Screw jacks are used to support homes mainly in North America when basements are used. More often can be problematic as there are many things that can effect this type of support post.
A solid post would be better in place than a screw jack post as these post are not intended for long term support as they are not painted to protect from rust for long periods of time. Home basements are damp in the summer when the heat is not on.
Screw Jacks can also bend in the center is not installed properly or are put in on a angle.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is a very dangerous problem in homes mainly in the winter months as we need to be taken this more seriously by both home owners and manufactures to prevent injury from occurring.
Protection from Carbon monoxide poisoning is a must in every home by using a detector and having it replaced according to the manufactures information. Every year replace the batteries. It is important to have several detectors in your home.
Carbon monoxide is non odor and non-visible and weighs about the same as air so it will mix with the air very easily and can affect your health very quickly causing death if prolonged exposure.
Article: Blower Door Testing
I found it interesting that the article stated that the blower door testing was a standard tool for energy audits. I had an energy audit performed last year by the utility company on a rental property so I could qualify for rebates and the auditor did nothing more than a walk thru took room measurements and told me how much energy I was wasting and how much money I would save. After taking this course I realize what an auditor should be doing.
Article: Fiberglass Insulation, history, hazards and alternatives.
This is a good article to read so you understand the hazards of different types of insulation when you are performing your inspections and audits. It is important to where the proper personal protective equipment when working in insulated spaces. Disturbing this stuff combined with poor ventilation is a real health hazard without proper equipment.
Here is a picture of the house being depressurized with a conditioned crawlspace.
Holes where the kitchen counters were installed leaked. Warm air drawn up through the floor and out under the counter.
Black Hills Professional Home Inspections LLC
Black Hills Thermal Imaging
Rapid City, South Dakota
605-209-6766
Central Air Conditioning General Maintenance:
Periodically & Inspect cooling fins
Cover during winter months
Remove leaves, spider webs and other debris from the unit’s exterior.
Keep vegetation clear of outside condensing unit.
Check on Your HVAC Systems (Before They Check Out on You)
Central Air-Conditioning System Inspection
****Black Hills Professional Home Inspections LLC
Rapid City, South Dakota
605-209-6766
A recent home inspection I conducted during the middle of July when temperatures were exceeding 90 degrees on the exterior of the home with a wind 20 to 25 miles an hour.
On this particular home and air conditioning system was installed and was tested using normal operating controls to check for temperature differential in found air condition struggling to maintain a cooler temperature in the home. I noticed a significant temperature increase in the kitchen area and found that with the wind on the exterior and elevated temperatures the range downdraft was allowing air to infiltrate into the kitchen area creating warming conditions. Further inspection found flapper sealant door on exterior was missing and due to the fact this vent fixture was on the windward side of the home it appeared to be pressurizing the interior of the home recommended repairs
This is a image of a flooded crawlspace. The crawlspace is inaccessible due to flooding, caused by negative grading, the grading should be away from the house. From what I could see from outside the crawlspace there is no plastic sheeting on the dirt floor. This should be done to limit the humidity in the crawlspace that may be drawn into the conditioned portions of the home.
InterNACHI Home Inspection Report Checklist
Client name: Sarah A. Wallack
Inspected property address: 607 Kennel Lane, Jacksonville, North Carolina 28540
Date and time of the inspection: 2/29/2016 @ 2.30 PM
Weather conditions: Sunny
Approximate outdoor air temperature: 68 F
People present at the time of the inspection: Client
Estimated year built: 1972
Type of structure inspected: Single Family Home
Company name: Old North State Inspection Services
Inspector name: Howard R. McAdam
Company phone: (910) 545-7245
Company email: onsisc@yahoo.com
Company address: 607 B Kennel Lane, Jacksonville, North Carolina 28540
BASEMENT, FOUNDATION, CRAWLSPACE & STRUCTRUE
Inspected: IN Not Inspected: NI Not Present: NP Inaccessible: IA
I inspected the foundation: NP
I inspected the basement: NP
I inspected the crawlspace: IA
I inspected the structural components: IA
DESCRIBE
The type of foundation can be described as:
basement
crawlspace X
slab-on-grade
concrete block
poured concrete
other:
REPORT
The crawlspace was flooded, couldn’t get under the house. From what I could see the crawlspace didn’t have plastic sheeting, which should be on the dirt floor to help control humidity from leaking into the conditioned living space. The grading is directed toward the home. The grading should slope away from the home. Recommend licensed professionals be consulted to correct these issues.
The 1st article I read was Energy-Efficient Mortgages. An energy-efficient mortgage allows the home buyer finance the cost of the energy-efficient features such as lighting, windows options, into a new or existing home An energy audit is required to determine the energy savings. Home buyers must submit the home or construction plans for an energy audit arranged by the lender. Conventional mortgages offered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac allow the home owner/buyer to spend 15% of the appraised value of the home on energy improvements. FHA mortgages are available for site-built or manufactured homes. The amount cannot exceed $4,000 or 5% of the value of the home whichever id greater to a maximum of $8,000. The VA is restricted to military personnel and is capped, for energy-efficient improvements at between $3,000 to $6,000. This gives the homeowner or buyer some options an how to finance energy savings in the homes.
The 2nd article I read was Enhancing Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings. How to add energy-efficient features to an old home without interfering with the original design. Historic homes require less heating and cooling than newer homes. Such elements as thick, heat retaining masonry, windows including external shutters, and only installed to effectively let in light and ventilation. You have to check with the Historic Association before doing anything that may consirably change the appearance of an historic home. Adding insulation to the attic and crawlspace will add a considerable energy savings to the utility bill. Windows should be replace if they are damaged where repair is impractable. Homeowners should take care in altering their older home.
