Summary Page
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Full General Home Inspection and Structural Pest Inspection WA State Dept. Agriculture ICN# 7140AR004 | |
| Client(s): | Phillip Borrelli |
| Property address: | 6433 Rest Pl. Bremerton, WA |
| Inspection date: | Friday, May 25, 2007 |
Concerns are shown and sorted according to these types:
 | Safety | Poses a risk of injury or death |
 | Major defect | Correction likely involves a significant expense |
 | Repair/Replace | Recommend repairing or replacing |
 | Repair/Maintain | Recommend repair and/or maintenance |
 | Minor defect | Correction only involves a minor expense |
 | Maintain | Recommend ongoing maintenance |
 | Evaluate | Recommend evaluation by a specialist |
 | Monitor | Recommend monitoring in the future |
 | Comment | For your information |
 | WDO/WDI Infestation | Evidence of infestation of wood destroying insects or organisms (Live or dead insect bodies, fungal growth, etc.) |
 | WDO/WDI Damage | Damage caused by wood destroying insects or organisms (Rot, carpenter ant galleries, etc.) |
 | WDO/WDI Conducive conditions | Conditions conducive for wood destroying insects or organisms (Wood-soil contact, shrubs in contact with siding, roof or plumbing leaks, etc.) |
- Structures built prior to 1980 may contain lead-based paint and/or asbestos in various building materials such as insulation, siding, and/or floor and ceiling tiles. Both lead and asbestos are known health hazards. Evaluating for the presence of lead and/or asbestos is not included in this inspection. The client should consult with specialists as necessary, such as industrial hygienists, professional labs and/or abatement contractors for this type of evaluation. For information on lead, asbestos and other hazardous materials in homes, visit:
- Fences were damaged or deteriorated in some areas. A qualified person should repair or replace sections as necessary.
- Vegetation such as trees, shrubs and/or vines was in contact with or less than one foot from the building exterior. Vegetation can serve as a conduit for wood destroying insects and may retain moisture against the exterior after it rains. Vegetation should be pruned and/or removed as necessary to maintain a one foot clearance between it and the building exterior.
- The exterior finish over the entire structure was failing. A qualified painting contractor should prep (pressure wash, scrape, sand, prime caulk, etc.) and repaint or restain the entire structure as per standard building practices.
- This property was clad with composition wood fiber siding. Many brands of this type of siding by different manufacturers are known to deteriorate and/or fail prematurely due to moisture penetration. Failure is typically visible in the form of swelling, cracking and delamination, especially at the bottom edges. Class action lawsuits have been filed or are being filed against most manufacturers of this material.
- Evidence of prior water intrusion was found in one or more sections of the crawl space. For example, sediment stains on the vapor barrier or foundation, and/or efflorescence on the foundation. Accumulated water is a conducive condition for wood destroying insects and organisms and should not be present in the crawl space. The client should review any disclosure statements available and ask the property owner about past accumulation of water in the crawl space. The crawl space should be monitored in the future for accumulated water, especially after heavy and/or prolonged periods of rain. If water is found to accumulate, a qualified contractor who specializes in drainage issues should evaluate and repair as necessary. Typical repairs for preventing water from accumulating in crawl spaces include:
- One or more unlined wooden planter boxes are attached to the side of the building. Wood soil contact exists in such boxes and is a conducive condition for wood-destroying insects and organisms. Recommend either removing them, or modifying them so that no wood-soil contact exists (install plastic or metal liners), and so that they are well drained.
- Caulk was deteriorated around windows, around doors, at siding-trim junctions. A qualified person should repair or replace as necessary. For more information, visit:
- One or more exhaust fan ducts in the attic were missing. This is a conducive condition for wood destroying insects and organisms due to increased moisture levels in the attic from the exhaust air. A qualified person should evaluate and make permanent repairs as necessary and as per standard building practices, so all exhaust air is vented outside.
