Summary Page
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Full General Home Inspection and Structural Pest Inspection WA State Dept. Agriculture ICN# XXXXXXXXXX | |
| Client(s): | XXXXXXX XXXXXXX-XXXXXX |
| Property address: | XXXXXXX XXXXX XX XXXXXXXXX, WA |
| Inspection date: | Tuesday, June 12, 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 |
 | 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:
- Bench seating was permanently installed at some perimeter deck areas with drop-offs higher than 30 inches. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of falling when someone (especially children) is standing on the seating. Recommend having a qualified person evaluate and repair as necessary to eliminate the fall hazard. For example, by removing or moving the seating, or extending the guardrail height.
- One or more retaining walls higher than three feet were found on this property and guardrails or barriers were missing. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of falling. A qualified contractor should install or repair guardrails as necessary above retaining walls higher than 3 feet to eliminate fall hazards.
- Handrails at one or more flights of stairs were missing or ungraspable. This is a safety hazard. Standard building practices require that handrails be:
- Perimeter pavement sloped towards building in one or more areas (east side). This can result in water accumulating around the building foundation. Recommend having a qualified contractor evaluate and make repairs as necessary so perimeter pavement slopes down and away from the structure.
- 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 basement floor drain was clogged and should be cleared, repaired or replaced as necessary by a qualified contractor.
- Elevated moisture levels were found in one or more basement walls (south side) with what appeared to be mold. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair as necessary. Note that with further evaluation, more damage may be found, requiring additional repairs.
- Soil was in contact with or less than six inches from siding and/or trim. This is a conducive condition for wood destroying insects and organisms. Soil should be graded and/or removed as necessary so there are at least six inches of space between the siding and trim and the soil below.
- One or more minor cracks (1/8 inch or less) were found in the foundation (in garage). These don't appear to be a structural concern, but recommend sealing them to prevent water infiltration and monitoring them in the future. Numerous products exist to seal such cracks including hydraulic cement, resilient caulks and epoxy sealants.
- The exterior finish in some areas was failing. A qualified contractor should prep (pressure wash, scrape, sand, prime caulk, etc.) and repaint or restain areas as needed and as per standard building practices.
- Extensions such as splashblocks or drain pipes for some downspouts were missing. Water may accumulate around the building foundation as a result. A qualified person should evaluate and repair, replace or install as necessary
- What was likely an attic at some point appeared to have been converted into a finished living space with sloping or "cathedral" ceilings. Adequate ventilation for the roof structure doesn't appear to have been installed. For roof structures and ceilings of this configuration, standard building practices require that vents be installed near the top of the roof (ridge vents), and near the bottom (soffit vents). Channels that allow air to flow from the lower vents to the higher vents should be unobstructed, and large enough to effectively vent moisture. Inadequate attic ventilation may result in high attic and roof surface temperatures, reduce the life of the roof covering materials and increase cooling costs. High levels of moisture are also likely, and can be a conducive condition for wood destroying insects and organisms. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair as necessary so ventilation and insulation are installed as per standard building practices.
- Debris had accumulated in one or more gutters. This is a conducive condition for wood destroying insects since gutters may overflow and cause water to come in contact with the building exterior or make water accumulate around the foundation. Gutters should be cleaned now and as necessary in the future.
- 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:
- Trees were overhanging roof and were within 10 feet of roof vertically. This is a conducive condition for wood destroying insects and organisms since organic debris such as leaves or needles are more likely to accumulate on the roof surface. Accumulated debris may cause water to enter gaps in the roof surface and leak into attic and/or interior spaces. Trees should be pruned so they are at least 10 feet above roof, or don't overhang the roof.
- The ceilings and 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.
- The service drop wire insulation was frayed and/or deteriorated in one or more areas. The utility company should evaluate and make repairs or replace wires as necessary.
- The service drop wires were less than 10 feet above ground or walkways. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. The utility company should evaluate and repair as necessary.
