repair. This course deals with them specifically.They should be pointed or sealed with a synthetic product.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is an image of a retaining wall on a property, when observed the wall shows immediate signs of cracking and displacement. These are signs of structural problems which could lead to the failure of the wall. Three signs to observe when it comes to inspecting retaining walls are cracks, bulging, or leaning, and the wall shows clear signs of a problem that should be taken care of before a complete failure of the wall occurs.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The article discusses carpeting in bathrooms and goes in depth explaining both the pros and cons of it. One point the article mentions is that there should never be carpeting in commercial building restrooms, also while carpeting may seem appealing to have in residential bathrooms, it could lead to moisture related problems as well as odors, this could contribute to structural damage as well as mold related issues which in turn can lead to health problems. When encountering this problem inspectors can recommend that a client put a fan in the bathroom, try to keep the bathroom as dry as possible, or clean the carpet regularly to avoid such problems as mentioned above one of which being mold.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
the dryer in this photo has a foil vent that exhaust outside the house. having foil vent is a serious problem. they trap lint and thats how fires are started. i would recommend to the client that they replace with solid vent
Research & Writing Assignment:
An attic ladder is a retractable ladder that is installed into the floor of an attic and ceiling of the floor below the attic. … Attic ladders typically consist of a ladder with wider steps and a steep slope. A drawstring will hang down to allow the ladder to be manually extended.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This single family residential house was inspected for a separated rear addition. The contractor noted vertical cracking where the addition room met the original structure, which he attributed to probable settling of the footer and foundation. However, it was determined that the structure had stopped settling soon after completion, more than 30 years prior.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I reviewed the image entitled Frost Protected Shallow Foundation (FPSF) in the general folder of the foundation images. This depicts a typical FPSF, which can be constructed at shallower depths and above the frost line compared to normal fostered foundations. This is made possible by thermal insulation installed around the foundation which blocks heat loss and prevents heaving.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
These trusses would have best been supported by bearing directly on wall framing. The next best solution would be an engineer-designed ledger or engineer-specified hardware. And that may have been how they were originally built, but by the time I inspected them, 24-foot roof trusses were supported by joist hangers designed to support 2x4 joists. The hangers were fastened with four gold deck screws each.
Research & Writing Assignment:
These trusses would have best been supported by bearing directly on wall framing. The next best solution would be an engineer-designed ledger or engineer-specified hardware. And that may have been how they were originally built, but by the time I inspected them, 24-foot roof trusses were supported by joist hangers designed to support 2x4 joists. The hangers were fastened with four gold deck screws each.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The ADA chair lift that can be used to move individuals up or down stairs should not be part of an standard home inspection. It should be a separate side inspection especially for the " aging in place or ADA" individuals.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The concrete blocks bowing and cracking in this photo are from the lack of correct block installation and the lack of weep holes to prevent the holding of water from causing the damage using it as a planter on a slab of concrete.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is an image of a brick veneer wall that only goes half way up the exterior wall just below the windows with a concrete ledge. There is no signs of cracking in the mortar, bricks or concrete ledge. The brick is not separating from the wall. Possible point of water entry would be where the wood siding meets the concrete ledge if a sealant is not present to prevent water from getting between the two.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I learned that you can construct a basement with wood instead of concrete or stone. Using a permanent wood foundation is quicker, cheaper and simpler to build that traditional masonry foundations but are not as durable in the long term.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Inspecting Concrete
The great challenges of inspecting concrete are the limitations of a visual inspection and the many variables that affect concrete. Inspectors who learn about the fundamentals of concrete and become familiar with the factors that can affect it will better understand what problems to look for, where to look for them, how to recognize them, and their potential for serious, long-term damage.
Concrete is a composite material composed of various constituent materials: a binder, usually cement, aggregates, and water. Mix together they will form:
Cement Paste = Cement + water
Mortar = Cement paste + sand
Concrete = Mortar + aggregate
Each of these constituent materials can vary in its chemical makeup and performance characteristics, depending on where it was extracted, manufacturing methods and conditions used to produce it.
Factors Affecting Concrete:
Different factors can affect concrete and the problems that inspectors will see. How concrete hardens, strengthens and the qualities of its surface depend on a number of things, including the properties of its constituent materials.
Binders: produce a gel that fills tiny voids between cement particles, making concrete less porous and less likely to absorb moisture or chemical solutions that can damage concrete or steel reinforcement.
Aggregates: normally quarried locally, their texture, weight, strength, and absorptive and reactive properties vary, and this variation can affect the concretes properties.
Water: The chemical composition of water can affect concrete, but more important is the ratio of water-to-cement paste used in the mix. Increasing the ratio of 25%water for workability makes concrete more porous; as this extra water rises to the surface as bleed water and through evaporative drying, it leaves behind capillary voids that weaken concrete and make it more absorbent, increasing the chances of freeze damage and attack from liquid chemicals. It is not uncommon for the water-to-cement ratio to be well over 45%.
Mix Design: The constituent materials which are included in the mix, their proportions, the order in which they are combined, the length of time and method by which they are mixed, and the length of time between mixing to placing all affect the quality of concrete.
Environmental Conditions: The ground and air temperatures, wind speed, cloud cover, and the absorbent qualities of the substrate during placing, finishing and curing will affect newly placed concrete.
Workmanship: The quality of workmanship can have an effect.
Here are some common workmanship mistakes:
Inadequate cover of reinforcement steel.
Incomplete concrete consolidation.
Creating cold joints
Finishing (troweling) the surface too soon; and
Improper curing methods or lack of curing.
Cracks
The advantage to inspectors in being able to accurately determine the source of cracking is in understanding whether the condition that caused the cracking has stabilized so that it is no longer likely to cause additional cracking or encourage the propagation of existing cracks.
The cause of cracking can be related to:
the properties of the constituent materials;
the design mix;
the surrounding environment in which concrete is installed;
mixing, placement, finishing and curing practices;
the type of use; and
maintenance practices.
Crack Basics:
Cracks that appear before the concrete has hardened are called plastic cracks. Plastic cracks are typically due to poor mix design, placement practices or curing methods, and may also be caused by settlement, construction movement, and excessively high rates of evaporation.
Cracks that appear after concrete has hardened can have a variety of causes, and sometimes have more than one cause.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Garage Findings:
1.- Transverse shrinkage Cracking were observed all along the 18 x 18 feet garage floor.
2.- It was noticeable the lack of control joints in this shrinkage cracks.
3.- The cracks are shallow and linear, although they are not always continuous.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Inspecting Foundation Walls and Piers Course
Viewed in the basement near the middle of the back wall there is a vertical crack in the masonry block foundation wall. The crack is not separated, the wall is not bowed, there are no moisture stains or efflorescence. The cause of the crack probably occurred at or near original construction back fill and requires no action.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Concrete for Exterior and Structural Walls
Comparing traditional wood frame construction to building with concrete such as insulated concrete forms first requires setting the standards so you are not comparing apples and oranges. The concrete house benefits of fire protection, safety/hazard mitigation, energy efficiency, durability and sound proofing are far superior to wood frame construction.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This Picture shows a foundation wall constructed of C.M.U. blocks. The interior showed signs of effloresence. This could be a sign of moister intrusion. The C.M.U wall itself appears to be a previous repair as the rest of the foundation was constructed of poured concreate. Further evaluation by a qualified professional is recomended.
