Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, WA Home Inspector (King of the House)

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Incomplete Wiring Practices

I do not often see this at new construction, but in homes that are just a few years old it seems that a previous homeowner, somewhere along the way, could not restrain the urge to do some wiring.

This often leads to improperly terminated wires, sometimes energized and sometimes not, and they might be found in the attic, the crawl space the garage, outside. Trying to predict locations in advance is difficult because these do-it-yourselfers might leave the wire just about anywhere. The fact is that electric wires and splices should be properly terminated and that includes putting connections in a covered junction box or, if the circuit is abandoned, then the cable may be removed. Part of the goal is to eliminate confusion as to what is live, what is not live and what might become live if some unmarked switch in the hinterlands is flipped by an unsuspecting party.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

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13 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • February 20 2010 10:28AM

Gravel and Porous Materials

At an inspection the other day I saw a heavy layer of gravel around the outside of a foundation and that reminded me of a conversation I had recently with a former student. The student was studying for a licensing exam and he wanted clarification as to the correct answer to an exam prep question. 

The question said:

Which statement is the potential inspection concern when gravel (porous material) is in close proximity to the foundation around the perimeter of a home?

A. Gravel is easily disturbed, fine sand is better

B. Gravel is a primary cause of foundation cracks

C. The true slope of soil below the gravel is concealed so grading issues might exist

D. Gravel, due to expansion and contraction, will damage the concrete foundation

The best answer is C. Gravel can conceal the true slope of a lot. There might be a non-porous surface such as clay under the gravel and it could slope down toward the foundation and the footing. The gravel may have been put in place to hide a shortcut when the site work was done and, in essence, it conceals the fact that runoff water passes through the gravel and is then being directed against the foundation where inquiring eyes cannot see the problem.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

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10 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • February 19 2010 02:31PM

Supplemental Home Inspection Education at Bellingham Technical College

 

It was announced today by the State Department of Licensing that Bellingham Technical College is now an approved provider for a supplemental training course for those home inspectors who require more education in order to meet state licensing requirements.

There were a number of home inspectors who had previously taken home inspector education, but the courses did not meet the guidelines that were, eventually, set by the state. If those students had a sufficient number of hours, then they are allowed to take 40 hours of supplemental training and that will allow them to meet the state requirements.

BTC is, primarily, offering this to past students of our course who took the course prior to it being approved by DOL. We are offering the supplemental course in conjunction with our regular fundamentals classes. Those requiring supplemental training will come in on certain days and attend key refresher classes. Because we do have limited classroom space at BTC, typically rooms that hold no more than 12 to 16 students, space for the supplemental program is limited. Most students taking the supplemental course will, also, wish to take the 40 hours of field training.

Anyone interested in this course may obtain more information by contacting Bellingham Technical College at 360-752-8796.

Steven L. Smith

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0 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • February 17 2010 06:32PM

The “Perfect Storm”----Home Inspectors and Foreclosures

This is an excellent piece on the topic of the numerous foreclosures and short sale properties. Experienced agents will be keenly aware of the circumstances that can apply to such properties. Less experienced agents, or inspectors, should read this article. Sometimes the distressed lenders, trying to keep from throwing good money after bad, degrade the quality of the properties they are holding by turning off heat and power in the winter months,

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

     Another example of “collateral damage” in the current Real Estate mess----that most of the country finds itself----is that more and more home inspectors are becoming un-intentional “deal killers”----including this Seattle Home Inspector.

    Even in a fog some things can be seen Before the bubble burst, it was much less common for a home inspector to kill a deal in such a way that the house might not sell in a timely fashion.  This was because if one buyer walked away there might be 10 others waiting in the wings.  Previously, while a home inspector might nix the deal for a particular agent involved, the sale at least would likely happen even if it was for some other agent----and in a timely fashion.

     Nowadays it seems, with so many distressed properties for sale, there are a great many more issues that come up that justify more caution on the part of buyers----especially first time buyers without the cash reserves to fix the additional issues found at these properties.  The result is that more buyers walk away after the inspection----and it is more likely that there are not going to be ten people waiting in the wings----and that the house is not going to be sold in a timely fashion.

     The odds are stacked against a house having been properly maintained----if the owner was not able to pay the mortgage in the first place. 

     Add to this that some of these homes get vandalized by unhappy owners being forced to leave, or that homes are trashed by being winterized and we end up with the “perfect storm” for the home inspector to “write a book” about.  Many of these places look like they have been hit by a tornado ----followed by a hurricane to “smooth things over.”

     Please remember (for the most part) inspectors are not “deal killers.”  Each house has a “story”----we merely write that story down.  For many of these properties, it would be splitting hairs to say that it might be possible for the home inspector to write the report in such-and-such a manner so as to negate the tornado and the hurricane.   It is up to the agent to sort out how these storms have compromised the deal.

