This inspection included checking over the operation and safety of the over head garage door. The panels, cables, springs, emergency release, and overall operation of the the door were inspected. At the time of inspection, the garage overhead door safety features function was satisfactory except the force down safety feature requires adjustment. I recommend consulting manufacturing instructions for adjustment.
The attic access stairs is missing railings at the topand sides of the opening and there are no handrails at the lower half of thestairs and the stair access is less than 36”. Also, due to the dark conditionsa light should be installed at the top and bottom of the stairwell to aluminateboth ascending and descending areas. Three interior doors with out-swing withno landings or handrails leading to the basement area and second floor bedrooms,landings should be installed with a minimum of 36” in each direction of travel.The rear lower window has major lintel rusting with water infiltration and theinterior top plate of the wall has major wood rot and apparent insectinfestation.
The residence has soffit and ridge venting and there wasexcessive heat noted in the attic due to the blown insulation along the soffitvents that did not have any baffles and the soffit vents were blockeddecreasing the process of convection. Insulation was visible from the exterioralong the soffit vents. The dividing walls between the garage and attic weremade of combustible material (insulation board) and there were a number of firebreaches due to wiring installation and untapped joints. There is passive ridgeventing system leading from the bathroom exhaust vents to the ridge vent. Therewas excessive heat transfer noted from back pressure into the bathrooms with atemperature reading of approximately 82 degrees. Most likely, due to theexcessive heat transfer from the ridge vent, over heating of the exhaust pipes withinthe attic and the back pressure caused by the HVAC system drawing excessive heat back into the second floor. There was also debris andinsulation noted in the bathroom exhaust vents indicated degraded or improperlyinstalled joint vents.
The subject property has a new engineered wood floor installed. The floor is a tongue and groove system. A vapor retarder has been installed under the floor and on top of the wood subfloor. The floor has a ½” gap around the perimeter for movement as required by the manufacturer’s installation instructions for a floating floor.
The garage door and it’s components are in sound condition and fully operable. Hinges, panels, tracks and springs are all visually proper. The warning tags were not present for the spring assembly or the wall control unit. The photoelectric eyes did work to reverse the direction of travel, however the beam measures greater than 6in from the ground. Recommended repair should be submitted in a report were this a contracted inspection.
When inspecting window wells first note the type space it provides access to, since both unfinished and living basements require egress windows. These portals serve for emergency escape, and emergency personel access. There should be a ladder for window wells with a depth of more than 44 inches. Window wells should also require safety covers such as screens or bars, to prevent small animals and children from becoming trapped. Further inspection should include material type and condition, attachment, drainage, blockage, and suitable size requirements.
Garage Door Inspection
These pictures show two essential components of a safely functioning garage door system.1) the manual release pull chord.2) The photo-electric eye. The manual release pull chord, although functioning properly, did not meet the 6’ requirement for max distance from floor. The photo-electric eye also functioned properly and did meet the 6" requirement for distance from floor. However I would recommend that they be cleaned and given more clearance from nearby clutter so that their function would not possibly be impeded in the future.
I found the article about Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) very enlightening. Although I know about AFCIs, I really didn’t know about AFCIs. I did not know they measure changes in wave form. I did know they are detecting arcing, but what is very interesting to me is how they distinguish between a minor arc of an appliance being plugged into an outlet and a major arc from whatever source. I have also just focused on house wiring for arcing conditions, what a mistake that is! I do not know why it never occurred to me that damaged appliance cords are a source of arcing, Excellent article on AFCIs and the difference from GFCIs.
Garage Door Inspection
These pictures show two essential components of a safely functioning garage door system. 1) The Manual Release Pull Chord. 2) The Photo-Electric Eye. The manual release pull chord, although functioning properly, did not meet the maximum 6’ from floor requirement. Actual height was 6’6". The photo-electric eye also functioned properly and did meet the 6" maximum from floor requirement. However I would recommend that they be cleaned and given more clearance from nearby clutter so that their operation isn’t impeded in the future.
Attic Pull-Down Ladders
Although not a component found in every home, attic pull-down ladders are common and do require a thorough inspection. The reason for this is because many times it is homeowners and not professionals who have installed the attic pull-down ladder, resulting often in improper installation. Here are a few examples of what an inspector may find when inspecting an attic pull-down ladder:
- cut or modified bottom chord of structural truss, to make room for attic ladder.
- fastened with improper nails or screws, not intended for installation.
- ladder cut too short, not reaching floor.
