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

Whatcom County WA -- Rare Snowy Owl Migration

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:01:51 -0500

My friend Curtis Brown, of Curtis C Home Inspections, is not only a competent and an excellent home inspector, whom I often recommend to others, but he is, also, a wonderful photographer. Curtis loves to shoot (with his camera of course) birds. I have, with his permission, used his excellent bald eagle photos in past blogs and online videos.

That shot above, taken locally by Curtis, is one of my favorite eagle photos.

Well, here is something new and interesting. About a week ago, Curtis had a long awaited and an exciting opportunity. He received a call from a past client, who said that the snowy owls had appeared at Sandy Point in Ferndale. Big surprise to me, when he told me that, because I am a Whatcom county native and I have never seen a snowy owl outside of a zoo or a bird sanctuary, nor did I know that they were ever seen here nor did I guess that they would be out gallivanting around during the day. I think of owls as being proverbial "night owls" so to speak.

Below is a shot of a snowy owl, sitting right there by a chimney, at Sandy Point in the middle of the day.

I was intrigued by the photo and asked Curtis for more information. He told me that snowy owls are Arctic birds that nest and breed in the open tundra of Alaska and Canada as well as Eurasia. They say to heck with trees and nest in indentations on the ground, lining their nests with moss. The main diet of the species consists of lemmings but they will prey on birds and small animals. Snowy owls are prolific hunters, sitting and waiting for available prey, and feeding often.

The average snowy owl is 23 inches high with a 52 inch wing span. Think about it, that is more than 4 feet across and the average bird weighs 4 pounds. Take another look at a snowy owl and put the size of the bird in perspective.

So I have lived in Whatcom county for my whole life and I have yet to see a snowy owl in the wild. My question was this: Why are they arriving now? Apparently, one theory is that the birds are moving south to counter a decline in the lemming population up north. This migration may be contributed to by large numbers of young birds competing for food. The end result -- younger owls venturing beyond their normal range.

In the northwest, the snowy owls are being spotted mainly in tidal marsh areas -- Boundary Bay and the Fraser River Delta in British Columbia. In Whatcom County, they have been seen at Sandy Point and Lummi Flats. Down in Skagit County, they have been spotted in the Samish Flats and around Fir island. Because of the owl's constant need for food, and the stresses caused by the species venturing so far out of familiar territory, humans should leave the owls alone -- enjoy them from a distance.

Check out "This Day In History" -- music and vintage television from the 1950's through the 1980's. I enjoy writing these articles because they take me back to my days in radio broadcasting. Click on Elvis' gold record, below, to revisit those golden hits of yesteryear.

Bang the Drum Slowly: Mexican Wedding Procession

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:02:46 -0500

My wife and I are back home, in Bellingham, after our annual jaunt down to Oaxaca, Mexico. Secret: We missed the big winter snow and wind storm that took place here in Whatcom county. Oaxaca is near Guatemala, so almost to Central America. We love it in the city and we have made some fine friends among the Mexican people since we have been going there for four years now.

We enjoy the color, the sounds and the lively atmosphere. The environment is anything but bland. The public square or zocalo is full of poinsettias in bloom, people in bright clothes, vendors with handmade wares, women balancing heavy loads on their heads as they walk (you see some of that in the video) and lots of music.

This video I shot on the spot is an example. My wife and I were walking home from the zocalo, after dinner, and we ran into this joyous wedding procession, complete with a marching band, about 9pm in the center of town. That is much of the fun of visiting this city, you never know what you might see next.

Day of the Iguana

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:16:22 -0500

Years ago there was a famous movie called Night of the Iguana. It was first a Tennessee Williams play that became a movie and it took place in Mexico in the 1940's. Richard Burton was a priest in the movie that went on to win an oscar for costumes.

My wife and I have been in tropical southern Mexico for going on two weeks now. And we were sitting on our terrace when we heard a noise -- looked over by a pot and there was a big lizard.

This is the third time, in as many years, that we have visited Aqua Azul La Villa, and we have heard about the iguana in residence. This is the first time he has come out so we could see him.

