Steven L. Smith's Blog

In the Pacific Northwest, practically speaking, we have two types of termites to look out for on inspections. And, if you are in the Bellingham area, despite the propaganda you might hear to the contrary-- Yes, we too have termites!

The first, and uncommon in most parts of the country, is the Pacific Dampwood termite. Here in the northwest we see this insect fairly often. This guy, and the gals, are attracted to very moist, often decaying, wood. They are a secondary problem in that wood is way too wet to begin with if they find it appealing, so you have a problem even before they move in. They are often found around plumbing leaks, in wet crawl spaces, that kind of thing. Unlike the subterranean termite, the dampwoods often live in the wood they feed on. Tearing out the old lumber and getting rid of the moisture will eliminate this species without a costly chemical treatment.

The second species, and harder to eradicate, is the Western Subterranean termite. This is the classic termite, a real termite among termites, that lives deep in the soil and then uses mud tunnels or tubes to commute up into structural lumber. Like almost all termites, they are seldom to never visible to the homeowner. To find the subs a trained professional needs to do a crawl space inspection looking for telltale signs. This pest almost always requires a chemical treatment such as sodium borates and is more common east of the mountains.

The third species, is the stranger among us -- at least here in Washington State it is a stranger. It is rare and an import from warmer climates, probably just another Californian moving to the northwest. This pest is the drywood termite. This termite, in my region, might be found in furniture that was imported from other parts of the country. The photo below was supplied by AR ace Charles Buell and, some time back, I wrote a blog on the specifics of Charlie's amazing capture. You might want to check it out. So far, this guy -- the drywood termite not Charlie -- is a visitor but there is some concern that, over the years, it might adapt to our climate. Because this termite can live in wood, and does not go out searching for sources of water, it does not leave mud tubes -- it usually stays hidden and nice and dry. In the northwest, when a drywood termite is identified, the furniture should be removed from the home and treated by a professional. In warm climates these guys are a main reason for tent fumigation of the home.  If you think you know lots about wood destroying organisms, or you want to find out what you know, you can take my free online test it scores you on the spot and is quick and interactive.

Photos of the species are below. The bigger termites, left photos, are called soldiers.

Dampwood                          Subterranean                       Drywood, Charles Buell photo

Thanks for dropping in

Steven L. Smith

Whatcom County Home Inspector

 When a home inspector looks for leaks, where pipes and vents exit the roof, it can be a subtle process. If there is an accessible attic, the inspector will try to look around these appurtenances (big fancy word for stuff coming out of the roof). Another method, done in virtually every inspection, is to look at all of the flashings on the roof. Is the metal rusting, is the flashing done right, are the shingles or roofing around it holding up, has debris collected that blocks the flow of water?

The defect in the photo below was an easier find than what is normal. This is a view from below, in a garage. Look to the sky, at the left side of the vent. That white spot is the daylight above. Since that showed up, even with my flash, you can bet that was a pretty large gap. Also, it was a gap that was very friendly to water intrusion. This was an easier defect to find than what is typically the case.

Steven L. Smith

Whatcom County WA home inspection

 Realtors in our wet Pacific Northwest are usually expecting an inspection report to mention something about gutter or downspout problems -- gutters full of leaves, gutter leaks, downspouts draining on the siding or next to the house. Sometimes agents will, visually, take a look at gutters as they walk around the home with their clients. One thing to look for, that seems to be often missed, is the downspout that is leaking at an elbow or where there is a joint of one kind or another. The photo below is a good example of that -- more obvious than what you usually see. Sometimes this is caused by simple physics: The downspout was put together wrong and the lower section is "inside" the upper section so water runs out around the sides. In this case, and being familiar with the home, it is more likely that the second elbow down was full of debris. Leaks like this can damage siding or trim, if the the leaking water stays in contact with it over time.