     It likely had nothing to do with the agents or the home inspectors.

Charles Buell

 

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Click on the Rose A Group by any other name. to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)sunsmileall pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.Just quack on me to subscribe

Raven DeCroeDeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

The Human Rights Campaign

7 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • February 17 2010 10:06AM

Sometimes you have to go with the flow!

As a home inspector, personally evaluating functional flow can be a pain. I know what I think is decent flow. Client's opinions vary. If you have a client who is moving from a marginal well system, they might be impressed with a trickle. You get someone else who comes from a city supply, with no pressure reducer, and they are used to about 120 PSI and raging water. Even normal pressure and normal flow does not make them happy. They think it is wimpy.

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

     Poor functional flow of water at sink faucets is very common----and very common with faucets that have aerators.  Aerators are restrictors/filters at the end of the faucet that reduce the flow of water and add air to the flow to provide a less splattering flow of water as well as reduce water consumption to some extent.

     As you can see at this faucet, with the hot water fully turned on, the flow is not very good----slow enough that no air is being introduced into the stream.

Poor functional flow

     If you take the aerator off you will often find crud compacted in the screens.  This picture shows all kinds of debris caught in the screen of a New Construction home----mostly construction debris from not adequately flushing the lines prior to installation of the fixtures.

Some of the prettiest crud I ever saw in an aerator

     Improving functional flow can be as simple as merely cleaning out the aerator.  Deteriorating old galvanized pipes also clog up aerators.  Some areas of the country that have really hard water, the screens can get plugged with minerals.  These screens can be cleaned by soaking them in a small amount of vinegar.  If you keep the aerator clean----the water should flow more freely.

Now THAT is what I am talking about

    As this one did when I cleaned all the gunk out of the aerator pictured above.

Charles Buell

 

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Click on the Rose A Group by any other name. to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)sunsmileall pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.Just quack on me to subscribe

Raven DeCroeDeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

The Human Rights Campaign

0 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • February 17 2010 10:01AM

Perhaps if I say, “Please?”

Often people are under the impression that those concerns we inspectors cite are immediately remedied. That would be the situation at a perfect world. I have, a number of times, gone back to re-inspect a home that I inspected a couple years before. In almost all instances, about the only thing that has changed is, maybe, they had the furnace serviced. Then again, maybe not. Sometimes it is discouraging to see how little is done if the recommendations are of a critical nature.

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

     How long ago is 1971?

     It is the year I graduated from College.

     I had not built my first house yet----five years to go.

     No kids yet----although some close calls.

     It was 39 years ago---if I have done my math correctly.

 

     It is quite common to call for repairs to homes during an inspection.  In fact I have never inspected a house that didn’t need “something” fixed. 

     It is also quite common for my recommendations to be ignored.

     About 5 years ago I inspected a house where the electrical service crossed the house from the street to the electrical mast on the back side of the house.  The wire was resting on the ridge of the house and the wind had been moving the wire back and forth to the point that the granules were worn off the ridge and the bare conductors were exposed and touching the roof.  A couple of weeks after I did this inspection I got a call from the electrician who was going through my report and making necessary repairs at the home.  He was very impressed with the report and went on-and-on about how he had never seen anything like it and just called to let me know that. 

     Cool----I thought----it is nice to get these kinds of calls now and then. 

     I drive by this house almost every day----as it is very close to my house.

     Five years later----the wire is still in the same position it was when I inspected the house----except that the wire and the roof has five more years of abrasion on them.

     Back to 1971.

     On one of my recent inspections, my buyer sent me an old appraisal that had been done on the property----in 1971.  The appraiser had noted that the steps from the sidewalk up to the house were in poor condition and were in need of repair.  Here is a screen shot of the appraiser’s recommendation.

Fix the dang stairs

     Not sure what the “imp” refers to----and I am hoping that someone familiar with “appraiser-speak” can translate for us.  I think the overall message is clear however.

     39 years later----the stairs are still in need of repair-----only more so----and no real translation is required.

Fix the dang stairs

     I had the same recommendation as the appraiser did in 1971. 

     Perhaps if I say, “Please?”

Charles Buell

 

                                                               * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose A Group by any other name. to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)sunsmileall pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.Just quack on me to subscribe

Raven DeCroeDeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

The Human Rights Campaign

2 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • February 17 2010 09:56AM

Do you have a credit card that works whether you have any credit or not?

Evaluating the various exterior doors and locks around the property for function and safety is an important task for the home inspector. Unlike Charlie, I do not try to pick or slide the lock. But, being Charlie, it is not surprising that he does. Poor security in this day and age, except in a few smaller communities where people do not even lock their doors, is a real risk.

