Water is leaking from drain/trap piping- correction recommended for proper function
Searching for an article in the library and I found the article on Dryer vent safety. We all know that clothes dryers evaporate the water from wet clothing by blowing hot air past them while they tumble inside a spinning drum. A vent that exhausts moist air to the home’s exterior should be connected and not be restricted. As inspectors we should advise our clients that vents must terminate at the exterior and away from a door or window. Also, screens may be present at the duct termination and can accumulate lint and should be noted as improper.
Here is a picture of a poorly placed roof vent. Less than half of the vent is exposed to the attic. The vent should have been raised up to the next coarse of shingles which would have given full exposure to the attic.http://roof vent
Here is a picture of a poorly placed roof vent. Less than half of the vent is exposed to the attic. The vent should have been raised up to the next coarse of shingles which would have given full exposure to the attic.
Hey,
This essay is on moisture intrusion, we had water coming into our basement thought it might be a crack in the foundation. Removed paneling no crack, so it could be either the window well or the negative grade toward the house. Added fill dirt to a positive grade or slope hopping that will keep the water out, also have been keeping the gutters clean and installed window well covers. Haven’t seen any water so far will give it more time hopefully this works. So in the pics there is no crack on the foundation and the landscaping in the front of our house now has a positive grade.
The sealant at this location has separated from the window. Wind driven rain could cause excessive moisture to accumulate in the exterior wall assembly. The old sealant should be removed and replaced with new. Although typical masonry wall assemblies do accommodate some moisture through absorption by the brick and air space between the brick and the structure behind, gaps such as those shown could allow bulk moisture in quantities sufficient enough to cause significant damage. Otherwise the window and flashing components appear to be in good condition. Sealants do not provide as permanent a solution to moisture problems as flashing, over time sealants deteriorate and fail, exposing vulnerable building components. 
Quite often when I am looking at 1 1/2 story houses, especially older their is no soffit venting because the rafter spaces are plugged with insulation. I tell my clients there is a good possibility that they will have ice damming in the winter. When during my inspection I notice the shingles are near the end of life I would recommend strapping the roof vertically cut holes through the old shingles and sheeting just above fascia for air flow, then put new sheeting and shingles on with a ridge vent.
Sorry for the length of essay. I got excited.
I’m currently reading an article on bump keys. I had no idea what a bump key was, so I thought I could learn a thing or two by reading more. I discovered that bump keys are a type of lock picking device requiring very little skill to operate and only the bump key in material. At first I wondered why this article was even on the list but after reading the article it became clear. Let me explain. When a custom cut key, with all the keys cut to the maximum depth, is given little more than a bump into the cylinder it can cause the pins to jump a little. If this is done while there is constant pressure to turn the key, when the pins jump high enough to reach their pre set positions, the key turns! With only a few manufactures making bump resistant locks and even fewer bump proof, it is unlikely that many homeowners are protected from these types of break-ins. Aside from replacing their locks, home-owners should be advised to have a secondary security system installed. It may be their only evidence to offer to their insurance provider.
Hey,
What I learned about Moisture Intrusion is it can destroy a home, either coming into the basement and destroying carpet and belongings, thru the roof rotting wood, or thru intrusion it can destroy a house. Any defects you find during an Inspection recommend having a pro check it out.
this is a picture of one window in my home just after it rained as you can see there is no moisture intruction meaning that all the seals are in good shape considering the age of them.
Beware !!! There are more handy-man services out there then we really know and beleive me more than have are con’s like roofers who say they fixed the problem but didn’t because you don’t know whky cause your not a roofer, or say you have an extermater come to out to take of well lets ants,then he says its not ants it termites,so the price just went up. what i’m saying is make sure the person you have work done on you home is either licensed ond can prove it or they are some that was refered to youby a friend also try to have someone that around that has some knowledge of you problem there when the work is being done
This must be a local issue, on newer constructions I often see a small area of concrete foundation wall with 1x4 wood strapping buried in concrete. It sure looked like invitation for moisture to get behind water proofing membrane, and I called it out for removal and patch. But after seeing it again and again, I started to suspect it’s a feature rather than a bug, any thoughts are highly appreciated?
White efflorescence (powder substance) and surface deterioration on masonry wall indicates moisture is in contact with the masonry. This does not necessarily indicate that intrusion will occur. I recommend checking the gutters and the downspout drain lines for proper operation.
Gallery “Inspector in action”
About 98% of moisture intrusion is from air leakage. For this reason, sealing and enclosing any breaches, gaps on the exterior as well as in the basement is primary to prevent moisture intrusion. The second step would be proper installation of vapor retarders.
This is a photo of a crawlspace. There is no vapor retarder over the dirt nor insulation on the exterior. All the wood floor joists and sills seems to be in good shape and there is insulation on the waterlines for the boiler system. There is a small amount of efflorescence on the masonry wall. I would recommend the vapor retarder, exterior insulation, and the efflorescence all be addressed.
Basic water proofing for basements is essential for keeping your basement dry and healthy air quality. If your basement has high moisture intrusion you may develop mold which can destroy building materials and cause health issues. Things you can do are check for proper grade and long downspouts for proper drainage, filling large cracks in basement walls, and applying waterproofing to the walls.
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These are all pictures from the same home of one of my recent inspections. Most of the joints in the soffit needed to be sealed. There were several areas around the windows that needed to be sealed. This picture is of a hole in a trim board that has not been properly sealed. The last picture is where the lines for the AC go through the wall. They had steel wool there to clog the hole. I recommended properly sealing all of these areas.
The article I read was on Air Sampling for Mold Inspections. I read this article because I am interested in becoming certified in mold inspections and air sampling. I have had a lot of questions about mold and have had to refer them to a specialist. Now I know what the process is of a proper mold air sampling procedure and what the next steps are if these preliminary air tests come up positive.
This is a picture of a wall in a lower room. The house is about 8 years old. The house is leaking from the outside. The outside covering is vinyl siding which is leaking.
hear is a pipe that was in a home i was inspecting that the new owner wanted to know what it was for and i explained that his gas line we both got a chuckle out of it anyway i was ckecking the numbers on the pipe and mad sure that the elbow and joint had pipe dope and not teflon tape,and were properly secured to the joist which as you can see they were as well as the rest of line.
