The two articles discussed here are “Asbestos – Consumer Targeted” and “Asbestos Cement Siding Inspection”.
The first article, Asbestos” is intended to inform the general public of the dangers of asbestos and what should be done if asbestos is present in one’s house.
In general asbestos fibers when inhaled into the lungs can cause cancers and every precaution should be taken to prevent the release of asbestos fibers into the atmosphere.
If present is a house there are two approaches to dealing with asbestos. One approach is to leave the asbestos product undisturbed if it is in good condition. As long as the asbestos product in not releasing fibers into the air the products can be left in place.
As a precaution sealing or covering the asbestos product is sometimes recommended.
The other approach is to remove the asbestos product. This should only be done by a trained and certified professional. The removal process is highly regulated and proper removal procedures must be strictly followed.
The second article and “Asbestos Cement Siding Inspection” discusses the benefits, drawbacks and inspection recommendations for this material.
The benefits of and Asbestos Cement Siding is that it is fire proof, resistant to rot and insects and is easy to maintain. The disadvantages are that it is brittle, can effloresce, is difficult to repair and of course it contains asbestos.
If the siding does not crumble with hand pressure it can be left in place. Regular maintenance such as cleaning and painting will slow the rate of deterioration of the Asbestos Cement Siding and the release of asbestos fibers.
When inspecting Asbestos Cement Siding look for chipping and cracking, efflorescence and failing fasteners.
Stove anti-tip bracket is not installed to the floor under and at the back of the stove. This bracket is to prevent the stove from tipping forward during loading and unloading of the oven or if small children open and climb on the door to see whats cooking. There is a potential for burns and injury from missing bracket. Recommend proper anti-tip bracket be installed.
Inadaquite or restricted crawlspace air vents. Poor air flow or exchange can lead to high moisture levels in the crawlspace. High moisture can have negative affects on the property. Recommend further evaluation and repairs as recommended by a licensed professional to provide proper and adaquite crawlspace ventilation.
A GFCI outlet properly located in the kitchen near water source. Found to be up to date according to local building code. I tested it and its functional.
This is the electrical panel I inspected for this course. During the inspection I noticed that there has been a repair made on one of the bus bars. There is also a 100 amp breaker for the air handler which calls for a 60 amp breaker for over current protection. Also noted the cover was not installed when I arrived. This is a potential shock hazard. Several wires are capped off inside the box. There are also 4 different brands of breakers.
I just read two articles from the library, “Ungrounded Electrical Receptacles” and “Electrical Panels”. Ungrounded electrical receptacles are quite common in homes built prior to 1962. These homes may have 3 prong outlets installed that are not grounded as the conductors do not have ground wires. This condition must be reported to the client to make them aware that the outlets are not grounded and should be properly upgraded by a licensed electrician.
When inspecting Electrical Panels, extreme care must be exercised as these are potentially lethal areas. Be sure that the surrounding area are moisture free and have an escape path planned if needed. Always shield the client away from the panel when removing the cover and never leave the cover off unattended.
I did a home inspection two months ago, and the finding that puzzled me was a tiny hornets nest inside the electrical panel. I look for holes where the hornets would go in but none what found, after speaking to the seller (present during the inspection) he informed me that an electrician added a circuit and left the door open, and the seller didnt notice for several day.
the hornets nest was reported in the report and verbally reported to my client (the potential new owner).
Energy usage at the home left unchecked will cause utilities cost to rise and waste resources. Home owners have many opportunities to learn how to save energy and educate themselves in practical energy saving solutions. Adjusting the thermostat, buying low flow faucets and shower heads along with low volume toilets are easy ways to save around the house. Local utility companies can provide information about home energy savings.
fanderson
(Frank Anderson, Professional Inspector, TX 9992)
1629
This attic access ladder is improperly installed and missing important fasteners. This is a safety hazard. Please have a licensed professional repair and verify proper installation per manufacturer’s specifications.
