Research & Writing Assignment:
On a gas furnace, when it is turned on, the blower fan begins to spin and draw air through the grill and into the return ductwork. The air then travels through the return ductwork to the furnace where it is heated. The heated air is finally blown through the supply ductwork and through the registers to each room of the home.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
According to the Standards of Practice and this course the inspector has a requirement to identify the outermost layer of an envelope. The inspector should inspect the siding for signs of damage and potential areas where water may intrude behind it.
Research & Writing Assignment:
After reading The Limitations of a Home Inspection article I learned several things that are present in the Indiana legislation and InterNACHI standards of practice. The most important topic to stress to your client is a home inspection is designed to reflect, as accurately as possible, the visible condition of the home at the time of the inspection. Conditions at a home for sale can change radically in only a day or two, so a home inspection is not meant to guarantee what condition a home will be in when the transaction closes. Its not uncommon for conditions to change between the time of the inspection and the closing date.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
the water heater in photograph is located on the south east corner of the basement. The fuel type for the unit is natural gas. All the components for proper ventilation look to be properly installed. There is light rust surrounding the base of the water heater which would indicate possible prior water intrusion into the basement.
Research & Writing Assignment:
In the inspecting furnaces section it is evident that the transformation of heating systems has coincided with the need to develop insulating and air movement within a home. heating methods in the past required the design of the home to be constructed in a certain way which allowed the most unrestricted movement of heated air as possible. Changing systems sometimes requires a lot of changes within a homes insulation and air barriers.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is an image of a 100 amp service meter base on a house built in 1963. 100 amp service meters are square and were typically found on homes from 1950s to 1970s. They are still used today on smaller housing units.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I learned that not all fire extinguishers work with all fires. There are two types of dry fire extinguishers. One is multi-purpose dry chemical which use ammonium phosphate as the extinguishing agent and is chemical corrosive. It must be scrubbed off the surface after use.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a picture of the wall covering in our finish basement of our home that was built in 1960. this wall covering can be described as painted T-111 wood siding installed on interior walls. This siding transitions into acoustical ceiling tile drop ceiling.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I read the article on grey water or gray water as it can be spelled both ways. The article described the difference between this type of water and sewage water. It also described different uses for this type of water.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a photo of a basement wall that has several problems.The first problem is in the foundation wall itself, there is a large crack or I would call a separation of the mortar joint. It also appears that this defect is getting larger, you can see where someone has caulked it in the past and it is no longer sealed. The second problem that I see is that The beam it self is being shifted towards the wall and pushing outward and sinking. I would recommend that this situation will be examined by a foundation expert.
Research & Writing Assignment:
For this assignment I chose the article on ant inspections. I found this article very informative and detailed. This article was very easy to understand, and it did a wonderful job in breaking down an ant inspection. This article taught me how to distinguish between ants and termites. This article did a great job of showing what signs to look for while doing your pest inspection and how to test any areas that you suspect pest intrusion. The information contained in this article will definitely help me in my inspection processes in the future.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The attached photo is one from a detached garage where the owners never went to the back of the garage. I the picture, you can see where the siding had come loose from the structure. This was a case of “out of site-out of mind”.
Research & Writing Assignment:
This is a great topic. Corrugated plumbing. I have gotten into discussions with many a plumbers who for some reason feel it is okay to use this product. I see this more times than not and always call it out only to get push back from plumbers. They feel that if it is sold for plumbing needs then what is the problem. When I explain why its being call out, they basically blow me off and I really have to push to get it replaced.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is an image of the electric service to a house. The service is 240 volt 200 amp service. The main disconnect is on the inside of the directly in line with the meter. There are no sub panels. The visible wiring is Romex electric panel is approximately 20 years old. There was no aluminum wiring noted. There were battery operated smoke detectors in the home.
Research & Writing Assignment:
This essay is about understanding the electric panel. Once the electricity goes through the electric meter it enters the electric panel. This panel, which is usually in the garage, basement, or utility room sends power through multiple circuits through out the home. The panel may contain circuit breakers or fuses depending on the age. Circuit breakers trip and fuses burn out. Breakers can be flipped to reset but fuses have to be replaced.
Breakers trip and fuses burn out if too much current is being drawn on the circuit. They do this to protect the wiring and prevent fires. If a breaker or fuse fails repeatedly an electrician should be called. Never replace either with one of higher amperage.
Ground Fault breakers detect any abnormal current flow and trip for human safety.
Arc Fault breakers detect an arc and trip to prevent a fire.
The electric panel should have a legend on the door identifying the circuits and which rooms they service.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Applying the minimum standards of performance when inspecting the roof covering:
(f) Roof systems requirements are as follows:
(1) Licensees shall:
(A) inspect:
(i) the roof covering;
(ii) the roof drainage systems;
(iii) the flashings; and
(iv) the skylights, chimneys, and roof penetrations; and
(B) describe the roof covering and report the methods used to inspect the roof.
Roof inspection
(f.1.A.i) / (f.1.B) The roof inspection was performed from a ladder at the eves. The roof covering consisted of a single layer of dimensional asphalt shingles. The roof primarily consisted of a 9/12 slope. The owner said the roof was replaced in 2016, approximately 2 years ago. (f.1.A.iii) There is a drip edge at the eves and gable end. (f.1.A.ii) There is minor granular debris in the gutters but otherwise the gutters were clean and appeared to be draining properly. (f.1.A.iv) flue, plumbing vents and roof ventilation flashing are in satisfactory condition.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
In this picture, it represents part of the exterior portion of the inspection. It shows the type of foundation of the home as well as the type of covering for the exterior walls. This home is built on a slab foundation with vinyl siding as the covering for the exterior. During the inspection, an inspector would be looking at the overall condition of the foundation, looking for cracking or deterioration in the foundation. The inspector would check the siding for any cracking, discolored pieces, and proper installation of the pieces.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The article I chose to read was on the use of drones during a home inspection. The use of a drone during my home inspections is a thought that I had when I first began researching becoming a home inspector. The article provided good insight into the requirements of using a drone for commercial use. I was unaware of the different tests and regulations involved with using a drone. I learned that the requirements to becoming a Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) are very similar to those of becoming a pilot.
Research & Writing Assignment:
In Indiana, home inspectors license is regulated by the Home Inspectors Licensing Board (HILP) that falls under the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. The HILB consist of seven members that are appointed by the governor and composed of home inspectors, home builder, realtor and an at-large position. The laws and regulations are defined in Indiana Code title 25, article 20.2.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Found step from garage leading to yard to have proper grading/pitch towards yard. No visible cracks or chips in cement work. Door is fire rated and in operable condition. Threshold securely fastened and weathestripping in good condition. Siding below threshold has moisture intrusion and is rotted, would suggest removal and replacement.