- The ceiling insulation in some areas of the attic was uneven. This may result in increased heating or cooling costs due to decreased energy efficiency. A qualified person should repair, replace or install insulation as necessary. For more information, visit:
- Moss was growing on the roof. As a result, shingles may lift or be damaged. Leaks may result and/or the roof surface may fail prematurely. This is a conducive condition for wood destroying insects and organisms. Efforts should be taken to kill the moss during its growing season (wet months). Typically zinc-based chemicals are used for this, and must be applied periodically. For information on various moss treatment products and their pros and cons, visit:
- The self-closing device on the garage-dwelling door needs adjustment repair or replacing. This door is intended to prevent vehicle fumes from entering living spaces and to slow the spread of fire from the garage to living spaces. A qualified person should evaluate and make repairs as necessary.
- The threshold at the base of the garage-dwelling door was missing. This door, and a threshold below, are intended to prevent vehicle fumes from entering living spaces and to slow the spread of fire from the garage to living spaces. A threshold prevents flammable materials such as carpeting from being installed under the door. A qualified contractor should evaluated and repair or replace the threshold as necessary.
- Safety containment cables were missing for one or more vehicle door springs. This is a safety hazard. Safety containment cables prevent springs from snapping free and causing damage or injury. A qualified contractor should evaluate and make repairs or replace components as necessary. For more information on garage door safety issues, visit:
- The walls between the attached garage and interior living spaces had holes. These surfaces are intended to prevent vehicle fumes from entering living spaces, and to slow the spread of fire from the garage to living spaces. A qualified contractor should evaluate and make repairs as necessary so the attached garage wall and ceiling surfaces that adjoin living spaces are tightly sealed and fire rated as per standard building practices. Typically these surfaces require a one-hour fire rating.
- Weatherstrip around or at the base of the garage-dwelling door was missing. A qualified person should repair or replace as necessary to prevent vehicle fumes from entering living spaces.
- Hardware on the garage vehicle door was loose. A qualified person should evaluate and repair as necessary.
- This property had one or more Federal Pacific Electric brand main service or sub panels that use "Stab-Lok" circuit breakers (panel #B). Both double and single pole versions of these circuit breakers are known to fail by not tripping when they are supposed to. This is a potential but serious fire hazard. Recommend having a qualified electrician replace any and all Federal Pacific panels. For more information, visit: http://www.inspect-ny.com/fpe/fpepanel.htm
- This property had one or more Zinsco brand main service or sub panels (panel #A). These panels and their circuit breakers have a variety of problems including:
- Some wiring was loose, unsupported, or inadequately supported (in garage). Standard building practices require non-metallic sheathed wiring to be trimmed to length, attached to runners or to solid backing with fasteners at intervals of 4-1/2 ft. or less. Fasteners should be installed within 12 inches of all enclosures. A qualified, licensed electrician should evaluate and repair as necessary. For example, trim wire to length and/or install staples as needed.
- Wire splices were exposed due to not being contained in a covered junction box. For example, in the garage. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock and fire. A qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary. For example, install securely mounted junction boxes with cover plates where needed to contain wiring splices.
- One or more electric baseboard heaters were installed with an electric receptacle located above. Insulation on appliance cords in contact with the heater(s) may be damaged by the heat. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock and fire. A qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary. For example, converting receptacles to junction boxes, moving receptacles and/or moving baseboard heaters.
- Some electric receptacles had reverse-polarity wiring, where the hot and neutral wires are reversed. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary. (one in garage)
- One or more electric receptacles at the following "wet" locations appeared to have no ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection: kitchen, bathroom(s). This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. Recommend having a qualified electrician evaluate to determine if GFCI protection exists, and if not, repair as necessary. For more information, visit:
- One or more bushings were missing from where wires enter holes in panel #B. This is a safety hazard since the wiring insulation can be cut or abraded on the metal edge of the hole(s). A qualified electrician should install bushings where missing.
- Energized equipment was exposed at panel #B due to missing closure covers. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified person should repair as necessary.
- Based on the age of this structure and the appearance of existing smoke alarms, the alarms may be older than 10 years old. According to National Fire Protection Association, aging smoke alarms don't operate as efficiently and often are the source for nuisance alarms. Older smoke alarms are estimated to have a 30% probability of failure within the first 10 years. Newer smoke alarms do better, but should be replaced after 10 years. Unless you know that the smoke alarms are new, replacing them when moving into a new residence is also recommended by NFPA. For more information, visit this article: NFPA urges replacing home smoke alarms after 10 years.