Thanks for stopping by

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA home inspector

 When performing a structural pest inspection, an inspector is likely to "sound the wood." The basic idea is two fold. One possibility is that the wood will, hence the name, "sound" different if it is damaged, hollow, soft. This is a technique that works quite well on exterior logs on log homes where you want to get an idea of their condition, without dinging them up. The other possibility is that when a piece of wood is hit, it will come apart in pieces or insect frass or live insects will be exposed. Obviously, this latter type of test, which might well physically change the look of the wood, is reserved for concealed places like the crawl space. It is not the sort of thing one would do to the siding or exterior logs -- an ice pick, the tip of an X-acto knife or something finer is better for testing in those locations.  The photos below better describe the process. 

The first photo is the type of hammer I use. Basically it is a mason's or a rock hammer. It is blunt at one end, for sounding, and it is like a pick at the other end for gouging, the second type of more aggressive testing described above. 

The second photo is a crawl space post, seriously damaged by anobiid beetles. The fine sawdust on the pier, frass, fell out when I tapped it with the blunt end of the hammer. A dig or two with the sharp end shows just how weak the post is. It is coming apart, is powdery and is much like having the house supported on a piece of floral Styrofoam -- seriously -- and most of the posts looked like that.

The third photo is a joist that had been chewed by carpenter ants. That damage, the hole from chewing, was there already so I saw that right away. When I sounded the joist, there was a hollow sound, not that I needed to. I could see by looking that it was gone. The picture off to the side is what happened when I hit the joist with the sharp end of the hammer -- live ants working away in wood that crumbled away.

Hopefully this description will give AR members a better idea of what an inspector does, under the house, when he or she finds evidence of wood destroying organisms. By the way, the inspector should be subtle enough about his sounding, and gouging, that he or she is not also defined as a wood destroying organism. Any wood the inspector turns to crumbs was toast in the first place, as in the photos below. It was structurally dead!

Thanks for looking.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA home inspections

 Inspectors see any number of decks. Some are well built. In this wet climate, we like to see the structure built out of pressure treated lumber and concrete piers that isolate wood from soil. As the composite deckings get better looking, to look much like wood, they are becoming more common. Even though these materials are good, weather-resistant decking, many people who install the material do not follow the manufactureer's installation guidelines -- which are quite specific. The manufacturer's define where you can, or cannot, use the material and also the distance to centers (joist spacing)  is important and depends on the decking that is chosen.

The photo below was odd. The deck structure was well-built, and the centers were correct, but then they got into being speedy when installing the decking. You will notice that the butt-joints and all decking is held in place at joists with a single screw at the center. I checked that method, against the manufacturer's specifications and sure enough it is wrong. This manufacturer calls for two screws per joist, with the screws near the edges of the decking and going down with minimal slope. It is weird when someone does a good job, and then botches it up at the end. Maybe the homeowner had a builder do the structure and then did the decking himself on weekends. I have seen that sort of scenario, the idea being that nobody could mess it up once the structure was built. Unfortunately, that is wrong.

Thanks for dropping by.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham home inspector

There is a tendency,  when homes or cabins are at alpine regions, to ignore the runoff water from the roof. That means, they do not bother installing gutters and downspouts. The argument against them, by those who do not install them, is that the gutters can be bent, damaged or torn off the home by accumulated snow and ice.

The other side of it is that, when no gutters are installed, rain runs off the roof to the soil below and then splashes up against the siding. Below is a photo of a gutter at an alpine home. Fact is, it was not snow that damaged this gutter. It was the accumulation of leaves and standing water -- weight. Take a look and you will see that it is actually drooping and pulling off the house. As a result of that water is now accumulating down behind the gutter at the wood trim. That will only get worse. Look to the left and you will see that the edge of the gutter, due to the droop, no longer has a counter flashing above it. Rain is traveling down behind, due to that gap. The 2nd photo below is typical of the fungal growth one sees when these mountain homes are assaulted by uncontrolled splash from the roof runoff water.

