Welcome to the, “Twilight Zone”……..
It is a great feeling when we as home inspectors call for repairs by qualified repair persons, that we can go to sleep that night 
after we send out the report, knowing that the repairs will be in good hands----to sleep well knowing that our buyers will continue to be as well taken care of by the repair person as they have been by their agent and their inspector.
It is great to know that when we are called back for the re-inspection of the repaired items, that the best part will be sharing a cup of coffee with the agent and the buyer and being able to sign off on what was done.
Welcome to the real world……..
A world where all too often repairs are done like the one in the picture to the left.
Spray foam insulation is a poor patching and exterior wall covering material for these damaged concrete blocks around the overhead door. And while it may keep out drafts and vermin (temporarily) it is no substitute for epoxy and concrete----as would be called for in this repair.
One could argue that this "repair" was worse than doing nothing at all since all that spray foam will all have to be removed in order to make "proper" repairs.
I have a hard time understanding what the person making repairs like this can possibly be thinking when they read the report and it calls for, “professional repairs by a qualified repair person.” These repairs are not “professional” and the person doing them was clearly “not qualified.”
Why would anyone conclude that a knowledgeable buyer, being advised by someone committed to taking care of them, would think that this kind of repair would fly? Add to this that someone is going to have to pay for another re-inspection fee. Wouldn’t it have just been cheaper to have done it right in the first place? It is not a pleasant sight to see me foaming at the mouth.
I wish I lived in the Twilight Zone.
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.
With the exception of a missing handrail for the stairs, this installation meets “code” requirements. The platform outside of the door is 29-3/4” above the patio surface. If it was over 30” a guard rail would be required to prevent falls from the platform. This is a great example of the “minimum standards” aspect of the building codes. To me this installation represents a serious safety issue and should be made safe. Besides the fact that most people would not want to walk off this platform in the dark and fall into one of the planters, imagine trying to negotiate the stairs and wrestle the door open (or closed) at the same time----with no hand railing or barrier railing. Another thing to consider is wind. Imagine opening the door from the inside and having it be caught by the wind. Would you let go of the door and allow it to slam against the outside wall of the house or would you attempt to hang onto it and be dragged screaming into one of the waiting planters?
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 is indicated by the “bluish” highlighted areas in the picture, these are areas of enamel steel type tubs that the moisture meter often finds indications of moisture behind the wall covering. On a recent new construction inspection I found a great example that shows why this is so. Steel tubs like this typically have a flange that runs up behind the wall covering to reduce the chance of water finding its way into the wall. The problem with this flange is that it does not run all the way to the edge of the tub or down the side. In this next picture one can see the flange where it stops at the black opening that is a hole all the way through. Really this opening should be properly caulked and sealed previous to installation of the finish surface to reduce the risk of water penetrating this area. Then of course the gap should be properly caulked after the finish wall surface is installed. The way these tubs are constructed speaks to the importance of keeping grout and caulk in good condition. Similar indications of moisture are also very common at the inside corners of the tub because this flange does not wrap around the corner but instead ends just before the corner----just like in the picture at the front of the tub. This creates an ideal place for moisture to find its way into the wall at the corners due to improper caulking of the corner prior to installation of the wall surface and poor caulking at the wall surface connection with the tub. Doesn’t it make you wonder why they would build the tub this way? Apparently it has to do with the way these steel tubs are manufactured and enameled that make it very difficult to do a proper flange all the way around the tub like a plastic tub would have----and part of what makes this type of tub a “cheap” choice in tubs. I think now you can see why inspectors are so adamant about keeping these areas well sealed/caulked.
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 have done posts to my blog in the past about the stairs, and how as a component in the home, they are perhaps one of the most difficult things to get right.
There is tread width, riser height, riser/tread ratios, consistency of riser height, nosings, stair width, slope of treads and many other factors.
Side barriers and hand railings are more things to take into account.
On a recent new townhouse I found a hand rail that was not parallel to the run of stairs. As in this next picture “A” and “B” should be equal.
In this case the railing at the top of the stairs, from a point at the stair nosing vertical to the handrail, measured over 41.”
At the bottom the height was 37.”
This meant that “A” and “B” could not be equal.
Current regulations require the hand rail to be between 34” and 38” from the nosing vertical to the handrail.
While this might not be considered a “major” safety issue----it is new construction----and thus should meet the requirements at the time of construction.
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 have posted in the past about attic ventilation and how there are many ways to achieve good attic ventilation. Ventilation can consist of passive means that utilize soffit vents, roof vents, gable vents and ridge vents. Sometimes mechanical means are utilized with the installation of wind driven turbine type vents, and sometimes electrically or solar powered vents are installed. See these three links to past posts to learn more about roof ventilation:
When the trades don't talk to each other, @#$% happens!
For my money, any time passive approaches can be utilized to do the job this should be encouraged as the use of electricity is costly.
By far the best passive approach is the use of soffit vents in conjunction with ridge vents. I have done several posts in the past regarding the Venturi effect that is created with the use of ridge vents and how this effect helps this approach be superior to roof vents and gable vents. I have also posted as to why combinations of systems are a problem.
At a recent inspection of a 5 year old townhouse, inadequate ventilation of the attic was evidenced by the beginning presence of mold or mold-like/fungal growth on the roof sheathing. Movement of air through the attic needs to be sufficient to prevent moisture laden air to stagnate where it can condense on the cold roof surface. Moisture was likely finding its way into this attic through poorly sealed ceiling fans and an attic access hatch that was not weather-stripped. The ventilation system was not adequate to keep this moisture flushed out of the attic space. Moisture laden air can also move into the attic from the exterior as well.
In this first picture one can see the darkening of the roof surface between the trusses where the mold or mold-like fungal growth is beginning to form.
The interesting thing about this structure was that provision for a ridge vent was made for installation of a ridge vent but it was never installed. Note the gap at the ridge in the next picture. The black area is the roof felt paper covering over the hole that was left for the ridge vent. At the center bottom of the picture can be seen the lone gable vent that is cut in half by the end wall framing----further compromising the effectiveness of what was already inadequate.
While most aspects of home construction are not in themselves “rocket science,” the building science aspect of the home comes pretty close. All of the trades----all of those putting the pieces together, should have proper interdisciplinary training in Building Science in order to better understand how the building works as a whole.
In this case all openings into the attic space will need to be properly sealed and/or weather-stripped, the continuous type ridge vent will need to be installed, and the gable vent will need to be removed.
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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