I went inside and, a few minutes later, my wife heard a scuffling noise behind her. She turned around and there was an iguana about twice the size of this one. Just about that time, my assistant, Nutsy Wallenda let out a yelp that startled the iguanas and they spilt prior to our getting a photo of the larger one. My wife has a better closeup shot of this one, but that is on her camera.

You're In Hot Water -- Bellingham Home Inspection

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:24:19 -0500

My wife often tells me that I am in hot water. Actually, in most cases, that is an expression that refers to my poor behavior versus anything to do with water.

However, in the course of doing home inspections in Bellingham and Whatcom county, I often find water heaters that are set too hot -- the water temperature set so high as to lead to a high probability of a scalding burn.

In this photo, the water is almost 137 degrees F. To reduce the probability of a scalding burn, water should be set no higher than 120 degrees F. In order to get a burn, at 120 degrees, it takes several seconds. However, the higher the temperature is, over 120 degrees, the less exposure it takes to cause a serious burn that will require medical attention.

Water temperature can vary, depending on how recently the tank heated, so homeowners should check the hot water periodicially with a meat thermometer and have it adjusted so as to never exceed 120 degrees F. Usually, with a gas hot water heater, setting the temperature is as simple as turning a dial. At an electric water heater, a person is potentially exposed to high voltages at the internal thermostats, so setting such a tank should be done by a qualified person.

Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House) Perimeter Slope

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:07:59 -0500

One issue, often found to be present during the course of a home inspection, is perimeter pavement or soil that slopes toward the home. Here in the northwest, more often than not, houses have crawl spaces and not basements. I have even seen soil or pavement slope directly toward a crawl space vent. Below is a shot from an inspection, this is my indicator to myself, often displayed in reports, to get the point across about the slope of the soil.

This is, in most cases, not difficult to correct by grading soil. But, if the problem is not corrected, it may not be a benign issue. It can lead to water entering the crawl space or the basement, when a basement is present. Soil should, as a guideline, be graded with a slope away from the house. A slope with a drop of about 1" per foot for 6 to 8 ft away from the house is beneficial. And, if it is pavement sloped toward the house, not allowing water to soak into the soil at all, this problem can be exacerbated and it will be necessary to re-slope or replace the pavement.

Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House) Water pressure

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:00:03 -0500

Assessing the adequacy of water pressure, among residents of a home, is often a case of perspective. I have seen people, used to a well system out in rural Bellingham or Whatcom county, move into a city home that had marginal pressure, per city standards, and they were thrilled. Other times, I have seen people look upon what I considered to be adequate pressure as poor pressure. It is all relative to what you are accustomed to.

Despite my saying it is relative, there are tests, and parameters, for pressure -- done with a simple water pressure gauge. The gauge above is showing water pressure over 120 PSI. That is high. Standard plumbing guidelines state that water pressure should run between 40 PSI and 80 PSI. Once it hits around or over 80, I give people the basic norms for water pressure and suggest that they contact a plumber. Pressure that is too high can shorten the lifespan of some appliances, valves, etc. At the other end, low pressure really does become relative and a matter of preference. It is not going to hurt anything, but it might also mean poor flow at sinks, showers, hoses, etc.

Typically, the ideal pressure at a one-story house is about 50 PSI and when you add on more floors, also, add about 5, or a bit more, PSI per floor.

Bellingham Technical College Fundamentals of Home Inspection

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:03:07 -0500

Bellingham Technical College had the first Washington State approved fundamentals of home inspection training course. Students may obtain 120 hours of fundamentals training and also complete their field training requirements. The course has been in existence for about 15 years.

I am the lead-instructor, program coordinator for the course, and I receive telephone calls from prospective students. For additional information, and the schedule, please call me at 360-676-6908.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Happy New Year from King of the House

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 11:31:10 -0500

I was online reading a news story about how many people found 2011 to be one of the worst years of their lives -- unemployment, no money, the usual things reported these days. One person interviewed referred to last year as shared misery.

