Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This was an outlet in the garage of a fix and flip house. The GFCI was improperly wired and the wires to the box were incorrectly secured at the box. The GFCI and all outlets after the GFCI when tested did not trip. Although the cover plate had the Stickers stating that the outlet was GFCI protected it was not installed correctly. It was called out to be corrected by a licensed electrician.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The article that I read was Garage Doors and Openers. Many times I have been asked by friends and neighbors to look at their garage door after it has come down on a object and the support cables on the sides of the door have come off. I have told them that there is nothing I could do and that it should be corrected by a qualified door specialist. Every one of those doors that I followed up on either did not have the auto reverse feature or it wasn’t adjusted properly. Easy to see how there could be 20’000 garage related injuries annually. Garage doors, being the largest moving door in the home, should be serviced every couple years in order to insure that they are operating properly and safely.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Garage door inspection you first want to pull the red cord to release the door latch make sure door goes up and manually with ease, all check that the cord is no higher then 6 feet, make sure the opener has a working bulb, these are just a few of the things to be checked
Research & Writing Assignment:
Garage door inspection the door shouldnt be opperated til u have made sure the door moves freely the tracks and rollers are working properly the spring is working then u can make sure the opener and the safety beams are working correctly
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The receptacle for a Garage Door Opener in the ceiling is required to be GFCI protected. The reasoning behind this is that folks will plug an extension cord in anywhere they can, even the ceiling. And many folks like to install those pull-down cord reels on the ceiling in the middle of the garage. The Garage Door Opener receptacle is a super convenient place to plug these things in.
Research & Writing Assignment:
If your garage is separated from your house, you have a built in fire separation by virtue of the space between the buildings. However, most garages are connected to the house and a fire could spread to the house in minutes. Therefore; the door to the garage must be able to resist the fire for some period of time so occupants have a chance to escape and avoid injury or death. The International Residential Building Code, which has been adopted in many locales, requires a 20-minute fire rated door, or a solid wood, or solid or honeycomb core steel door of not less than 1 3/8 thickness.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Essay based on inspection article
A Garage Inspection by Kenton Shepard
Trusses cannot be altered in any way without the approval of the structural engineer. Trusses are designed to bear at specific points. Roof trusses typically should not touch any interior walls and bear only on specified bearing points.
An inspector should try to carefully observe truss connections for problems which may lead to structural issues. Also, all electrical receptacles in garages must be GFCI-protected, without exception.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Garage is completely finished, cannot verify drywall type.
Door openers have dedicated electrical outlets.
Opener attachment is via lag screws.
Red emergency release cords are in place and less than six feet from floor.
Spring tension warning label visable.
General safety warning label is in place.
Panels all have strong backs.
Photoelectric eyes are in proper placement.
Wood trim is held off of concrete floor.
Garage floor is sloped towards door openings.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This garage door had all of the correct warning labels, support beckets securely fastened to the structure, rollers and track components work properly, emergency handle was correct and the door open smoothly. The only item I found was the extension cord to the door opener, recommended that the electrical cord be lengthen and properly fasten to the bracing above.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Garage Door and Openers; by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard
The authors reviewed the components that should be inspected and reported if damaged or missing and the required safety procedures that an inspector should follow. The end of the article also mention safety advice to be presented to the client or at lest a reminder to homeowners not to work on or to adjusting the doors high tension springs, show and explain to children to stand clear of the door and tracks while door is in operation and why owner should check and adjust the auto- reversal system and need adjustment during cool wheatear because cooler temperatures will affect the springs flexibilities.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
In the attached photo you can see my arm held out to try to activate the auto reverse pressure sensor on the garage door opener. The garage door opener did not reverse automatically after I resisted with pressure from my arm. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair or replace the garage door opener as necessary, and according to current standards.
