James Quarello - ASHI Certified CT Home Inspector

Pride [prīd]

1. Satisfaction with self: the happy, satisfied feeling somebody experiences when having or achieving something special that other people admire

She felt a sense of pride when she looked at her finished work.

2. Source of personal satisfaction: something that somebody feels especially pleased and satisfied to own or to have achieved

The definition well explains the feeling, the sense of human pride and yet it seems to be lost, taken over at times by another human emotion; greed.

In the past few months I have been witness to, both figuratively and literally, a complete absence of pride and human decency in some people through the work they have performed. These people were not just hired to do work in a quality manner and at a fair price, but expected, no trusted to do the job correctly. The people who they have taken advantage of are seniors. Some were invalids. Some are alone. All have quite plainly been royally screwed.

There is the couple who hires a contractor to build an addition on their home because the husband is wheel chair bound. When then job was completed the couple expected the heating system to function, the kitchen electrical outlets to operate as they should and the handicap accessible bathroom shower to be usable. And yet none of these things and many more did not functioned as expected. To fix all the problems the contractor asked for more money. Sixteen times he asked and yet all was not right.

And then there's the money that was paid to Mr. Contractor during the course of the project. Incredible amounts of money given the size of the project. Of course Mr. Contractor no longer has any of the money which has made getting any restitution mostly an exercise in futility.

Then there is the widow who needed new windows in her home. The contractor was recommended by people the widow knew. Once the windows were done the woman noticed air leaks coming from the new high quality windows. She also noticed exposed wood and large gaps all around the windows. She brought this up to the contractor and was given excuses, but no repairs. The talk between the widow and contractor has begun to focus on attorneys.

Has it become too much to ask that quality work be done in a professional manner at a fair and reasonable price. Has the pursuit of money so overtaken some people's sense of ethics that they will blatantly take advantage of others?

In our society success is measured by how big a house you own and how much stuff you have. I believe we may be using the wrong ruler.

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence. ~Author Unknown

James Quarello
SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

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Of all the components in a home the electrical system has to be the most mysterious and to some degree menacing. Electricity should be respected because it can kill you.

One of the major parts of the system is the ground wire. This is usually a single wire found inside the main service panel on most systems. The other end of the ground wire can be connected to a number of different locations. The most common in my area is to the main water supply pipe. A ground rod is also usual either inside or outside the home.

The location of the ground wire inside the main service panel is dependant on a few variables. It's these variables that can throw a curve at the inexperienced amateur.

The panel at right has been incorrectly grounded. The main ground wire (large bare copper wire) is located on the neutral terminal (that's where the white wires connect). For those sharp eyed folks, yes there is a red wire in there also. If you follow it up it's spliced to a white wire.

The reason that the wire does not belong on that terminal in this instance is the location of the main breaker. The main disconnect is located outside near the meter which makes this a four wire main panel feed. The main grounding for the system should be located out near the meter not on the neutral terminal.

This panel as best as I can tell has been this way since the home was built. Even when newer circuits were added, and incorrectly wired, this defect was not corrected.

An ungrounded electric system is definitely not a good thing.

James Quarello
SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services click on the links below:

When running the sink or flushing the toilet not much thought is given to how the "stuff" going down the drain leaves the house. Most folks know there is a set of pipes that the "stuff" travels through on its way to destinations unknown. The one significant difference between the pipes that bring water into the house and those that take the unpleasant stuff away is pressure.

Drains usually operate solely on gravity. If you go and look at any of the drain pipes in a home they will be pitched. Gravity basically takes all the nasty junk in the pipes away to the main sewage line in the street.

But sometimes the house is built lower than the main sewage line and we have all heard the old saying about how sh*t doesn't flow up hill.

When the drains leaving the home have to travel up hill to reach the main sewage line or in some cases the septic system a pump must be installed. The pump is usually called a waste or sewage ejector and is the main part of a dedicated system.

The pump is housed in a vessel installed either in the house usually in the basement or in the yard. The pump housing cover when outside looks like a big green trash can cover or a large turtle depending on your perspective (second photo).

The pump performs two jobs in the system; the first is to grind any large "stuff" into very small stuff and secondly to pump the slurry to the main sewage line.

Because the pump also macerates it is important number one that the system be regularly maintained and two; attention must be given to what is put down the drains.

If the system breaks down there is or should be an alarm (last photo) installed again either inside or outside the house. If the pump fails or another malfunction occurs the alarm will sound alerting the homeowners that there is a problem. In the event of a system breakdown the drains (toilets, showers, sinks) can not be used or they will back up into the house.

