I chose the article “Building Permits” for my essay. I believe that it is important that home inspectors check for government permits for the property because it helps a home inspection professional to determine when improvements were done and warns the client if a permit wasn’t pulled that they may be held responsible.
For roof coverings, it is important to report on each roofing material in use on the roof.
Roofs that are a metal pan/standing seam or insulated metal panel patio/carport roofing system and not continuously connected to the main roofing system should not be reported.
This is a picture of a label on an entry door side light. It coincides with an etching on the glass part of the glazed openings. This label clearly states that it is Miami/Dade storm rated. This will give the proper proof that this opening is storm rated.
I read the essay Roofing Underlayment Types. There are three diferent underlayments: asphalt - saturated felt, Rubberized asphalt and non- bitumen synthetic. Felt is usually fastened with staples. There may be failures due to poor quality, loss of volatiles, UV exposure and installation damage.
This photo clearly shows the two nails per board, in the wind mitigation this will be answer 3C, to qualify for this question it also could have been one nail per board with the condition that is less than 6 inches apart.
This photo clearly shows the two nails per board, in the wind mitigation this will be answer 3C, to qualify for this question it also could have been one nail per board with the condition that is less than 6 inches apart.
I’m taking the Wind Mitigation course. I took a picture of the Roof to Wall attachment in the Attic. I had to move insulation in order to have a good picture. As you can see in the picture we have a single strap and it have more than 3 nails in the front. As you already know single straps like clips have a minimum requirement of 3 nails, two in the front and one in the back. It is not corroded and is closed to the truss. This strap has 6 nails in the front and 3 on the back so it meet the requirements. I also looked other rafter in the attic to see if they have straps properly installed.
My essay for my 1st wind mitigation inspection on wood shingle roofing was quite a challenge not to break or damage any shingles do to the fact that most of the wood shingles were cupping and curling and very difficult to get any info on the roof or sky light.
Sticking with windstorm insurance Inspections,a certified Inspector protects both the Homeowners and the insurer,this is a very valuable service that should not be taken lightly. I was blown away by how many home Inspectors do this for free in order to get a home inspection job,by doing this you devalue the services you do and ruin the industry.
A successful business doesn’t mean that it has to expand until it’s unrecognizable. But if you do expand, you’ll soon discover that you can’t do everything by yourself and still provide the same level of quality that your brand represents. A good leader delegates. A good leader trusts. A good leader actually leads. Becoming a boss is a leap of faith. But if you’ve ever worked for anyone else, you know instinctively what makes a good boss and what makes a lousy one, so apply those lessons when you prepare to hire your first employee. Fear is just a false obstacle, so put it aside, and figure out how you can be a boss that inspires excellence.
There are a few easy things that you can take to help prevent lawsuits and protect you. One of the first things you can do is Incorporate or form an LLC to enjoy limited liability for the corporation’s debts and judgments against the corporation. The next thing is join InterNACHI.
InterNACHI offers a lot of tools to help but Im going to mention a few of them. Being part of the worlds largest inspection trade association like InterNACHI has its advantages. Following the InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice will help you against a claim that you failed to perform the inspection to an acceptable level. In addition to your local or state licensing and regulation requirements you have to meet the InterNACHI membership requirements. Being a member will tell your clients that you are going above and beyond the minimum requirements that allows you to do business.
Nothing can prevent you to get frivolous claims and suits from being filed. But, InterNACHI offers a wide variety of on-line courses that provides you with the training that will help you perform a high quality inspection. Knowledge is a powerful tool that can help you to stay out of court or be successful if you are in one. Another thing, please, do not use the word “expert”. Home inspectors are generalists, not experts. Experts are specialists who are held to a higher standard. If you need help for a job use independent contractors instead of employees and use an agreement to protect you against claims of rights or money among other things. It is always better to walk away from problematic and unreasonable clients than working for them. It usually gets worse, not better. It is hard to walk away from an inspection fee, but in the long run it is cheaper.
