chansen
(Carl R. Hansen, WI License # 2316-106)
41
A GARAGE INSPECTION
A roof truss cannot be altered without first, the approval of a structural engineer. Then the structural engineer must inspect the altered trusses and place his/her certification stamp on them.
A truss is designed to bear on specific points and must bear on those points. They should not bear on the bottom chord or be cantilevered unless they are designed for that purpose.
Trusses should be fastened with products designed for that purpose. Substitutes should not be used and creative onsite amateur engineering should not be employed.
INSPECTING ALUMINUM WIRING
The metallurgical properties of aluminum and copper are very different which can make aluminum wire incompatible with fixtures designed for copper wiring only.
The primary concern with aluminum wire is premature failure of the connections to the outlets which can lead to a fire. Fatalities from these fires have been documented.
There are several repairs to these connections available.
Aluminum is not as conductive to electricity as copper so a larger diameter aluminum wire must be used for the same amperage as copper.
I chose the following two articles for the reading/writing assignment in this course:
“Acid Rain and Inspectors: Buildings at Risk,” by Nick Gromicko and Kate Tarasenko
“Chimney Inspection: Preventing Collapse,” by Nick Gromicko
I decided upon these two articles because of the interesting juxtaposition they provide between man’s inability to recognize danger “creeping up slowly” and demonstrating re-activity to sudden harm or death – death by chimney in the case of the second article. This behavior is evident in every facet of human existence, including home ownership.
In the case of acid rain, our out of control desires to have more and more, use more and more, and waste more and more – have led to a near critical point in human history where man-made pollutants are responsible for acid rain, poisoning of our water supplies, and bringing our oceans to near unrecoverable levels.
How do we combat the tidal wave of humanity ever demanding more, whilst maintaining for ourselves a reasonable and environmentally small footprint? The acid rain article points to a few clues. Modifying purchasing habits, traveling when required, and using safe, green building materials are but a few of the many ways we can contribute to reversing 200 years of blatant industrial greed.
As for chimneys, decaying and dangerous chimneys are again manifest of our inability to “look up” and examine not only our surroundings, but understand a fundamental truth of this existence: What we take our attention off of instantly becomes subject to the laws of entropy. Without consistent repair and due diligence, ANYTHING created by man is doomed to return to the dust from whence it came.
I almost missed this when the homeowner had asked me to bypass examining his shop area located in one part of the basement. As the door was open and I could see the corner of the electrical box mounted on top the drywall, I felt it required noting on the inspection and explaining to the homeowner why I felt a certified electrician should be brought in to correct.
Although our task is not stated to be related to current or past codes, a good knowledge of current code can be helpful. The violations of local current code on this one comprise more than three sentences!
Suffice to say that it was reported both in writing and verbally that this homeowner installed electrical work needed to be examined and corrected by a certified electrician.
A further note: In cases where you are specifically asked not to inspect a room or area, ALWAYS note this in writing and I personally have the owner initial directly alongside the note on the report, as well as signing.
Saving energy for the homeowner. 11% of household energy is used for lighting. Switching to compact fluorescent or LEDs can reduce energy usage by 50 to 75%.
Tools every homeowner should have. Most clogged plumbing issues can easily be resolved with a plunger. Recommend using one plunger for toilets and another for sink.
Being able to identify installation defects is as important as identify the condition/age that the roof is in. Check to ensure that installed metal panels meet certain requirements for high wind/rain/snow areas. The photo that I have attached shows a typical park model home with a architectural, enamel coated steel roof. The slope of the roof is sufficient to allow for snow/rain run-off and there are no apparent visual defects on the surface. However, the tie in of the roof for the addition is not only being done incorrectly, but will most likely introduce water ingress into the roof assembly and create a seasonal nightmare for maintenance to ensure that the valleys are sealed year round.
Although this is not a metal roof sealant around the vent pipe is noted. The sealant should be checked periodically for deterioration on all types of roofing.
I read “Inspecting Roof Panel Sheathing” and “Mastering Roof Inspections: Metal Roofs, Part 1.” I think it is important to know how the metal roof is installed. Knowing how it is supported is good to know for the inspector and client. From what i understand is that you really shouldn’t walk on a metal roof because of its ability to support. This would also be a good thing to place in your report so your client understands they could damage their roof by walking on it.