When looking at a home outfitted with a waste ejector pump the presence of an alarm should be noted. Maintenance records from the owners should also be sought. A yearly cleaning is usually recommended.

Waste ejectors should be used similarly to septic systems in that thought must be given to what is put down the house drains. Improperly feeding the lawn turtle could cause him to regurgitate his "food" back into the house.

YUCK!!!

James Quarello
SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services click on the links below:

Homes have been constructed using pretty much the same design and methods for hundreds of years. "Stick built" is a common term used to describe the way house are constructed. After all 2x4s are nothing more than nicely shaped sticks.

As with all designs there are inherent flaws. These imperfections are not usually given much thought because they do not cause any safety or functional issues, at least not foreseen at the time of construction.

A frequent problem that comes to light through the lens of an infrared camera is air infiltration due to everyday framing and insulation techniques. The area I want to focus on is referred to as the wall top plate.

In the diagram the top plate has been outlined. What becomes obvious is that the ceiling insulation does not extend over the top plate. This sketch also depicts a regular problem when insulation has not been extended over the top plate; ice dams.

In the infrared thermal image at right the dark blue represents the coldest areas. This is an IR thermal image of a ceiling at the exterior wall. Cold air is filtering through along the wall and ceiling because;

1. The insulation has not been extended over the top plate and
2. Has not been place tightly against the ceiling.

The reason for this problem occuring is not only bad insulating technique, but the stick built house. Wood framing joints are anything but air tight. Additionally framing lumber is usually green wood and will shrink a few months after installation.

How can these problems be addressed?

By using different types of insulation that both insulate and seal. Sprayed in insulations such as cellulose or foam seal framing gaps unlike the commonly used fiberglass. Rolled fiberglass insulation must be cut around obstructions creating path ways for air into the living space. Fiberglass is in reality an inferior insulation, but because it is so inexpensive is the most commonly used house insulation.

The last photo shows a top plate from the home in the infrared image. The insulation was cut off without covering the top plate. By filling these gaps the air infiltration and heat loss seen in the infrared image can be significantly reduced.

James Quarello
SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services click on the links below:

No matter what the window manufactures may say the fact is a window is a hole in the wall bleeding out conditioned air. Undoubtedly this is part of the reason why windows are rated in U factor instead of the more recognized R value. The U factor is the inverse of the R value. An Energy Star rated window must have a U factor of .35 or less. With U values the lower the number the lower heat loss. So that Energy Star window has an R value of 2.86, not very impressive.

None the less a thermal double pane Energy Star rated window with low-e coating is far better than an old single paned window. That is unless the window hasn't been correctly installed.

By far and away the most common and hugely problematic issue I find with all types of newer windows is air leakage. Not just from replacement windows, but also new construction windows. The air leakage is sometimes because the window is poor quality, but bad installation is nearly always the cause.

There is a gap between the window itself and the house framing in which the window is installed. The opening in the wall is called the rough opening and is a little larger than the window. This is to allow for squaring up the window. This opening must be well insulated or air will pour through like water over a dam.

This opening seems to be like high school science, not much attention is given to it. And once the window trim is installed no one can see the error.

The first photo to me is mind boggling. This is a window in a brand new home under construction. The beige stuff around the window is spray foam insulation. The customer was concerned with the installation of the insulation. What he did not realize was the window rough openings had not been, for all intents and purposes, insulated. Notice the black line along the top of the window. That is the "insulation". It's a single piece of foam plastic backer rod. Backer rod is not insulation. The insulation company owner, who was in attendance, weakly argued this was fine. These windows that are in a very tightly insulated house would leak air like a sieve thus rendering the high priced insulation much less effective.

The next photo is a newer window in a home that was recently remodeled. It looks fine, but the infrared camera can see what is not visible. This rough opening is channeling air into the home because it has not been properly insulated. It may in fact not be insulated at all.

Replacement windows have some of the same issues and a few other problems unique to older windows. Most replacement windows fit into the old window frame and do not require removing the window trim. If the trim is not removed then the rough opening is not insulated. The homeowner then ends up with a new leaky window instead of an old leaky window.

Another area forgotten sometimes is the counter weight cavity in very old windows. When a replacement is installed the weights are removed. The cavity should be filled with insulation or once again air leakage will occur.

New windows have many benefits over older windows, but if the unit is not installed correctly new are not much better than old.

James Quarello
SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services click on the links below: