Home Inspection

Foreclosure Inspections

Many Realtors and Mortgage brokers have written articles on short sales and foreclosures.  One point the haven’t touched on is what is necessary to prepare a foreclosed home for inspection.  When banks own  the home they often (usually) have them winterized and often allow propane tanks to empty.  Other utilities are usually left on.  It is understandable that they would want to protect their investment as much as possible.  Unfortunately, this protection makes it impossible to do a thorough home inspection.

When buying (or selling for you Realtors out there) a foreclosed home, it is very important to insist that the bank has the home de-winterized and has propane put in the tank.  Without these items being taken care of, the water heater, heating system and plumbing systems can not be fully evaluated.  I just returned, today, from a re-inspect of one of these homes for just the reason I’ve stated.  Not only did this slow down the process, it also cost the buyer an additional fee for me to go back out to the site ( a rural one and some distance to drive).  So please, on foreclosure sales, get those utilities back in operation!

David Helm, Bellingham home inspector

Home Inspection

Another Potential Fire

Why do home inspectors enter attics?  There are many things for the inspector to check in the attic including ventilation, insulation, wiring, plumbing pipes, termination of bathroom vent fans, moisture levels and the picture shown below.

 

 

 

Home Inspection

No Support!

I have done a few blogs on this site about various things that are found on home inspections.  This one is structural.  We inspectors spend a lot of time in crawl spaces, looking at many things.  One common one is caused by plumbers and HVAC technicians.  This isn’t to badmouth them.  They have their job to do and may not know about how structures are supported.

 

 

 

Home Inspection

Crawl Space Ventilation

The purpose of crawl space ventilation is to keep the moisture/humidity level in the space at as low a level as possible.  This is important because wood destroying organisms thrive in moist environments.  Anobiid beetles (most common and most destructive wood eating insect in Western Washington) for instance, thrive in a wood moisture level as low as 13%.  An unventilated, or inadequately ventilated crawl space is apt to have high moisture levels.  Most newer homes are provided with adequate ventilation through building codes.  Homeowners often defeat this ventilation by installing foam block inserts, thinking they are protecting water pipes.  The proper way to protect water pipes is with pipe insulation.  Closing off foundation vents does not allow moisture to leave.  Older homes often have inadequate ventilation. Standard building practices require one square foot of vent area for every 150 square feet of crawl space.  Vents should be evenly distributed and within a few feet of corners to promote air circulation. One example of inadequate ventilation is the louvered vent cover shown below.

This type of vent actually has only half the vent surface area that it appears to have.  This restricts air flow.  A better solution would be to replace the louvered vent screen with 1/4 inch mesh galvanized hardware cloth.  This would give full ventilation surface area.  I always advise my clients to do this.  To sum up; keep vents open.  The only time, in this county, to block vents is when we are having a serious northeaster with the temperature and wind chill down around O degrees fahrenheit, and only for the duration of the northeaster. 

As always, thanks for reading.

David Helm, Bellingham home inspector

http://www.helmhomeinspections.com

Home Inspection

Pest Inspection: What is it and what does it cover?

Back in the early days of home inspections all that was done was called a pest inspection.  These days, a home inspection is much more comprehensive, covering grounds, structure, roof, crawl space/basement, all systems and of course, pests.  The term for pests is Wood Destroying Organisms (WDO).  This is a state mandated term that covers very specific things.  A WDO inspection searches for evidence of all the state recognized WDO (see my earlier post on WDO) and conditions that are conducive to WDOs.  What are conducive conditions?  They are things like plumbing leaks, inadequate ventilation, restricted or non functioning gutters, vegetation touching siding, earth to wood contact, failed or missing caulk or grout in water splash areas and conducive debris (cellulose based or storage that restricts air flow) in the substructure.  These are all important issues and generally represent at least 50% of issues found in home inspections.  In order to report on these issues, according to current Washington law, an inspector must be licensed as a Structural Pest Inspector by the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

As always, thanks for reading this.

David Helm, Bellingham home inspector

http://www.helmhomeinspections.com

Home Inspection

Price Shopping For Home Inspections

I see that a lot of people shop for inspections by price.  They may be spending $500,000 for a home but opt to find the cheapest inspection they can find.  What’s wrong with this picture?  Making a major investment without getting the full particulars about that investment seems a bit wrong headed to me.  ALL INSPECTIONS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL!  That may bear repeating; ALL INSPECTIONS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL.  There is an old adage that “you get what you pay for”.  In inspections this is very true.  Someone is doing cutrate inspections for a reason (usually they are trying to buy their way into the business).  It is unlikely that someone who values their service so low will do a very thorough inspection.

A better way to shop for inspections is to look at the background, experience and reputation of the inspector.  Certainly being a member of a National Organisation is a plus, but no guarantee.  Do they have E&O along with General Liability insurance?  Do they have any construction related background (again no guarantee, but I would want someone who has a good understanding of how houses are built)?  Are they formally trained? Classroom training with hands on experience doing supervised inspections is  best.  I would be wary of online training.  Do they price their inspections appropriately? (This means, do they value what they do?  If they value what they do, they are more likely to want to do a thorough job).  Lastly, do they actually spend an appropriate amount of time doing the inspection.  In Washington, with Home Inspectors also doing WDO (wood destroying organisms) it is very hard to do a single family home in under three hours (that does not include report writing time).  Larger homes, and older homes (locally up to about 120 years) will take longer, and should cost more for the inspection.

