Thermal imaging is a great tool to use when inspecting the components of a house. It will help find electrical concerns quickly and safely. Some electrical issues infrared cameras help identify are loose connections, arcing, overloaded circuits and faulty equipment.
Thermal imaging is a great tool to use when inspecting the components of a house. It will help find electrical concerns quickly and safely. Some electrical issues infrared cameras help identify are loose connections, arcing, overloaded circuits and faulty equipment.
The area here is shown to have excessive moisture intrusion, this can lead to mold, attractt pests, and deteriorate property over time. To help prevent this, a vapor barrier should be installed along with proper grading of soil around the property
Knob and tube wiring has been associated with insafe practices and fire safety. Many insurance companies do not cover homes with knob and tube, many electricians will state that as long as the outside protective sheathing is not compromised, then the wiring is okay.
The attached photo shows a brick pier that is leaning over, and not supporting the joist properly. This must be identified as a defect and noted in the report as a defect. There may also be cracking in the house directly above due to movement of the brick pier.
Crawlspaces can be a dangerous part of the house as they consist of various dangers, such as mold and fungus, pests, improper wiring, sewage, asbestos insulation and hantavirus. Appropriate PPE must be worn to protect the inspector of these hazards.
A vented crawl space poses a significant risk to moisture intrusion into a home. The crawl space must have adequate ventilation or a vapor barrier on the soil to stop moisture evaporating from the soil and being trapped inside the crawl space. IRC States a minimum of 6 mil Polly plastic sheeting to cover the entire floor and 6in up the exterior perimeter of the foundation wall. The joints in the poly must be lapped a minimum of 6 in and the joints sealed. The poly going up the exterior foundation wall must also be sealed to the wall
A crawl space can pose a significant risk to a home inspector. Hazards such as nesting wildlife, mold and bacteria or microbial growth also poses a risk to the inspectors health. Standing water in conjunction with live electric wires that have been damaged through animal interference can also cause a potential life threatening danger to the inspector.
This is a picture of a missing kick out flashing on an invasive stucco inspection I did the other day. Surprisingly this area came back with a low moisture content. Most of the time missing kick out flashings can cause that section of stucco be very high moisture content.
I read the article about back drafting. It was very informative to read more about back drafting. I have seen many times where the vents will not have a proper slope and I always tell people this needs to be changed to prevent any back drafting.
The only path to a truly dry and healthy crawl space is to seal it entirely form the ground and outside air. This leads to big improvements in indoor air quality and annual energy savings typically between 10% - 15%. With sealed or closed crawlspaces, 100% of the ground is covered with a thick layer of plastic.
Inspectors should be sure to wear proper personal protective equipment that is appropriate for entering a crawl space. Make sure you have coveralls, gloves, boots, head sock with preferable a full face respirator. Adequate lighting with a back-up source is a prerequisite. Also do not enter unless you have a buddy available to help in case of an emergency or at the very minimum make sure you has cell phone access before entering and I would make contact with someone prior to entering so they are aware of what you are about to do.
This picture of a homes attic space shows electrical junction boxes with multiple circuits in each box. Although the junction boxes are accessible it would be a recommendation to have a qualified electrician provide a professional assessment of this condition to verify there are no corrections required.
Crawl spaces can be a dangerous place for home inspectors.They can harbour a host of items that can affect the health of home inspectors if they do not wear the appropriate PPE.Air borne contaminates such as mold spores, asbestos, rodent pathogens like Hantavirus and microbial growth from leaking sewers.As well as hazards from loose wiring or debris. Taking the proper precautions when doing crawl space inspections is important to the inspectors well being.
Home is built in mountains on a stair step grade. The east side of the home has cracking in the stucco even with the the ground from rain water or drainage flowing into side the of home then into crawlspace.
Living in New Mexico it is sunny almost everyday so I am coming across more and more homes that have a solar system incorporated into the electrical service on their home. It is nice to see some extra inspection practices in which to follow.
Crawlspaces must have a moisture barrier on the floor as a dirt floor can add considerable moisture to a home. Its generally accepted that 6mil plastic sheet with a 6" overlap and sealed edges would meet current best practices for a moisture barrier.
Ideally posts in crawlspaces should be at least 4x4" and sit on concrete piers. Posts should be checked on how a beam sits on them and how the beam is fastened to the post. The use of correct fasteners is paramount.
This is the basement of a old chapel I inspected on 5-24-18. It has water damage that has penetrated into the basement. These electrical devices in the photo were powered on when I arrived and since the building is not occupied I shut the power down to the building. Vegetation has also penetrated the access door in the basement and vines run 15 feet into the center of the room.
I chose the Differential settlement crack photo in the gallery. I notice that in the right hand corner of the foundation, there has been a settlement crack. By looking at the photo longer, you can see that underneath the crack, the soil capacity is not properly load bearing. This could have been prevented by making sure all soil around this location had been tested for proper structure elements.