- ladder cut too long,
Even when properly installed and operating correctly, attic pull-down ladders can pose a safety risk to home owners and childdren. They should be advised to keep pull chord of ladder out of reach of children and not to go beyond the ladders load capacity when in use( carrying boxes, etc.)
(below is an image of a improperly installed attic pull-down ladder)
This is the front entrance door of a single story ranch home with a storm door. The door is 36 inches in width and is at least 6’8" in height and meets minimum entry way specifics. The exterior side of the door has a 6 ft. by 10 ft. concrete approach to the door which is a in-swing type door that opens up to the existing finish floor where there is a minor 1 1/2" step over the threshold of the door.
In the photo you see security bars that are secured by a padlock. Modern safety requirements call for a release mechanism that does not require the use of a key, tool or special knowledge. The other problem with these bars is there opening size. The bars must have a net opening area of 5.7 square feet, a minimum horizontal opening of 20 inches and a minimum vertical opening of 24 inches. These bars should be removed or completely replaced.
It is startling to read that the number of people dying due to smoke inhalation due to a fire could have survived if only alarms were installed or not disabled. The interesting fact I llearned is that there are two different types of alarms-that is, they use different methods of determining the presence of smoke. I concluded that the safest smoke alarms are those that incorporate both the ionization and photo-electric methods of detection, and also those which are hard wired to the house electrical system and have a battery back-up. Of course installing alarms on each level of the home, in each bedroom and outside of each bedroom area is also important.
Attic, Insulation, Ventilation and Interior Course
Inspection & Writing Assignment
This is blow in insulation in the attic of my home. It is at a depth of 23" throughout the attic and not compacted by any items in any area. There does not appear to be any obvious signs of moisture intrusion, compromising it’s integrity or the health of the occupants. It appears to be in overall good shape, helping the energy efficiency of the home.
This photo shows some obvious sign of moisture penetration from outside through a concrete wall , causing interior Sheetrock to bubble and discolor .The source of this leak appears to be the joint made by the exterior concrete stairs poured against this wall outside and opposite this leak area. This joint must be sealed with a proper waterproofing caulk or sealing solution .
Just finished reading a Real Estate agents duty to help client pick an inspector. Great article promoting the idea of you usually get what you pay for. Promoting yourself with a price higher than next guy because of the quality of the service provided . Of course in the end you must be equal to this higher fee and your Realtor provide’s their client with a great, accurate, and thorough package.
Attic insulation is very important to the house environment. The attic needs to be well insulated to prevent heat loss from the house in the winter or heat getting into the house in the summer. The attic needs to have a vapor barrier on the house side with baffles between the rafters. Then have around 49 r value for colder climates and 30 for warmer climates. The roof needs at minimum soffit vents with roof vents. This will allow the roof to breath correctly.
Attic, Insulation, Ventilation and Interior Course
Inspection & Writing Assignment
This is a picture of the ventilation pipe from a bathroom exhaust fan. It is vented to the outside through a screened eve vent. It doesn’t appear to be insulated but it has positive drainage so condensation should not be an issue. It can be suggested that the piping be changed to a smooth, non-flexible material to eliminate the ridges holding condensation.
Attic, Insulation, Ventilation and Interior Course
Research Paper
I just read an article about Attached Garage Fire Containment. This article was very informative and gave me a lot of information that I would have never thought of before.
Garage fires are possible due to various items found in a normal garage: gasoline, paints, oil, etc. They are flammable and their vapors can be highly explosive. A simple spark from a car battery or the pilot of a water heater in the garage is all that is needed to ignite a fire. To combat this possibility, the home should have several safety features built in: a non-combustible floor sloped to a drain or the exterior garage door, concrete curbing around the perimeter to keep liquids from leaching into the walls of the home, and a water heater sitting on an elevated pad to keep the flame away from any vapors sitting on the garage floor (these vapors are heavier than air).
If a fire was to start, the materials on the walls in the garage need to delay the fire from reaching the inside of the house to allow the homeowner to escape. This is typically done by covering the garage side of the walls with ½-inch drywall. Any pipes through this wall (i.e. dryer vent) should be made of metal and not plastic since this material will melt and compromise the fire resistance of the wall.
How to Inspect the Attic, Insulation, Ventilation and Interior Course
This picture shows vent ducts for the dryer and bathroom exhaust. The bathroom exhaust duct shown is 1 of 4, all of which incorrectly vent in to the attic. Recommendations to correct: extend exhaust ducts to the outside and have a qualified professional install roof exhaust kits for the bathroom and dryer
