Take a look at this picture. What is this capped pipe that is sticking out of this really nice roof? I may never know what the “original purpose” of this capped pipe was----and it really doesn’t matter. What it is today, is what matters. It is complicated because, what it is today is not even what it is. Confused? Me too----but I am used to it. This capped pipe is “trying” to be a plumbing vent-----and doing a very lousy job of it. That is the problem with “trying.” Trying is a total waste of time, because trying never got any job done. “Doing” is always necessary to get any job done. On the attic side, this is what it looks like. This abandoned vent (of unknown original purpose) is not an appropriate termination for the plumbing vent. It neither insures that sewer gases won’t find their way into the attic space, nor does it prevent vermin entry to the attic. This is not a very difficult fix and can be done when the roof is replaced-----since the roof is obviously past its expected life.
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 "etherial" 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.
I am not often stumped by things I find at an inspection. It was particularly distressing to be stumped on a house that was only 432 sq ft! I mean how difficult could it be? This cute little structure started out as a fishing cabin in 1921-----and now the structure leaves everyone fishing for answers----lots of answers----to lots of questions. Aside from needing an all new foundation (because there was none in some areas), new floor structure (due to Anobiid Beetle damage) and a new roof (due to water damage to the roof structures); the home would still qualify as “cute.” Can one actually sell “cute” all by itself? Most of these issues, while problematic, did not really amount to Rocket Science, so what had me stumped? If You Scroll On Down You Will See Why
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 "etherial" 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.
ActiveRain adds a whole new meaning to, “When it Rains it pours.” Most inspectors in my area are not very busy----or at least not as busy as they were two years ago. Lots of inspectors have gone out of business Without ActiveRain I would have had to put my construction hard-hat back on months ago. After more than 33 years of building, the: “been there, done that” principle is very strong. When things get slow for agents-----the calls for inspections typically drops way off. With a real presence on the internet, from persistently blogging on ActiveRain, people are finding me----and calling me-----for inspections. This helps make up for the drop-off in calls from agents. Yesterday I got a call wanting to know if I would go to Splendora, Texas to do an inspection-----a little bit out of my range (even though I LOVE road trips)----not to mention that I am not licensed in Texas. While this example is a little extreme it shows how blogging has a broad brush that paints your name all over the place and you just never know who that paint is going to touch. So while something like this might amount to no more than “spam” it also represents “possibilities” that would not exist without the effort put into blogging. I used to think that being number one on Google would have to happen before I would see the kinds of results that I am seeing now. The truth is that if I was number one on Google people might not call me as much. Does anyone ever take the number one position seriously anymore? Aren’t most people suspicious of how they got to that position? Aside from all of that----it is hard to be in two places at once----contrary to what some inspectors would like to think, a person can only do “X” amount of inspections and do them well. Some people tell me that when that happens, I can expand and hire other inspectors. I DON”T THINK SO! I just had a buyer the other day that one of the first questions they wanted to know was whether I would be doing the inspection myself or would some “wannabecharlie” be doing it. I replied---nope, there is only one of me.
or have had to put their construction tool belts back on. This is certainly true for me, and as long as I don’t have to go take my hammer and chop-saw out of moth balls I am a happy camper. I feel very fortunate that I have been fairly busy and right now I am very busy.
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 "etherial" 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.
I know that MOLD is a four letter word, and only a few other things found during the course of a home inspection causes more angst for all parties involved. As inspectors, not only are we the ones that have to bring its presence to the attention of the buyers, but we also have to figure out some way to talk about it in the Inspection Report. In spite of the fact that if: it “looks” like mold, conditions are “conducive” to mold, it “smells” like mold, it is “apparent” on surfaces known to love mold, and it “barks” like mold----most inspectors are still reluctant to call it “MOLD.” I am not sure exactly why this is the case----I guess due to the possibility that it might be some other sort of staining or condition that is not “actually” mold. And, I could see where that would be a problem if the inspector says you have a huge mold problem and it turns out to be smoke from candles of dirt from brake linings being sucked into the house (found sometimes on houses really close to busy streets). In general, knowing whether a particular fungal growth is actually mold or some other type of fungal growth, is not really all that important since the solution is pretty much going to be the same----fix the water issue and remove/replace/clean the affected materials as necessary. To give you an example of how difficult it can be to “language” the presence of mold, take a look at the following picture. The white color on these roof boards is a light covering of mold or mold/like fungal growth. What do I tell my buyer? It is obvious that it a past condition. How can I tell? Take a look at the newer roof sheathing showing between the white boards. There is no similar growth on this newer sheathing. This is consistent with there being no growth since the sheathing was installed. The roof was replaced at least 10 years previously as indicated by the overall condition of the roof shingles. There can be many reasons why this is no longer a problem and at the time of inspection the inspector may not be able to figure out all the “why’s,” and that is not as important as knowing that there hasn’t been a problem since the roof was replaced. Perhaps the dryer used to vent into the attic. Perhaps there were no vents in the roof previously. Perhaps the roof no longer leaks. Perhaps there had been flooding in the crawl space that had been fixed. Who knows? So again what do I say to the buyer? They want to know if it is a