Kickout flashing diverts water away from the cladding and into the gutter. When the flashing is installed properly it can provide protection against water intrusion in a house.
There are a few problems that inspectors may find while looking for/at kick out flashing. There may be no flashing installed whatsoever. There are two critical places that the flashing should be installed; anywhere a roof and exterior wall intersect and the wall continues past the lower roof-edge and gutter, and if a gutter terminates at a chimney. Other problems may include improper installation or a modification done by the homeowner. The flashing should be water tight and unaltered by the homeowner.
Photo of an attic inspection and its insulation. The insulation was R11 and was also compressed down to about 2" in most places observed. Eave ventilation was obstructed and blocked solid with fiberglass. Lots of rodent droppings as this was a 70+ yr old home. Found penetrations that were not seal and could actual see light from room below.
Recommend; possible removal of existing insulation because of extensive rodent droppings. Have Insulation professional evaluate and make corrects.
Proper seal of penetrations with caulk and removal of blocked soffit vents.
In an attic space when checking the underside of roof and its components, check wall connections if any, I’ll look for air gaps that might be present around roof penetration or around masonry chimneys if present. i’ll check for depth of insulation, type, R Value, take pics, make field notes and recommendations in respect to defects that may be present. Moisture intrusion,Blocked vents,Inadequate or improper installation or lack of.
Here is a great example of a large air leak around the furnace flue. I come across these at times, and you can literally feel the air flowing up and out of the house. It would be recommended to properly seal around this flue with sheet fire-proof material and high heat caulk.
The majority of attic accesses that I come across are poorly, or not insulated at all. I see the biggest problems with attic stair cases, as they are larger openings that are harder to properly insulate. I typically suggest to create, or buy a pre-made attic stair insulation enclosure.
This is a picture of an attic. That has displaced insulation and is only R-13 insulation. I recommend air sealing the attic and ductwork then insulating to an R-40 insulation rating. This will improve air quality and energy lose in the home.
In this house we see here it is the hip roof design the venting on it is Ridge venting Eventing and there is two roof vents on the back of the house the insulation in the Attic is cellulose at R38
Mini homes in Florida do not use wall insulation if they are a block home they have a stucco finish on the outside no insulation used between the block and the stucco and the walls that use furring strips and attach to drywall to it no insulation on the inside and they don’t use vapor barriers either
While inspecting an unconditioned crawlspace in New Jersey, it was found that this crawlspace was missing insulation. This crawlspace did have a concrete floor but there were neither air supply nor insulation at the floor joist. This crawlspace was also very damp which was have led to the damage seen in the picture from termites.
The photo I chose was “caulking.” This Photo and article on Blower door tests relate to this lesson. With the proper air sealing of a house you can help prevent the flow of air which can increase moisture and also decrease energy efficiency. This sealing will help pass a blower door test with 1,500 CFM during the test.
During our inspection, we have noticed that the exterior walls in the basement of the right side dwelling were not insulated. To limit heat loss, it is recommended to complete the installation of insulation and have it covered with an adequate vapour barrier.
If you see droppings like these, look up. Odds are above you is a gable vent with a colony of bats in it. Whenever you see evidence of bats on the exterior of the home, take extra care when entering the attic and inspecting the chimney, you’ll find them hanging out somewhere…
Seeing the perforated vinyl siding installed on the soffit could lead an inspector to think vents exist there. Siding installers often install it out of habit, and do not actually pay attention to lining up the perforations with the vents. I always suspect these ‘vents’ are clogged, or non functional until I can check get photographic proof.
I was able to learn that that in winter, heat moves from all heated living spaces to unheated areas in your home like: attics, basements, garages and to the outdoors.
Heat flow can move through interior ceilings, walls, and floors where there is a difference in temperature, And during the cooling season, heat flows from the outdoors to the interior of a house.
Properly insulating your home will decrease this heat flow thus saving you on energy cost.
Stair case is properly secured. Steps are proper size at 12" depth. The height of each step is uniform. The stringers are not accessible for visible inspection. Railing is secured directly to staircase. Metal balusters are spaced at 4" intervals directly into steps. Handrail is graspable through the entire staircase. Staircase is in safe order with no signs of repair needed.
Attic spaces are one of the key components to a thorough inspection. However, it is also on of the most hazardous areas for an inspector to go through. In hot climates temperatures can raise to over 130 degrees F, and with poor ventilation it can become a big hot spot. Some inspectors have suffered seriously physical injuries such as heat stroke. It is extremely important to stay hydrated and to have water with you on all inspections.
I learned that just insulating an attic is not enough. Air sealing the attic is just as important as adding insulating. I’m not convinced. that it is cost effective to do. Because of the cost of having all the insulation sucked out and the labor cost to seal everything and re-install insulation.
This wall in the attic was not insulated on the wall of the vaulted ceiling. The thermo-image showed a difference of 15 degrees of heat loss between the properly insulated wall and the non-insulated wall. The seller made the required repairs.
Attic pulldown ladders: It has been unfortunate experience to have most if not all ladders be incorrectly installed. I weigh in between 270 and 280, I do not climb these ladders if there is another way in. At times it is the only way, so I have had to use pull myself up, not putting all my weight on the ladder. I need to find a better way. I have refused to use some and written it up as such.
This photo shows a major deficiency in the crawlspace vapor barrier. Only half of the crawlspace is covered,leaving the rest of the crawlspace exposed to bare dirt.All exposed areas in the crawlspace should be covered with 6 mil polyethylene sheeting, overlapped at least 6 inches and sealed with tape at the overlaps.This is the simplest and least expensive method of controlling ground moisture intrusion into the crawlspace area.