It made me grateful to have my niche here in Whatcom County. I found last year to be a year of modest growth, although I did pretty much the same as the year before. I have gotten to a point where I can only do so many inspections so I have been sending overflow to some other friends who do a good job. That technique keeps me sane and helps out my friends, however, it does keep my overall numbers fairly flat unless I raise rates.

Anyway, happy new year to all of you. One member of my staff finds this a great opportunity to wear flashy seasonal outfits.

Merry Christmas from King of the House

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:35:56 -0500

I want to wish all of my Active Rain friends -- internationally, nationally, statewide and locally -- a great Christmas. As I write this post, we have a really windy day here. I am hoping that the power does not go out. I am so glad I no longer am involved in being an engineer in radio, wind often led to power outages and real headaches. And, due to the time of the year, this often happened between Thanksgiving and New Years. That is a responsibility from my past life that I do not miss at all. Dead air meant no advertising revenue.

Hope the rest of this year, and the new year, brings everyone only the best and none of the worst. Merry Christmas and happy holidays from all of the King of the House staff, some of whom are really getting into the spirits, so to speak.

Stepping Back In Time: Appropriate Song for Christmas Day

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 12:42:15 -0500

The first Billboard Top 40 Charts of the rock era emerged in 1955 when the Bill Haley classic "Rock Around the Clock" hit #1. Anyone who is into the era, and the evolution of the music, knows that rock 'n' roll was a derivative of the soul and gospel music that was created and popular with African Americans.

It is not surprising that the first #1 hit by an African American group was on the horizon, shortly after the inception of the Top 40 Charts. This group, today, is lesser known than some of the big 1960's soul groups -- Temptations, Supremes, Four Tops. However this group, from Los Angeles, while not exactly rock "n" rollers, could sing like canaries and they were a dominant force in the 1950's and the early 1960's.

Back in 1956, those were simpler and less controversial times. It was exciting. Rock music was new, TV was new, the Second World War was over and people liked, and respected, the President. Ike Eisenhower was a universally popular President (a phenomenon that has eluded recent occupants of the oval office). Ike was a former war hero, who had helped engineer the defeat of Hitler and Nazi terror. Both political parties had wanted him as their Presidential candidate, he was coy about his political affiliations, but Ike ended up serving two terms as a Republican.

This group that goes down in history as scoring the first #1 hit for African American artists in the rock era, consisted of four guys and a 15 year old girl. In the end, these kids were the most popular vocal group during the first five years of the rock era. They had forty chart hits and that included fourteen songs in the Top 20, seven in the Top 10 and four that peaked at #1.

This is an appropriate post, here on Christmas Day, and you will know why when you hear the tune. To be taken back in time to remember 1956, and to hear original members of the group perform their hit (all be it a few years later), simply click on the 1950's TV. Make that test pattern go away and participate in the sound of music history.

You Can't Always Do What You Want (Bellingham Home Inspections)

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 11:09:33 -0500

It is my goal, at a home inspection, to try to look at all components and systems. That not only earns me repeat business from clients and agents, but it provides some insulation against potential client complaints. Logic prevails: The more you see the less important stuff you miss.

It is not possible to find everything that might be wrong at a house. Finding 100% of the problems is not achievable within the confines of a home inspection. Sometimes mother nature herself interferes. This time of year, it is not unusual for the home inspector in this region to have restricted roof access due to ice.

The state law, standards of practice, wants the inspector to go on the roof. It says: When it is possible to do so, safely and without damage to roofing materials or components, a home inspector will traverse the roof. Problem is, sometimes you cannot safely traverse the roof. Case in point below:

That roof is a sheet of ice. All you can do, as an inspector, is put a ladder up to the eaves at some locations, view it with binoculars or a telescope and take zoom photos with a camera. Trying to go on that roof would be treacherous. I have gone on iced roofs, in the past, because I thought the ice had melted sufficiently. I hit slick spots, not a comfortable feeling!