Essay on inspecting metal roofs. I didn’t have a metal roof to inspect, so I loaded a picture of a shingle roof.
This picture shows the deterioration of a shingle roof that is reaching the end of it’s life span. The granules are starting to wear off the leading edges, leaving the asphalt and fibers exposed. Without the granule protection, the shingles will be exposed the UV rays of the sun and deterioration will accelerate.
Essay on Ant Inspection.
Ant have three different castes. The queen, males and the workers.
To determine whether you’re looking at an ant or a termite, examine the following:
-Ants have a constricted abdomen.
-Wings are of different lengths on ants.
-Ants have elbowed antenna
While termites eat wood, ants only live in it.
Essay on Carpeted Bathrooms.
Carpeted bathrooms have some advantages such as:
-Softer and warmer than tile.
-It reduces slip hazard.
-Installation is quick and easy.
However, carpeted bathrooms have disadvantages too:
-Soak up water from tub/shower splashes.
Soak moisture from the air
-Moisture in the carpet can lead to growth of decay fungi.
-Growth of mold.
Clients should be advised to maintain proper exhaust fans and keep carpet as drys as possible.
This picture and essay is for the requirement in the 2 hour “Inspecting Metal Roofs” online course. The picture is a raised metal roof on a manufactured home in Tampa, Florida. The metal roof was secured with screws and then sealed over to prevent leaking. The screws were re-sealed some time later as evident by the two different colors of the two sealants. There were no leaks or other issues with this roof.
The article I chose to read for the requirement in the online course “Inspecting Metal Roofs” was “Mastering Roof Inspections: Metal Roofs, Part 1”. This article seems to make sense as it was the same topic as the course. Oddly enough, the images in this article looked like the same articles in the course. It was an informative article that helped to reinforce things to look for during an inspection. I did like the chart on low and high energy metals.
This is a picture of a copper element that shows some aging. Based on the aging chart it looks like it is from 2 to 3 years old. There is no sign of corrosion at all since it is in the beggining of its life span. No metal roofs were found in my area. :o
Counter flashing goes on top of either step or head wall flashing, and it prevents moisture entering behind the overlapped flashing.
The installation of this kind of flashing becomes more time consuming and expensive when it has to be installed on brick or stone walls or chimneys. The right installation of this flashing includes to be inserted into the mortar joints.
You will find a lot of this kind of flashings installed incorrectly, specially at stone side walls, head walls and chimneys.
Flashing Part 4
Kick out flashings prevent run off from entering behind the exterior wall covering. There is no size requirements to follow. Most of this flashing are made on site using step flashings. You just have to make sure they are installed on walls that extend past of the roof eave.
Inspection Assignment
Inspecting Metal Roofs
During the inspection of the property. It was noted several fastener screws were over-driven, mushrooming the rubber gasket. Which creates a possible water intrusion point. It was also noted it did not appear underlayment was used possibly shortening the life of the roof.
Reading and Writing Assignment.
Inspection Metal Roofs.
I read two articles. The first article was on Thats a lot of money for a few hours work. It described how Pablo Picasso charged a woman $10,000 for an art piece that took 5 mins to paint, but advised it actually took him a lifetime to master the skill-set.
The second article was on Fall Arrest Systems. It advised on different types of systems OSHA requirements, and how the systems operate.
This is a picture of the ceiling in an attached garage. The garage is located directly below two bedrooms that are directly above it. Some of the drywall in the garage ceiling has been cut out (removed) to accommodate a new garage door installation. This drywall was not replaced in this area. This can cause a serious safety concern if a motor vehicle is left running inside the garage space. Carbon monoxide can seep up into the above floor through this unprotected gap and through the flooring of the upper rooms filling the rooms and possibly the whole upper floor to be filled with poison gas fumes. Caution: Do not use this garage for vehicle use until this issue has been resolved.
The difference between Architectural metal roofing and Structural metal roofing.
In most cases, metal roofs are installed over a supporting roof deckthat holds up thestructural load, transferringthe loadthrough the house structure and down to the building foundation and ground.
Structural metal roofing rests on purlins. Structural roofing material are generally thicker than architectural roofing materials. These are normally installed without the use of a supporting roof deck.
