This image is a image of a hurricane strap. When inspecting a hurricane strap I look for nail patterns and how close the strap is installed to the truss. This strap was installed close to the truss and had 2 nails on the front and 1 nail on the rear.
The essay I will be reviewing is Wind Mitigation. Wind mitigation is a inspection that looks at areas of the house to see how the house is constructed to resist wind damage. The areas that you will look at is the shape of the roof, opening protection of glazed and non glazed openings, roof to wall connection, roof deck thickness, SWR, and roof deck attachment and spacing.
The windows have no exterior protection against hurricanes and/or storms with high winds. There is no indication or label leading to believe that these windows are impact rated for hurricanes or high winds accompanied by different types of storms that occur year round.
Attic pull down ladders (or pull down stairs) are usually installed by a homeowner (diy’er). With this in mind, when using or inspecting, we must look closely at a number of things to make sure it functions and is safe.
The length of the ladder must just right so that the legs are firm on he floor. Too long and it will put stress on he hinges. Too short and it will put stress on the fasteners above.
Look for improper notching/cutting out of structural beams/trusses. The fasteners must be 16d nails or 1/4" x 3" lag screws. There are also codes for the opening size that newer ones need to follow. These can be found online through different resources.
Old wooden ladders/stairs may be cracked. If that is the case don’t climb up and recommend a professional install a new aluminum attic ladder.
This is a very old house built in 1929 the roof deck is compose of dimensional lumber the problem that I see is that there should be at least to fastener per lumber and all around I found just one per dimensional lumber, despite the property age it is not fully secure in the even of a strong hurricane bearing extreme high velocity wind.
This is a photo of a clip. The required nailing of the clip has not been met as there should be at least 3 nails in the truss. This would be considered a toe nail and not receive a discount on the insurance.
Three photos that should be taken at the end of a home inspection. Take one showing the meter is off, another showing the meter is off, and a third showing the meter is off. Off meaning not running. Always use a date and time in the photo if your camera has it. Inform your client if the meter is not off in your photos as this could mean a leak or possible toilet running etc… I also take a photo of the meter showing the meter itself as well as the main shut off location as a courtesy to my clients.
Pictured in this image is a hurricane clip attaching the roof to the structure of the building. This is a positive feature and indicates that the roof is in compliance with the 2005 Florida Building Code. Hurricane clips are required to be attached by a minimum of three nails as this one is.
In the article “10 Easy Ways to Save Money & Energy in Your Home” we see some of the main reasons to make your home more energy efficient, and how easy it can be. Some of the easy ways to save energy is to go tankless with the water heater, can your light bulbs and to use fans whenever possible.
Carbon Monoxide poisoning kills 100s of people every year and can be avoided with proper placement of detectors. A CO in required in all new construction however for older homes detector can easily and inexpensively be added. One should be placed on every floor of the home but not too close to a CO producing appliance. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas that forms from incomplete combustion of fuels. It is important to maintain proper operation of CO producing appliances including your chimney.
Attached is a clear picture of the roof to attachment. The picture shows a metal connector that is clearly secured to the truss with three nails and attached to the wall top plate of the wall framing but does not wrap over the top of the truss. It is important to observed both side of the rafters and to look at a minimum of three separate rafters to confirm that all of the rafters are secured properly.
I read a article about garbage disposals. I have learned to never stick your hand in a garage disposal even if the switch is off just in case the switch was turned on. Disposals should be unplugged before working on the unit.
The attached photo is a picture of improperly taped wires in a electrical panel of a mobile home. The wires were a safety concern and needed to be properly capped with a electrical wing nut for just incase the wires were live.
This is an image of a truss located in a attic I found during a wind mitigation inspection. It has a stress crack and was located close to the attic access. Completed the wind mitigation inspection and documented the crack in the report. Discussed with homeowner and informed them of the crack. Recommended that they have a roofing contractor inspect and repair. I will return after repair to documents in an updated inspection.
I reviewed the Wind Mitigation article. During review of the article I am reassured of the components of the dwelling that needs to be inspected during a wind mitigation inspection. Roof geometry, roof deck attachment, SWR and opening protection are all factors of a minimal wind mitigation inspection, however on of the most important aspects is the roof to wall attachment. The importance of the homeowners input in documentation is very important and keeping them involved helps them understand the purpose of the inspection.
Hip Roof, which has no other roof shapes greater than 10% of the total building
perimeter;
Non-Hip Roof, which is any other roof shape or combination of roof shapes
including hip, gable, gambrel, mansard and other roof shapes not including flat
roofs; and
Flat Roof (for five or more units) which is 90% flat (less than 2:12 slope).
Non-Hip Roof: Any roof shape other than a hip roof shape (or any combination of roof
shapes including hip, gable, gambrel, mansard and other roof shapes not including flat
roofs).
THERE’S CRACKS RUNNING ALONG THE HOME’S CONCRETE TIE BEAM. WHAT’S WRONG?
Its concrete spalling, which is caused by moisture penetrating the layer of concrete covering the reinforcing steel in the beam. Over time, the steel begins to rust inside the beam and, because rust is slow but very powerful expansive process, cracks appear at the surface over the reinforcing steel. Its a progressive deterioration, because the open crack allows more moisture to accelerate the corrosion–formally known as ferrous oxide scale–which opens the crack further. Eventually small chunks of concrete begin falling out and, if left without repair long enough, structural failure follows.
This is a picture of the front of the house that I am inspecting for Wind Mitigation report. The report is being done for John Asthmer. This house was built in 1963. The house has not been upgraded so many of the areas inspected do not meet the latest codes.
This picture is a good example of a hurricane clip that does not qualify. There is more than a 1/2" gap between the metal strap and the truss. Poor installation is to blame for the clip not qualifying for a discount.
Rolled roofing material is for flat roof applications only. It can be installed using two different types of methods. Hot mopped or torched down. When installed it is to be overlapped min of 3 inches on sides and ends are to be staggered.