Anyone that has read my blog knows that on any overly hot day you will find me curled up for a nice nap in some cool crawl space somewhere. Everyone likes to cuddle with something furry and fun! The other day when I was NOT napping in a crawl space, I came across many seismic straps and bolts that had not been used, and it got me scratching my head for answers----maybe it was actually the bottle flies in my hair----but I was thinking, I swear! Did some engineer 30 years ago give the “go-ahead” to NOT use these straps and bolts? Was something else done to compensate? Was the Jurisdictional Inspector taking a nap that day? Good questions----the answers of which I have no clue----as a Seattle Home Inspector I have no choice but to call in a structural engineer to make the determination. I have a feeling someone is not going to be very happy----but odds are that the original contractor isn’t alive or is in another country that doesn’t have building codes. Part two of this story involves Mr. Fuzy Fixrotrus. There was a long-standing leak inside the wood-framed chimney chase that had rotted out the floor under the fireplace. Fuzy Fixrotrus was called to repair the damage. As you can see in the picture the patching is obvious along with the new decay rot that has occurred since Fuzy did his repairs. Instead of figuring out how the water was getting into the chimney and fixing that, he merely fixed the decay in the floor system. Looks like job security to me. At some point in the process of completing the repairs, old Fuzy Fixrotrus must have had a conversation with himself about this seismic strapping that I mentioned earlier. One of these straps ran right up through the middle of his repairs. I can just imagine him saying to himself: “What can possibly be the harm in just getting rid of this one? There are so many others.” Well he was right about there being many others----but what he could not have guessed, was that when he cut off the strap there were others that were not connected either. Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector
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Thank you, you always give me something to look at when I am in a home thank you!
Just goes to show you that you never know what is underneath the surface. Caveat emptor.
Well, all I can say is: a "STRAP" that is not connected is one thing.
However, seismic straps and bolts are another matter.
I'll never forget a home inspection that revealed that the house was a modular and the connecting straps in the attic were never connected. The repair was not complicated nor was it expensive and my buyer didn't even ask for the repair preferring to do the repairs herself. But, you never know.
I love home inspectors.
All the more reason to have a professional home inspector inspect the property. Thank good for photos; it would take much explanation without the photos.
Jennifer is proof in the pudding that is your title of this blog, Charles.
Not sure where you are getting pictures of my abode, but I promise to consult an expert the next time around. Or at least cover the bill to fly your ass out to Allentown:)
Ken, I hope you don't have to go into too many crawl spaces :)
Melissa, ain't that the truth
Lenn, don't you just hate those disconnected straps?:)
Carl & Ceil, yes, in this case the pictures speak for themselves----did you notice they all have messages?
Jason, I had you and yours in mind when I wrote this title :)
Charles, that is the reason why buyers should have a home inspection. Thanks.
Nice to have you for the small spaces, Charlie. I was afraid the furry thing might be more of the rat-a-tat story.
Yikes, I think if you are going to have a strap thingy, it should definitely be connected to a bolt thingy, otherwise the HOLDTOITIVENESS doesn't really work!
Oh my! If these photos don't prove the value of a home inspector, I don't know what could.
Micahael, one of the many for sure
Glenn it is nice to get "mileage" out of rats without actually mentioning them :)
Jenna, I believe you have "nailed" it even though they didn't "bolt" it.
Margaret----for sure!
Charles,
The one that always gets me is when people don't have an inspector check new construction. Makes no sense at all....that is when you want to have EVERYTHING checked out so that any defects can be caught during your warranty period...
(Another)....Check it with Charles......
I used to partner in small developments and visit the job sites daily. If you respect, professionally assist or just plain stay out of the way, things go well......however, unnecessary questioning, interfering with a tradesman, arguing and just plain bad supervision can result in the WORKER having the last laugh on you........Me, I used to see the framers drop pounds of nails as they put up walls. I would go around picking them up and citing waste and losses. My partner chose the right time to tell me, that I was causing friction on the site, that the nails I picked up even in quantity were not worth 50 cents....Your post allowed me to revisit this valuable lesson I learned many years a go. Perhaps those straps were deliberately not hooked up? Thank you Charles.....
Lori, so true. All of the defects above should have been caught 30 years ago----it was all new construction once.
Richie, I am sure they were "deliberately" not hooked up---whether it is a problem or not will be up to the engineer to figure out.
Charles pictures can drive the point home. Having the inspection done before purchasing can sure save you a bundle.
Another example of why one needs a good inspector. The photos are great for helping us understand exactly what you are describing.
You mean when code requires you to INSTALL straps and bolts they actually meant to hook 'em together?!?! Sometimes I just feel so stoopid....
