Overall, the visible exterior portions of the home appear to be in good shape. The gutter system is installed properly, brick veneer does not appear to have any defects, and sidewalks are in good shape.
The tree located in the northeast corner of the front of house should be trimmed and maintained to prevent damage to the roof and gutter system, the tree is also an avenue for insects to enter portions of the home. Currently the tree is overgrown and is in contact with the brick veneer and asphalt shingles.
All warning signs were found to be in place and legible The panels shows some small dents but to be expected considering the age of the house. The wall push button functioned properly.
The photo-electrical eyes were present and worked by reversing the door when the eye pathway was broken. The door also reverse normally when an object placed under the door was touched by the door during the closing operation.
The deck railing in the photo shows proper height and spacing. The rail spacing is less then four inches. Also the railing height is proper with a height of forty-three inches from the deck platform. The material used for the pickets are rot resistant cedar and the material for the top rail and decking are of pressure treated wood. These components are in good working order at the time of inspection.
While researching in the foundation gallery I found some interesting information on beam pockets in a foundation wall. This shows that there should be 1/2 " clearance all around from the foundation wall. Also there should be a moisture barrier in between the beam and foundation wall.
How to Inspect the Exterior Course Writing Assignment #1
I took a picture of the gutters around my home in a few areas. In the first picture you see that the downspout is missing a basket or strainer which can lead to clogs in the downspouts. In the second picture you will see that the gutter has clogged in this area which could mean that it does not have the proper slope or just needs to be cleaned or maintained. The picture also shows the kickout flashing installed properly. I would note these in the report as maintenance issues only and not a defect.
How to Inspect the Exterior Course Writing Assignment #2
For this assignment I reviewed the article on Backflow Preventors. I knew what backflow preventers were because I have needed to use them when we build pools. The city inspectors look for backflow preventors on all of the hose bibs on homes during our inspections. New homes require them and are already installed but older homes with large construction projects requiring permits also require you to bring the home into compliance with new building codes when they can. What I didn’t know or should I say understand is why we needed them. I understand now that the reason has to do with preventing someone from intentionally or unintentionally contaminating the water supply. This is interesting to me and I now understand finally the reason for them.
Inspection of this homes extierrior revealed that there was no screens over the foundation vents. These screens are important in keeping animals from entering the crawl space of the home. Suggest installing screens in foundation vents.
I decided to write my essay on proper cleaning of asphalt roof shingles. Roof shingles can become discolored from a number of diffferent reasons. Alge and moss being the two most common reasons. Alge doesn’t cause any performance problems with asphalt shingles roofs but is unsightly. Moss on the other hand has a root system that can cause significant problems with your roof. Cleaning of either can be accomplished with a fifty fifty mixture of bleach and water. Take care while washing the mixture off the roof as not damage the roof. The use of a pressure washer is not recommended.
This essay is on landings. On each side of each exterior door, there should be a floor or landing. A floor at all exterior doors, other than the required egress door, should not be more than 7¾ inches lower than the top of the threshold. This door had no landing and the ground/boards were more than 73/4 inches. It is also acceptable to raise the threshold of an exterior door, other than the egress door, up to 7¾ inches above the floor on the interior–‐side.
Engineered Wood Flooring
This topic is of interest to me because I see a lot of engineered flooring in the homes I inspect and is currently the flooring of choice in new construction.
Engineered wood flooring is most commonly made with a plywood-core substrate and a real hardwood veneer or skin, which comes pre-finished from the factory. The top veneer, which looks just like the top of a traditional solid wood plank, is called the lamella.
Some engineered flooring utilizes a finger-core construction, with a substrate comprised of small pieces of milled timber running perpendicular to the lamella. This can be made with an additional layer of plywood running parallel to the lamella, which gives it added stability. Fiberboard-core flooring is also available, but it’s generally considered to be an inferior option.
Engineered wood flooring is meant to be indistinguishable from traditional hardwood floor once it’s installed, and only the lamella is visible. The lamella veneers available are made from nearly every type of common wood, as well as many more exotic ones, in order to provide the same variety of aesthetics typical of quality hardwood floors. The substrate that the veneer is attached to is just as strong and durable as hardwood – if not stronger – and the finish applied at the factory often outlasts one applied on-site to solid wood flooring. Even surface effects are available that can be applied to the finish to give the flooring a time-worn look, such as light distressing.
During my analyzation of the exterior of the home I found a safety concern with the deck. The deck railing had been cut too short and scabbed back together. As a remedy I would encourage a proper railing repair to dissolve this concern for my clients.
I have been inspecting homes for 17 years and performed over 10,000 home inspections. I find it very interesting to have read the form on aluminum siding. I was surprised that it was first used in the market as early as 1947. I always assumed it was an early 1960s product. Just to show no matter who you are or no matter how long you have been inspecting there is always new things to learn especially in the field. I have found examples of it being damaged, painted, and in disarray as mention in the form. It is still evident throughout the market. I believe it still has a place in the field with its durability being light weight and recyclable. Butch Brown SHS Inc.
This is a picture of a dryer vent that is not secured. It also does not have a damper installed. Without a damper this may allow unwanted pests and moisture inside of the home. I recommend installing a damper.
I read the article “A garage Inspection” This is another great article from NACHI. It not only teaches you to look closely for defects but to look around the neighborhood and house before performing an inspection.
This is a pic of a dryer vent exhaust and a bathroom fan exhaust. What I observed and noted was both had grated caps. This works fine for bath vent but the dryer vent was clogged with lint. I suggested they change dryer exhaust from a grate to a louvered flapper.
An interesting note on a NEC code change from 2005 to 2008:
All decks balconies porches more than 20sf require gfci outlet. Why? The use of bad/damaged extension cords. Good read
Here is a image of bowed basement wall. This basement is made of blocks,
and it can be seen that due to lateral pressure behind the wall,
the basement wall has bowed. This is a dangerous, as it can cause the walll to fail.
My topic of research for this chapter, is about the clearance of non treated wood from grade. It is important that a non treated wood is installed farther away from the grade, as being close to the grade will cause, moisture, rotting, insects and damaging the component. The minimum clearance required is at least 18 inches from the bottom of the joist to grade and 12 inches from girder to the grade.
Structural defect
In this picture you see a severally cracked roof rafter. This would be a serious structural defect. Recommend a qualified contractor examine and repair immediately. Also note the painted rafters and roof sheeting. There was a previous fire in this home.
My research project topic is AFCIs
AFCI are a special type of outlet or circuit breaker designed to detect an electrical arc in a branch wiring circuit. This arc could be a potential dangerous situation. AFCIs and GFCIs protect differently. AFCIs protect against dangerous electrical arcs and GFCIs protect people from shock hazards.
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