Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This one of many typical windows found in lost cost home construction. The window has no caulking or flashing to protect the home from water infiltration. It also shows that the window was incorrectly installed to the home with the exterior sheathing under the window trim. These are items that should be addresses and called out.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I do some many roof inspections as we all do, I thought it best read and learn more about the shingle itself. Starting with the fact that newer modern shingles have a fiber glass component that does not attach or hold water and old shingles were made of a cellulose type material. The fiber glass it what gives the unit it strength and long life. Very interesting.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Engineered lumber has been shown to be stronger than natural dimensional lumber. With the creation of these products valuable resources have been saved and normal lumber waste products has been utilized. Greater spans can be bridged with lam beams that would have been impossible with dimensional lumber.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is an image of a crawlspace with a torn moisture barrier in it. The moisture barrier is not doing its intended function of keeping moisture out of the crawlspace. This is a defect and recommend a qualified contractor for repair.
Research & Writing Assignment:
When I inspect a window, I start with the sill and work my way up. checking to see if it is correctly sealed and installed. Making sure there are no cracks diagonally away from the corners indicating something may be going on structurally. Then moving on to the panes of glass, seeing if the seals are broken. Making sure the window locks because if it doesn’t it could be a security problem.
Research & Writing Assignment:
For this assignment I looked into lawsuits against home inspectors. I visited several web pages - one of which was workingre.com.
Part of the article there was about third party lawsuits against a home inspector. This would be when a seller sues an inspector specifically if he believes a buyer backed out of a purchase because he believes that the report contained an error or a problem with the property was exaggerated. This is rare but it still happens. The seller would normally be a third party to your contract which would normally be with the buyer or the RE agent. Not all states allow third party lawsuits but some do and they recommend consulting an attorney to find out.
The word they used for this was “privity”.
The article expressed the importance of accurate record keeping for defense in a lawsuit - notes and pictures. One inspector from Canada said that he carried a digital sound recorder in his shirt pocket to document all conversations related to the inspection.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
I uploaded a picture of the different types of flashing you will see on a chimney. There should be head flashing at the high point and apron flashing at the low point. On the sides there should be step flashing and counter flashing over that.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I looked at a gallery of pictures of different types of decks. InterNACHI estimates that 2 million decks are replaced every year in the US. On support beams there should be 1/2" bolts with nuts and washers. Aluminum flashing should not be used next to treaded wood on a deck because the treated wood will cause the aluminum to deteriorate quickly.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
There is a clothes dryer exhaust vent attached to the outside of the house directly outside the garage and is within the 25 feet restriction. It is a damper type vent and is stuck in the open position. Recommendation is to clean out the vent so it will close when not in operation so debris, rodents and other pest do not enter.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Garage doors are the single most heaviest moving object in the home that are held under tension. Garage doors built after 1991 must have reversible device to reverse the door if it comes in contact with an object and after 1992 the door must have an photoelectric sensor for added safety. It must have a manual emergency pull handle that disconnects it from the electric door opener and must be red, no more than 6 feet above ground and be easily distinguishable from the system.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Items that go through a wall can be a source of moisture intrusion in an otherwise secure structure. The space where this connection goes through the exterior should be properly sealed. A good way to do this would be with the use of a high-quality urethane caulk.
Research & Writing Assignment:
When inspecting a garage you should always check for improper alterations. Trusses can not be altered unless approved by a structural engineer. Typically when you find alterations done by a home owner you will also find improper installations of connectors and improper fasteners.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
In this photo, you will see that the driveway does not adequately slope away from the garage. To compensate, the homeowner has created a swale along the front edge of the garage floor leading out and away from the structure. You might note that the swale is encouraging weed growth and recommend a qualified contractor correct the condition by sloping the driveway down 6" within the first 10’ from the structure.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I read the article titled “Defensible Space”. In this article, I learned that Colorado State University identifies three distinct categories, described as “zones”, to aid in identifying and maintaining defensible space. It is suggested that no flammable vegetation be positioned within 15 feet of the structure, that between 75’ to 125’ from the structure trees and shrubs should be at least 10’ apart, and that beyond 125’ trees should be monitored and managed such that they remain in good health.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This MDF six panel door is not made to be hung as an exterior door. The trim surrounding the door is in poor shape and the frame is cracked where the door latches compromising the doors security to the back yard. The rubber door sweep is broken due to the door being hung to low.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The above door is a six panel MDF door that is not intended to be used as an exterior door. Water absorption has already taken place on the exterior of this door. The frame is cracked at the place of latching. The improper latch located above the handle does not line up. The door sweep at the bottom of the door is broken due to the door being hung to low to the ground.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Handrail inspection
This picture is of handrail that is around three sides of a front porch of a home. This handrail is aluminum that is attached to several 4x4 posts that are bedded into the concrete porch floor. The handrail is 39 inches high from the floor and the balusters are 3 3/4 inches apart making both acceptable. The handrail is graspable on the top and smooth and continuous. The handrail is properly fastened and supported to the posts and is not loose or movable. The posts do not show any cracks or signs of degradation. They are wood and painted over. The largest gap between the 2 longest sections between the 4x4s is 7 3/4 feet.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Dryer Vent Safety
Dryer fires are more common than reported and injure and kill people every single year. These fires can begin due to a number of different issues with household dryers. Dryers in houses can be either gas or electric powered. They all need dryer vents in order to vent of the water vapor and lint that happen when clothes go through the drying process. There are requirements for dryer vents that vent of moist air. Some of these requirements include making sure the vent connection to the dryer is actually connected. These can become loose and cause lint buildup and moisture to stay within the room. Another requirement is to make sure the vent is not restricted and that it allows air to pass through to the exterior. The exterior of the vent should be equipped with a backdraft damper and no screen should exist. Finally, dryer vents should not be longer than 25 ft total from dryer to exterior. Any 90 degree turns knock off 5 ft from that total since airflow is restricted. Home inspectors should make note of what they can visibly see with dryer vents in order to keep homeowners safe from potential hazards.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This picture is the result of a perfect storm. The rear deck ledger board was attached directly to the home without flashing. The home had no gutters installed and a valley on the roof pored rain water directly on to the deck in this location. Water had a super highway directly into the home causing damage to the subfloor, framing, insulation and basement. This was inspected 1 day after a heavy rain and a large puddle was still on the basement floor.