I’m pretty sure that the proper way to test the pressure sensor is by resisting its closure with my arms or hands. It’s risky of InterNACHI to be advocating, in their written material, the placement of a 2’ X 4’ in the path of the garage door as a means of testing its auto reverse pressure sensor. Please evaluate that comment and replace it with one that explains why the use of a ‘2 X 4’ could actually cause some structural damage to the walls or the garage door railing and hardware. Thanks.
Research & Writing Assignment:
For my research and writing essay, I’m summarizing what Nick Gromicko wrote in his article entitled “Anti-Scald Valves.” Anti-scald valves, which I often see in mechanical rooms, are also known as tempering valves or mixing valves. They mix cold water with outgoing hot water to prevent the water that comes out of the fixture from scalding someone. Anti-scald valves are intended to reduce water temperature fluctuations that would otherwise pose a safety hazard, according to Gromicko.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
In a garage as part of the fire separation safety rule all joints or gaps from holes need to be filled in, patched or sealed to meet the requirements. This is especially true where you have gypsum board separating the garage from the house, either walls or ceiling. The gaps between the sheeting should have “three coats of joint compound are recommended at the fasteners, edges, ends, surfaces, openings, corners, and joints”, According to the Gypsum Association GA-216. If you have an older sealed gap that has crack as like the one in the picture then it needs to be addressed and resealed to once again meet that fire separation, a lot of times people forget to do this when cracks occur and it just ends up creating a safety hazard for the household occupants.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Certain jurisdictions like some in California, require that gas fueled or similar appliances such as the water heater, being installed out of the house and in the garage area and pre 2003 models of any kind that where not FVIR (Flammable Vapor Resistant Ignition) needed to be 18 inches off of the ground so as to not ignite vapors or fumes from spilled flammable items such as gasoline. After 2003 the rules changed and the new requirement was that all waters heaters produced needed to have a FVIR so that the pilot light was a sealed system that was lit mechanically and not an open match or stick lighter system. " this means that the combustion chamber is now sealed. In order to light the water heater, you must use the pilot mechanism". Because of the change in the rules it meant that you could now store your water heater directly on the ground without any issues or clearance needed, even though it’s still up for debate. Most contractors in these jurisdictions still elevate the new models just to be safe though out of safe practice and habit. Always be sure to check and know what your jurisdiction requires in cases like this, so that you can give the clients and homeowners an accurate honest inspection.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The garage wall shown is opposite a habitable room in the home and is subject to firewall regulations. While the gypsum board is the appropriate 1/2" in thickness, there is evidence of a previous repair performed to or behind the gypsum board. The repair has not been properly taped and sealed with the recommended 3 coats of joint compound.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Image: Man Door Attached to Garage
The man door from the garage to the home can be a source of several major safety related defects. The door should be tightly fitted, weather stripped, and elevated at least 6" above the garage floor to prevent any harmful fumes from travelling into the home. It should also have a self-closing arm or hinges to prevent mistakenly being left open, which would compromise the fire seal.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Outlets in garages are required by the 2008 NEC to be GFCI-protected and should be covered to reduce the risk of shock. Outlet pictured is not covered nor GFCI-protected. Recommend outlet be replaced with a GFCI-protected outlet by a licensed electrician and a cover installed.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The article on garage doors and openers was very informative on what inspectors should be looking for during an inspection. It covered the parts of the door and automatic openers and conditions to look for to ensure the safe operation of the door and components. Defects should be noted and a trained garage door technician.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Have you ever wondered how to inspect a garage door and opener system? Here are three things to look for while doing your inspection. First the manual release handle should be colored red. This is because in a emergency it should be easily recognized from the rest of the systems. Second the condition of the garage door its self should be inspected. You should look for fatigue, any dents, and if there is any separation of material. Finally there should be warning labels present. One of these labels is a spring warning label that is attached to the springs assembly. These are some tips for a successful garage door system inspection.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
For this inspection in the garage I chose to inspect the lighting system in the garage. The lighting system has a total of one light bulb, this is enough lights for the garage. The internachi standers is that a garage has at least one light fixture present in the garage. That is what I chose to inspect in my garage.
