Seattle Home Inspector's Blog

Braille for the sighted!

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:46:37 -0600

Everyone knows that a picture is worth a thousand words, but did you know that a picture can also actually contain words?

Now I am not talking about words captured “on” the picture itself. I am talking about words “hidden” in the picture code that only shows up when you pass your cursor over it. It is a sort of, “Braille for the sighted” and a distinct advantage of computer images. These “words” also show up in the picture place holder while the picture loads----if it doesn’t load instantly (as has been known to happen)----especially if you have an old dinosaur turtle computer.

But the type of computer you have is beside the point.

If you are going to use pictures in your blog posts why not give them something to say beyond the image?

Almost all picture-loading applications on websites----including activerain---give you the option of labeling your pictures (image description----this is what The Google sees) as well as giving the pictures something to say. For example let’s say I want to give that annoying bird Polly something to say, I might fill out the picture application something like the one below:

Just fill in the “title” box with whatever you want the picture to “say.” When someone runs their cursor over the picture that is the message they will see. Now try running your cursor over both the “application picture” above and the “Polly picture” below.

Whatever you put in the “Image description” box is what Google will find. So, go ahead and try a “Google Images” search for “Polly wants a cracker.” You will find the nasty creature on page two----last time I looked. If you are looking to improve your SEO this is the place you might put something like “Seattle Home Inspectors” etc.

I love to have hidden messages behind all of the pictures I post. I see them as little tantalizing morsels that more observant readers of my blog can glean additional information from----as well perhaps get an additional unexpected chuckle (always after the monitor splatter).

It makes your own activerain puddle deeper than you might have known it was.

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Window, window on the wall, what the………?

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:21:35 -0600

Ok, so let’s play a little game.

In this picture we can see two windows in a basement bedroom.

The question is: “What do you see and why do you see it?”

Side note---wise-ass comment: And I don’t mean because of anything to do with the way optics work or the ability of the human eye to function as it does. I am talking about the “reason,” or the “interpretation” of what your eyes see----if they see “anything” that needs interpreting that is.

So go ahead and feel free to ask questions. I will hopefully answer in a helpful manner---or not----depending on whim and the question asked. All questions and comments from Nutsy will be handled with the usual respect and admiration----befitting a beast of his intellect.

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Marshmallows anyone?

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:43:51 -0600

Who doesn’t like those flaming, charred clouds of sweetness?

I am pretty sure that most things will burn or melt if one gets them hot enough.

I am also pretty sure that “most” plastic materials typically found within ones home are susceptible to burning and/or melting. Take your average Corian type "plastic" countertop. While they are pretty resistant to heat, if we get the material hot enough, it will melt----if not catch on fire. Of course the wood cabinets below the countertop might not fare as well.

This countertop is in a commercial kitchen.

Because the countertop is higher than the adjacent stove, the overhanging pot was able to direct flames and heat onto the countertop----making it look more like a marshmallow over a camp fire----than an appropriate countertop material.

Plastic water piping for homes is becoming the standard and these too need proper clearances from heat sources.

Take the exhaust hood on your water heater----you certainly don’t want anything plastic near that. The same goes for vent pipe from furnaces and water heaters. Even double wall vent pipe like B-vent, typically requires at least an inch of clearance. In this next picture we see the plastic PEX-type pipe right next to the draft hood of the water heater and jammed right between the single wall vents of both the furnace and the water heater. Single wall pipe requires at least 6” of clearance to plastic pipe.

This is all a fairly new installation----but, over time the piping will succumb to the heat----and those nice white fittings will look more like marshmallows too.

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Another striking example!

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:43:08 -0600

For some reason this defect at a door lock-set reminded me of that movie Airplane (can no longer remember which one) and the play on the word “striker,” where the word was not only some guys name but also what was done to one of the stewardesses. In a similar way this Strike bolt, struck me as kind of funny----even though no stewardesses got hurt and no little kids had to see Peter Graves naked.

It does make me want to strike myself in the head though.

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

This is your tub’s drain----this is your tub’s drain on glugs!

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:24:48 -0600

I like to think that almost anyone could look at the following picture of a tub drain and know that something is just not right with it.

When one looks at their tub drain they should never see the threads and gasket that shows inside this drain.

Most tubs have a polished chrome or brass fitting (that the stopper sits on) that threads into the threaded portion that shows in the picture. It is what makes the gasket tight against the bottom of the tub and keeps the whole thing from leaking at the connection. It makes the water glug down the drain instead of around the drain.

Given that this tub was over finished space below, I expected to find damage to the ceiling below. It was not much of a surprise to find my suspicions confirmed by moisture meter when I checked the space below.

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Home Inspection with X-Ray Vision

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:34:37 -0600

This is a good post by Troy that can't be emphasized enough----and the comments to follow the post also add a lot to the conversation.