Sometimes, the inspector can see obvious problems, enough so to comfortably state that the roof requires repairs and further review by a roofing contractor. Other times, the surface looks okay, but an inspector does not know for sure due to the limited access. In those cases, the inspector should explain to the client exactly what he or she could, and could not, see. Let the client weigh in on that information. It might be a less than perfect inspection scenario, but sometimes that is the best you can do -- You can't always do what you want! I wanted to get up on the roof but mother nature said "no."

Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House) It's Cold Outside

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:25:21 -0500

Recently, as the weather has gotten colder, I did an inspection on a cold day -- at least it was cold based on our wimpy Pacific Northwest standards. It was 28 degrees F.

At first, I thought that someone had left the garage door to the outside ajar or open. On closer examination, the fit of the door was something less than ideal.

Since it was cold outside, and my little knees were knocking together, it made me think of an appropriate song for the season and the weather.

An Attached Garage is Not a Fire-Rated Assembly -- Despite What You Might Have Been Told

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:15:01 -0500

I hear the remark, even from home inspectors, that this part of a garage, or that part, is not fire-rated or 20 minute fire-rated. Home inspectors are not code inspectors, but this talk is based on code and a misunderstanding of residential code requirements. Let's look at garage/house separation requirements from a book called: Building Code Basics: Residential. It is produced, in part, by the IRC (International Residential Code) which dictates most of the codes that are used in building today, although codes may vary some from one jurisdiction to another. Below (bold) are explanations, from the IRC, that apply to garages. Below that are my comments.

"Dwelling separation from garage -- Unlike separations between dwelling units, the separation between a residence and the garage, attached or detached, is not a fire-resistance rated assembly. Likewise, penetrations through the separation are not required to meet the rated penetration requirements for fire-resistant assemblies. "

Interpreted: Dwellings that are connected to one another, such as condos or zero lot line structures or townhouses, require a fire-resistance rated assembly between the various units. However, the garage at a residence does not have the same requirements.

"Attached and detached garages, within 3 ft of the dwelling, require installation of 1/2" gypsum board on the garage side to provide "limited resistance" to the spread of a fire. When there are habitable rooms above the garage, the code requires the installation of 5/8” type X gypsum board on the garage ceiling. The bearing wall supporting the ceiling framing, in this instance, also requires the application of 1/2" gypsum board on the interior surface." Garage floors must be noncombustible.

Interpreted: The proper terminology, in the case of garages, is "limited resistance to fire" which is way short of being a fire-rated assembly. Simply putting up suitable sheetrock, in appropriate locations, will go a long way toward meeting those "limited resistance to fire" requirements. However, in the photo above, the flammable plywood that is being used as the attic access hatch cover is not acceptable and does not offer even limited resistance to fire. The garage floor, most of the time, consists of a concrete slab. If that is not the case, at any given home, then the floor must be noncombustible.

"Doors between the dwelling and the garage also provide some resistance to fire but they do not require a fire-resistance rating. Any one of the following types of doors satisfies the separation requirements: 1 3/8" thick solid-core wood door; 1 3/8" thick solid-core steel door; 1 3/8” thick honeycomb-core steel door; listed door with a 20 minute fire-resistance rating."

Interpreted: The door must be suitable, but it need not be fire-rated -- note that even a wood door is acceptable if it is thick enough. I think that last option, a door with a 20 minute fire-resistance rating, is where the confusion on this topic comes from. It gives people the idea that the whole garage has to have 20 minute fire-resistance or a fire-rating, which is not the case. The garage/house door, in the photo, is standing wide open. The long established requirement for a self-closing device on the door has not been enforced, or in effect, the last few years -- at least here in Bellingham -- although many door manufacturer's specify that a self-closer is mandatory. It is my understanding that the new code cycle will put a self-closer back on all house/garage doors.

"Openings from the garage into a sleeping room are prohibited."

Interpreted: That one is self-explanatory -- doors or windows from the garage, any openings, cannot lead into bedrooms.

"The IRC requires, minimum, # 26 gauge sheet steel for ducts in the garage as well as ducts penetrating the walls or ceilings that separate the dwelling. Ducts are not permitted to open into the garage. Other penetrations, such as steel or plastic pipe, require only that the space around the penetration be filled with approved materials. such as fire-resistant caulking."