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What am I doing wrong?
This photo is taken from the exterior of a roof insulation repair job. The original foam insulation was not properly applied, and so did not fill the entire cavity of this particular bay. There is a full gap evident between the exterior roof decking and the interior sheet rock of the vaulted lid.
Air leakage will occur around the location of this gap where there is no air-tight sealant between the interior and exterior of the dwelling. It would present itself primarily along the seams of the sheet rock, such as at the peak of the vaulted lid line, and show up as a dark spot on an infrared camera, given the cooler climate of SW Montana.
There is also potential for radiant heat loss, given the lack of insulation material.
A proper repair for this problem would involve filling the gap completely with closed-cell poly urethane foam insulation.
In the InterNACHI article, “Blower Door Testing”, several techniques are discussed to discover air leakage in a house upon which the inspection is being performed. I work for an insulation company and the article addresses why we do our best practices in the field. Such practices include:
- can-foaming wire access punch-outs in exterior junction boxes
- applying air-tight caulking sealant to all seams in the framing of a house
- applying a flashing of poly-urethane foam to the rim joists between levels of homes.
Given the speed at which a house can be pressurized,a blower door test would be a quick and cost effective way for existing home owners to troubleshoot and resolve heating inefficiencies, especially if the home is older construction. The ROI forsuch an inspection would surely be on the order of months and not years, given the cost of heating and cooling energy bills.
Based on 2009 and then 2012 energy code requirements, builders are well advised to make new construction as air-tight as possible, to avoid call-backs and repair work to pass building inspections. Extra attention should always be given to corners, ridges, beams, interior dropped soffits, chase-ways, and any other areas of construction abnormalities.
It is important to be able to effectively “read” thermal and pressure barriers of the test house, so as to be able to pin point insulation defects and air leakage spots. An infrared camera in conjunction with a blower door is obviously a winning pair to facilitate such inspections.
In the InterNACHI article, “10 Easy Ways to Save Money & Energy in Your Home”, the fourth section tells several ways that a typical homeowner could facilitate a positive Blower Door test result.
Properly sealing and insulating a home is one of the most effective ways a homeowner can save on energy bills. Many fixes are reasonably within reach of a homeowner as well, saving the added cost of hiring a professional.
For instance, many air leaks in a home can be avoided by doing a home inspection, focusing mainly on seams in the house, such as around electrical boxes, duct work, and attic access points.
One should not be afraid to enter into the attic and crawl spaces as well to do a visual inspection of insulation and vapor barriers. Gaps are often self evident upon visual inspection, and can be repaired with common materials to be purchased at a hardware store.
The attic and crawl spaces are the most important places to inspect, so as to properly mitigate the effects of Stack Effect in a dwelling.
Reading
https://www.nachi.org/advantages-solar-energy.htm
https://www.nachi.org/aerogel.htm
Aerogel is likely to be the next big insulation material. This is based on the cost becoming more affordable. It can be identified by it’s blue like appearance, styrofoam feel, and hard and rigid density.
Inspection
The cable face plate is installed correctly. There appear to be no air gaps. Thus it is sealed correctly.
This is an image of a pull down attic stair unit that is not insulated or sealed. I would recommend sealing the unit and providing insulation.
the first item on my re-inspection report was the septic. During original inspection it was noted the tank was below operating level before the start of the inspection. Indicating a possible leak. Upon re-inspection it appears the tank is again below operation level. Further evaluation by a qualified septic company is needed as this could signify a crack in the tank.
Blower Door Testing
When blower doors first entered the scene in the 1970s, they were expensive, heavy and cumbersome. As the technology evolved, they became cheaper, lighter and easier to use. Because of this, their use became more widespread.
They now are a key tool in testing the efficiency of housing. They help show homeowners areas of their house that can be sealed, resulting in a noticeable reduction in their heating and cooling bills. Sometimes these areas are places that you’d normally think were contributing to these loses. Air infiltration through unsealed areas of the attic, entering through electrical receptacles or air vents are usually more of an issue than windows.
Making sure you take the proper precautions when preparing the home for testing (making sure furnaces and hot water heaters aren’t active and flues are properly shut) can help prevent expensive cleaning bills or much, much worse.
The photo is of a can light taken from the attic side of it. The can light is a type that allows insulation contact. The light was not air sealed and a large amount of air will leak past during a blower door test. The proper way to seal this is to install an air tight trim ring or to install an insulated Recessed light cover made to cover the entire fixture. These should be caulked or spray foamed into place. The can light should then be covered with insulation. By sealing can light fixtures and other openings in the attic space you can minimize the stack effect in a home.
Blower door testing is used in some energy audits to create differences in pressures in the home. This allows the inspector to find air infiltration leaks in light fixtures, outlets, windows and duct work to name a few. The main things to do to prep a home for a blower door test is to confirm there is no fire lit in the fireplace and assure the firebox has been cleaned of ashes. You must then turn off all gas operated appliances including the pilot lights. This will keep combustion gases from being drawn into the living spaces creating a potential life threatening situation. All doors must be opened on the interior and all exterior openings including the fireplace flue must be shut. Now the home is ready to began the test.
https://www.nachi.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=144560&stc=1&d=1468264923
The displayed picture is of a window that was inspected as part of the blower door job completed. It had little problems and for the most part there was little air leakage. Through the use of a smoke stuck and thermal camera it was discovered that there was a slight inefficiency with the window in the form of an air leakage