It is important to use InterNACHI’s Pre-Inspection Agreement because It is designed to work with InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice and includes, scope of work, disclaimer of warranties, limitation on liability, and a liquidated-damages provision and other provisions to protect you. When you are writing the report make sure that you use the proper language. You can use the InterNACHI’s library of narratives that uses a variety of sources, including the International Residential Code (IRC), technical data sheets, and systems specifications. This will help you reduced the time to fill reports and the quality will improve.
If you are a member of InterNACHI and you need assistance while doing an inspection you can use the 24/7 On-site Help button. This is a members-only message board forum for emergencies only. There is another tool that you can include in your report, InterNACHI’s “Estimated Life Expectancy Chart”. This chart details the predicted life expectancy of household materials, systems and components so that you don’t have to do it. Life expectancy varies but this provides your client a general guideline (not a guarantee) from the world’s largest inspection association.
One last thing but no less important is to carry the proper insurance. Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance and another benefit is that you can get a free quote here: www.nachi.org/insurance.
In summary being a member of InterNACHI is the smartest thing to do.
Attic inspection check for roof to wall attachment found double metal connectors with 3 nails viewed & Check for truss nails and spacing, Rafter/Truss spacing make sure to take photos of roof sheathing and nails, Check for truss nails spacing
Hip roofs have hip rafters which are oriented diagonally to the ridge and outside walls. Hip rafters are simply called hips, and are shown here as brown. Hips rest on an outside corner at the bottom and connect to the ridge at the peak.
Because of hurricanes, Florida roof are susceptible to significant wind damage. Here is a roof image taken shortly after Hurricane Irma in northern Florida. This roof help up with no damage however it was found that the lowest course of shingles were not properly bonded to the modified roofing material. This section did not appear to have any wind damage but was noted as an area that should be repaired so the shingles are properly adhered to the roof surface to prevent uplift.
Galvanic Corrosion, a common issue with dissimilar metals in contact can be an issue in moisture environments. Many older plumbing systems would have metal piping in which galvanic corrosion could deteriorate the pipes leading to the potential for leaking of liquid or gases into the home. It would be important to inspect metal fitting and connector and look for indication of galvanic corrosion and recommend repair or replacement of dissimilar metals.
I read the ‘Wind Mitigation’ article.
As resident of South Florida since 1989 and a Hurricane Andrew survivor I know first hand the importance of wind mitigation. The article mentioned the sharp increase in home owner insurance premiums in 2006. The insurance situation here in Florida got so bad that many homeowners, including myself, were forced to find policies with Citizens (a State managed insurance exchange). Since 2006 the homeowners insurance situation has improved greatly for Floridians and I believe that the home inspection industry has been a key reason for this improvement. By offering affordable wind mitigation inspection services our industry has helped keep insurance premiums affordable for many Floridians.
Mark B. Nelson
This is an image of the garage door. While it is reinforced with horizontal braces, it does not meet the standard for large missle impact rating. This door is attached to the structure of the home by only 4 brackets per side. The standard for attachment is 7-10 brackets per side.
GFCI receptacles were introduced in the mid 1960’s to provide protection to individuals from shock due to fault current. The GFCI device measures the difference in current on the hot and neutral wires of the circuit. Any difference over 5mA indicates a fault current, and the device disconnects the power. These devices are now required in all kitchens, bathrooms, garages and outside receptacles.
The attached photo shows the garage door bracing for a home located in Miami, FL. Miami is considered a HVHZ (High Velocity Hurricane Zone) which means that for a home to receive an insurance discount the home’s openings must meet certain standards. Along with having hurricane braces on each panel this garage door is ASTM E 330 code compliant and has a continues bracket system attaching the door to the the structure.
This picture is a perfect illustration of one of the weakest roof to wall connection. The toe nails shown in the picture would make a selection of A in the fifth section in the wind mitigation paperwork. The picture shown no straps or clips are used.
