James Quarello - Connecticut Home Inspector

Inspecting homes can be like looking for a person who has become lost in the woods, you have to keep a sharp eye out for a distress signal.

During a recent home inspection on a snowy morning here in Connecticut, while looking over the exterior of the guest - pool house I noticed a sign. I didn’t know at the time it was important or that what I was seeing was anything more than it appeared to be, a vent through the roof. In this instance it was a vent for the heating system.

Vents through the roofs of homes are not only common, but wholly expected. If I were to observe a home without vents through the roof, that would be a sign as well, a red flag. What this almost periscope like signal told me was that the heating system is located in the attic. Since I had glimpsed the basement, saw that it was often wet, this was a good sign to see.

After completing the outside inspection, I moved inside straight up stairs to find the attic and the “vessel” attached to that periscope. Ascending the stairway, which had a nautical motif by the way, I noticed above me the return air vent in the ceiling. This vent corresponded to about the place on the exterior where I had first observed sign of the heating system. At the top of the stairs I went left into the bedroom and to the closet at the end of the room. Opening the door I was surprised to see, nothing?

Not actually “nothing”, the something I was looking for was the hatch in the ceiling that would take me to the attic and ultimately the signaling furnace. I went out of the closet, gazing at the ceiling as I walked towards the only other room up here, the bathroom.

Again nothing, nada, zilch, zip, no attic hatch. I looked in the pint sized linen closet, I looked again in the stairway and back in the first closet. This was a problem, and a fairly significant one at that.

Having access to a heating system in an attic not only makes just plain good sense for numerous reasons, it is also required by the building codes.

Come to find out the access had been in the ceiling of the bedroom. Basically the story went, it was aesthetically unappealing and the homeowner had it seal off and finished to match the ceiling. Another instance where form trumps function and the furnace had been sending out an SOS ever since.

Finally someone came by who heard the call.

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

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

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

There is nothing I can think of that has an infinite capacity on this planet. Sooner or later, if something is put in, the vessel reaches capacity and something must come out or a failure will occur. One example I use quite frequently as a home inspector is with regard to forced air type heating systems. For these types of systems to operate efficiently, not only must they “force” air into the rooms, it also must be removed at the same time. If the air is not given a way out, the system operates almost like a person trying to blow air into a bottle.

There are less obvious places in buildings where the in and out principle not only applies, but if not in place can cause, as I said, a failure.

I was reminded of the need for a way out on a job not long ago. I was contacted to investigate a failure of the cladding on three buildings built in 2004. The siding was fiber cement, a good durable product that takes paint well. The paint started peeling off the new cladding on the three buildings about a year after construction was completed. The cladding itself was also deteriorating which was certainly related to the failing paint.

Houses are protected from exterior water infiltration basically by layering. The first layer is building paper, the most familiar is probably Tyvek. Before Tyvek tar paper was used. The second layer is flashings around penetrations like windows and doors. Lastly the cladding is installed.

The building paper serves to protect the wood sheathing beneath from incidental water penetration. What many people do not realize, this would also include some contractors, is that all cladding leaks. When water does get behind the siding, the next important consideration must be to provide it a way out.

Remember what goes in, must come out.

What I noticed on the building I was inspecting through the infrared camera was not only water behind the cladding, but a concentration of moisture at the base of the walls.

Another principle to remember, gravity.

Checking the base of the wall with a moisture meter where the siding meets the trim, I found it to be saturated basically confirming the thermal anomalies to be moisture.

What I noticed when checking various spots along the wall base was I had to work to get the meter into the seam. There was no gap. I noted the same above windows and doors. Without the gaps, the water has no place to go and thus there can be no drying. By omitting this simple but important detail, the cladding and paint has been deteriorating for close to eight years.

You can’t alter physics.

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

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

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

Sorry, but I do not have a good joke to share in this post. You may have thought about laughing when reading the title. Cracking up has another meaning, going crazy, but no, nothing too weird or outrageous today. What I find cracking up so very frequently are brick chimneys.