problem now----whether it is “dormant” or not----because after all----it is still present. Aren’t those tiny little spores going to find their way into the home and ruin their lives? No inspector can answer that question----because everyone responds to mold spores differently and there are lots of other variables----both physical and psychological. Even Environmental Hygienists can’t really answer that question----but the lowly home inspector is expected to answer the question regardless. I can tell the buyer that if moisture conditions are right the mold growth can come back to life. I can tell them that there are circumstances where the mold will release spores whether dormant or not. I can tell them that the likelihood of the spores finding there way into the indoor environment is not great---but could happen under some scenarios. I can recommend that they not store things in the attic. I can recommend cleaning and sealing of the affected areas by qualified persons. I could recommend that they run like hell and never look back (personally I wouldn’t do that----but some inspectors might). I could recommend further testing so that the testing company could tell them to fix the water issue and clean and seal the affected areas. Ultimately it is the buyer that will have to decide what is important to them, and how or whether they want to deal with the issue. It really is not much help that there is so much conflicting, misleading and downright erroneous information present on the web and in the media about molds in the environment. It lends itself to a lot of hysteria, and where you have hysteria you have a growing industry that is just as virulent as the mold spores themselves. What will create peace of mind in one buyer may not work at all for another. Another factor is that the buyer may not care about it and be willing to accept the Eighth Dwarf---Mouldy----sleeping quietly in the attic, but they may worry about what will happen when they go to sell the home. What if they cannot find a buyer that feels the same way about their old friend “Mouldy” that they do. They want to avoid feeling like “Dopy.” In other words will this stuff that doesn’t matter to them affect the resale value of the house regardless? I wish there was an easy answer to the question----heck I would accept an easy question for the answer! I seriously recommend that before anyone goes too far down the road of trying to answer this question, that they carefully read the work of Caoimhín P. Connell, Health Effects of Moulds (Molds): State of Knowledge. If nothing else---he does serious damage to the hysteria surrounding Mold----breaking the mold.
is “wet” like mold,
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 "etherial" 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 another one of those posts about why even New Homes need to be inspected. Take a look at the picture below. Note how convoluted the run of the vent pipes are from the water heater and the furnace. There is nothing about the installation of vent pipes from gas appliances that requires them to look like spaghetti, in fact, the shortest runs with the least number of bends is desirable. It is difficult to see in this picture, but it is not possible to remove the furnace filter because it runs into the vent pipe. To make a long story short, I called to have the venting repaired so that the water heater would vent better and that changing the furnace filter would be possible. In this next picture we can see the “repair,” by the licensed heating contractor, did improve the venting of the water heater by eliminating the long bending run to the point of attachment. But,----once again it was not possible to remove the filter without pushing the vent pipe out of the way. It just made me want to vent!
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 "etherial" 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.
Licensed Home Inspector (5yrs)--33 years design/build general contractor. Adjunct professor: Bellingham Technical College's Home Inspection Course. WA State, Licensed Home Inspector. ASHI member.
I had been designing and building homes for 33 years when I decided to become a Home Inspector. With all of my years of building experience and taking the 160 hour Residential Home Inspection Course at Bellingham Technical College, it is difficult to imagine what kinds of inspections the buying public was getting before the State of Washington started requiring Home Inspectors to be Licensed. (Thanks to the efforts of Senator Spanel, and many others there is now licensing of Home Inspectors in Washington State.) I have a dream of seeing home inspections taken to a higher level. While setting "minimum" standards is important, providing something of lasting value to the home buyer is what I am interested in, and over the coming years I expect to see increased education of home inspectors---perhaps even including 2 to 4 year college degree programs. Providing the kind of information necessary to aid in the decision making process is not difficult, and adding the kind of information that turns the home inspection report into the beginnings of an "owner's manual" creates something of lasting value. Because I use a lot of pictures in my reports, people have often commented on how easy it is to communicate the issues to the seller, and as a result I very rarely ever get calls from sellers looking for clarification----or to refute my findings. The whole process is about communication and information----"too much" is never enough.
I am a Certified Member of ASHI and I see membership in at least one of the major associations as a "minimum" requirement when choosing an inspector in Washington State----in addition to the State's requirement to be a Licensed Home Inspector. I would also expect to see Home Inspectors also be Licensed Structural Pest Inspectors in order to provide the highest level of service to the home buyer.
While members of the major Associations (and other associations for that matter) will argue the merits of their Association over the others, I find that they all have their good points. Buyers need to understand that membership requirements in all of these associations set "minimum" standards for the profession and that most inspectors exceed those standards. The important thing is what kind of report does the inspector provide and how clearly is it written, how well does it describe the issues, and how clearly does the report define the course of action regarding those issues.
I provide my client with a very detailed and thorough report on the condition of the home---some have commented on the report being like an "Owners Manual." I consider it the beginning of one. Along with all the major concerns, the buyer will also find useful information as to the age of appliances and Model and Serial Numbers.
Click here to see a Sample Report.