Via Troy Pappas - Virginia Beach Home Inspector (Safe House Property Inspections):

Recently I was watching an episode of Holmes on Homes that I had recorded. This particular episode was about issues that were missed by a home inspector so it kind of caught my attention. I do enjoy this show even though I don't think it is appropriate to label others as incompetents while building yourself up which seems to happen quite often on the show.

What really caught my eye was that the show focused on all the work that had to be done to the home even though a home inspection was performed. Now there were some serious issues in the home that the Holmes crew corrected which of course is great.

The majority of the show consisted of all the issues that were found after cutting and ripping into the walls. Without being able to review the inspector's report to see if any of the issues were mentioned or not it seems a little presumptuous to deem him an incompetent. A home inspection is a non-invasive assessment of the major structural and mechanical systems of a home. If one were to take a hammer to the walls of most homes I am sure that you would be able to see a lot more going on than what is evident from a strictly visual inspection.

Now I will continue to enjoy the show, but remember what it is I am hired to do when I conduct a home inspection. It would be easier, but these items just aren't in my tool bag.



........................................................................................................................................................

   Troy Pappas

    Safe House Property Inspections

    757-418-0944



Site: Virginia Beach Home Inspector

Email: troy@safehousepropertyinspections.com

   Join me on:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Tiddlywinks and character flaws.

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:49:46 -0600

Your house foundation.

It is what holds your house nice and level and keeps it from sliding down driveway and out into the street.

Foundations in new construction are designed for the slope of the land, as well as soil conditions, numbers of stories and other factors. Not long ago I inspected a home where, way back around 1900, four trees had been cut off on the site and these cut-off trees became the four corner supports for the home. In the following picture one can see one of the tree stumps that is now surrounded with “additional” foundation that has been added over the years.

Yes it was very small and was most likely nothing more than a get-away cabin that was built before the area became overrun by “progress.”

A tree is a relatively good analogy as to how foundations work. We have the support post (the trunk of the tree) and the footing (the roots that spread the load out over a bigger area). Any tree, when impacted by forces it was not “designed” to deal with, can become uprooted and the tree will topple over. The footing of trees is pretty much designed to secure the tree in place and counter the forces placed upon it by wind. A bunch of trees together will do more to help each individual tree than any lone tree can do.

A house foundation is similar. If it is supported by four corner supports and we loose just one of the supports bad things are likely to happen to the furniture, and occupants---never mind the structure itself. Now if we divide the spaces so we now have 8 supports, we go from catastrophic failure to something in between “catastrophe” and “sloped-floors”----commonly referred to as “character.” If we divide those spaces again, we now have supports at 16 points and it becomes even less likely that loss of one of the supports is going to be as problematic. Of course this is all relative to the distance between the supports and the type and size of beams spanning those supports.

Obviously if we fill all the spaces between the supports we have what we call a continuous foundation and some of that foundation could be effectively taken away without much consequence to the whole house. If one thinks about a foundation in this manner, it makes it easier to understand how inconsequential some cracks can be. Of course one still needs to be able to interpret the cracks----because they could mean something more.

We still have a fair number of post & pier type foundations around the NW that were built around the turn of the century----the 20^th century. They almost always have inadequate supports even though the spacing of the support posts would likely be adequate by current standards. What was usually NOT adequate however was the size of the footings under the support posts. Lots of times these posts were simply placed on large stones----including both stones found on site as well as cut blocks of stone brought to the site. Sometimes they were merely set on blocks of wood----or as previously stated---tree stumps.

These houses almost always have “excessive character” that would not be tolerated in any other type of construction. The best solution almost always involves either replacing the support post footings with ones engineered for the soil conditions (always considerably bigger than the ones originally used) or install an actual full foundation under the home.

These post & pier homes can be very difficult types of houses to “fix.” Fixing usually involves making a decision about whether one can live with the amount of sloping of the floors or not. If one cannot, and the house is to be leveled, factoring replacement of all the lath and plaster throughout the home will become a necessity as opposed to staying a cosmetic “feature” of the home. This gets really complicated if the house has undergone interior work to counteract some of the settlement. Floors that had been leveled to compensate for the sloping may now become out of level. Windows and doors installed level and plum will now no longer be level and plum.

Most people opt for simply “stabilizing” the home with proper supports and/or foundation and bank on retaining the cosmetic “features” and “character” of the home.

At a recent inspection all or most of the support footings had been “upgraded” at some point in the past---maybe 50 years ago. Because these footings were undersized and located so that the post was not centered above them the house has continued to settle and is about to play tiddlywinks with the footings.

These supports will need to be re-done or a new foundation poured under the house----they did not succeed in stabilizing the house at all with this repair.

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Who says modern builders don’t care?

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:47:26 -0600

Two years ago today, I got my second featured post when I asked the simple question: “Why is there a BARGE on my roof?”

Two years later, this post is still a pretty decent post----even if it isn’t as “pretty” as the ones I do now.

As a sequel to that post I thought I would share something I saw at an inspection the other day. It not only shows how nicely the barge rafter end can be shingled to protect it, but shows how even the small amount of water that would otherwise run off the end----bypassing the gutter----was re-directed into the gutter by the installation of a simple little metal diverter.

