On the heels of several recent posts about walking on roofs, comes a flat roof on a garage/carport that I would not walk on. They just don’t get any worse than this prior to being bulldozed. I would say that this roof is a good 20 to 30 years past its expected life. Here is an interior shot. Perhaps the biggest concern with structures like this is when there are kids around that might play in or around them. This was a house that was a short sale----so it is not likely that the bank is going to do anything about this safety issue. If the roof collapsed on a bunch of kids using this as a “hideout” would the bank be liable or would the kids get arrested for trespassing?
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.
Home inspector newborns.
Is your home inspector a baby?
Yes they are. We all are. As a profession we are in our infancy, which explains the huge range in quality of home inspections and the 
associated reports of those inspections.
There is much bickering among home inspectors and various associations as to which one is the best, and inspectors will argue themselves blue in the face as to why they are better than inspector “X.” The point I would like to make is that----unlike doctors and lawyers----or even hair dressers----or even massage therapists----we have virtually NO TRAINING that supports any argument as to what association or inspector is any better than any other.
Until there is some sort of peer review and training that takes longer than a week or even a month, it is pretty much a stretch to call ourselves a profession.
I do think that we are becoming a profession and can still provide an invaluable service to our buyers, but 25 years from now we will be as similar as a witch doctor is to a brain surgeon----perhaps even more distinctive. Some of the inspectors that have been involved in this profession from the beginning are being dragged kicking and screaming to the next level. No one wants to admit that this is NOT as good as it gets. What we do now as inspectors will be unrecognizable from what the profession will look like in 10, 20, 30 years from now.
Real Estate Agents are also part of this equation because they need to keep up with the growth of our profession as well. Consumer expectations of home inspectors increases every day which results in better inspections with inspectors spending more time at the inspection. The days of the one hour inspection are justifiably disappearing and the 5 hour inspection is becoming more common.
Home inspectors are all a bunch of “Alpha Wolves” and it is easy for them to get all caught up in their own self-importance. This makes it especially difficult for consumers to know which inspector is actually going to give them the best information possible in the short time that inspector is at the property they are looking at.
My recommendation to consumers is to do as much research as possible about the inspector they are considering. Google their names, their businesses and Professional Associations for more information about them. Check their websites, read their blogs, find out whom your friends used for their inspection-----there is no easy way----but if you do your homework you will find one that is as competent as today’s industry standards allow.
There are no brain surgeons yet----but the diapers are getting uncomfortable.
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.
It is very common for dormers and other roof structures that have gutters above the level of the gutters on lower portions of the roof, to empty onto the roof surface. The water is allowed to run on the roof surface and is collected by the lower gutters. In this first picture one can see where the gutter has been cut off at the same pitch as the roof to let the gutter empty onto the roof surface. Note also that the valley also sheds its water down the roof surface as well----as opposed to into the gutter. This situation creates a lot of water running over the roof surface in a concentrated area that causes that portion of the roof to age prematurely----as well as impact siding on the dormer. It can also maintain moisture on the roof creating an area where moss can grow.
In this next picture we can see where the water is drained the other direction to a downspout that then empties onto the roof surface.
How about this one with the additional problem the roof step flashing not being properly counter-flashed by the siding? Water flooding from this downspout can easily find its way into the roof and wall structures.
Leaving the gutters off altogether is not usually a good option (unless the roof is very, very small) because the rain dripping off the edge will wear on the roof below. Everyone has seen the holes that can be eaten into the ground below roofs with no gutters----you don’t want this to happen to your roof.
So what are better solutions to this problem?
One common solution which most people don’t like because it is considered “unsightly,” is to make the downspout continuous over the surface of the roof. Besides being unsightly they are always getting stepped on or otherwise damaged----but still a better solution than just letting the water run across the roof.
This has been a long-winded way of getting to perhaps the best solution to this problem that I have ever seen (as long we are going to insist on continuing to use asphalt shingles as a means of covering roofs).
