Seattle Home Inspector's Blog

While there are some site considerations that happen around the home on the ground, the inspection process starts in earnest on the roof.  If there is a chimney that extends through the roof, the chimney will be inspected at that time.

Here is a picture of a chimney on a recent inspection. 

Of course I am checking the mortar joints, the condition of the mortar cap, looking for cracks, checking for loose bricks/stones and noting whether there are hats and spark arrestors/vermin screens or not.  I am also interested in the condition of roof flashings and chimney counterflashings.

I am also looking down the flues---if there are not hats that prevent it---to see what I can tell about the condition of the flues.  At this point I might note whether there is air movement indicative of dampers being open or missing.  I could also see if there was debris or other encumbrances inside the flues---at least in the visible areas.

I am also counting flues.  In the previous picture what can I tell?  There appears to be a flue for the furnace (warm air was flowing out of that one and the smell of gas combustion products was noted)---that is the left one in the picture.  From there I note that there are three other flues---indicating that I am going to have three fireplaces to check.  Now they might be for wood stoves etc but I know there are going to be three places in the home where wood burning appliances or fireplaces are present.

In the home I readily found the basement family room fireplace, the upper living room fireplace---but the third fireplace had gone missing.

I did ultimately find it.  In the context of the kitchen remodel it had been enclosed in a pantry closet.  The fireplace was certainly no longer functional, as there was all manner of combustible materials installed around the opening and the hearth was covered over by the wood flooring.  The damper was still functional, and “open,” so it was functioning to exhaust heat from the home on a year round basis.

The fire-box now makes a nice shelf for storage.

It is OK to abandon the fireplace---but it would be better if it was REALLY abandoned---closed up and sealed.

Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

I inspect LOTS of showers---no big deal---and this is not the first time I have found this particular defect.  When I find this particular installation at a home one would generally assume it was a homeowner remodel.  I can imagine the remodeler finding a tub at “Second Use” or on E-bay that was super cheap and they thought that it would be “perfect” for the new bathroom.

This particular installation however was in a high-end remodel where all the work was done very well with the exception of getting this one thing wrong.

So where do the sponges come in?

I will get around to that.

I can just imagine the scenario where the happy home owners spend the whole day unpacking and moving in to the house the day they get the keys.  The moving company’s truck driver assumed the happy homeowners would unload the truck while the driver napped in the cab.

Eventually after much effort the truck was unloaded. 

The happy homeowners were ready to order pizza and call it a night. 

Sweetie #1 went in the bathroom to take a shower and before anyone could say “Pizza is here," Sweetie #2 was yelling something about water in the hallway.

Sweetie #1 started yelling something about home inspections.

Sweetie #2 asked franticly, “Which box are the sponges in?”

Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

You can ask 100 different inspectors and 100 different agents and get 200 different answers.  Each will be just as confident that their answer is the correct one.  Most are some version of:  “a visual, non invasive, look at a home, including a written report, that is performed according to the Standards of Practice of a particular State or Association Standards of Practice.”

To me it doesn’t matter that there are so many different opinions as to what a home inspection is as it does that the buyer may not being taken care of as a result.

I think that consumer expectations and real estate agent expectations of Home Inspectors varies around the country as well.  After we peel away all the rhetoric around which association is better, who is the best trained and who has the most stringent qualifications for entry into the field, we are left with quite polarized approaches to home inspections.

I find this polarization a little baffling in light of the fact that nearly everyone in the industry attests to the importance of having inspections done.

I frequently get into conversations with other inspectors over this dilemma.  I inspect in a very large metropolitan area with a very large number of agents and inspectors.  No matter what approach an inspector takes to providing service there will be agents and a buying public to support their business model.  As we move into smaller markets, the tolerance for “different” approaches can be affected to the point that a good inspector might not even be able to work if their business model varies too much from what is “expected.”  They become victims of a type of “old boy’s & girl’s network” that has rigidly defined a home inspection as “XYZ” and anything different from that is marginalized.

The Internet has greatly improved, or at least provides a way around, this rigid thinking.  Inspectors that want to provide a different level of service to the buying public can now, through exposure on the internet by blogging, bring awareness to the buying public, and by-pass the normal referral process traditionally held in a stranglehold by real estate agents.  In the end, whether agents are recommending these “different” inspectors or not they find themselves having to deal with them regardless----whether they are the buyer’s agent or the seller’s agent.

So let’s talk about these two camps of agents and inspectors.  In my experience there do appear to be two more or less distinct camps.

CAMP #1:  Inspections are to be quick, specific to the Standards of Practice, with reports as short as possible and discussing only defects.

CAMP #2:  Inspections take whatever time they take, they meet and exceed the Standards of Practice, with reports that are long and full of all kinds of useful information about the house---not just defects.

Whether you are an agent, an inspector or a buyer, which approach do you want if you are buying a home for yourself.  If you answer “CAMP #2” why would your business model to the buying public be something different?

I think part of the answer to that question lies in the presumption that too much information is a bad thing.  It is the notion that if a nervous buyer is overwhelmed by too much information they may be scared away from the deal---thus making the “deal” more important than “taking care of the buyer.”  So let’s for a moment assume that this is true---even though I do not think it is true or has to be true.  Now another question must be answered.  Who is to decide what information is not important to the buyer?

I, for one, would not presume to know my buyer that well.  That leaves me with providing as much information as I can about the home based on the short time I am there.  Additional information can be provided that is pertinent to any home of that age and type of construction that would be deemed necessary for the buyer to properly maintain or live in the structure.

I think that if the report is clear, well written, and accurately describes the concern, what the implications of the concern are, and then explains what should be done about it and by whom, most buyers are smart enough to wade through the information.  If they are not, perhaps they are making the correct move by being scared away.

Of course equally important in all of this is the guidance that agents can provide to the process of wading through the information.  A really good Summary of Significant Concerns is very important---and is the place for the significant safety issues and deal breaker type issues.  An 80 page report with a 2 page summary is less intimidating to anyone than an 80 page report with no summary.

At the end of the day, “information” is the wave of the future.  Whether you are an inspector or an agent, it is time to get on the surf board.  Buyers are already surfing---and they are getting pretty good at it---their expectations are increasing.

Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

When a home inspector or a structural pest inspector starts talking about “conducive conditions,” there is a good chance they are not talking about conditions conducive to supporting your home’s well being.  They are more likely talking about conditions that are detrimental to the health of your home.

Basically anything that can encourage, support or result in infestation of wood destroying insects or wood decay/rot can be considered a conducive condition---conducive to wood destroying insects---conducive to wood decay/rot.

Missing paint, missing caulk, missing flashings, improper flashings, missing roofing, leaking roofing, plumbing leaks, leaking gutters, missing gutters, improper drainage, failed sump pumps, and leaking windows are just a few of the things that can be a conducive condition.

Then of course there are the sorts of things that are considered conducive conditions because perhaps they create a pathway for wood destroying organisms into the structure.  For example, crawl spaces filled with vegetation or exteriors of homes covered with vegetation, make the areas difficult to inspect and can result in hidden damage.

Home inspectors must report these conditions because of the risk that if they are not taken care of greater harm to the home can and will occur over time.  Another example of a conducive condition that can result in lots of damage over time is a missing plastic ground cover and/or missing ventilation in the crawl space.  Uncontrolled moisture in crawl spaces can lead to damage by wood destroying insects, wood decay/rot and/or mold growth in the under structures of the home.

But what is to be done when the entire foundation of the home is a “conducive condition?”

While some of these old growth cedar logs have performed well for nearly 100 years, it is the portions that are totally submerged that hold up the best.  All the wood and metal components used between the structure and the under-water logs routinely fail and need maintenance and/or or replacement.  Many of these intermediary structures are now routinely replaced with pressure treated materials.

Regardless, a buyer would be well advised to keep in mind that all of these under-water structures, or close to under-water structures, remain a “conducive condition.”

One person’s conducive condition, is another person’s romantic notion. 

This is the case with both house boats where the entire foundation is a conducive condition and with logs homes where the foundation is likely OK but the entire structure above ground can be a conducive condition.

Our romantic notions are best nurtured by structure’s that support those notions the longest and with the least amounts of denial (money).

Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

When you buy a kitchen sink faucet with a spray wand, it is meant to be used with the spray wand.  In fact the difference between the ones that come with a wand and those that don’t is that the ones that don’t have have a little plug in the hole where the wand attaches in the version that does come with a wand.

Of course if you don’t want to use the wand in the version you purchase, all one needs to do is buy the proper plug and plug up the hole---the plug even comes with some of these faucets.

Of course another alternative is to install the faucet on the sink and then just install the wand and hang it in the cabinet under the sink---like in the picture below.

With this approach, while you may run the risk of inadvertent leaks, think of the conversation starter you will have, and how clever you will feel having avoided spending .43 cents on a proper plug for the faucet. 

I find this “solution” about once a year---I just wave my magic wand---but I keep finding them.

Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

Home inspectors look for clues to hidden conditions. 

For example using a very bright flashlight at a tight angle to scan across a wall or ceiling surface is indispensible in evaluating interior spaces.  Such scanning can find indications of crappy drywall installations, previous repairs to the surfaces, closed-in windows and swelling related to water leaks.  This one technique can save an inspector a lot of embarrassment later---even while displaying conditions that are “normal” in the seemingly unfavorable light of the bright flashlight. 

Agents sometimes grimace a bit when I use this technique, because even normal drywall unevenness will show up under the bright light.  Sometimes a little education on what a normal drywall surface looks like is necessary to calm the buyer and the agent, but this is usually not difficult and most appreciate the kinds of information that can be discovered with this approach. 

I am sure we have all witnessed the sun shining across a wall or ceiling at this same sort of tight angle displaying for the first time all the drywall seams and nail pops and sunken fasteners---that previously were “invisible.”  All kinds of smooth-wall finishes have some sort of “signature” under bright light.

The inspector can read these signatures to obtain important information as to the condition of the home.  This approach is a “known” source of information---a known method of looking for clues.

But, the inspector must be vigilant and ever mindful that sometimes new clues present themselves that can give fair warning as to possible hidden conditions.  Such a clue presented itself to me at an inspection recently.  I often find sow bugs in the cobwebs and dust bunnies of closet corners.  I would typically note that their presence can often mean there is some wood decay rot present “somewhere” nearby, as these kinds of conditions are what sow bugs love.

In a similar vein, what is an inspector to conclude when several earthworms are noted squirming across the finished basement floors in several areas?

“It is a safe bet,” the sow bugs say, “That there is a nice compost bin hidden ‘somewhere’ behind those finished walls.”

On this day the flash light  did not reveal the hiding place of the compost bin---but in time it may.

Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

An old carpenter once told me that a really good carpenter never makes mistakes while a really great carpenter knows how to fix their mistakes so they never show.

I am not so sure of the validity of this wisdom, but most likely it happens all the time.  After all, if the carpenter uses a really expensive piece of wood to make something, and some mistake happens, what can be the harm if repairs can be made in such a manner as to not affect function and in such a manner that no one but them ever knows?

Every carpenter probably makes these kinds of calls all the time.

In an older home, mistakes made during repairs to the house might be more forgiving and the same mistakes on new construction might show up more and be less forgiving.

I think psychologically we demand more perfection of something brand new.  The slightest scratch on the new car we drive off the lot is certainly going to be overlooked when the same car is ten years old.

So how do we decide when something can be “fixed” or whether the item should be “replaced?”  For me if there is any chance that the fixed item is going to affect “function,” then it would most likely behoove us to replace the item instead of attempting to fix the item. 

If you are an old New England Yankee or Rube Goldberg, you can pretty much forget about what I am saying.  For them “fixing” will always be the first and pretty much only option.  Once the fix has been fixed a couple of times---then replacement may be considered.

I started thinking about this the other day when I was inspecting brand new construction and found a broken neutral bar in the electrical panel.  The electrician had made a “repair” to the broken bar by connecting the two pieces together with a piece of heavy copper wire.

There is no question that this will likely be “functional,” but was it a good idea to attempt to repair this bar or should the bar have been replaced?

I for one, think the bar should be replaced because of the unpredictability of such a repair.

Of course I am certainly going to move the liability from my E&O to the Electrical Contractor’s E&O.

Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

Today I am going to take on a common problem that is both complicated and simple. 

It is complicated in the sense that our attempt to make floors feel warm over unheated spaces is a band-aid on a problem---as opposed to a cure. 

It is simple in that there really should not be any cold spaces under floors.

The term we are dealing with is “cold floor effect” and the same thing can happen with walls as well.  Our feet are warm---somewhere above 95 degrees F.  In the best of scenarios the floors are always going to be somewhat cooler than our bodies.  The harder and denser the surface the more they will conduct heat out of our bodies.  We can deal pretty well with cold floors that are close to room temperature, but when they start to drop to temperatures more similar to the temperatures in the cold crawl space (especially in the winter) the floors start to suck the heat out of our feet, and we become very uncomfortable.  Not very technically descriptive—but pretty much what happens functionally.

We don’t like this effect, so we scrape together our hard earned cash and pay someone to insulate the floor.  We hear the muffled sounds of grunting and wincing as workers carefully stuff fiberglass insulation between the floor joists.  We write the check. 

Later that evening you and your honey get naked and sprawl out on the nice hardwood floor in front of the fireplace---not very comfortable, but you really want to appreciate how well spent your money was.  Much to your surprise there is no change---just as cold as ever.  In fact you would swear the floor actually feels colder.  Now this might be just because of all the hard earned cash you just threw at the problem or it might actually be colder.

All you can say is, “Sorry honey, now what do we do?”

Spaces under floor structures that are heated typically do not have this problem because the floor system stays at a temperature much closer to the heated spaces.  You still might not want to lay naked on the hardwood floor---but who knows.

So why does this effect happen?

Why doesn’t the floor feel warmer now that it is insulated?

This is the complicated part.  Reasons are multiple and inter-related.  First of all the primary culprit is going to be the fact that you chose fiberglass insulation to the do a job more suitable to real insulation.  Due to pressure differentials that start at the floor system above the insulation, any gaps or air leakage to the interior space will literally pull cold air through and around the fiberglass insulation where it can contact the floor you want to walk on---or lie as the case may be.

So “air leakage” is an issue related to cold floor effect as well as the type of insulation used.  The best choices for insulating floor systems over unheated spaces is some sort of spray foam or insulation materials that do not allow for air flow through it.  This cold floor effect can be really pronounced if the insulation is not in substantial contact with the entire underside of the floor surface---as is almost always going to be the case with fiberglass insulation.  Air infiltration into the floor system at the rim joists all around the home also plays an important role in making floors feel cold.

So let’s get back to the simple approach to preventing this problem.

Condition the crawl space. 

Insulate the foundation of the crawl space, don’t vent the crawl space and treat the crawl space like a very short insulated and heated basement.  Your floors will feel warmer, and frolicking on the hardwood floors will be way more fun.

(PS:  While I make it sound like conditioning the crawl space is a simple thing to do, it actually takes considerable effort if it wasn’t constructed that way from the get-go.  Changing to this approach should only be attempted by persons that truly know what they are doing.)

Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

Electric forced air wall heaters are very common.  Other than needing cleaning periodically they typically work pretty well.

I did a post recently about one that caught on fire due to being plugged with lint.  They often have a foul smell when they are turned on for the first time in the fall.  All that lint that has been collecting on the heating elements during the warm months gets burned off the first time the thermostat gets turned up.

It is a good idea to have them properly cleaned prior to turning them on in the fall.  Many manufacturers recommend turning the power off to the units, removing the cover and then “blowing” the dust out with a vacuum cleaner.  Sounds like a great way to make a mess but it is apparently more effective than trying to suck all the debris out of the thing.  I might try getting as much as I could out with suction and then blowing out the rest.

Professionally the unit could be removed from inside its metal case and taken outdoors for better cleaning.

At a recent inspection I noticed some “checking” of the wood paneling above the heater.  It looked like painted-over overheating---where the cracking has been caused by the wood turning to charcoal from repeated overheating.  The unit was not functional and looking through the openings in the cover I could begin to see why.

Taking the cover off it became obvious that the thing had burned up on the interior with melted wire nuts and obvious signs of arcing.  The wires however indicated that there was still power to the unit.

Obviously the unit will need to be replaced.

Equally obvious is how lucky someone had been.

Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle.

As a builder, I used Simpson hardware from the very beginning---1971.  That is quite a while, and the company has been around a lot longer than that---since the mid 1950’s.

At an inspection the other day I found what appeared to be an “upstart” in the industry attempting to gain a foothold on the near monopoly held by the long standing Simpson Strong Tie company.

This new light-weight bracket is unique in that there is absolutely no transportation costs associated with them.  The heavier Simpson metal brackets have great transportation costs by contrast.

These new brackets require no nails, screws or bolts---thus saving considerable labor typical of installation of most metal brackets. 

The brackets also have no sharp edges to cause injuries to installers like their metal counterparts.

These brackets, one could say, literally “love” wood----and are not damaged in any way by contact with wood.

They are also quite attractive and some would even argue---“green,” although the ones I have seen are mostly a tan color.

I think that time will likely tell whether these brackets are the “real thing” or just another wannabe out there attempting to market a dream.

Inventing a better mouse trap should at least be related to the critters being trapped.

Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle