Mastering roof inspection access #5
This section explains some safety measures wile climbing ladders. Extension ladders need to be 3 feet above the roof, stable, adjusted and moved from the ground. Proper maintenance is required make sure it is clean and all the pieces and ropes are in proper working order. Check for damage each time you use it, make sure you also store it correctly. Step ladders also needs to be used with caution. Never over 20 feet, make sure it is locked, stable and most of all stable. Also check for damage and insure everything is operating as it should. Always just be smart and always error on the side of being safe
Home repair rip offs. There are con men everywhere, make sure you check people out. Get more than one opinion if possible. OverSeeit.com and get a certified inspector to over see your project. Always try to get a flat rate also make sure the contractor is licensed to do the work. Make sure you get a contract, make sure you get the correct materials not some cheaper brand. Never give a big down payment, always be careful who you deal with not everyone is honest.
Article: Efflorescence for Inspectors
If water capillary through any structure material, such as concrete and wood, if will leave behind efflorescence. Efflorescence is actually a salt that is left behind by the moisture. This efflorescence is only cosmetic initial, but it has potential to deteriorate building material when the moisture passes through, such as, concrete.
The great large pressures is massive. Osmosis with moisten can pressure as the structure as much as 3,000psi to 5,000psi. The action of capillary and osmosis can create incredible of forces, that will crack and break up the structure materials. This is called spalling.
These pressures can be prevented such as installing polyethylene sheeting under a concrete slab.
Article: Moisture Meters for Inspectors
A moisture meter measures the moisture of content in various types of building materials. The inspector can determine that enough wet contains to grow mold. Also he/she inspector can test different building materials are dry, or wet. If the wood, or paint, can measure how dry enough how these materials are ready, or not, to installing in the building.
There are two types of meters. One is pin type, and the other is search mode. The pin is actually punched depth enough to probe moisture with electrical conductivity. The pin type is more accurate to repeat the moisture measurement. The search mode type is used on the surface along the material. It can tell if moisture is content. It used radio waves, or electrical current, defect moisture in the material.
Both moisture meters can detect levels of moisture in building material. Both cause no damage in the building, and able to calculate moisture in the property material.
This inspection revealed moisture intrusion due to negative finish grade on the exterior of the home. A 6 inch concrete curb was installed to allow water to move along the footing but no drainage was supplied and rain and run off pools against the exterior of the house. The finish grade is approximately 8 inches higher than the finished floor surface. No water proofing of any kind could be detected on the exterior wall or foundation stem wall.
Upon inspecting the garage for moisture intrusion it was discovered that there are water strains on the inside of the roof around the chimney. Also, there are water marks running down the chimney from the point of roof penetration. Upon investigation it was discovered that the step flashing on the garage side of the chimney is missing. This should be corrected immediately by having a roofing professional install appropriate step flashing.
Reading Assignment
Moisture Intrusion
Moisture intrusion can cause serious problems to a home including building defects and health problems for the buildings occupants. A home inspector needs to be trained to detect moisture related issues.
Some moisture related problems include wood decay, high indoor humidity, expansive soil, metal corrosion, ice dams, mold growth.
98 percent of moisture movement happens via air movement in building cavities. Other ways moisture moves is through diffusion through building materials, roof leaks, plumbing leaks, flooding and human activities.
Absolute care should be take to prevent moisture intrusion.
This is a washer hose and drain line.
Upon inspection the hoses are in very good condition.
The drain line is also in good condition, showing no signs of wear or age. There are no cracks in the line to be seen.
There is no evidence of water damage or leaking from the hoses, or the washer unit itself.
The dryer vent releases outdoors properly.
A pull down ladder’s “health” can mean a lot.
I was surprised to read of all of the problems a pull down ladder can have. Not using the right fasteners or screws, insulation, and the overall safety of the unit were all new to me. I’ve had a few in the east coast, and never imagined the problems. Mine was in poor shape, with the wrong screws, it didn’t close properly, and it wasn’t insulated. We just let it go. Now I surely know better!
Bloom boxes are fascinating! They’er designed through NASA’s Mars project originally as a fuel cell, and once that program was scrapped, the technology was “diverted” to civilian use. The fact that a bloom box can provide significantly more energy than 3000 solar panels is amazing! As the Fortune 1000 implements the technology, I hope it will filter down in price and scope to the residential level.
This picture shows a bathroom lavatory sink that has a cold water supply line made of car heater hose and screw hose clamp. It is a guaranteed leak waiting to happen.
There is also no cut off valve on the cold supply line.
The fact that the section of hose is coming up out of the raised platform that the bathroom is on (due to plumbing being above the slab), it is unknown how much of the line is hose and its condition.
Due to the inaccessibility if the hose when a leak occurs it will be difficult to repair and might leak for sometime before being discovered.
It is recommended that a qualified professional inspect and replace with the correct materials.
I chose the following two articles:
Carpet Mold: Identification, Prevention and Removal
by Nick Gromicko and Ethan Ward
Carpeting is an area of the home that can be at high risk for mold growth. The fact that it covers a large area of homes, has deep fibers and padding and once wet acts as a petri dish for mold to grow and produce spores puts it on top of places to check.
Once mold has been found in a carpet the only solution is to replace the carpet and padding , once the source of moisture has been found and resolved.
Condensation in Double-Paned Windows
by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard
Any signs of fogging, white mineral deposits or standing water inside of windows is a dead giveaway that the seal of the window has failed. Once a seal has failed the only repair option is to replace the section of glass with a new sealed glass pane set.
Not only does the failed seal cause issues with appearance but the insulative properties of the window have failed as well, so a lot of energy can be lost through the failed window pane.
The gutters were bent or damaged in some areas at the time of the inspection. Downspout extensions were missing in several areas as well. This condition can result in excessively high moisture levels in soil at the foundation and can cause damage related to soil/foundation movement. Excessive moisture levels in soil near the foundation can effect the ability of the soil to support the weight of the structure above and can cause damage related to soil/foundation movement. The Inspector recommends repair to help protect the home structure. All work should be performed by a qualified contractor.
One or more gutter sections needed to be re-connected in order to properly control roof run-off. Debris visible in the gutters at the time of the inspection should be removed to encourage proper drainage.
Reading Assignment
Moisture Meters
A moisture meter is a device that a home inspector can use to detect moisture that would otherwise be undetectable.
There are two types of moisture meters. Pin type and Search type. Both can be valuable to the home inspector. The pin type is used to detect moisture on the surface of materials using two probes or pins. The search type is used to detect internal moisture below the surface.
A moisture meter is a valuable asset to a home inspectors tool box.
Adobe is a very good building material. It is mainly used in dry dessert like conditions hot days cool nights. Make sure all vegetation is removed around structure moisture can travel through roots.
Their are a lot of advantages to having solar energy. Solar is low emission and saves money on power bill. If the world lost power yours would still be on.
I did a moisture check from the AC unit. I did not see any signs of moisture or water leakage. This unit seems to be running with out moisture leakage.
This house has many issues with moisture intrusion caused by windows that are in need of relacement due to the lack of energy efficentcy. It is recommended that they be replaced with something that will seal better.
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Missing caulking with no signs of moisture intrusion. I would list this as a defect due to the potential for moisture intrusion and pest intrusion. I would recommend further evaluation by a licenced contractor and resealing with new caulking.
