I chose the picture titled “counter flashing”. This picture clearly shows the proper installation of counter flashing. This is important because if the flashing is not installed properly that it can lead to water leaking behind the exterior sheathing of a home.
Kick out flashing is one of the most poorly utilized pieces of flashing. This is also one of the areas that I have seen cause the most damage in the home, especially when these are located above a window. It often times leaks onto the interior of the house around the window frame, causing damage and sometimes the wall has to be repaired.
Though I do not run across bidets often, they do appear in inspections. The separate bidet is not widely used as it requires more room than most restrooms offer. Bidets that are part of the commode or seat are more common place. Inspect them with care as, in my experience, the leak around the inlet line and if your not careful when testing, you will make a mess all over the floor.
I maintain a 2A, 10BC fire extinguisher in my kitchen because of the likeliness of a grease fire over wood or paper. In my garage I maintain an ABC extinguisher as a result of my woodshop. I have yet to extinguish any flame because we have great housekeeping practices and we never leave cooking unattended.
I selected “Fireplace Inspection” for this assignment. The picture reveals the fireplace is an inserted type and the hearth extension has proper depth along with the lintel. Also, all combustible materials appear to be clear of any type of combustion.
Here you see a fireplace hearth extension. The hearth extension is of adequate size compared to the dimensions of the fireplace. It is also not made of combustible material. You can also see that the fireplace is guarded by 2 metal mesh screens but there are combustible household items too close to the fireplace on top of the hearth extension.
Home Inspectors can give home owners basic strategies to prevent burglars from breaking into their home. 81% of burglars enter a home on the first story level though places like doors, windows, garages, and storage places. One strategy to keep your home safe is to only use steel or solid wood entry doors. You should check these doors regularly for cracks and signs of warping. Also, a chain lock should never take the place of a dead bolt lock. Chain locks should only be used for supplemental security.
The fireplace and chimney are of masonry brick and block construction with a natural stone veneer facing. The raised hearth extension extends 16" in front of , and over 12" on both sides of the fire box.There is no combustible mantel above the fire box.The fireplace is built on a 12" deep footing thet extends 6" past on the sides.
This image shows a hot water heater and furnace both being vented into a chimney. We can see that the pitch of both vents are meeting the code required 1/4" uphill pitch per each 12"of distance. Also, whenever there are two appliances venting into the same chimney, the smaller appliance always enters the chimney above the larger appliance position. This ensures that the flue gasses of the smaller appliance will not back draft.
Gas fired boilers can be a very versatile and efficient way to heat a house. They are classified by the IMC as direct vent, mechanical or atmospheric.A direct vent appliance is installed so that all combustion air is drawn in from outside the house and flue gases are discharged to the outside.
Here’s a picture of the hearth extension in my house. It’s funny that I decided to take this course today because I wrote a fireplace up yesterday in a new build that had none and the builder wanted to argue with me. When i got home I emailed him the criteria for a fireplace
Some of the things I learned today during this course was not to use lint as a starter or kindling. I actually do in my outdoor fireplaces and campfires. I’ve never used pallet wood for fuel even outside because of the nails. My indoor fireplace is a ventless gas
While conducting my inspection I observed the house has a ventless gas burning fireplace. I first inspected the fireplace to make sure that the gas line coming into the fire place is properly sealed to prevent drafting. I then checked the precast fire brick walls for any cracks that would allow flames to penetrate I to the space around the I serf. NO defects were observed. I then ignited the gas burning logs and allowed it to burn for ten minutes. I then used a hand held co monitor several feet from the opening of the fireplace to see what the co reading would be. The reading should be less than 35 parts pre million. The reading on this fireplace read 18 parts per million.I also observed a co/smoke detector in the same room as the ventless fireplace. The fireplace was deemed in working order. Though I informed the home owner that using this type of fireplace comes with many hazards like any gases expelled from the fire will be expelled into the home and ventless fireplaces also produce a significant amount of moisture due to the humidity produced by the fire a d not being vented to the outside.
Using a walk through agreement to help protect you in an informal inspection. A walk though inspection is where a client has hired you to conduct a less formal inspection where you do not have to adhere to the standard orders of practice or even generate a report. This type of inspection is for someone who is not sure if they want to get that involved in a full out inspection. Nevertheless it is good practice to have a contract signed to help ensure the release of liability to you.
Protecting yourself and your business is extremely important in today’s “lawsuit happy” climate. Most of the lawsuits that take place today are the result of unclear or unrealistic expectations from the client. Unless you clearly state the parameters of the inspection process, how will they know. It is your responsibility as an inspector to educate your clients to avoid an unsatisfied customer experience. As part of our membership benefits we are able to provide a link on each of our websites to the Internachi Standards of Practice which spells out what our clients can expect and what not expect. This simple link can save a big headache.
For my article i decided to read “Firestops” by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard. I think this article ties in well with this course after learning about all the clearances required for flue pipes passing through different areas of the home. It was interesting to read about the types of firestop material that could be found during an inspection. Prior to reading this article i had no knowledge of intumescents and their usefulness as firestops where electrical cables pass through firestops.
Here we go. Time to figure out how to not catch Sana on fire.
This is a picture of a chimney of a recent inspection. Their is a separation at the chase and the eave of the home.This is concerning because it could be evidence of movement of the chimney. Further evaluation is needed to determine if this is a structural issue or settlement.
I read the article “Chimney Inspection: Preventing Collapse” by Nick Gromicko. As an inspector, it is important to conduct a thorough chimney inspection. Several factors can cause not only damage but dangerous concerns too. it is important to inspect the chimney to insure it is not leaning or pulling away from the structure. If any structural issues arise then further evaluation is needed.
You can see clearly that there is/was active staining from the vent pipe or the chimney cap. this appears to have been replace/repaired, but I would still recommend having homeowner obtain documentation that the work was done by a licensed contractor and have them monitor areas for signs that the issue was not in fact resolved.