I can just hear someone saying, "What are the chances of an earthquake happening around here, anyway? I want to get home in time for Celebrity Bowling!"
Thanks for the post, there's almost always something hidden or unknown. That's why the home inspection can make a difference and possibly save $$$$ in future repairs.
Wow. This is quite sad. It's people like this that give contractors a bad name and ruin it for all the good ones out there. Wonder if the person was even licensed. Glad that you caught it.
Charles great pics and great blog. I thought things like this only happened in Florida. I guess note. We have some wonderful home inspectors in Florida as I am sure you do there too. I give them lots of credit for having to crawl around those areas. Cheers to all home inspectors in Florida and every where!
Lordy, the things you find under the floor! You just never know when you write a contract what the home inspection uncovers.
Jennifer, this one is mostly going to raise a lot of questions----and cost someone considerable money
Joan, thanks
Sarah, one would think :)
Richard, can you imagine actually being addicted to that show?
Doris---always job security---it comes in many forms for a home inspector
Debbie, some of them earn their reputations----good and bad
Susan, there are lots of great inspectors all around the country
Lizette, that is exactly my argument for why these inspects need to be done prior to listing.
Charles, To me your last comment is the REAL point. Why don't more people do their own inspection before listing? It would help keep so many deals together and reduce the stress levels of all by 100%. Great post.
Deborah, it amounts to: "list house----wait for brick to fall on head" and then "buyer hires inspector----waits for brick to fall on head." Why not at least know how BIG the brick is ahead of time?
Hi Charles -- The things that home inspectors uncover never ceases to amaze me. Having the wisdom to further recommend the appropriate specialty to further evaluate is a key concept that cannot be overemphasized enough to ensure the buyer is well protected and represented.
Hi Charlie:) Pretty nutty what is under some of the glitz and glow:) Thanks for your great narrative as always!
Gosh by the title I thought we were going to discover you had found a nest of racoons or worse on your crawl space excursion. Considering we just had a little earthquake here this week I'm going to be more aware of seismic straps and bolts in the future.
You know what, Charles? I'll bet builders are more afraid of your showing up than we realtors are? Well, that may not be possible. Good pictures and good blog.
Hi Charles, Also not too impressed with what looks like a slip shod attempt at supporting the floor joist in the second pic down, left side, next to the lag !
Quality, honesty, reliability do matter!
Charles, it would probably surprise most of us if we spent a week with you crawling over and under homes.
HI Charles, another interesting find in a Seattle area crawl space. Thanks for sharing.
What is a seismic strap?
Charlie great pictures -- drives the point home. We need good building inspectors and I have worked with some very reputable people. Wonderful demonstration.
Ann, NH/MA
(;>)
The pictures say it all... don't they. If it has to be fixed again, it wasn't fixed in the first place.
I don't think I understood a word or picture in your Blog. It might as well have been written in Greek... Which just proves to me again the value / importance of a home inspector!! It is impossible for an agent or buyer to be an expert in everything.
Always inspect before you buy. The proof is in the pictures!!
Yikes! Can't say enough good things about a pre-inspection when listing a home for sale. Issues like the ones you described, sellers almost never know about until the buyer's inspector comes through. I've even listed homes that were less than 5 years old, with one owner, and had strap issues come up. Seller was just so sure that builder and her inspector found EVERYTHING that was wrong before she moved in, and since she never made modifications to the home while she lived in it, she chose not to do the pre-inspection. Her logic made some sort of sense, but finding these seismic strap issues by the buyer's inspector to seller by surprise and cost the seller a chunk of change.
Chris, it is hard to imagine an inspector not recommending who should be figuring things out.
Hi Courtney----you just never know what is lurking down under (especially a house boat:)
Cindy, there is nothing like sex and rats to lure a reader in :)
Barbara, we can sometimes be the two edges of the sword :)
Bill----for sure----very marginal support there
Joshua, yes----all essential components to make sure your house gets built well
Ted, it might surprise your back too :)
Dale, no shortage of stuff to find
Jay---you know---those things that hold Croaksters eyeballs on his head?
Ann, thanks
Jay ;)
Rob, that is for sure
Dan, was it really that bad? :)
Lesley, and also "always inspect before you sell"
Marie, as you can imagine, I totally agree
Hello Charles, Another great post showing the value of what can be uncovered with a good inspection. But it also raises the point about how these things happen when a home is constructed and the Building Inspector signs off without noting or raising these issues. I always recommend a full Licensened Contrators Inspection for every property even new. On a new home that a Buyer was purchasing recently in the very high six figures range, we also had seven pages of significant and some quite serious repair items, nearly all of which were tuned down. Thankfully the Buyer vacated the sale.
