Questions Of The Week For 18 April

Inspection Education Topics Inspection Question of the Week
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Welcome To Questions of The Week!

A member of the Awards Committee will post questions, at a random day/time.

Members may make one post per question thread to answer the questions, and the member’s winning entry must have all parts of the questions answered completely in that one post.

No editing is allowed and INELIGIBLE members will be disqualified .

First correct answers (as judged by the Awards Committee or Poster of the Questions) wins.

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Choose your prize from the following list!:

** $50.00 gift certificate from Inspector Outlet

** Case of books "Now That You’ve Had A Home Inspection"

** Custom Branded Videos value $50.00 ~ your choice!

https://certifiedmasterinspector.org/video-contest 1

GOOD LUCK!

NOTE: All images here are high resolution so you can expand them for your viewing pleasure!

Question 1

What is the common problem in these two pictures from the same home.

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Question 2

This is Huber Engineered Woods (HEW) Zip System sheathing and ZipSystem Tape. What am I demonstrating in these two pictures?

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Question 3

What is wrong with this attic access point?

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Question 4

This is looking up about 20’ - 25’ above floor level. What simple framing error can be seen here with the roof structure? Don’t get complicated and to help better understand this a second picture is displayed here from a little farther out and taken from a little left. You are looking through a vaulted ceiling and up to the roof. In the first picture that is a gable roof ridge with a hip roof coming down on either side of it (the gable protrudes from the hip roof section).

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Question 5

This is new construction with a single pour for the foundation and porch out to, and just beyond, the support columns seen. What’s wrong here?

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Let’s have some fun with music

Question - In 1974 this group slammed Neil Young in one of their songs. Who was the group and what was the song?

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Thanks for doing these questions, Manny!

Many really like scratching their heads. :+1:

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These are going to be some good ones.

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Great questions Manny !!

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Nice job Manny, and appreciated.

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I will give it a try, much speculation here and limited framing knowledge.
Lets see if I can get the numbers correct

  1. Here we go with the house of horrors. WOW. The framing is terrible. There was no consideration given to the other trades for proper support. The rafter boards are not properly supported. The door framing is not even the correct size. If you don’t have the correct size lumber just use what you have. Then do we even start on the plumbing and electrical. What a maze of a mess. Not properly supported The HVAC is not properly supported. Manny, I think you put them up to this for a new house of horrors.
  2. Utilize tape gun or hard rubber roller provided by manufacturer to ensure tape is completely adhered to substrates. If not applied properly you don’t have the moisture barrier.
    3.Need more lumber all around to make it steady and be able to get access to the attic. There would be no way to get to the attic and not be on the sheetrock.
    4.We won’t even get into the vaulted ceiling portion. The boards are scabbed together, there are only a few collar ties and no connectors. They are too far apart. They are not even cut into the ridge beams. Flexing, cracking and then fall down. I don’t know much about framing but this is a joke. Again, Manny you must have set this up for a good QOTW.
    5.Appears to be no footings to support columns, also downspout. Terrible pour, need I say more.

Lynyard Skynyrd Sweet Home Alabama

And for my closing comment, WHAT A HOUSE !!!

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  1. Interior bearing wall with single ply header requires both top and bottom plate. Also appears non-listed material used as firestopping.

  2. Applicator roller required to leave flat, uniform tape joint of seams.

3)Assuming 16" on center framing, attic access does not appear to meet minimum 22"x30" size (Unless equipment located in attic, in which case equipmemt dictates size). Also proximity of MEPs poses an issue. It appears both conduit and plumbing are located across opening.

  1. Purlin appears not to be perpendicular to rafter framing as would be required. Purlin should also be of same size as rafter (hard to confirm). Would also like to see some attempt at bevel for rafter tie-in.

  2. It was stated foundation was monolithic pour. If slab was also monolithic, would ask for proof of air entrainment for freeze thaw (Not sure where this is). Otherwise I am not seeing appropriate expansion joint between structure and porch-can create issues long term. I would have recommended contraction/control joints. Concrete is almost guaranteed to crack. Lastly, superintendent failed to convey finished face-forms were left on and no finish given to face as it is entirely above grade. Cosmetic issue.

Song) Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd

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Welcome to our forum, Nathan!..enjoy participating. :smiley:

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Thanks Larry.

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OK all great tries. Looks like Nathan came closest and is our winner this week! Y’all went to town answering and the pictures can be a bit confusing but that’s why they are in high res so you can expand them.

Answer 1

Cripple studs above the header are not being fully supported on their bottom.

Answer 2

Notice the smooth tape in the first image and the textured surface of the tape in the second picture. The tape on this sheathing has not been properly rolled. These type tapes have pressure activated adhesives and when properly rolled they can take on the texture of the sheathing as seen here. That was accomplished even by light pressure with my finger. Sad to say I see this on 99% of homes inspected and it says right there every few feet “Roll The Tape”!

Answer 3

Look to the upper left of the picture and you will see an HVAC plenum typical of what is on a horizontally mounted system. This attic does have an HVAC system in it. This attic access point does not contain a pull down stair set. Obviously it will have to be increased in size to add one.

Answer 4

Look near the center of the first picture, just above the upper insulated line set (a refrigerant line set), and along the left diagonal valley rafter. A common rafter was not properly cut to length and angled to contact the valley rafter.

Answer 5

The moisture barrier (green plastic seen) was not properly secured and appears to have mixed with the concrete during the pour. This has caused obvious issues with the porch area. It is not known how much barrier material was caught in the concrete. Because of the significance of the support columns this was referred to an Engineer for review and written engineered correction.

Let’s have some fun with music

Question - In 1974 this group slammed Neil Young in one of their songs. Who was the group and what was the song?

Answer - Lynyrd Skynyrd in their song Sweet Home Alabama

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Congrats, @njewell. :+1:

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Congrats Nathan Jewell

Excellent stuff from Manny! ! !

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Congrats Nathan Jewell

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Thank you all. I look forward to contributing more often.

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Congratulations, Nathan, Welcome to the forum, Enjoy!!

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@escanlan
Great questions and thanks for the detailed answers.

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Congratulations!

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Congrats, @njewell

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