Brick and other masonry chimneys are a common sight on many, many homes here in Connecticut and the Northeast. Some homes may even have two or more. No question in my mind, brick chimneys are an attractive addition to the home. The problem I see however is many are neglected and or poorly built. Performing a recent home inspection I saw an example of both instances.

This home was a modest Cape Cod style that had two chimneys, an interior and exterior. The exterior chimney served the two fire places, while the interior chimney was dedicated to venting the heating system.

The parts of the chimney I want to be able to view if at all possible during the inspection are the top or crown and also the flue liners. The crown is the protective, usually concrete cap over the brick at the top of the chimney. Many I find are constructed not incorporating best building practices.

This was the case with both chimneys on this home. The house and therefore the chimneys were not exceptionally old, a bit over 35 years. The first chimney I looked over was the exterior. The crown was in very poor condition. It was cracked and falling apart, with pieces missing.

What I noticed was the large gap between the flue liner and crown. The cracks basically radiate out from this point. What this tells me is the seam where the liner and crown meet was probably never sealed. Because of this, water has been seeping through into the chimney structure. Over the years the freeze thaw cycle has caused the cracks seen in the crown. Further it is fairly clear the water is finding its way further into the structure. Cracks directly below the crown, some through the brick, are a strong indication water is inside the structure working it slowly, but surely apart.

The repair may look to be a fairly simple, but it’s quite possible it will involve rebuilding some of the upper portion of the chimney.

I doubt anyone will be cracking upon hearing the news.

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

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

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. A simple phrase I’m sure everyone has heard repeatedly since they were very young. It simply means to stop and consider your words before you speak. In the business of inspecting homes this is good advice.

Home inspectors are hired for the most part by home buyers to examine a house to look for current or potential defects prior to purchase. Home buyers not only look to the inspector for good information, they expect it.

Vague language is typical in the business of home inspection. It is also a complaint I hear often, the inspector didn’t explain the problem.

In my experience in talking with my colleagues for over 10 years now, there seems to be a general consensus that providing too much information will land an inspector in court. At the same time taking ownership of the report by writing in the first person is also deemed a for sure way to end up in front of a judge. I am told numerous attorneys have said these things to be true.

The problem with any attorney giving advice on how to run ones business is this; The attorney doesn’t have a clue how to inspect a house or run any other business for that matter. What they do know is how to defend a person in court. The advice they give is basically not tailored to operating the particular business, instead it is given as a way to hopefully make what ever screw up occurs defensible in court. Any advice given should be disseminated and used accordingly to fit one’s business, allowing for the job to still be performed.

Giving good, accurate information is what is expected of the home inspector. What can get one in trouble is when one gives information or advice one is not qualified to give. Worse may be not giving enough information or missing a defect.

On a recent home inspection I was informed the home had been previously inspected. One of the major issues was “the roof was beyond its useful life”. This information was given to me second hand. I did not see the inspection report.

When I climbed onto the roof, I saw that while there were some cracked shingles, the roof was certainly not “beyond its useful life”. What I noticed were several things. First the attic ventilation was minimal, a single roof vent and a fan. I dislike fans, they should only be used as a last resort. I did note soffit vents, but without a ridge vent their function is suspect. The other thing I noted was the cracking was generally isolated to a few distinct areas, the lower portions and where the sun seemed to fall on the roof. In the attic I discovered the roof vent had been sealed and the soffit vents were blocked by insulation. The only vent was the fan, which was not operating because it was cold. Attic ventilation should be continuous.

So in my assessment the attic ventilation or lack of is quite possibly the problem with the shingles and will continue to be a problem. The other thing is the roof is quite possibly repairable assuming the ventilation is fixed.

Did the other inspector identify these issues?

I’m not sure, but these issues were not brought up at my inspection. Was the roof problem properly assessed? From the information I heard, no it was not.

What I think occurred was the use of an “out”. A defect was observed and the roof was stated as in need of replacement. The liability had been passed off to the buyer and ultimately the roofing company.

Any attorney would be proud.

I’m not so sure the first buyer would be so happy if they knew the details.

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

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

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

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

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

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.