Research & Writing Assignment:
Today I learned that sinkholes are caused from the soil being eroded away underneath the surface, until the surface then collapses. Sinkholes can cause major damage to property and can even injure and kill people. If you do suspect a sinkhole is in the process warn everybody in the area and get professional help.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This photo depicts a wooden stairway entrance to a manufactured home. The handrails are loose and not properly secured, but do have the appropriate hand grasps. The balusters are appropriately spaced 4 inches away from each other. The steps should be better secured for safety concerns.
Research & Writing Assignment:
This article I read was an interesting piece on “eyebrow dormers”. The article adequately described the characteristics of the eyebrow dormers for recognition, as well as the potential areas of concern for damage. I had no idea they could be so expensive to install.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Photo is of condo balcony. The handrail while of adequate height does not have the proper baluster spacing to prevent a child from possibly getting stuck in them. The balcony was built approximately 20 years ago before standards changed to the current standards. Railing is sufficiently supported and maintained with no signs of rust or damage.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a photo of a retrofitted tieback on a newly installed deck. This deck also has ledger board flashing, lag bolts and acceptable handrails. Should this installation be allowed since it is on the bottom of the joist? Should one ask if they notched anything to install this?
Research & Writing Assignment:
Wood decks must be secured to the home by ways of ledger bolts and tieback fasteners. I find that on many new decks the tieback fasteners are missing. Another issue on decks is they are attached directly to the siding and not built in. Having siding behind the deck can cause water to run behind the ledger board and cause failure.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is an outdoor receptacle that does not have proper weather protection. Water has penetrated the receptacle housing. You can see rust on the terminals and wires. This is a fire and shock hazard. The receptacle and weather housing need to be replaced.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Attached garages must have a fire rated door separating the garage from the living area. A solid wood door can’t be less than 1-3/8 thick and a steel door not less than 1-3/8" thick or carry a 20 minute fire rating. This door can not enter in to a sleeping area.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Just read your article on Deck Recepticles and learned that balconies, decks and porches that are accessible from inside the dwelling unit and have useable area of more than 20sf need to have at least one receptacle outlet within the perimeter and not more than 6.5 feet above the surface. Good to know.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Deck and pergola. Appears to be correctly fastened to the structure and there are no visible signs of seperation between the ledger board and the housing. Deck load appears evenly distributed. There is lack of post-to-joist diagonal bracing here and since this deck is larger than 6 feet, I’d recommend contacting a licensed professional and remediating that.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The deck ledger board does not appear to be properly flashed. Flashing is an important element that can reduce water intrusion and subsequent damage. Without flashing, water intrusion may have occurred or may be occurring and may or may not be visible. HomeTeam recommends having the area properly configured to avoid water intrusion and further assessed at the time of repair.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Home inspectors should be checking to ensure the support beam/band joist for the deck are properly attached to the support post. When not properly attached to the deck posts (relying solely on strength of lag bolts, screws or nails, not on notches in posts) the structure can be compromised. The structure should be repaired / resupported to improve the overall safety of the deck structure. At the time of repair, the deck’s structure should be further evaluated for any additional needed repairs.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The article on acid rain shows that while acid rain is a major problem that is growing due to industrial pollutants. There are many materials that can lessen acids rain impact on building structures. There are also many things individuals and countries can do to slow acid rain damage and growth. It is important to do what we can to change and stop the effects of acid rain before more of the environment is destroyed and we reach a point of no return. For now it appears acid rain will be an issue for decades to come.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This deck has many problems. It apparently has been installed by an amateur. Its problems include missing paint, balusters and posts will not repel water, and the deck is unsafe for children, as many spaces contain larger than than four inch spheres. This deck will either need to be replaced or undergo extensive repair.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I viewed the image of the deck that had a downspout right next to it, which could cause decay, as the photo caption indicates. When I have performed WDO inspections in the past, I have also seen many issues associated with wood-destroying insects in decks as well. The photo does not indicate if the lumber is pressure treated or not, but moisture plus wood often leads to insect infestation. Two common problems that could result from this scenario is subterannean termites and carpenter ants - both of which could lead to structural issues, which, in turn, could lead to potentially serious injury.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
I performed a mock inspection on the rear deck of this single family residence. 6 x 6 posts were used for all support posts. Stair height and depth was proper. Ledger board was attached to house via concrete lag bolts. No splintering was present
Research & Writing Assignment:
I reviewed the image entitled “Cantilevered deck supports” in the Decks and Balconies folder of the exterior images. This image signifies the requirement that all cantilevered joist have a maximum cantilever of 1/4 the length of the joist, or 3 times the width of the joist, whichever is smaller.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Upon inspection of this particular house there was not a deck but a paver patio. Unlike decks, patios are ground level and are typically paved. A patio is an outdoor area adjoining the house and is usually not covered and meant for outdoor entertainment, dining or casual gatherings. This patio appears to be in good condition.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The 2008 Code was revised with hopes of reducing the use of extension cords and the 3,300 fires per year that are caused by improper use of extension cords. The code states that all decks, balconies, verandas etc. must have at least one receptacle installed within the perimeter of the deck or balcony. the receptacle must not be located more that 6.5 feet above the deck surface unless the usable space is less than 20 square feet. The receptacle must also be GFCI protected, weather proof and have a cover that protects it while in use.
