Seattle Home Inspector's Blog

Many homes have what are called "frost-free" outside faucets.  The design of these faucets is such that the water is actually shut-off at the interior of the home where is more likely to be warmer thus preventing freezing of the water near the valve outdoors.  When you shut off the valve, water drains out of the short section of pipe between the shut-off handle and the interior of the home.  If you leave hoses attached to the valve during the winter this frost-free function is lost because the water can't drain out.  So remember to remove your hoses from these faucets when there is the likelihood of freezing.

Charles Buell

www.buellinspections.com

When was the last time you tested your GFCI protected receptacles----you know those receptacles around the home that have the little test buttons on them (some are red & black)?  These receptacles are required in New Construction at many locations including the Garage, outdoors, kitchen, bathrooms etc.  In older homes it is considered a good safety improvement to add them at these locations.  If they are there, they need to be tested frequently---once a month is the recommendation.

Something you may not be aware of about these receptacles (especially the older ones) is that there is no intrinsic connection between the GFCI component of the receptacle and the place you plug things in to.  In other words you can push the test button and the plug-in part can still be energized even if the test button pops out.  Seems absurd doesn't it?  Manufacture's testing procedure requires that there be something plugged into the receptacle (like a turned on light) when the test is done to make sure that proper operation of both components of the receptacle is verified.  Defective receptacles need to be replaced. In the picture below note how the Red test button is "popped-out", but the tester is still lit up. This receptacle is defective.  Finding defective GFCI receptacles in the course of a home inspection is very common.

Please take a moment to test your GFCI receptacles.

Charles Buell

www.buellinspections.com

     Condo inspections represent an interesting dilemma for inspectors.  There is so much that is "typically" deferred to the Condo Association:  exterior, roof, common areas etc.  Even while "excluding" these areas I am still inclined to look at these areas and note concerns I might see so that they can be brought to the attention of the Condo Association.  Safety issues like loose handrails, swimming pools without fences and exterior doors that can be credit-carded.  Expensive issues like bad roofing and siding that can result in additional expenses to the buyer in terms of future assessments.  When I find a major issue like the roof is in really poor condition I like to recommend my buyer check with the Seller and/or Condo Association to see what reserves are in place to maintain/replace the roof---often times the agent has already provided this information. 

     A safety issue I found on one Condo inspection involved a locked door at the top of the stairwell that was the roof access.  While the door was locked, there had been some settlement of the structure that prevented the door from actually latching---the door could merely be pulled open to gain access to the roof.  This was a four story building with no railing or parapet wall around the edge of the roof.  My buyer had small children, and there were evidently other children in the building because there were toys spread around the roof indicative of children playing on the roof.  To me this represented a serious safety concern---so much so that I felt that the Condo Association and Selling Agent needed to be notified of the condition, regardless of whether my buyer was any longer involved in the purchase of the unit.  In this case the selling agent and the Condo Association were greatly appreciative of the discovery.

     This type of "attention" to the condition of the structures related to the Condo unit itself is a large part of why the cost of condo inspections is not radically different from the cost to inspect a regular home.  The small size (typical of most condos) would be the biggest factor in the inspection costing less.

Charles Buell

http://www.buellinspections.com/

A secure home is never "absolute" but there are some things that can be done to make them more resistant to break-in.  While I make no attempt to verify the relative security of a home, one simple thing that I do like to check is if the security pin on the lock-set enters the strike plate on the door jamb.  Some lock-sets don't have a security pin as part of the mechanism and some doors (like doors with interlocking type weather-stripping) are less vulnerable to tampering.  The typical steel or vinyl insulated type doors with compressible type weather-stripping can almost always be opened with a credit card if the security pin enters the hole in the strike-plate (in-swing type doors) or with a knife from the outside (out-swing type doors).  The strike plate can be adjusted to prevent this and repairs should be professionally made. In the picture below, the security pin is the little bump on the right side of the strike-bolt in the edge of the door.  

Out-swing type doors should also have what is called "security-pin" type hinges.  These hinges have a small set screw that prevents the pin from being removed from the hinges on the outside when the door is locked/closed.  It is also a good idea for these out-swing doors to have security plates over the latch mechanism to prevent access to the strike bolt from the outside.

If the door has a dead-bolt or other secondary means of locking the door the security pin issue is also reduced----but you have to remember to use the dead-bolt.

So check your doors and see what you find.

Charles Buell

www.buellinspections.com

      Home inspectors get asked this question every day.  The answer can simply roll off the tongue---or it may be more like pulling teeth.  The reasons for this are as varied as the homes themselves.  Some inspectors have fixed fees (no ifs ands or buts), some have fixed fees (unless the house is really really big or really really small), and some have sliding fees depending on how old the house is, where the house is, the square footage, number of bathrooms, number of kitchens, number of attics, number of crawl spaces and so on.  I fall in this later group.   

     Next in popularity is the question of:  "How long will the inspection take."  The inspection always takes as long it takes.  I would say that most of my inspections fall in the 3.5 hour range, a condo might be closer to 2 hours, and some big houses have taken as long as 6 hours to inspect. That said, I do try to give some guidelines, and all of the information I can obtain about the property ahead of time is helpful in both determining how long the inspection will take as well as what it will cost.  It can be difficult because in spite of the best information, there will always be the two attics inside the one attic, or the crawl space that no body knew about (these are especially problematic because if nobody knew about it most likely nobody has ventured into it in a long time and the risk of significant issues goes up---and the time assessing them.  In this picture a shower drain had been leaking into the "unknown" crawl space for years and a main support post was completely rotten away (not to mention the rats---they had discovered the crawl space).

    When they turn into longer than expected inspections I like to have extra snacks for everyone to keep the low-blood-sugar-boogie-man at bay.

     Most of the agents that refer me know what I charge and are able to prepare the buyer for the cost of the inspection.  The cold-calls from the Internet can be more difficult and I have to spend a little more time educating the caller as to why my (perhaps) more expensive inspection is worth while.  Usually by the time I talk to them and they see my sample report on my website I book the inspection.  Frankly, someone buying a million dollar home and their primary interest is the cost of the inspection, as opposed to the inspection itself, it is OK with me if they find another inspector.  I am about providing as much meaningful information in the context of the short time I am at the home as I am able.  I do my best to give an accurate cost of the inspection when I book the inspection.  I have recently started letting the buyer know ahead of time that if there are significant extenuating circumstances the price may have to be re-negotiated.  This rarely happens and I would have to say that more often than not to foster good will I don't change the price.

Charles Buell

www.buellinspections.com

I have always been fascinated with the beauty to be found in ordinary objects---objects with conditions that as a Home Inspector I would most likely be calling defects.  The insides of furnaces, failing paint surfaces, and the patterns made by wood destroying organisms can all have a beauty beyond their being indicative of potentially serious problems.  Just one of many of life's paradoxes.  Here are a few pictures of such conditions that I would like to share.  Enjoy.

     Fellow blogger, Leslie Bloss, suggested that I share a few insights about flooding of homes.  Most homes sooner or later will be affected by seasonal flooding.  As home inspectors we are very interested in assessing both past and present flooding and conditions conducive to, or indicative of, flooding.  This time of year, when the rains really get heavy, the "dreaded" phone calls come in from the buyers that bought in July when there wasn't a cloud in the sky and moisture intrusion couldn't be imagined.  Usually it can be attributed to overflowing gutters or other less serious conditions, but sometimes it can be only remedied by very costly repairs.  I do my best to document all signs of moisture that are indicative of the potential for flooding to better prepare the home buyer.  Sometimes the signs are such that I actually tell them to "anticipate" flooding or to make immediate repairs.  Indications of potential moisture issues in the home include:  the absence of roof water drainage systems, very flat building sites, efflorescence on basement walls and floors, high water marks in crawl spaces, high water tables, proximity to rivers and flood plains, etc.  With enough rain, most homes can be adversely affected.  Prior to the rainy season homeowners need to be reminded to make sure that all gutters and downspouts are functioning properly.  If the roof water can't be drained to a proper underground drainage system, diverting the water at least 5 feet away from the foundation (extend the pipes) can go a long way to alleviating flooding of basement spaces.  Sometimes sump pumps are necessary to get rid of water impacting interior spaces.  While these should only be used as a last resort, when they are necessary, they need to be vigilantly maintained and seasonal inspection is recommended.  Having a back up pump is recommended.  One of the inherent problems with pump systems is that most rely on electricity.  Unfortunately power outages and heavy rains go hand-in-hand---then we need back-up systems to back-up our back-up systems.  

     My own house flooded during the heavy rains last month.  It turned out there was a small plastic cup plugging the downspout, and the gutter was overflowing at a basement window and running into the basement through the window well---a relatively easy fix.

     Following is a picture of a crawl space with a past high water mark.  When was the mark made?  Will it flood again?  What caused the flooding?  Was the flooding from inside or outside?  The answers to these questions can be simple or complicated and the ultimate cost for repairs can range from nothing to lots.  Sometimes they involve further evaluation by drainage experts. Sometimes the homeowner can do the repairs.  In the case of this picture the flooding occurred during construction when the foundation filled up with rain water (because the foundation was open) and couldn't get out (because the gravity drain in the center of the picture was plugged at the outside).

I was a builder for over 33 years before I became a home inspector and I can tell you that there is no way to keep track of all that goes on during the construction process.  Good contractors do their best to use the best sub-contractors, and local jurisdictions inspect the construction at many points along the way and still things slip through the cracks that only the Home Inspector is in a position to identify.  I have found hot water to toilets, missing attic roof vents, disconnected ventilation ducts, ventilation duct terminations roofed-over, never connected plumbing drains, flooded crawl spaces, carpeted-over heat registers, missing insulation in attics, concrete poured over siding, improperly attached decks, improperly wired remote distribution panels (sub-panels), capped plumbing vents above the roof----all in houses never lived in and "signed-off" by the local jurisdiction.  I have yet to not find the cost of the inspection in any new construction that I have inspected.  In the case of the missing roof vent, rain had been entering the attic for more than 3 months.  Even if the house is inspected prior to the end of the warranty period considerable damage could have already been done.