- Smoke detectors were missing from bedrooms. Additional smoke detectors should be installed as necessary so a functioning one exists in each hallway leading to bedrooms, in each bedroom, and one each level of the building. For more information, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5077.html
- This property had one or more fuel burning appliances and/or an attached garage, and no carbon monoxide detectors were visible. This is a safety hazard. Recommend installing one or more carbon monoxide detectors as necessary and as per the manufacturer's instructions. For more information, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml05/05017.html
- One or more outside faucets were missing backflow prevention devices. These devices reduce the likelihood of polluted or contaminated water entering the potable water supply. This condition can occur when an outside faucet is left in the "on" position with a hose connected and the sprayer head turned off. When pressure in the system fluctuates, water can be drawn back into the water supply pipes from the building. If a chemical sprayer is being used with the hose, those chemicals can enter the water supply pipes.
- Copper water supply pipes in buildings built prior to 1986 may be joined with solder that contains lead. Lead is a known health hazard, especially for children. Laws were passed in 1985 prohibiting the use of lead in solder, but prior to that solder normally contained about 50 percent lead. The client should be aware of this, especially if children will be living in this structure. Evaluating for the presence of lead in this structure is not included in this inspection. The client should consider having a qualified lab test for lead, and if necessary take steps to reduce or remove lead from the water supply. Various solutions such as these may be advised:
- Most water supply pipes in the crawl space were uninsulated. Recommend insulating pipes as per standard building practices for better energy efficiency and to prevent water pipes from freezing.
- A drain line at the west side of the crawl space was sagging. It mat not drain properly. A qualified person should repair as necessary. For example, install one or more Straps,
- The inspector was not able to find the main water shut-off valve. The client should consult with the property owner to determine if a shut-off valve exists, find it themselves, or hire a qualified plumber if necessary to find it. If no shut-off valve is found for the structure, then recommend having a qualified plumber install one to more easily allow the water supply to be turned off in the event of an emergency, such as when a supply pipe bursts.
- The temperature/pressure relief valve drain line was sloped upwards. This is a potential safety hazard due to the risk of explosion from restricted flow. A qualified plumber should evaluate and repair as necessary so the drain line complies with the temperature-pressure relief valve manufacturer's installation instructions. For more information, visit: http://www.reporthost.com/_docs/TPvalve.pdf
- The water heater did not have seismic straps or struts installed. This is a potential safety hazard. Leaks may also occur in water supply pipes. A qualified person should install seismic straps or struts as necessary and as per standard building practices.
- The temperature-pressure relief valve was leaking. A qualified plumbing contractor should replace this valve.
- One or more electric baseboard heaters were inoperable (bathroom and NW bedroom). A qualified person should evaluate and repair or replace as necessary.
- A significant amount of creosote (1/8 inch or more) was visible in flue(s) at location # A. A qualified contractor should inspect, clean, and repair if necessary now and annually in the future.
- The exhaust fan at location #A was noisy or vibrates excessively. Moisture may accumulate as a result. A qualified person should evaluate and repair or replace as necessary.
- The shower diverter valve at location #A was defective. A significant amount of water came out of the bathtub spout when the shower was turned on. Water will be wasted as a result. A qualified plumber should evaluate and replace components or make repairs as necessary.
- The sink drain at location #A used flexible drain pipe. This type of drain pipe is more likely to clog than smooth wall pipe. Recommend having a qualified plumber replace this pipe with standard plumbing components (smooth wall pipe) to prevent clogged drains.
- Many ceiling areas in this structure had ceiling texture possibly installed prior to 1980. This material may contain asbestos, which is a known carcinogen and poses a health hazard. Laws were passed in the United States in 1978 prohibiting use of asbestos in residential structures, but stocks of existing materials have been known to be used for some time thereafter. The client may wish to have this ceiling material tested by a qualified lab to determine if it does contain asbestos.
- Screens in some windows are deteriorated. A qualified person should evaluate and repair or replace as necessary.
- Deadbolts on one or more exterior doors were inoperable (handle spun freely at front door). A qualified person should repair as necessary.
- Lock mechanisms on many windows were damaged. A qualified person should repair as necessary.
- Vinyl flooring was deteriorated in some (kitchen) areas. A qualified person should repair or replace as necessary.