This is an image of the water heater of a mobile home located in an exterior closet. This particular home was built in 1972 so obviously it suffered from many issues. Regarding this water heater, there was no drip pan which led to the floor nearly disintegrating. Also someone has replaced the original WH and this one which is not a correct model for a mobile home. The other issue was with the plumbing for the WH. There is a mix of galvanized iron, copper and PVC piping and no splice was the proper type. One of the joints directly under the heater had a serious leak large enough to lower total water pressure. My recommendation to the buyer was that the entire WH, plumbing and closet interior needs replacing ASAP.
The article I am writing about is “Crawlspace Hazards and Inspection”
The article goes on to describe many of the hazards a crawlspace can present and that they inhibit the inspection process by denying access in one way or another. Here in Arizona we have a massive black widow population, so much so that almost every single crawlspace entered will have a few. If I let black widows prevent me from inspecting a crawlspace, I’d be giving sub-par reports regularly. Something needed to be done to prevent that from resulting. My solution to this dilemma is to don an outfit similar to one a person would wear for a HAZMAT situation. I wear a Tyvek suit with taped gloves and boots, a full hood with respirator, and a mil-spec open strapped on helmet. With this improvisation I can give my clients the best and most thorough report I am capable of.
Vapor barriers prevent the passage of water and or moisture laden air from passing from one point to another. Vapor barriers under your mobile home can help prevent moisture damage to the wood and metal supports under your mobile home.
A Garage Inspection
Great find with the joist hangers not installed properly and virtually doing nothing. Its scary that builders actually built a house in this fashion. There should be life time warranty from the builders on any house they built.
This is a picture of a hot water heater in a mobile home. This unit was beyond its expected life span and it looked like a DIY electrical project. I did advise the buyer to seek replacement by a qualified plumbing contractor. The buyer did not have the unit replaced and the hot water heater had to be replaced 6 weeks later.
I did my research on Manufactured Housing and Standards. Manufactured homes are built to HUD standards since 1976. This standard regulates things like construction, strength, fire ratings and energy ratings. This standard also dictates how to place a home at a home site.
The picture above shows straps on a manufactured home to help prevent potential flotation do to flooding. The other reason is encase of over turning from high winds and definitely in areas that that have a higher chance for hurricanes.
This is a photo of a properly functioning GFCI outlet. GFCI’s detect ground faults and interrupt the circuit when one is detected, reducing the risk of shock. They are required in areas where moisture is likely to be present such as kitchens, bathrooms, and outdoors.
I read the article “Inspecting Evaporative Cooling Systems.” This was very relevant to me since I live in a hot, dry climate where evaporative cooling systems are in use. This provided a great summary of how these systems work, essentially pulling outside air through a wet media causing the air to cool through evaporation in the process. The cooled air is then forced into the building where it replaces the interior air every few minutes.
While most of the roof material was performing as intended, there were roof plumbing stack flashings or roof jacks that were damaged and improperly repaired with sealant/caulk. It is recommended that the flashing on the roof be evaluated by a licensed roof contractor for any repairs or replacing that is needed.
Corner cracks or corner pops are caused by thermal expansion of the masonry veneer moving across the corner of the foundation and making a crack. This is not a cause for alarm. Recommend having a foundation specialist repair and seal corner cracks to prevent any further damage.
This photo is a backsplash in the upstairs hallway bathroom. As you can see backsplash and counter top have a gap that can lead to water intrusion in the wall. It is advised a licensed contractor make the necessary repairs to prevent any future damage.
Drainage issues around a home can cause major damage. Proper lot grading is paramount and should be considered when buying a house. Poor lot drainage could lead to standing water in the crawl space or basement. Puddles of standing water around the home are a tell-tale sign the lot is lacking drainage. Another red flag for evidence of water in the crawl space is a sump pump.
I read the article “Bat Infestation” by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard. The article discuss the potential problems associated with those mammals. The teeth are really sharp that you might not even no if one bites you. During summer months it is considered inhuman to trap and kill them. The summer months is because their young do feed on their own and will die. After the summer months the lift of trapping is allowed the nets are put up in a way that allows bats to leave but not to come back in.
This photo was taken over a non-combustible area over range top. Clearance is not properly established per standards, as this may be a hazard in the event of any combustion off range top area. Proper clearance across this area is 24 inches.
Attic pull down ladders appear to be an issue across opening areas. Proper 16d penny nails are not installed over 10 years it seems, as well as proper barriers not installed across interior pull down areas. I have used an infrared camera and taken images around areas for heat seepage out of pull down areas when closed, as I have found that this image illustrates best to the client how barriers and seepage can relate to energy efficiency issues.
venting for a mobile home follows the same rules for roof venting as a regular roof covering; i.e. must have adequete height to disspell sewer gas smell, and adequete waterproof flashing to prevent moisture intrusion. The absence of venting is an all too common omission for mobiles.
A mobile home is one that is manufactured according to the standards of HUB, and one that can be transported to and from a fixed destination after a set period of time determined by the local ordinances of a region.The draw back is that there is a set period of settlement and one does then have to move the mobile elsewhere, thus incuring expenses which in the long run amount to the same as purchasing a set in place home. ha
I looked at the inspector inspecting a fireplace. Many homes now have ceramic logs in the firebox. Most do NOT have a C clamp on the damper. I explain to the client the importance of the C clamp. I also quite often see cracks in the plates of the firebox.
I was inspecting a manufactured home at Lake Whitney. The stairs do not have a guardrail. They are in the process of installing one. The landing is within the the required deminsion. I also explained the required height of the hand rail from the landing.