Pretty cool----no?

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

The Conservatory, Volunteer Park, Seattle, WA

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:02:23 -0600

In another one of my shameless promotions of one of my favorite places in Seattle, I thought I would share some recent pictures.

What is a Seattle Home Inspector to do when they finish their inspection and there is no report to write? In this case, because the inspection was only a few blocks from The Conservatory, I decided to see what was blooming. This is a place where it is really hard to be disappointed. There are always orchids present, but on this day there was an exceptional number of orchids in bloom. When you enter the Conservatory you immediately enter the Orchid area. If you go east you head toward the Desert House. If you Head west you are headed for the Tropics.

On the way to the desert house, I had to check out the Mirror Ball.

I was going to use this picture of myself as my new profile picture but decided to not scare little children needlessly.

The desert house has always been one of my favorite areas. I have always been fascinated with the spiral patterns of the cacti.

And the juxtaposition of hard and soft----or at least the “illusion” of soft.

Of course the Tropical Houses are never ones to be out done.

When you visit Seattle make sure this place is on your list----and maybe you will even see me there.

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Holy Cannon Balls Batman----the Powder Room is on Fire!!!

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:43:36 -0600

Transparency is apparently all the rage as blogging takes over the universe----can you imagine the impact this can have if it takes hold in the rest of our lives? We tend to think that some things are just so “rock-solid” they can never “be” transparent or never “benefit” from transparency.

Metaphorically speaking I came face to face with solid stone that was more transparent than one usually thinks of stone being. And while the Powder Room was not really on fire, it sure looked like it.

This Marble countertop, when lit from beneath, appeared to be “on fire.”

It also made for a very fun “night-light.”

Transparency really is more than it is cracked up to be!

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Are you a Shower Person or a Bath Person?

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:49:55 -0600

It seems as though people either love a good bath or hate baths.

While inspecting homes I can not always tell if the occupant likes baths or not----and I don’t really care----but if there is no stopper for the tub to be found anywhere----there is a pretty good chance that they are “shower people.”

While I love a shower----I like a nice relaxing bath occasionally too. I like my bath in peace and quite----without the noise of a jetted tub as well. I love my sister-in-law’s outdoor hot tub in Bellingham, WA----which I get to use when I stay at her house while I am teaching my week of the Residential Home Inspection Training course at Bellingham Technical College. I like to lay back and listen to the stars instead of the jets.

At a recent inspection I got to thinking about this question. The tub installation was one I have seen before, and it is prove that no one ever screws up anything “uniquely.” Someone somewhere has done a similar thing before. All I can conclude is that I hope the users are “shower-people,” otherwise it makes for a very uncomfortable bath.

I hate having to take a bath with a helmet on----that is best left to other activities (inside joke).

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

One can’t make this stuff up----really----I try!

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:08:53 -0600

At a recent inspection when I was looking across the roof from a porch roof I could see a strange bump with some discoloration around it----just to the right of the chimney near the top. Can you see it?

Any guesses as to what it might be?

Well if you were strange enough to guess the “vent cap” for the kitchen exhaust fan you would be correct. If not, well I guess you could not have made it up either.

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Don’t you hate being watched while you work?

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:13:21 -0600

Well normally, except for the buyer, no one usually watches me work while I am doing Home Inspections in Seattle----or anywhere else for that matter.

On a recent inspection I had the pleasure of being under the watchful gaze of three nefarious characters that likely only rival Nutsy in intellectual capacity (times three).

They had a clear view of me while I walked around their side of the house and they had a great view of me while I was on the roof. Being in a rather permanent “vegetative state” I doubt they would have been much use to me if I had fallen----unless I was lucky enough to shoot all the way across the street and land on them.

I am sure they are supposed to be likenesses of famous TV stars but have likely morphed over time into identities all their own. If they had even a hint of femininity I would call them the Hedgettes, but I think they are perhaps a bit closer to the Grumpsters.

They kind of remind me of this other creature I found in a vegetative state (with a little help of photo-shopping) while I was traversing a roof.

This is Oscar the Grouch----and I did a post about him a while back.

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Seattle Home Inspector looking for the Big Picture in the Little Picture.

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:08:59 -0600

When Home Inspectors look at homes, they must have both a “big view” and a “little view” of the home. In other words they have to be careful to not get so focused on the details that they miss the big things. They must also be careful to get in close so as to not see just the big things.

In the following picture we can see the detail of the picture up close but it is only if we move away from the screen a few yards that it becomes clearer----at least a little bit.

So what is it that you are seeing close up and what does it tell you from far away?

Charles Buell

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.

Wordless Wednesday in Shoreline WA

Charles Buell, Seattle, WA, Home Inspector (Charles Buell Inspections.com) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:04:22 -0600

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

DeCroe, is my "ethereal" home inspector assistant and occasionally flies into my blog and other people's blogs to offer assistance. To find out more about her beginnings just click on Raven.