Attached is a picture on a recent inspection where the GFCI was working but was not protected with a cover.
So with the recent inspection of my attic, it was found to be not insulated correctly and in need of more. it was a good tool to practice at home…
Learning about attic insulation has been very informative for me as it is one of the most un thought about items of the home…
This attic has a single layer of R-19 insulation through out and osb decking covering most. There should be more to prevent thermal bridging.
The attic I inspected is in a house built in the 40s. The attic was clean and insulated. The fiberglass insulation was approximately 9 inches thick. Much of the attic is covered in osb. (probably for storage) There were two lights in the attic only one was working. The attic access was a pull down aluminum ladder that appeared to be new. There was not enough insulation to prevent thermal bridging.
The insulation R-value report was pretty much the same as what we’ve been taught so far, but it had the chart that we were shown in the course. The chart shows the different types of insulation their thickness and R-values created there by. Pretty good to know.
This is a pic of an exterior door on a home that I was inspecting for this cert course. In this pic, you can see that the threshold has damage on the right end where it joins the right jam of the frame. This damage is likely from moisture and should be repaired to stop further damage from moisture and even pests from entering the interior walls and or the crawl space.
Good morning ! About to start my course.
My name is Jonathan Mitchell I recently completed this class. I found this air duct, in the basement I am renting, with missing insulation, wires running under the duct, and condensation dripping on the bundle of wires. Clearly this would not be up to code in any state.
I love to practice inspect on my neighbors house because it has many issues. When inspecting the attic I found many issues. The previous owner used rolled insulation with paper backing. I need to double check after I post this, but I believe that exposed paper would be a fire hazard. Additionally, the insulation is thrown all over the place, like someone worked on the wiring or bathroom vent ducts, and then did not put the insulation back. I found two bath fans that were just vented into the attic and I found 5 electrical plates missing. Basically it is a mess and would not pass inspection for many reasons.
I recently conducted an inspection on my mothers house of the attic, insulation, ventilation, and interior for this class. During my inspection I found that she has a readily accessible stairs that lead to her attic space that is properly installed with an opening of 22" buy 54". The attic is insulated with R-19 faced roll fiberglass that is about 6" thick with and additional 6" of loose fill fiber glass. All of the vent ducts visually looked to be in good condition with no holes or leaks. Roof vents appeared to be in working condition with no leaks. The house is on a slab so no basement or crawl spaces to inspect.
The inspection of the interior doors and windows was good with no apparent problems opening or closing issues. I could not visually see nor feel any problems with the floors or walls and no visible leaks or waviness in the ceilings. There is no stairs (except going to the attic),landings, ramps, or railings to inspect. The garage door appeared to be installed properly and open/closed with no indication of problems with the mechanical garage door operations.
The article that I read for this class was Bathroom Ventilation ducts and Fans. A few pointers that I gathered from this article was that vents should never terminate with in the homes envelope. Next for mold to grow it needs oxygen, food, temps between 45-85 degrees, and moisture. Also mold is the is the most serious consequence of an improper ventilation setup. Lastly bathroom ventilation systems maybe controlled by a wall switch, a timer switch, or a wall mounter humid-stat preset to activate based on the level of relative humidity.
this picture is of a sub floor in a house that we recently remodeled. the double pane windows were improperly installed causing water intrusion. even though they were leaking, the gas seal was not broken and it was safety glass. we were able to salvage the window and donate it to habitat for humanity.
Just finished reading up on Rockwool, something i was’t very familiar with. Seems it’s very similar in performance to fiberglass, but doesn’t require as much space. In the R-Value topics, the chart shows that a rock wool bat/blanket can yield the same R-Value with 1/2" to 1-0" less thickness. Seems like a great product, I’m wondering why it isn’t used more? Price maybe?
I just finished reading about inspecting bathroom fans. It contained some pretty basic information, most of it should be common sense to an installer. It amazes me at how many installers do exactly the opposite, as far as venting goes, from what is recommended. I have seen numerous houses in which the bathroom fan is terminated into the attic, long sagging runs, or even not vented.
This is a picture of the wall covering in the entry way of a home. The bubbling of the paint and separation of the paneling below the paint is a sign of excessive moister intrusion. I am unsure if the moister is from the unconditioned humid air or if there is a roof leak.
Here is a photo of a basement that had some water leak into it after a heavy rainfall in Parker, CO. The result was efflourescence under and between the rubber mats on the concrete floor. Initially thought to be mold, simply pouring water on it made it disappear. If it was mold, it would not have disappeared.
Restroom exhaust fan is properly installed and vented out the roof. Vent is needed to exhaust moisture out of the bathroom to prevent moisture damage. I turned the fan on and it is working.
this is water damage that i found on my friends rental house that he is going to sell he had me go do a visual inspection of the property and this is one of the many issues that i found with the roof.And i made the recommendations the
that he should hire a licensed roof contractor to advise on how to repair the damage and look for more that i can not see.