Interpreted: Ducts that pass through the garage must be steel. And ducts cannot open into the garage. You want to keep garage air, and a potential fire, from getting into the ducts. B-vents and pipes and conduit should have fire-resistant caulking applied around any gaps. The garage duct shown above is not an acceptable installation, nor is it okay to have that gap or hole in the sheetrock at the wall that adjoins the dwelling.

This matter of garage/house separation is such a misunderstood topic that I am working on a narrated slide-show, with an assortment of photos, to better explain the limited fire-resistance requirements at garages. I am not downplaying the need to design a garage that it is safe, but the proper terminology, to be accurate, is not "fire-rating" or "fire-rated" -- that is a different beast altogether than what is mandated by building codes.

Bellingham Manufactured Home Inspections -- King of the House

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:38:20 -0500

Often, when people are purchasing manufactured homes, they are under the impression that the cost of the home inspection should be cheap. After all, the home is usually selling for less than 1/3 of the cost of a stick-built home. However, if you look at it from the inspector's standpoint, even though these units usually do not have an attic, there is still a lot to look at. And, honestly, often the quality of manufacturing is not up to par and the condition of the crawl space is such that it more than makes up for, in work required, lack of an attic.

At a manufactured home there are many specifics the inspector has to look for. Is there Polybutylene water supply tubing (problematic to say the least); is the electric panel properly wired (often they are not); are there roof or window leaks or problems with siding? Are heavy outside structures, decks and awnings, really free-standing, as they should be. Rodents are a common pest at manufactured homes, at least here in Bellingham and Whatcom County.

The older the manufactured home, the number of problems multiply significantly. Here is a photo of a rusted-out galvanized supply pipe at an old manufactured home.

The bottom line is that, even though a manufactured home costs less, it is impractical for a home inspector to offer a substantial discount. I can tell you, having done many such inspections, that inspecting an 800 sq ft manufactured home may be a bigger hassle, and take longer to write-up, than inspecting a 2500 sq ft stick-built house.

People buying these homes need to realize that they are saving money on the purchase price, not on the cost of obtaining a professional home inspection. Especially so with a manufactured structure, the job requires hard work and knowledge of specialized information, so the inspector needs to be properly compensated for his or her expertise and time. Manufactured homes might be cheap, but the cost of inspecting them probably will not be commensurate with the low price of the home. And do not assume, for one moment, that "quality control" at the factory assures you of much of anything. I have seen some newer manufactured homes with major factory blunders, such as holes in the roof that allow water to run down into the walls.

Bellingham, WA -- David Lanz Winter Concert 2011

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 11:18:50 -0500

Since David Lanz , a musician of international acclaim, moved to Bellingham about six years ago, he has been performing wonderful, and intimate, small Christmas or solstice concerts here in his new hometown.

David Lanz was one of the innovators of "new-age" music more than 20 years ago and he has had several best selling albums and numerous Grammy nominations. David had a #1 Billboard Hit, on the new age charts, with the instrumental Cristofori's Dream. This year's show will be Saturday, December 17, at the Amadeus Music Project on Cornwall Avenue. The concert is now sold out but it will be a treat for those of us who have tickets. Last year, by getting a question right, David interacts with the audience from the small stage, I won a copy of David's Christmas CD.

David tours extensively, but around this time of year, he does performances in this area. The week after, David will be performing his annual Winter Solstice Concert in Seattle at Jazz Alley, one of my favorite Seattle music hide-a-ways. The venue attracts top performers of various music styles, mainly jazz and blues.

The Winter Solstice Concert at Jazz Alley will be on stage nightly from December 21 and 22. In the past few years, David has been working on reinterpreting the music of the Beatles. Here is a video he has posted on youtube. This is his pilgrimage to Liverpool, to see the haunts of the Beatles, prior to interpreting their music. The soundtrack is the unmistakable sound of Lanz at the piano.