David Helm, Inspector

www.helmhomeinspections.com

Home Inspection

An Explanation of Washington Wood Destroying Organisms (WDOs)

The most common (and the most damaging) WDO in Washington is the Anobiid Beetle(sometimes called the Western Death Watch Beetle) Hemicoelus Gibbicollis.  Often misinformed people call this the “powder post beetle”.  True powder post beetles(Lictyds) infect hardwoods and appear in Washington primarily in furniture.  The Anobiid infects softwoods; important because it infects structural lumber.  They are common in crawl spaces and thrive in a moisture level of 13 to 18%.  The larvae spend as much as five years eating wood before exiting to breed and continue the cycle.  Control includes removal and replacement of any severely damaged wood (There could be serious structural damage) and eliminating conducive conditions; primarily by ensuring adequate ventilation of the crawl space, removing cellulose debris and making sure the vapor barrier is properly installed.  Chemical control is possible, but it takes treatment over a period of years to effectively control them.

 

Carpenter Ants(Camponotus modoc is the most common) generally nest in tree stumps outside the house.  They enter the house foraging for food and to establish satellite nests.  They do not eat wood, but excavate tunnels. The initial nests in houses is started in decaying wood, but once it is established, they expand their network of tunnels into sound wood. They can do considerable damage to a structure.  If the colony is located they can be controlled by chemical treatment.  Again, non chemical control includes reducing conducive conditions: proper ventilation in attics and crawl spaces, trimming vegetation back away from the house, removal of any wood affected by decay fungi, keeping soil away from wood trim and siding.  Closing any openings to the outside (entry of gas pipes, etc.) also will help keep them out.

 

There are two species of termites known to be in Western Washington.  The first, Pacific Dampwood Termite is mostly found in crawl spaces.  The wood must be wet to support them.  A common source of infestation is formwood left on footings.  Out door firewood storage (especially against the house) is another common source of infestation.  Best control is to remove any conditions conducive to their support; remove footing forms and cellulose debris in crawl space, ensure proper ventilation of the crawl space, do not store fire wood or other wood products against or near the house, repair any leaks in plumbing.  Subterranean Termites, the other type, fortunately is relatively rare in Western Washington.  It nests in the ground and must be in contact with moisture at all times.  They build mud tubes for protection and moisture when foraging away from the nest.  Chemical control is the most effective way to get rid of them.  This can be quite involved.

 

Moisture Ants are usually associated with rotting wood.  They are not considered a primary structural pest.  Removal of rotted wood and controlling conducive conditions are generally adequate to control them.

 

Wood Decay Fungi, often mistakenly called “dry rot”, is a very common WDO in Western Washington.  Water must be present (generally a moisture level at 20% or above), optimum temperature for growth is 60 to 90 degrees f, and a food source (the wood).  The primary control for wood decay fungi is remove and replace any damaged wood and control conducive conditions (eliminate any sources of moisture).

 

There are other WDOs in Washington, but they are not considered to be a primary problem because of biological conditions.  The WSDA has identified another insect, the Velvety Tree Ant, that they are classifying as a WDO, but information isn’t widely disseminated yet.

Home Inspection

Not Having your Home Inspected Could Cost you

Author: Branden Schroeder

When buying a new (or newer) home, buyers often assume that, since the construction is new (or relatively new), there should not be any problems with the building. Unfortunately, skimping out on a home inspection could cost you a lot more than what it costs to have it inspected. What the inspector finds could have a significant impact on your real estate transaction.

Your prospective home should always be inspected by a reputable home inspector. Realtors may recommend inspectors for you, but often it’s best to get in contact with the Better Business Bureau and have an inspector recommended to you.

Having the inspection done, you’ll be able to find any areas of concern or not up-to-code. It is often best to have the inspection done BEFORE the transaction is complete, as the results of the inspection may indicate repairs that should be completed before moving in. If you can’t have an inspector come to the home before the transaction is complete, make sure you have it addressed as part of the transaction in writing. Also, you may be able to work with the seller of the house on negotiating repairs, or re-negotiating the offer with your Realtor based on the findings in the inspection.

A good inspector will take his time with the home inspection, and while they are inspecting you should avoiding bothering them. Although it’s not necessary to be there during the inspection, it’s a good idea to show up at the end for the written report. The inspector will give you a detailed written report after the inspection is complete. This will include everything from wiring and foundation and walls, to plumbing, roofing and doors and windows. In the inspection they will highlight areas of concern, which will give you a clear indication of whether you’re getting what you’re paying for.

Home inspectors examine a building — they don’t determine its market value. If you are interested in the market value of the structure, it’s best to have it appraised. Home inspectors can highlight future issues or items that may not be up to building standards, or need addressing. When buying or selling, it’s often best to have your home inspected. This can be useful for future reference and a good document to have on your new home.

About the Author:

Branden Schroeder is a Realtor serving the Maryland real estate market. Branden’s background in law has enabled him to provide a level of service in the real estate market that is unequaled by other agents. For more info on Maryland Homes and Property visit us online at today.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/warning-not-having-your-home-inspected-could-cost-you-215964.html