Insulated covers that are designed to cover outside faucets are very common. It seems that the word about these covers has gotten out so well, that most people think that all outside faucets should have them. I find that I am just as likely to see them on faucets that are “frost-free,” as I am to find them on outside faucets that can freeze. In modern construction all outside faucets are required to be frost-free type and have an anti-siphon component as well. In this first picture we can see a cover that is poorly installed and that will not protect the faucet from freezing at all-----and this is a type that needs protecting. Installing these covers on faucets that do not need them will not likely create any real problem other than annoy the inspector that has to take them all off to test the faucets----and be a waste of money and natural resources. Some of these covers can take a couple of minutes to get off and a couple of more to get them back on. This is not a fun part of the inspection when it is 20 degrees outside. Some of them have cinch type attachments that make removal and installation very easy. While the previous picture does nothing for the faucet and possible freezing of pipes, it did make a wonderful home for some lucky birds.
Charles Buell
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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.
SOUNDERS 3--RED BULLS 0 Last night was the opening game of the MLS Soccer season at Quest Field in Seattle----as the brand new MLS team, the Seattle Sounders FC, took on the New York Red Bulls and kicked their bullish butts 3 nil. The Sounders exploded out of the gate and never looked back---clearly out-playing the Bulls much of the game. USA International player Casey Keller had very little to do as keeper and the two or three times he was tested----he was clearly up to the task. Before the game there was the obligatory opening ceremonies, where the owners were introduced (including Drew Carey) and the proper people were acknowledged for bringing the MLS version of the “beautiful game” back to Seattle. Even Christine Gregoire, our governor (season ticket holder), was there. Professional soccer was here once before in the early 70’s, but that league folded and it has taken a quarter of a century to get the highest level of professional soccer back here----and the pent up demand was certainly evident at the game. The assistant coach of the new Sounders, Brian With 32,523 tickets sold for the game we decided to take the bus to the game and not try to deal with traffic and parking----a smart choice in retrospect. It was pretty exciting to be in the middle of 32,523 screaming fans waving their brand new inaugural green game scarves in the air. For 90 minutes nearly everyone stayed standing watching and cheering on their team. For years, even before the Sounders became the new MLS Sounders FC, we have had season tickets and a big crowd to those games would have been 3,252 fans and the only time you would stand up was when the team scored (or came close to scoring) or it was half-time. Last night, the only time we got to sit down was at half-time. So, the Sounders are off to a great start in their first season-----and they didn’t look “green” at all----except in color. Here are some pictures to give you a sense of the festivities. Police guarding the “game ball.” Some really cool fans. Some pre-game festivities. Some cool flags. The pitch. The band. And where would a team be without cheer leaders? The team taking the field. A sea of green. See what I mean?
Schmetzer (and head coach of the pre-MLS Sounders), was on that 70’s team. Brian was one of my son’s coaches in youth soccer-----so we have had a special connection to the team for a long time.
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.
Steve Smith, one of the long time, ancient, AR Inspector-gods, did a really good blog, Are Codes the Only Answer?. It is about some of the issues around the differences between what we do as home inspectors and what code officials do. It got me thinking about another way that I could help to clarify the issue and make it even more confusing all at the same time. How could one ask for more than that! The rub comes in the “interpretation” of the code. While the jurisdictional code official may have the “final word” as to what a particular code reference means in the context of a particular installation, they are no less immune from what is true about the building codes: 1. They are not what code official “thinks” they say ......”it is just the code.”
Some things to remember about building codes:
1. They are not what you “think” they say
2. They are not what you “want” them to say
3. They are not what you “need” them to say
4. They are not what you “wished” they would say
5. They are not what you “believe” they say
6. They are not what the builder “thinks” they say
7. They are not what the builder “wants” them to say
8. They are not what the builder “needs” them to say
9. They are not what the builder “wished” they would say
10. They are not what the builder “believes” them to say
......”it is just the code.”
Now perhaps one can see why there is so much confusion. 
