Garage Inspection- As a home inspector it is important to know as much as you can about the house or item you are inspecting. This particular article mentions that a neighbor approached the whole inspector and told him the garage roof similar to the one he was inspecting had collapsed the winter before due to heavy snow load. Clues to look for, the inspector now is now looking for improper installations. It doesn’t hurt to know if there has been previous renovations, updates this way you can check and verified that they were done and installed accordingly
This image is of the right side elevation of the subject home. This was a flat roof, with a slope of 1.0, also with no sheathing under the metal tins. Opening protection was non-existent as the windows were not impact rated and the shutters were decorative only.
I choose the Wind Mitigation article. It was a short helpful recap for the course. I have to shift around to other projects and am unable to take the course straight through, however. With the article on Wind Mitigation, it brought it all together into focus for me.
Here we have the roof to wall connection with a strap. The strap is located within the 1/2" of the truss and meets the minimal conditions for the fasteners. Under the roof to wall attachments I would check C for single wraps.
The doors and windows of the home are not hurricane impact rated for wind borne debris. In addition, there is no evidence of any type of shuttering system in place. When asked I advised the homeowner his options for the different types of shuttering options available and the option of rated doors and windows.
Tobacco Odor Removal
When we bought our house the previous couple were both heavy smokers so this article hit home. It took us close to a year to be able to walk in the house without noticing the smell. We did the charcoal thing, the vinegar bowls and cleaning the carpets. In the end we had to clean/wash/soak all the blinds, take down all the wall paper and eventually remove all the carpet.
The 2 pictures in the photo are the right and left strap view of a single strap that overlaps truss one with 5 nails and the other has 2 nail, they both meet the requirements of roof to wall attachments
Front Elevation photo of the house:
of the house
Glaze openings
Non-Glaze openings
Roof geometry
This photo shows no opening protection on any of the windows (Glazed openings), which are actually the original aluminum, single hung, single pane windows from 1953, definitely not impact rated. However front exterior door (Non-Glazed Openings) is in compliance with ASTM E330 DP: +35/-35 psf (as per manufacturer label found)for wind pressure resistance. Picture also shows part of roof geometry, described as Hip Roof.
This is a picture of a hurricane clip attached to the truss in the attic. According to the FBC this clip is acceptable. This roof to wall attachment has a minimum of 3 nails secured to the truss and is secured to the wall top plate.
Wind mitigation is very important especially in states like Florida. With proper building techniques a dwelling can be limited to the amount of wind damage possible. In fact the insurance companies will offer a credit towards the home owners insurance policy if certain systems are in place, like the roof structure, Hip vs Gable geometry. Also, truss/rafter to wall fasteners like hurricane clips, or straps.
Adobe Inspection
Adobe is a building material used for centuries in many regions around the world, where houses, churches and even entire cities were built and survived for generations.
Pros:
-Inexpensive and abundant
-Easy to produced and shape, it can even be shape into bricks
-Excellent in hot climates, such as deserts, because its thermal mass is good for keeping house cool during day time and warm at night.
Cons:
- Structures are vulnerable to moisture.
- Structures may collapse under earthquake strong forces.
- Adobe buildings attracts surrounding vegetation and animals that live in that type of soil.
- Incompatible with repair materials such as steel (it will not bond properly).
This article shows how entire communities used basic, inexpensive and readily available materials to build different types of structures and living spaces without the technology and resources of today.
Trampoline Safety and Inspection
Before purchasing a trampoline for your home, make sure to call your homeowners insurance agency to make sure it is covered. Sometimes, insurance agencies do not cover trampolines or have covered with safety precautions. You should always practice safety when using a trampoline and supervise all children using the trampoline.
Here is a picture of an overhead garage door with 9 horizontal bars for higher wind zoning. Although there is no certification of having an impact rating, the door was built to the standard and met code at the time of installation.
Noise Mitigation
Mitigating sound in a home is not easy nor is it normally a very cheap task to accomplish. Sometimes doubling or even tripling the drywall thickness is needed to get the sound levels to appropriate levels in some environments. There are also some other ways to mitigate sounds such as additional insulation and flooring material such as carpet which can absorb sound much more than tile and wood.
In this picture you can see the overhead garage door is equipped with high wind and impact rated components. This door was not original to the home and has been retrofitted to include increased structural properties to better to protect the home in adverse weather conditions.
This photo is of a window in Florida that is protected by steel panels (not shown), that are held in place by brackets at the header and sill. The brackets are held in place with 1/4"x 2" tapcons. The panels lap, and it takes 4 panels to protect this window.
I choose the article “Wind Mitigation” to read. I am a Florida native and have worked in residential construction since mid 70’s in Florida.I worked in Homestead and South Miami after Andrew. Florida’s Building Dept. tried to get a handle on beefing up it’s codes along coastal areas (zones) in order to minimize the effects of high velocity wind and debris, which was applied to new home construction. Owners of older homes were encouraged to install protection for openings and added bracing to gable ends. For this the insurance companies offered incentive reductions.
In attached photo there is noted to be a Secondary water resistant membrane, (note only accessible attic was above garage) sheathing is 7/16 OSB nailed every 6 inches in the field.
Roof to wall attachment is only toe nailed. checked at 3 truss end.
Frame types: platform framed houses consist of mud sill, rim joist connecting to floor joists with subfloor attaching to joists and wall built on top of flooring. balloon framed house has walls resting directly on sill plate, this type of construction allows for better insulation. However platform construction is more popular.