- Non-metallic sheathed wiring was routed in one or more areas (in garage) so it is loose, and subject to damage, such as on wall or ceiling surfaces. The insulation can be damaged by objects coming in contact with it and/or it being repeatedly moved. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock and fire. A qualified electrician should evaluate and repair as necessary. For example, rewire using conduit, or re-routing through wall cavities.
- One or more (for the fridge) 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.
- Relatively few electric receptacles were installed in some areas. For example, on the third floor. This can result in "octopus" wiring with extension cords, which is a fire hazard. A qualified electrician should evaluate and install additional receptacles as necessary and as per standard building practices.
- Many open ground, three-pronged electric receptacles were found. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary. For example, replacing receptacles or correcting wiring circuits.
- One or more electric receptacles at the following "wet" locations appeared to have no ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection: kitchen, bathroom(s), exterior. 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:
- The light fixture at one or more sets of stairs with living spaces at both ends was controlled by a single switch at one end. This is a safety hazard due to inadequate lighting. The light should be controlled by three-way switches at the top and bottom of the stairs so it can be easily operated on both floors. A qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary.
- Lamp holders or light fixtures with fully or partially exposed bulbs were installed in one or more closets. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of fire. Flammable stored items may come into contact with hot bulbs, and hot fragments from broken bulbs may fall on combustible materials. Standard building practices require closet lighting to use fluorescent light fixtures, or to use fully enclosed incandescent fixtures. Installing a compact fluorescent lamp in a lamp holder is not an acceptable practice. A qualified electrician should replace closet lights as necessary and as per standard building practices.
- 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, on one or more levels. 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 screws were missing from the cover to panel #A and should be replaced. Because energized wiring may exist behind the holes with the missing screws, recommend that a qualified, licensed electrician replace these screws, or that care be taken to ensure that the new screws do not come in contact with wiring inside the panel when they are installed. Stock screws from the panel manufacturer should be used, or their equivalent.
- Some cover plates on receptacle, switch boxes were missing. They are intended to contain fire and prevent electric shock from exposed wires. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of fire and shock. A qualified person should repair as necessary.
- The electric service to this property appeared to be rated at substantially less than 200 amps, and may be inadequate for the client's needs. Recommend consulting with a qualified electrician about upgrading to a 200 amp service.
- One or more electric receptacles appeared to have no power. For example, two at exterior. Recommend asking the property owner about this. Switches may need to be operated to make some receptacles energized. If necessary, a qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary.
- Some light fixtures were inoperable. Recommend further evaluation by replacing bulb(s) and/or consulting with the property owner. Repairs or replacement of the light fixture(s) by a qualified electrician may be necessary. For example, front porch light.
- 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.
- 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.
- No water supply shut-off valve was visible for the water heater. A shut-off valve allows the supply to the water heater to be turned off when the water heater needs repair or replacement, while allowing the remainder of the plumbing system to be operable (toilets, sinks, etc.). Recommend having a qualified, licensed plumbing contractor determine if a water supply shut-off valve exists, and install one if it is missing.
- The temperature-pressure relief valve was leaking. A qualified plumbing contractor should replace this valve.
- This water heater was not fully evaluated because the following condition(s) existed: local gas shut-off turned off, pilot light off. Recommend that a full evaluation be made by a qualified person when conditions have been corrected so the appliance is operable. Note that as per the standards of practice for NACHI (http://www.nachi.org) and ASHI (www.ashi.org), the inspector is not required to operate shut-off valves, pilot lights or overcurrent protection devices, or any controls other than "normal controls".
- What appeared to be asbestos was visible on ductwork. It was significantly deteriorated in some areas, and if it was asbestos, it may pose a health hazard and require abatement. Recommend having this material tested at a qualified lab. If the material is found to contain asbestos, recommend consulting with a qualified asbestos abatement contractor or industrial hygienist. For information on asbestos hazards in the home, visit:
- The last service date of this system appeared to be more than one year ago, or the inspector was unable to determine the last service date. The client should ask the property owner when it was last serviced. If unable to determine the last service date, or if this system was serviced more than one year ago, a qualified heating and cooling contractor should inspect, clean, and service this system, and make repairs if necessary. For safety reasons, and because this system is fueled by gas or oil, this servicing should be performed annually in the future. For more information visit: http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml05/05017.html
- Hold-down devices for one or more air filters were missing. As a result, unfiltered air will flow through the system, and the equipment life and the indoor air quality may be reduced. A qualified person should evaluate and make repairs as necessary, such as repairing or installing guides or hold-down devices so filter(s) are securely installed with minimal gaps at edges.
- The furnace fan function would not turn on via the thermostat control. This should be evaluated and repaired if necessary.
- This heating system was not fully evaluated because the following condition(s) existed for the furnace: local gas shut-off turned off, pilot light off. Recommend that a full evaluation be made by a qualified person when conditions have been corrected so the system is operable. Note that as per the standards of practice for NACHI (http://www.nachi.org) and ASHI (www.ashi.org), the inspector is not required to operate shut-off valves, pilot lights or overcurrent protection devices, or any controls other than "normal controls".
- The chimney at location #A showed moderate evidence of leaning. Chimney(s) may need bracing, or in some extreme cases, removal. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair or replace as necessary.
- Mortar and crowns are deteriorated at both chimneys. Recommend having a qualified contractor evaluate and repair as necessary. For example, repointing mortar and repairing or replacing crowns.
- Water leaked from the dishwasher's air gap device when it was operated. Debris may be clogging the drain line. A qualified person should evaluate and repair as necessary.
- No exhaust hood or fan was installed over the cook top. Ventilation and/or lighting may be inadequate and moisture may accumulate indoors. Recommend having a qualified contractor install a vented and lighted range hood, with the exhaust fan configured so as to vent outdoors.
- The clothes dryer was equipped with a vinyl, accordion-type, flexible exhaust duct. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission considers these types of ducts to be unsafe, and a fire hazard. These types of ducts can trap lint and are susceptible to kinks or crushing, which can greatly reduce the air flow. This duct should be replaced with a rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct, and by a qualified contractor if necessary. Most clothes dryer manufacturers specify the use of a rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct. For more information on dryer safety issues, visit:
- Minor deterioration or damage was found in the tiled shower enclosure, including loose, missing tile, grout. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair as necessary. Note that damage to the wall or other structures behind this tile may be found upon further evaluation, and additional repairs may be needed.
- The sink at location #B is loose, or not securely attached to the wall behind it. A qualified person should repair as necessary.
- The inspector was unable to verify that the glass used in some windows and interior door(s) was approved safety glass where required. Window glazing that is not approved safety glass located in areas subject to human impact is a safety hazard. Standard building practices generally require that approved safety glass be used in but not limited to the following conditions:
- Guardrails in some areas with drop-offs higher than 30 inches were missing. This is a safety hazard. Standard building practices require that they:
- One or more exterior doors have deadbolts installed with no handle, and require a key to open them from both sides. This can be a safety hazard in the event of a fire when the key is not available. The door cannot be used as an exit then, causing entrapment. Key-only deadbolts should be replaced with deadbolts that have a handle on the inside on exterior doors in rooms with no other adequate egress nearby.
- Handrails at one or more flights of stairs were incomplete, and not continuous. This is a safety hazard. Standard building practices require that handrails be:
- Some interior doors wouldn't latch, were sticking (bathroom door). A qualified person should evaluate and repair as necessary.
- Some windows that were built to open wouldn't open. A qualified person should evaluate and repair as necessary.
- Water damage was found in the west wall of the living room below the window. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair as necessary.
- Glass in some windows was cracked or broken. A qualified contractor should replace glass where necessary.
- Significant damage (holes, etc.) were found in one or more wall sections. A qualified person should repair as necessary.
