This is a tile shower which has mildew build-up and has the possibility of mold developing in the grout. It has been cleaned out and re-grouted once but is in need again to prevent any moisture from getting in the seals. The tiles are in good condition, just needs a good cleaning.
The following picture shows water damage sheet rock beneath a window sill. This indicates evidence of water intrusion around the sill.
Many times crawlspace ductwork insulation is damaged from pests. It is important to keep all access to crawlspace well sealed to prevent pest entry into crawlspace. Air leakage into the crawlspace can contribute to significant problems in the home.
About 1 in 50 homes I inspect have the proper vapor barrier installed in the crawlspace. In many older homes that have low clearance, but adequate ventilation, I observe the soil is bone dry and no evidence of mold/mildew anywhere in the crawlspace. Its difficult to call out the need for vapor barriers in these instances as the homes are old and seem to be just fine without a vapor barrier. Any thoughts on how to properly address the issue?
A new hi-resolution illustration has been recently added to InterNACHI’s free, online How to Inspect for Moisture Intrusion Course in the 2.3.3 Flashing of Wall Components section. For more illustrations related to moisture intrusion, visit our free, online Gallery for inspectors.
Nice graphic Moranda.
The portion of the patio slab in front of the Kitchen slopes back towards the foundation on that side of the Dining Room. Water flows along the wall, ponds about a quarter inch at the corner between the Dining Room and Kitchen, and then flows beneath the exterior sliding door before finally draining away from the house. The wood trim below the door threshold has been damaged as a result.
The attached image is of new block construction down the street from my house. I wanted to capture the way the step flashing was installed and sealed prior to the installation of the counter flashing, if any, and the application of the final exterior finishing system. Also notice the drip edge seams are overlapping on the upper rake the correct way by overlapping on the downward side of water flow. I will watch as this project progresses to see how the rest of the components of the system are assembled.
Attic Pull-Down Ladders
Attic pull down ladders are at best a great way to get injured if you’re not aware and careful. Most attic pull down ladders have at least one defect and usually several. The wooden pull down ladders that homeowners have attempted to install themselves are the worst as most assemblies are not installed according to manufacturer’s specifications. Nails and screws are usually missing. The ladder rungs are sometimes loose and just about to break with one more step. Sometimes the ladder is too short to reach the floor and a homeowner simply grabs the nearest unstable platform and places it underneath the legs and exclaims, “don’t worry it’ll hold ya”, as the inspector looks on in dismay.
Another issue with attic pull downs is that a lot if not most are not weather stripped or insulated causing unwanted attic air to be drawn into the house with lost energy savings.
Always replace a worn out wooden pull down ladder with a new one and preferably an aluminum one. Never let children play around a pull down ladder and always check everything on it before you climb up it.
I inspected the roofing drainage system, including the gutters and downspouts. In the picture above, you can see the 12"x12" drain in the ground under the downspout, which takes rainwater away from the house’s foundation. This drain is very good moisture control. Even though the downspout uses a drip chain, which can splash some in heavy downpours, the area around the chain is properly sloped toward the ground drain.
Doing Damage During an Inspection: It’s Your Job
This library article seems to be humorous, but it actually makes a great point, and therefore is informative. It points out that our first instinct when we break something during an inspection is to apologize, and possibly offer recompense for the damage. But, it reminds us, since inspections are non-invasive, and simply using systems in their intended ways, we’re actually saving the homeowner from discovering the problem themselves and possibly doing bodily harm. In other words, just doing our job. Clever, and correct.
What P Trap this has no trap.
As part of class discussion I wanted to share a site from Energy.gov that has good illustrations and Pros and Cons of the various WHOLE HOME VENTILATION systems 1) Exhaust 2) Supply 3) Balanced are shown in the attached pictures. A fourth system is modified and provides for ERV (Enthalpy Recovery Ventilation) or HRV (heat recovery ventilation). In HRV, the heat exchanger recovers heat energy only where as the ERV also recovers heat in the moisture.
Energy recovery ventilation systems (ERV or HRV) uses the warm inside exhaust air to pre-heat the outside air in the winter and to pre-cool the outside air in the summer therefore reducing energy losses.
In Industrial and large Hospital Operations, as an engineer, the HRV type systems were great to install to help with LEED Energy points as well as saving operational costs.
Steve Anzelc CPI CCI
http://energy.gov/energysaver/whole-house-ventilation
There is a huge opening in the top of the water heater closet. See photo looking up toward the ceiling in the furnace closet.The ceiling of the furnace and/or water heater closet should not have any large holes in it. If there are large openings, they represent a potential fire hazard and should be covered with a non-combustible material such as sheet metal. The open area in the ceiling, if not properly blocked, can act as a flue and in the event of a fire in the furnace/water heater closet, will draw the flames up to the attic where it will spread much faster through the house. This sealing of the ceiling is called “firestopping”.
In addition, the house is losing a lot of conditioned, moist air going up into the attic. The proper firestopping ceiling should be put in and then insulation installed above it in the attic to prevent any moisture damage in the attic like mold, wood rot, etc.
This image shows the drainage of this property. The downspouts are discharging next to the house and foundation with no splash blocks. The landscaping appears to slope towards the foundation. Re-grading or altering the landscaping to drain water away from the foundation is needed.
Mudjacking is a very interesting article. When concrete sinks or settles for whatever reason it leaves a shabby appearance and hazards .Uneven sidewalks ,steps, or slabs can create trip hazards . Instead of tearing out the old concrete and replacing it you can repair it using mudjacking. Mudjacking is a process of mixing a slurry of various materials and pumping it under the uneven concrete to level it back. The cost is a fraction of the replacement cost.
This picture of a gutter downspout on a home with drainage issues. The land around the home sloped toward the home from the west. The homeowner’s had taken steps to try to divert the rainwater around the home, however, the area where the downspout was draining was lower than the ground around it. I put in my report that the downspout needed an elbow and an extension to direct the rainwater away from the home. The other picture is of a drainage ditch that they had installed to help direct the rainwater around the home.
This picture is of past roof leakage found during the inspection of a 1978 modular home. I had noticed staining on the ceilings along the center wall of the home where the 2 halves are joined, along the exterior walls around the chimney, and over the living room. The roof had been replaced within the past 4 years and no defective flashings were observed during the inspection. There was no attic access for inspection of the water damage. I used a thermal imaging camera to check for active leakage and found none. This appeared to be old damage. On the report, I recommended the following: A. Create an attic access for further inspection of the moisture damage. B. Have areas of past leakage evaluated by a licensed water damage restoration company.
For my reading assignment I chose the article on Central A/C inspection.
The central air system should be periodically inspected and maintained to function properly. The following items should be checked and cleaned before startup in the Spring: A. Remove debris from the outdoor condensing unit and was down the coil. B. Trim vegetation away from the condensing unit. C. Use a fin comb to straighten bend fins, if needed, to allow for proper air flow. D. Change the indoor air filter. E. Check and clean the evaporator drain fittings and hose. F. Open all cold air and return air ducts.
Reading Assignment: (Aluminum Siding)
Overall, aluminum siding has been a very popular option of siding for home ever since it was first manufactured in the 1940’s. Aluminum is very lightweight, and durable when popular installed and maintained. It does dent easy which has lead to the decline in popularity with new sidings also arising throughout the years, but can last up to 40 years if maintained. It takes paint well, but due to the oxidization process that occurs in aluminum, the siding may need to be repainted every 5 to 10 years.