We home inspectors spend lots of time up on rooftops. What we are usually looking at is the installation of, and the condition of, the roofing materials. That includes the flashings, appurtenances, the chimneys, B-vents and other things that we can see up on the roof. One of the things we look for is sewer venting. Proper venting is crucial if the drains are going to work properly. You have, in real life, probably experienced the scientific principle this is based on. I remember, as a kid, trying to pour Hawaiian punch into a cup from a big can, with only one hole. My folks came along and pointed out that, if I made the tiniest hole at the other side of the can, I could pour a full glass without all the dribbling and gurgling. The sewer vent is the same idea. Recently, working as a Bellingham Wa. home inspector, I saw something unusual. I was up on the rooftop of a two to three year old home and there it was -- the cap they put on the sewer vents when they do a pressure test of the plumbing system. Nobody had removed it. That is pretty common in new, never been lived in, homes, but not so much so in homes that have had occupants. The seller probably would have wanted more money for the house if he had known that the drains could work as well as they do now.
Thanks for the view.
Steven L. Smith
