Seattle Home Inspector's Blog

I did an inspection of a brand new, bank owned, 4 unit apartment building recently.  The building is three stories tall with a flat roof.  The only way to the roof was by  a 20 foot ladder from a second story deck.  I am trying to give you the sense that this roof was anything but accessible.  But  WHAT A VIEW of the Olympic Peninsula and the Puget Sound----and a bird's eye view of the surrounding area.

This indeed would be a great place to sit and have breakfast and enjoy the view.  Facing West and watching the glow of the sunrise on the mountains in the distance is always a treat.  It is a treat because a lot of things have to be in place for it to happen.  For example it has to be a day with no clouds or fog.  Believe it or not that scenario does happen in Seattle every now and then.

A month ago when I first inspected the roof there were issues found that would need to be addressed and hence the reason I was back for a re-inspection at the property.

The first time I inspected the roof I noted that the seagulls were NOT very happy with my being on the roof and they raised quite a ruckus around the building.

When I inspected the roof the second time I found out why.



There is nothing like eggs to make me start thinking about breakfast.



But I think I will pass on these---not knowing what stage of development these eggs are at---I never much cared for feathers in my scrambled eggs.  Have you ever stopped to think about the "ingredients" that go into making an egg?  I think I will stick to chickens. 



Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector

How you handle sticky situations can tell the world a lot about who you are and how you will be in other sticky situations.  

People want to get a sense of whether you will gum up the works or not.  They want information they can chew on without feeling they have to immediately spit it back out.

If you want to get rid of those unpleasant qualities that you have been carting around for years---how about considering symbolically going down to the Pike Market in Seattle and finding Post Alley and sticking them on the infamous Gum Wall.  When you walk by the wall and smell the cornucopia of gum flavors that have come from all around the world you can perhaps leave yours there as well.

I can not think of a more colorful way to deal with a sticky situation.

I think even Jackson Pollock would approve. 

Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector

What is so special about Seattle?

This is a question I get asked a surprising number of times every year. 

And it is not just directed at Seattle, but at the entire NW---GIVEN ALL THAT DAMN RAIN! 

It is asked, almost without exception, by people who have never been here.

Everyone knows the old statement about Art and pornography:  “I can’t define it but I know it when I see it!”

Well Seattle and the NW is kind of like that.

The other day I was on a roof in downtown Seattle using my new Fuji S2700 and took this picture of Mt Rainier.

Like I said---I know it when I see it.

I went to the doctor the other day for a routine checkup-----actually that is not true.  This is what I should do!  Now most people might go to the dentist a couple of times a year----and keep things in their mouth tuned up---but when it comes to regular doctors, most people, unless they are hypochondriacally disposed, put off going to the doctor until something is actually wrong.

I guess our minds take the possible things that can go wrong at the dentist and multiply it by 100 to arrive at the number of more things that can be found out at the doctor’s office.  After all, most people would rather undergo a root canal than a colonoscopy or a mastectomy.  There is just so much more to lose going to the doctor.

The harsh reality is that if we went to the doctor for more periodic check-ups we might be able to avoid some the very dire consequences we fear----or at least minimize them.  The problem with this approach is that if there is a bear in the woods he will bite us regardless of how much we deny its presence.

It is the same with our houses.

When was the last time you had your house inspected.  If you have lived in it for 5, 10, 20, or 40 years I can guarantee that there will be issues that need to be addressed.  This is especially true if all those special touches you have had done, that you are so proud of, were done without permits.

Like going to the doctor, having your home inspected could save you thousands of dollars by finding things that could cause terminal issues with the home.

There are likely electrical issues you have no clue about.

There are likely plumbing issues you have no clue about.

There are likely plumbing issues you have no clue about.

There are likely heating & cooling issues you have no clue about.

There are likely wood destroying organism issues you have no clue about.

What you don’t know about your house can, if not kill your house, drain you wallet way more than the measly cost of a home inspection.

When was the last time you were in your crawl space? 

Are you trained to know what you are not aware of in your crawl space?

If you have not had your home inspected in the last 2 years I recommend that you call your favorite home inspector today.

If you are in the Seattle area call me-----I will be happy to give you a quote to inspect your home.

And I promise----no colonoscopy!

     Getting to work can be difficult at times.  Traffic can be a bear.  The weather can be a problem.

     I spent a lot of winters in the Syracuse and Oswego, New York areas so I know a lot about driving in the winter.  Almost always, the worst part about driving in the winter is dealing with other drivers on the road that have no clue about driving in the winter.  It is actually considered a winter sport by some----something that makes winter and going to work during the winter somehow worth it.  But that is whole other story for another time.