One area of concern for many home buyers today is MOLD. It has almost become a "four letter word" (wait a minute----it is a four letter word). No buyer's education and information about Mold is going to be complete without the information provided by Caoimhin Connell. For some great information please see his link below: Health Effects of Moulds (Molds): State of Knowledge Caoimhín P. Connell http://www.forensic-applications.com/
Forensic Industrial Hygienist
Much of my home construction has been involved with Super Insulated, Energy Efficient Homes. I have been a dealer of composting toilets, installer of wood foundation systems, and installer of air and water solar heating systems.
I won a New York State Energy Reserch & Developement Award ($10,000) in 1979 for a super-insulated duplex house built in Oswego, NY. My interest in energy efficient housing continues today and, because of my years of experience, I am able to assist my buyers with their questions about how efficient the home they are buying is or help them with their questions of how to improve the energy efficiency of the home. I was into "Green" before it had been given a name. Now I can help people sort through the various approaches to building homes (and even assist with some of the confusion surrounding what it means to be "Green").
Because my entire carrier as a builder was "Design-Build," I am able to also assist buyers with questions they might have regarding remodeling. For example questions about whether walls are bearing walls or not, or the feasibility of adding a second story, are all questions I routinely hear from buyers, and am able to assist them with. It is all I did for 33 years. I designed and built dozens of homes, and additions to homes, over those years----including designing and building most of the cabinet work in those projects----so I am very familiar with the processes and requirements of all of these areas. In the early years of my career I was building in areas where I was allowed to do electrical and plumbing as well (they still had to be inspected of course). So I able to give much more in-depth information regarding these areas as well.
As a builder of energy efficient homes in the 70's, the Syracuse University, School of Architecture would routinely tour my homes and even monitored some of them for documentation purposes for periods of time. One of my more curious areas of interest was the use of wood foundations in the overall design of super-insulated homes. These systems designed by Weyerhaeuser for use in the perma-frost of Alaska were well suited to creating very energy efficient homes.
I curretly teach part of the (160hr) Residential Home Inspection Course at Bellingham Technical College in Bellingham, WA. Link to the course: Residential Home Inspection Course
I LOVE teaching. It is such a great opportunity to give back all the stuff I have learned over the years. It fits with my general life philosophy of "giving everything away---to make room for more." Blogging for me is an extension of this philosophy, another way to give back to the community.
Founder of Sparky's Plumbing, the ActiveRain Group where everything is shocking and all wet!
Below are some of my favorite blogs----please enjoy. I promise, that if you tour through the archives, that I will entertain and hopefully educate you about the homes we all live in. Sometimes, no doubt, you will see things similiar to your own homes---sometimes things you will be fortunate to never see.
Anybody got 10 bucks I can borrow?
Beware of Having Sex on Granite Countertops!
Has anyone ever asked you to, "Pull the Plug?"
Should Agents sleep with their Home Inspectors?
Finding the "Better-than-the-average-bear" inspector.
Why is there a BARGE on my roof?
Scared the BEE-GEEEZEZ out of me!
What do you mean there are "SECRET" tunnels under my lawn?
Doggone it!-----Bet I'll be in the "Dog House" over this dog!
The Inspector goes to a Pajama Party!
How many chickens will fit inside a cow?
Instead of providing dozens of references from past buyers, I have selected just a few testimonials that typify the kinds of things that I hear back from buyers.
Charlie,
I would like to once again thank you very much for your outstanding work on the inspection of the xxxxx Street house on our behalf.
Our expectations of the inspection you performed were exceeded. The detail and quality of your report will be used by us as a goal for other inspectors we have the chance to do business with in the future. I can not imagine that there was a single thing you didn't cover! We will use your report as guidelines on what we need to do immediately to the house, over the course of the next 6 monts as well as ongoing maintenance. Your added background information and photos not only illustrated the issue but educated us as to the correction. Your willingness to share your impressions and knowledge via phone was greatly appreciated. We both feel this was the best money we could have spent!
Please feel free to use my name and have any potential customeers contact me for a reference. I am more than happy to tell them what a professional, knowledgeable, thorough inspector your are!
Thank you for your outstanding work!
Zan Murzello
Hi Charles,
Thank you so much for this great and very professional inspection. I have reviewd the information aen will be using this to negotiate our terms with the seller. Your discovery of the issues on this place has shined a new light to this property:)
Thanks again for your help,
Andres
Thank you so much Charlie--- I am so glad I had you to do this inspection-- you did an excellent job and discovered things I would never have thought of and I so appreciate your expertise. I feel so much more confident going into this purchase knowing exactly what's going on.
Thanks so much,
Mary Lee
After finding a house that we loved, we had to finalize the details for the sale. For the inspection process we chose Charles Buell Inspections since our friends spoke highly of him. Dealing with the stress of making the biggest purchase of our lives, Charles' calm demeanor and thorough examination of the house and lot put our minds at ease. We felt confident that all of the negative and positive aspects of the home were brought to our attention on sight. Twenty-four hours later we received a detailed 84 page summary of his findings which included pictures to clarify the issues being discussed. We were impressed! In fact this inspection report has been almost like a homeowner's manual, which we've used while updating our home. We have now used Charles for both our home and business inspections, and would definitely use him again in the future!
Glenn Soja
Leah Mitchell
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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