2. They are not what code official “wants” them to say
3. They are not what code official “needs” them to say
4. They are not what code official “wished” they would say
5. They are not what code official “believes” they say
And this is the “rub” for the consumer----whom are they to believe?
The "builder" is only held to the standard of the code, the "code official" interprets the code (the minimum standard), and the "home inspector" may be more interested in a bigger picture that will no doubt include code considerations. The home inspector will also be interested in issues outside of the code. Most of the time we have no “authority” other than our what our reputations gives us and what the person hiring us gives us. In Washington State, if your inspector is a Licensed Structural Pest Inspector, they actually do have some authority that puts them on a par with jurisdictional inspectors, in that we have certain things spelled out in law that we must report on. Code or not----we can call to have these things corrected----and in a sense are the final say in these matters.
So, back to the tug-of-war between the warring parties. Currently there really are no other options for buyers that find themselves in the position of having to make a decision about how important what the inspector is telling them is to their purchase of the property. Is it worth losing the home over? This decision will be as varied as the homes being discussed and the parties having the discussion. I would like to see the conversation move away from “whom to believe” and move toward what the "buyer wants." The buyer may just have to come to terms with the fact that they may have to be the ones to make the improvements to the property----not the builder----not the seller-----if they really want the issues addressed.
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.
Figuring out cracks in brick veneer usually fits one of several possibilities. During my first walk around the exterior of this home, I noticed a fairly typical diagonal crack running from the base of the chimney upward at about a 30 degree angle. When we find such a crack, we usually look for a corresponding crack. In this case I expected to find another crack (or cracks) somewhere along the same side of the house. When the plane of the brick work is broken up by windows, steps in the foundation and areas of different kinds of siding, there are weak points that are likely points of cracking. This first picture shows the location of the crack highlighted in red. Here is a close-up of the area showing the obvious crack. From a distance, there really was not a whole lot jumping out at me to explain this crack. No visible cracks in the foundation----no gaping separations anywhere. One thing is for sure in this scenario: "She'll be comin' round the corner when she comes." As I rounded the corner to the back of the house (to the right in the picture), this is what I saw. “Hecka-crack” So now we have to go back to the side view to help with the explanation. In this picture if we make point “A” stationary and the entire foundation settles along its length to point “B,” it allows all of the brick veneer to move together as a unit without any other cracks forming----except at the pivot point “A.” In this case the crack that develops at point “A” had a corresponding crack on the side of the house around the corner----and in this case it was where the foundation was weakened at the door to the basement. Doorways cut through foundations are a very common “breaking point”----as are windows and step-ups in the foundation. These kinds of corresponding cracks result in not only foundation settlement but tilting of the foundation----as is evidenced in this case by the brick pulling away at the top at point “C.” This is a little unusual because the brick usually stays adhered to the wood framing creating long horizontal cracks more or less parallel to the settling foundation. In older homes, the brick ties that hold the brick to the wood structure pull out of the deteriorating mortar when put under this kind of stress. In this case the whole façade of brick is vulnerable to falling off the side of the home under the right seismic conditions. This more or less patchable crack at point “A” has now become a fairly major structural repair involving stabilizing the foundation and redoing the brick veneer.
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.
The Pacific Northwest is more or less “naturally” air conditioned and the need for a mechanical air conditioning system is rarely necessary like it is in other parts of the country. I see a few Air Conditioning systems----and when I do they are more likely to be incorporated into high-end homes or commercial structures and often in conjunction with heat pumps. Frankly I see Heat Pumps as a more economically justifiable system in the Northwest----with the Air Conditioning aspect being just a side benefit that comes with the Heat Pump. It is the other way around in most parts of the country. This picture shows the basic approach to installing air conditioners in the NW when it is NOT a high end home. It is very important to get yourself a good saw horse----one that you can cut the legs off of so that it will sit nicely on whatever pitch your roof is. You can use any old piece of plywood as a shelf----it will delaminate appropriately on its own over time. 
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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