This metal tray protects the roof surface, is not easily damaged by klutzy inspectors, and gets the water to the lower gutter.
Now if I could just talk people into covering the whole roof with the stuff.
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.
Why don’t kitchen sinks have overflow holes?
Sinks with overflow holes are not allowed in food preparation areas due to the possibility of providing a place for bacteria and mold to grow around the overflow----stuff you might not want as a condiment for food.
In general, the area around sinks should be kept very well sealed and caulked in order for them to be more easily maintained and kept sanitary. Weather the sinks are self rimming sinks, or under-mount type sinks, the connection between the two should be properly caulked. Of course the Corian type sinks where the sink actually becomes part of the countertop is by far the easiest type to maintain.
Under-mount sinks are very fashionable these days, for a nice “clean” look, yet they can actually be less sanitary than a self-rimming type unless one is very vigilant in cleaning the underside of the countertop where the sink is caulked to the bottom side. Add to this----in the case of granite---that the underside of the overhangs is usually “unfinished” and creates an ideal place for mold and bacteria to grow (kind of like the underside of the toilet tank where there is no enamel coating).
In the following picture you can see where the connection of the sink to the countertop has not been caulked, creating a gap where mold and bacteria WILL grow.
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.
As a builder I have worked on houseboats, and as an inspector I have They represent a very Niche Market in the Real Estate world and are typically VERY EXPEN$IVE and hard to come by under almost any market condition----most costing more than a million dollars. Most people assume there is a moratorium on adding to the roughly 500 existing floating homes existing on Lake Union and Portage Bay. That is only true relative to the huge hurdles to overcome in terms of getting permits to build new ones. Having enough land to provide parking for the structures to be built is perhaps one of the biggest hurdles. The Seattle Times did a great article that discusses these floating homes and I won’t attempt to duplicate that information here. For more information please check out the article: “New houseboat development on Lake Union is buoyed by demand.” From an inspector’s point of view, they represent a whole world of Another thing about them----especially the ones built prior to more modern standards----is that nothing is level or square, doors don’t stay open or closed, and some are only accessible to inspection underneath by scuba divers or kayak. All They are kind of fun to inspect being on the water---with great views of the water, boats and surroundings. It is a little weird inspecting the roof and thinking about falling in water instead of on land. On one I dropped the cap of my moisture meter and got to watch it sink to the bottom. To know where the cap is and not be able to get it, is way worse than having no idea where you lost it. Originally, some of these floating structures were built on giant old growth cedar logs as much as 6 feet in diameter---most of those have been replaced----but some remain. The modern ones are build on floating concrete structures filled with foam. Yesterday’s post discusses one with a crawl space. Many have no crawl space at all and are built much like a house on land that has been built on a concrete slab. In fact, these slabs on land are often called “floating slabs.” The ones on land are poured as monolithic reinforced concrete slabs and float on a bed of crushed stone-----a little bit different that the floating homes of Seattle. The concept is similar though----the foam element replaces the gravel. So take your Dramamine and hop aboard!
inspected a few. They are an interesting Seattle phenomenon----you may remember them in the movie “Sleepless in Seattle.” The “boat” part is a bit of a misnomer however, and “floating home” or “rafts” comes a bit closer to describing them. Very few---if any have an actual hull like a boat---and even fewer resemble a boat. In the early days, some of them looked like boats and probably were boats.
disclaimers and modifications of standard inspection protocols. After all, what percentage of normal homes can sink (actually very difficult) or float away in the middle of the night?
floating homes must have flexible connections for the sewage, waterlines, gas lines and electric lines that run to them----plus the building itself must be pretty well attached to the dock structures with flexible connections to allow for movement of the building on the water as well as for changing water levels. The picture at the right shows one of the flexible brackets that connect the structure to the dock. Above this connection one can see the flexible electrical connection. Beyond that connection is the flexible gas connection. The structures on these small lakes are less vulnerable to storms than they are to the large wakes from passing boats. 
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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