In this one case, the gutters just need repair and maintenance. At a lot of the places I see, they need to have gutters and downspouts installed as they are not in place at all. In my state, Washington, missing gutters is defined as a conducive condition that can lead to attracting wood destroying organisms. If you are in real estate, and live in an area with alpine homes and you are selling them,  you can click here  to get more information on some options for installing gutters and snow guards in locations prone to heavy snow.

Thanks for looking.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA home inspector

I saw a recent blog about can-lights written by Charles Buell. He was explaining the finer points of can-lights, inspecting can-lights, and can-light safety. In the comments, he and another AR member were talking about safety features found in some can-lights -- that cause them to shutdown if the bulb is overrated for the fixture and they get too hot.

This discussion tickled my memory gland and I remembered a photo I took at an inspection. Whoever put in this can-light, he took the term very literally. It really was a can-light, by Folgers as I recall.  You can just see the inner can in the photo but I could see the rest of it while on site. This might be a can-light but it is really not safe. A metal can, not designed as a light, conducts heat way too well for anyone to even consider this type of home-brew lighting up in the ceiling and attic. There were several of them installed in the ceiling at the older home. Who knows, maybe the fellow invented the first can-light.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA home inspections

This is an interesting photo in that there are two problems, or at least possible problems. The knob and tube wiring, which had been modified in various places, is the most obvious problem. Some insurance companies will still cover knob and tube wiring (with a higher premium) but many of the most affordable insurance companies will not even consider insuring a house with knob and tube wiring. A primary risk is fire, and also the system has no equipment ground.  The other possible issue in the photo is vermiculite attic insulation. It could be okay, but based on the age of the house, it is likely that this contains some asbestos fibers. The basic guideline is to leave it undisturbed. Some people prefer to have it tested and, if it has asbestos in it, they want it removed which can be costly. For more information on vermiculite, check this blog by Charles Buell.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspection

 This Old House -- a famous song and a  famous expression. As a home inspector, I see lots of old houses. The one below was a classic example of a 100 year old plus farm house that had been built and lived in over all those years. The modifications and repairs were not always, in fact seldom, done right and the maintenance had fallen by the wayside over the years as well.

Sometimes people ask: "Why would someone pay an inspector money to report on such obvious problems?" I do not always have a good answer for that. With many homes the problems are subtle enough that it takes an inspector to find and report the issues. At this house I think the fellow knew many of the problems going in, however, I was able to provide specifics, such as what pest was working in the crawl space, what condition the beams and joists were in, etc. In this case, the client decided against buying the house. He had hoped it would be a fairly simple remodel and the problems were way beyond that. He learned that from the inspection, although the problems would be apparent to probably anyone here at AR.

Front                                                  Knob and tube wiring

Siding closeup                                        Front porch

Roof                                                             Two stories, only source of heat

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham Home Inspections

 It is odd. People do not want rodents in their homes. Yet they often fail to do something as simple as putting one plus one together. That something simple is realizing that rodents are going to enter a crawl space when they have a window of opportunity, such as through numerous holes left by workers or homeowners.

Below are photos taken at a crawl space on a newer home. You can see that a mouse or a rat could easily get into the crawl space at the entry door -- simply by darting in either side of the board at the top of the metal cover. In the lower photo, to make way for a drain on the pan under the water heater, someone tore a foundation vent screen. This is, sadly, often the case when condensate drains are run from furnaces.

One problem is, if these critters get in the crawl space, then they can make a real mess, tearing up the insulation, pulling it down, chewing up the flex ducts and, once they are under the house, they love to travel into the house (can you say looking for real morsels) through the holes in the floor that accommodate the plumbing pipes. Remember, a mouse can get through a hole the size of a dime, and rats can do the limbo to get in a tight place too. Bottom line: First line defence against vermin is to keep them out of the crawl space by not creating, or by blocking, any obvious openings. 

Thanks for dancing by.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA home inspections