The roof was wet at the time of inspection, so I could not safely walk the roof for a closer inspection. From my viewpoint from the exterior of the home, there was no visible sagging or sways in the roof structure, but will recommend the homeowner clean the gutters on a regular basis.
For this course I read Emergency Preparedness: How Home Inspectors can help their Clients and Doing Damage during an Inspection: It’s your Job.
I like how the article went into three areas where you can help your clients, Personal Health and Safety, Security, and Re-entry. I know from personal experience how having lists during times of emergency can help calm a situation.
We are doing noninvasive inspections, but are testing functionality using normal operating controls under normal conditions. It’s good to know if something happens during the inspection we are doing a good job for our clientele.
This is the ladder I like to use around the house. I bought it a few years back and it is still highly reliable today. It is an articulated ladder capable of extending out to a 17 foot extension ladder or can be used as a step ladder at about 7 and a half feet. The down side of this ladder is the fact that it is heavy, but it is rated IA which allows a 300 pound maximum work load that I find important because at 6’4" and 270 pounds, I am a larger guy.
I read the article on Asbestos. It was informative and gave several examples of where you may find asbestos in a house you may be inspecting. Primarily the age of thebe careful house is where the biggest clues may lie. If it was built before 1970, you need to be a bit cautious. If the house was built between 1930 and 1950, even more so. Here in NW Florida, and from my limited experience, the big issue lies with older siding. Be careful, it can be easy to make an error in what you are dealing with.
The second article was Attic Pull-Down Ladders. It described the same material as we read in this class with a recommendation to replace wooden ladders with aluminum ones since they have a more secure rating. Be careful no matter what they are made of, it is still easy enough to fall and hurt yourself when moving around on these ladders.
The attached picture is of a duel hot-water heater system. This system is supplied with natural gas. The natural gas cut-off located on North exterior wall. Both water heaters are 50 gallon Rheem heaters. Both are properly vented and are mounted in galvanized metal water heater pans and both pan have attached drain lines that exit the Northern exterior wall. Both water heaters are equipped with Temperature and Pressure relief valves that are attached to drain lines exiting the house on the Northern exterior wall. Both gas water heaters were lit at the time of inspection. Both water heaters are free of any visible corrosion.
(Please excuse the sideways photo, this forum turn it sideways)
I read the articles on Ant Inspection and Roach Inspection. The articles both express the importance of preventing ants and roaches from entering the home by trimming back vegetation, patching opening to the home, and proper cleaning of sources of food for these pest. Roaches tend to be more of a health risk for the occupants of the home whereas ants, especially Carpenter ants can be destructive to the structure of the home itself. There are chemical remedies available to the home owner to kill these pest but large infestations may require a professional extermination.
Visual inspection of accessible electric water heater in crawlspace reveals evidence of fire due to faulty wiring. No service disconnect present at unit location. Unit has been powered off at the circuit breaker panel. I have tagged unit and circuit breaker due to dangerous condition. Unit should not be used until serviced or replaced by licensed contractor. I have notified homeowner and agent of this deficiency and its hazardous condition.
I should note the contractors sticker should not necessarily reflect poorly on him or his business. The dangerous condition of this unit could have easily been, and likely was, due to a replacement thermostat control being installed by an unqualified person. Next time I upload an image I will edit out any contractor identifications.
Visual inspection of roof from the ground level. The roof material was of asphalt shingles their was no indication of roof leaks. All vents on the roof seem to be undamaged and in working order. Gutters appear to be clean of debris the pitch of gutters where downhill towards downspout. Downspout appears to clean of debris also the ends of downspout are at a 45 degree pitch facing away of foundation. I think this was a perfect inspection sorry for not having any pictures I could not get them to upload.
I have read the articles over adjustable steel columns. I have learned that the column should be 3 inch no less and or no greater unless otherwise certified by certified structure inspector has signed off on the column. The column should be painted on all surfaces with a rust-inhibitive paint unless the column is corrosive resistant steel. Also columns that are bending or have a bow in the mid-section means that the column cannot bear the weight of the house.