Perhaps there does need to be better guidelines in place for Building Inspectors that if the city signs off on construction and things are noted in the future ( typically within 10 years on most things but foundation and sysmic standards should have no time limit) that were indeed done wrong or not done at all, the building dept (paid to exist for public safety by property tax dollars), could and should be held accountable.
This could create interesting new relationships with Builders that in the past for whatever reasons ( we all have a pretty good idea why) could have been exempted from very close scutiny of construction standards and the building code.
Yup!! Let the buyer beware.... Good post today.
Patricia/Seacoast NH
Home inspectors worth their weight in gold!
A good home inspector is WORTH their weight in gold!
What a funny and informational post, good job!
Charles - Great photos and informative. We just had a home inspector talked to us at our office meeting last Monday and he recommended having a home inspection before taking on a listing. It does make sense since you do not want surprises later on.
Christa, yes----and every area has its differences
William, crawl spaces are particularly vulnerable to issues that will not be seen by the jurisdictional inspectors because they don't go in there. If the sub-floor is down you are pretty much out of luck as far as them going down there. Many areas now require pre-subfloor inspections because of this----good idea in my opinion. While I like your idea about the public paying for these inspections they are actually mostly paid for by permit costs which are no where near high enough to cover the time it would take to actually inspect the properties. These are "feel good" inspections for the most part with a lot of trust being given to the builder to do the right thing. Licensing of builders would likely be a better plan than to ever expect the jurisdictions to do real inspections----people just would not pay the fees.
Patricia, thanks
Michael, even though I am a "light-weight" I would love my weight in gold
Hey Pippa, Michael just said that:)
Krista, thanks
Rosalinda, in time pre-listing inspections will be as common as buyer's inspections
Charles - Your posts are always so informative with a hint of humor.
I remember a house that a buyer of mine had purchased. When we had the home inspection, it was determined that the dining room addition, had very interesting looking piers beneath it. They looked like large upside down mushrooms, with the caps upside down. The inspector stated that if there was an earthquake, the whole addition would "rock" on those "mushroom caps."
Surprisingly, the seller was also a contractor, who had built the addition. He corrected, by excavating away from the "mushroom caps" a bit, and pouring concrete around them to reinforce.
I guess you never know what to expect when you inspect a home. . .It must always be an adventure!
What is the mangy thing in the picture? Is it Mr. FixrotRUs?
Sincerely, CuriousRUs
Mryl, the repair you describe sounds interesting----would love to have seen it
Kate, which picture are you talking about---the duck?
How is this house still standing? Is it the krazy glue?
Jane, there is so much redundancy in these straps and foundation bolts----it is really hard to know how muchof a problem it is. The buildings is 30 years old and been through a couple of good earthquakes---I will let the engineer figure it out.
That is a scary situation! I can't imagine if a terrible storm blew in what would or could happen and could have been prevented. Home Inspectors are worth their weight in gold!
I am struck with how helpful digital cameras have become in our industry. Your photos 'explain' the situation perfectly.
I always recommend that my buyers attend at least the last portion of a home inspection so that they can get a verbal summary and ask questions directly to the home inspector. This one looks like it could have been very interesting!
Chris, the job would be very difficult without them now.
Vickie, it for sure was
Scary when you really start to think about it. Great post, Chris.
Charles,
Great stuff, just another reminder of what should of been done but was not. It is sad to see that these where installed to that point then never correctly finished. Another vote for Seattles best Mr Buell! One day I hope to grow up and be as good as your are, : )
Oh! I looked again and it must be insulation. Too funny. Can you see what I thought was a mangy critter escaping the camera?
Did you say cosmic straps and bolts were not fastened?
Rob, I am good at raising more questions than answers :)
Don, I just hope to one day grow up----on second thought----why? :)
Michael, yup---lots of drive by's
Kate, ahhh yes----could be Nutsy on a good day!
Jim, now we are getting close to "comic strips" were not fastened :)
Mr Charles,
I was a bit putted off that day I was working with you and you said you wanted to cuddle with someone furry when I was working feverishly.
Nutsy
Nutsy, all you needed was a paper bag :)
I thought that was a critter scurrying up the wall in the top right picture. lol Thanks for the post. I can't believe something that blatant didn't get taken care of.
Jeez, man, what did they think those straps were for?
Eric, you and Kate (comment 54) went to different schools together:)
Reuben, it does boggle the mind.
DANG!!! I missed it too----that would have made a great picture :)