     The other day I was driving to work----to an inspection----when I came upon a road sign I had never seen before.  It gives us another difficulty to add to the list.

     Maybe if I was a fisherman I might keep track of the Tide Tables----but driving to a home inspection?

     As a Licensed Structural Pest Inspector, the inspection of House Boats for conditions conducive to wood destroying organisms almost seems like an oxymoron.  And yet the few that I have inspected, or worked on, have had no more issues with wood destroying organisms than other Pacific NW homes.

     It just isn’t logical that you could throw some logs in the water---chain them together---build a house on top----and not have any problems.  Some of the Seattle House boats have logs that are 100 years old----and still floating.  Many of the land-bound homes of Seattle, that are 100 years old, have foundations that are in worse condition.  I suspect that the early houseboats did have problems---especially in the wood structures between the floating logs and the house floor structure.  These structures most likely frequently needed to be replaced----until pressure-treated lumber came along.

     Here is what the Washington State Law says about Conducive Conditions:

     (1) Conducive conditions found during a complete WDO inspection must be noted in the complete WDO inspection report.

     (2) Conducive conditions include, but are not limited to, the following:

          (a) Earth in direct contact with wood or inadequate clearance between earth and any wood or material subject to damage from moisture. (Well I guess this doesn’t apply to houseboats----no dirt anywhere near it.)

          (b) Vegetation, in direct contact with the exterior of a structure, which may contribute to moisture or damage by WDOs. (Not much in the way of vegetation around a houseboat either----gotta get out there and mow that water.)

          (c) Restricted or nonfunctioning gutter systems. (You have to be kidding?)

          (d) Conducive debris in substructures. (Does driftwood and flotsam and jetsam count?)

          (e) Bare or unimproved ground in substructures. (Sounds like semantics to me----no ground anywhere near the substructures.)

          (f) Standing water or evidence of seasonal standing water in a substructure. (Ruh Roh!)

          (g) Failed or missing caulk or grout at water splash areas. (OK---safe bet)

          (h) Moisture from plumbing leaks, lack of ventilation, or other sources that may contribute to damage by WDOs. (Well this covers a wide range of possibilities----but no different than any home.)

     So why do these old log “foundations” do so well?  To answer that question we have to go back to the basic survival requirements of most wood destroying organisms:  Food (plenty of that), water (plenty of that----actually too much), adequate temperatures (ideal year-round), and oxygen/air (bingo----no air in submerged logs). 

     There is one more thing that has to be factored into the equation----these old-growth cedar logs are naturally resistant to decay/rot and resistant to many of the Northwest’s finest wood destroying insects.

     Usually Licensed Home Inspectors and Licensed Structural Pest Inspectors in the State of Washington are mostly interested in the control of moisture to reduce and eliminate the conditions suitable for Wood Destroying Organisms.  Houseboats are a rare example where the elimination of oxygen helps do the trick. 

     For all the rest of the structure the usual rules and protocols apply.

     Carpenter Ants are very common in the NW.  These ants belong to the largest genus (Camponotus) in the Family Formicidae.

     Worldwide there are over 1000 species of Carpenter Ants----not all are wood destroying but when they are, they can do a lot of damage to wood structures.  In North America there are about 20 species.  In the NW we have mainly two of concern:  C. Modoc and C. Vicinus.  The “C” stands for Camponotus---the genus.

     C. Modoc is pretty easy to recognize----these ants are pretty much all black and bigger than any other kind of ant you are likely to find in the NW.  Seeing these ants hanging out around your yard or in your home is always reason for concern and a Licensed Structural Pest Inspector should be consulted.  It is a really good idea to capture a specimen or two in a zip-lock bag to show the inspector when they arrive.

     C. Vicinus ants are a little more difficult to distinguish because they can vary from partially red and mostly black to mostly red and some black.  This coloration makes it easy to confuse them with Thatching Ants.  Thatching ants can be a nuisance but are generally considered beneficial in the environment.  These ants rarely invade homes but have been known to nest in wall cavities and other hollow structures of homes.

     Because Thatching Ants are not usually a concern in homes, when you see large ants streaming in and out of a home it is easy to think that they might be C. Vicinus, Carpenter Ants.  All species of Carpenter ants have a smooth “back” or dorsum----no dents or indentations that would indicate that it is some other kind of ant.  Seeing the notch on the dorsum of an ant requires some magnification----and difficult to determine with the naked eye.

     Here is a picture of some Thatching Ants that were found in a porch structure----there were hundreds of them streaming in and out of the opening under the floor boards.  Pretty easy to think they might be Carpenter Ants.

     If you look close though, at the back of the ant from the side, you can see clearly that the back is not smooth----it has a notch----consistent with being a Thatching Ant and not a Carpenter Ant. 

