Yankee gutters are a drainage system built into the roof design in a way so that it’s hidden. Yankee gutters are usually a V or U shape made of wood and lined with either copper or steel. This style of drainage system dates back to the 18th century.
From observing the volume of water being dispersed, the downspout appears to be clear of debris and functional. Although a low spot can be observed in the concrete driveway, a positive grade is maintained away from the house and water is being properly diverted away from the foundation.
Although realtors may advise against having a home inspection on foreclosed property, it is very important to have one. Even if a home inspection report may not be a good bargaining tool on an “as is” property, it can certainly give the potential buyer and idea of what repairs may be needed or expected for budgeting purposes. A home inspection is especially important in this case so that the buyer can make an educated decision on the property based on their knowledge and resources.
Without walking on roof, I can see that this part looks good. It is asphalt shingles with apron flashing installed correctly. Even though it is not required I feel the need to get on the roof and inspect the rest that I can not see from the ground.
It is an asphalt roof.It is a 2 years old roof. Only one layer is installed. New step flashing, apron flashing, new ventilation with proper caulking and flashing. No missing shingles, leaks, or weather damage detected. Even though it is not required I do feel it is needed to get on roof to get proper inspection
Drywall from China has been found to be made of unrefined fly ash. It is not life threatening but can cause problems with sore throat, coughing, wheezing, sinuses, among other symptoms. It can also cause damage to metal features in the home. A home inspector should be aware of how to identify it and report to customer.
Lock boxes are used for securely storing house keys while the house might be vacant by the owner. It might be placed on the front door knob or some other secure place by the front door. The home inspector should inquire about a lock box before going to a home to inspect.
This picture shows a gutter down spout that makes no sense to me. One, it’s angled away from home with no down spout or gutter extension with recommend 4 ft minamal discharge. Looks like they just wanted to angle it so it shot water away from home
I think it’s funny that people say when doing a Inspection they put new roof on because old one leaked… Once I inspect it I simply correct them and say “new shingles” the damage done by the leak was not address.
You can see in this attic that 3 trusses were cut in order to make room for either storage and/or accessibility through the attic ladder. This is not allowed and will cause structural instability. This needs to be fixed and inspected by a structural engineer.
The “Fire Safety for the Home” article meant a lot to me because I have a wife and six children. There are so many things that could happen to a home but many things can cause fires and fire safety is very important to the well-being of your life. It goes over the importance of smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers.
Roof: At the time of inspection, we noticed the roof was properly vented both by soffit vents and ridge vents. All roof flashing was installed correctly and the roof appeared to be in overall satisfactory condition. It should be noted that above the garage roof, a large evergreen branch is making contact with roof surface and depositing pine needles which could accelerate the breakdown of roof surface. Roof could also become damaged by low lying branches and falling branches with wind or storm conditions.
Snow Guards: Snow guards are installed to safely allow snow and ice to melt while minimizing the opportunity for compacted snow/ice to fall on pedestrians and building surfaces below. Snow Guards should be installed on the lower panel sections of a roof where snow and ice are more likely to compact, but not lower than bearing walls or extended past roofing surfaces as ice damning could become a concern. Snow guards should be applied by licensed roofing contractors for optimal results.
Rolled roof asphalt shingle material installed on second story wooden deck with no signs of defect or failure. Roof to wall flashing from stucco wall with drip flashing installed. No signs of water intrusion or draining issues observed. Structure shows no problematic signs.
In this photo you see a insufficient repair to the mortar cap of the chimney as well as large gaps needing repointing. There is also no rain cap present. The chimney is also to short for the structure. Chimney needs to be completely rebuilt from the roof line up.
Attic pull down hatches
I recently learned that many of these pull down ladders are installed by homeowners or handymen and may compromise the structure if not done properly. Things to look for are inadequate screw it nail types and Structural members being cut and/or not resecured properly.
This is a picture of skylight flashing the flashing is made of anodized aluminium and still is in good shape after 30 years the lap on the step shingle is correct the apron flashing is installed correct and is sealed in the corners
Garage inspection the garage had a severe snow load the year before there had been alot of load on the trusses the trusses were repaired with a plywood gusset what didnt see in the the report is a city or county inspection to see if the repair was designed by a licenced engineer
This is an asphalt shingled roof. It appears to be in good condition with six inch offsets. No visible fasteners. Shingles have no visible signs of damage. The roof has a 4:12 slope. I would report the roof in good conditions with no recommendations.
I chose an article on ten ways to save energy in your home. Some good ideas are change out air conditioning filters frequently. Lower your thermostat. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents or LEDs. Replace water heater with a tankless water heater. All will provide cost savings and increase energy efficiency.