Via Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com):

     Yes!----it is the all new “forever card."  Just like Forever Stamps----once you get this card it works “forever” whether you go bankrupt or get Forget your key?divorced----even if the bank itself goes belly up.

     And while it may not be worth a damn if you want to buy something---it will get you in the house when you loose your key----or your “X” locks you out.

     IF-----(There is always an “if” isn’t there?)

     If, your lockset is not installed properly, the credit card can get you in the door in a jiffy.

     IF-----(Yup----there is yet another “if.”)

     If, the door does not have a dead-bolt, or the dead-bolt has not been locked, the credit card can get you in the door in a jiffy.

 

     The picture on the right is what a normal latch bolt looks like that has a “security pin.”  The security pin is that little half cylinder shaped thingy on Latch Boltthe latch bolt.

 

Latch Bolt with Security Pin     In this next picture to the left you can see the security pin depressed into the edge of the door.  Under normal operation, the latch bolt enters the hole in the jamb but the pin stays recessed in the edge of the door.  You see, if the security pin stays in the edge of the door the latch bolt should not be able to be pushed into the edge of the door when the door is locked.  In the unlocked position both latch bolt and security pin easily push into the edge of the door.

     In the “locked” position this pin should stay “inside” the edge of the door.  If it enters the strike plate on the door jamb----the door can often be credit-carded to open the door.

     Essentially what this means is that the door is NOT ACTAULLY LOCKED if the security pin enters the strike plate.

     The picture to the right is of a normal strike plate.  The security pin should not enter the rectangular opening made for the latch bolt.Strike Plate

     The above scenario is for “in-swinging” doors. 

     The same condition on an “out-swinging” door (without a security latch cover) makes entry even easier----only this time one would use a pocket knife instead of a credit card.  The solution is to move the strike plate toward the weather-stripping enough to prevent the pin from entering the hole----usually 1/8” or less.  Because there can be lots of other variables and because this is a personal safety issue, this repair should only be done by someone that knows what they are doing.  Doors that have metal interlocking types of weather-stripping are much less vulnerable to this defect.

     I find this condition on nearly 80% of all doors with this type of a lockset----so go check yours now----and report back here what you discover.

Charles Buell

 

                                                               * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose A Group by any other name. to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)sunsmileall pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.Just quack on me to subscribe

Raven DeCroeDeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

The Human Rights Campaign

0 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • February 17 2010 09:51AM

Half Right, Completely Wrong

Below was one of those instances where a job was done half right, however the bottom line is that it was done one hundred percent wrong. This is a receptacle that is only a few feet away from the kitchen sink in an older house. At some point, someone involved realized that, for added safety, a GFCI protected receptacle should be installed near the sink. 

Result: The receptacle over there at the left is GFCI protected. However, the one sharing the same plastic cover at the right is not. According to Washington State Law a home inspector must recommend an upgrade to GFCI protected receptacles even if the home was built prior to such receptacles being part of the standard building codes.

Obviously, in this case, since the house is in Bellingham and I am state licensed, I made that recommendation in my report along with a number of other suggestions to improve the electric system at the residence.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

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8 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • February 16 2010 02:57PM

Fundamentals of Home Inspection Training -- Bellingham Technical College

The next state approved fundamentals of home inspection training course, to be offered at Bellingham Technical College, begins on March 8. The space available at BTC, this class, limits enrollment to 12 students. As of today, there are only five slots left. Obviously the goal here is to provide quality training and not to "crank" cookie cutter students. Anyone interested in the course may obtain more information here.

  

This is a four week course: The first three weeks are comprised of 120 hours of fundamentals training and instruction while the last week consists of 40 hours of field training.

The student who passes the course, both sections, will be approved to sit for the state home inspector licensing exams.

Steven L. Smith

 

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0 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • February 14 2010 02:35PM

Even Twelve-legged Destructo Machines Sleep

The other day I wrote a post about one of the boys, basic pest control operators and office staff, who work around my office. In that post, I showed evidence of how these guys are often up to shenanigans and it can be hard to catch them in the act. To review that post, click here. 

I am here to tell you that even twelve-legged destructo machines sleep. I was busy working on a report the other day and I thought things were quite quiet. In sneaking into the other room to check things out -- you know what they say about things being too quiet -- I found the destructo machines generally caught in slumber. The one on the left yawning is the same one from the previous post and the one that gets in ninety percent of the trouble. In fact, I have had to shove him off the keyboard twice while writing this award winning treatise. By the way, we ended up with these guys because they were feral kittens and they refused to leave and we could not even give them away to our friends. We have smart friends.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

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9 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • February 14 2010 10:58AM