     This distinction makes a huge difference in protocols for treatment----even if any are necessary at all.

     In the NW, the Home Inspector, assuming they are a Licensed Structural Pest Inspector, had best be on the lookout for ants wandering around the exterior of the building----especially Carpenter Ants.  On a recent inspection of a building with EIFS siding (Synthetic Stucco), I noticed Carpenter Ants trailing along the sidewalk.  Following the trail I found where they were coming and going from the building at a hole under some door trim.  Note the Carpenter Ant at the center of the picture.

     This is almost never going to be a good thing and I made a mental note to make sure I checked this area closely both at the interior of the building and in the crawl space.  Nothing was apparent at the interior, but when I got to the area in the crawl space that was under this door this is what I found.

     Piles of Carpenter Ant Frass----almost entirely made up of foam insulation from the EIFS siding.

     This is a really good example of how these ants don’t eat the wood----they merely mine it to create places to store their eggs and have ant parties.  If you look closely at this “frass” you can see a dead Carpenter Ant, some wood “sawdust,” little beads of foam and----of course----cobwebs.  Carpenter Ants are very opportunistic and will tunnel in wood or foam.  Foam is really easy to mine----so why not.

     If you are having a property inspected in the NW----make sure that the inspector is a Licensed Structural Pest Inspector----otherwise, they might not even know that the ants they didn’t notice were Carpenter Ants and that even if they had noticed them they would not be allowed (by state law) to say what they were.  You might then be looking at either another inspection---or risk finding out later about them----after much more damage had been done.

     If you live in a part of the country where the temperature dips below freezing, you should not leave your hoses connected to outside faucets.

     DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR HOSES ARE?

     Whether these are “Frost-free” type faucets or old style faucets that have interior shut-offs to drain the outside faucet, the hoses should be removed.  Water that remains in the hose can defeat the purpose of both types of faucets.

     Many homes have frost-free hose faucets.  These faucets actually have a long tube that runs to the interior space and the handle of the faucet has a long stem that runs inside the tube and shuts the water off inside the house----making the valve less likely to freeze.  When the valve is shut off the tube drains ----unless there is a hose on it out (at least it should if it is sloped the correct way).  Leaving the hose in place will defeat this function of the faucet.

     If you have an older home without frost-free type faucets there “should” be interior shut-offs so that the outside valves can drain the pipes.  Not operating this interior shut-off clearly leaves the valve vulnerable to freezing regardless of whether there is a hose on it or not.

     Some people like to put insulating foam caps over these valves and keep their fingers crossed.  These caps should not be unnecessary on frost-free type faucets.  I have seen these caps actually fill up with ice from VERY minor leaking of the valve and then this ice backs up into the tube where it can damage the valve.  This can happen with either type of valve.

     As a Seattle Home Inspector when I find hoses in place from October 1st until April 1st, I do not re-install the hoses after I test the valves for water pressure.  It will vary around the country, depending on how cold it gets, as to when you should leave your hoses disconnected in cold weather.  In Minnesota never leaving them in place might be a good idea.  Just kidding Reuben.  

     You have to love it when you and the people you meet here in the rain, get to take their umbrellas and go do something good together out there in the "real rain"----the real world.

     I had the distinct pleasure of doing an inspection with Courtney Cooper, of Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Services the other day. 

     I met Courtney here on ActiveRain way back when I first started playing here in the rain and we got to know each other as she and I duked it out on our way to the top two spots in Seattle----here on ActiveRain.  In those days it seemed like a daunting feat to get to the top, but now I just enjoy sitting up there with Courtney.

     We met for real, the first time, at the first Seattle ReBar camp a couple of years ago and have seen each other at Raincamps to follow----and have always threatened to work together.

     As those of you that know Courtney know----and for those of you that don't know her yet----Courtney has carved out for herself a nice little niche in the world of houseboats.  If you want to know anything about houseboats----or floating homes as they are also known----just ask Courtney Cooper. 

     It was great fun doing the inspection with her and having the inspection be a floating home to  boot made it extra special.

     Houseboats are the quintessential definition of Seattle eclectic----and I relish every opportunity to wander the docks.  This is not an easy feat because most of the docks are private-----some even gated.

     At this inspection Courtney had brought in a diver to check out the "foundation."  I was happy to defer to others everything below the finish floor surface.  This was one crawl swim space I did not mind NOT inspecting-----although it would have been cool checking out 100 year old logs.  The diver brought some trinkets up for us all to check out----like this crawdad----aint't it cute?

     It was a beautiful day on Lake Union and the views were worth a million bucks----or two.  Here is one of the views----pretty spectacular don't you think?

Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector