Conducted non-evasive moisture intrusion inspection
-There was drip edge flashing improperly installed over the asphalt shingles
-There was ponding at the front entrance from downspout
-Caulking in master bathroom has shrunk leaving several unsealed gaps
-Dryer vent is too long with two many bends causing restricted air flow
-Kitchen pull out faucet assembly is leaking
-Mechanical vent in laundry room is not being utilized during dryer operation
-Master bath shower door seal leaking during normal operating conditions
-Common shared bathroom toilet was clogged after two flushes of regular ply toilet paper
I eliminated leaks around my exterior door with this simple to apply weather stripping. Only took 10 mins to apply.
As I was inspecting around the house I noticed That in the garage on the sheetrock around the air/heater duck there where some water marks. I noticed that the main sewer pipe was there coming down against where there was a clean out. I thought that might have been the problem of the moisture, Then I heard the toilet flush this was right above the master bath so prior to purchasing the home at some point there was a leak. Coming from the master bath. This is my conclusion.
The article I chose for this course was “Inspecting for Moisture Intrusion”. The article discusses likely places and causes of moisture intrusion. Overall the article was brief and to the point.
I am visiting my In-law’s house and was talking with my father in law about a recent thunder storm dumped and inch and a quarter in about in about an hour. The neighbor had been missing a few roof tiles from some tree damage and quickly found the need to have the roof repaired. Having herd this I decided to take a picture of the kick out flashing above the front door of my In-laws house.
Looks like it could use some caulking underneath the flashing. There appears to be some vertical staining in the corner where fascia meets stucco. I think I would would run the K/O flashing a little longer in both directions (away from wall and fascia) if I built this house.
Cheers
The home inspected is a stucco 2 story home with a clay tile roof. There is access to the roof via a second story window, but i chose to inspect from the ground in order to not risk damaging the tiles. The home was built in 1992 and has only had one owner. The flashing appears to be present and functional in all original locations. No tiles appear damage or compromised and look to function properly. Plumbing vents look properly flashed and in good condition. Kick out flashing over entry shows signs of potential water intrusion, with vertical staining present. The are no gutters on this home.
There is a lightweight shade cover in the back yard that is attached to the exterior of the house. The ledger is is bolted to the rimjoist. There is no flashing, mastic, or any waterproofing of the ledger/house connection.
Recommendations: Properly install flashing to waterproof the ledger connection. Inspect/repair all flashing.
I chose to read about moisture meters. I am moving to Colorado, from a desert environment, so I am focusing my learning on the snow/water/moisture issues. I will definitely be investing in a meter of some sort, but will need to do more research to find out what will be the best investment. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Thanks
Jason
Here is a cupboard I found in a barn that I inspected. The cupboard houses the hot water cylinder. The hot water cylinder has been leaking for a while. The cylinder is rusted and needs to be replaced.
The articles in the online library are very helpful. I have learnt a lot from reading them.
Starting Course. Good pictures guys!
This is an area where the soffit needs to be replaced and further investigated in order to insure there is no moisture intrusion behind it into the attic space in the garage.
In inspecting for moisture intrusion or problems at our house overall there are no major issues. There are a few spots in our soffit that require repair and checking to see there is no moisture intrusion behind as a result. In general we need to install soffit vents as our house has none. We also found that there is no plastic covering the exposed ground in our crawl space, this will need to be corrected but access and overall space is very tight.
When inspecting bathroom fans make sure the fan is clear of dust and debris report a dirty cover. Check to see that the fan operates by either a switch of a control. Looks for signs of moisture on the ceiling, wall and windows as well.
Taken this course on moisture and learning about 'the building envolop.
Help me to understand the bigger picture, of, what i have been doing these past thirty tears, so thanks Robert Morton
Personally, as a former carpenter, I have seen first hand the amount of problems associated with improper placement of windows doors and or replacements. Many of the contributing factors to so many improperly placed windows and doors are as follows.
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the contracts for installation are sub-contracted to many times resulting in little money to be made so they are installed and covered without the appropriate care and concern of a trade professional.
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Materials are NOT provided to correctly finish or seal windows and or doors by the original contractor and the sub-contractor does not want to absorb the cost of the needed materials so the doors and or windows go without.
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Incorrect sizing of windows and doors for replacement take a period of time and are costly to replace so the improper sized doors and or windows are ‘forced’ to work.
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In my professional opinion, I have had too many instances where insurance specialist contractors use the cheapest possible materials for the replacement of damaged materials. I know this is a very strong accusation but over the last 6 years of the growing group of ‘storm damage contractors’ I have yet to cross paths with one that has taken the home owners best interest in home repair as a major priority. My opinion would be to hire a local contractor with years of experience and understands the environmental conditions of the area year in year out.
Question please:
I read during this course (page 27 Table 5) that the minimum roof overhang width on a home of wooden structure in an area that has a DHI more than 70 should have an eve overhang of 24 or more inches.
Question 1. The table is, “based on a typical 2 story home with vinyl or similarly durable siding and eve gutters.” Are the requirements the same for a single story house with stucco? I can not find a recommendation for a block/stucco home. Am I missing it?
The home I inspected has a block construction, stucco exterior walls and architectural shingles. All in good condition.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
Pictures of roof and poor drainage causing water buildup at foundation of house.
Inspector suggests installation of roofing gutter to divert water away from foundation and porch in front of house.
Required reading comments:
Moisture Meters:
Moisture meters are not only a valuable asset when inspecting a home they can also prevent lawsuits from homeowners placing blame on the inspector for noticing/not noticing moisture occurrence. The pin type seems to be the most widely used but the scan type along with thermography can tell the story of the presence of moisture.
Damages (large hole) to the laundry room ceiling was observed from previous hot water leaks in the attic above. A qualified person should repair/replace missing section of sheetrock ceiling and also replace insulation above the ceiling as necessary.
http://www.reporthost.com/Carolinasenergy/susan1021/EC0EA8B3-57CE-4984-9B3D-710E1EF5940D.jpg
