Better Inspection Service, LLC

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 likely involves only a minor expense
	Maintain	Recommend ongoing maintenance
	Evaluate	Recommend evaluation by a specialist
	Monitor	Recommend monitoring in the future
	Comment	For your information

2) Exterior: - One or more electric receptacles and/or the boxes they are installed in are loose and/or not securely anchored. Wire conductors may be damaged due to repeated movement and/or tension on wires, or insulation may be damaged. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock and fire. A qualified electrician should evaluate and repair as necessary.
Receptacle on North side of house is loose.
3) Exterior: - Flashing is missing from above one or more deck ledger boards. This can cause moisture to accumulate between the ledger board(s) and the structure. Rot may result in this area and cause the ledger board fasteners to fail. The deck may separate from the structure in this event and poses a significant safety hazard. A qualified contractor should install flashing above ledger board(s) where necessary. For more information on installing deck ledger boards visit: http://www.hometime.com/Howto/projects/decks/deck_4.htm

And for more information on building safe decks in general, visit: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/exteriors/article/0,16417,212625,00.html

Flashing is present as seen in photos however, it is flashed improperly. Flashing also has a hole in it. we recommend re flashing so that the flashing material is at least 6" under the siding material above.
4) Exterior: - Gaps exist at one or more openings around the exterior, such as those where outside faucets, refrigerant lines, and/or gas supply pipes penetrate the exterior. Gaps should be sealed as necessary to prevent moisture intrusion and entry by vermin.
5) Exterior: - Siding is incomplete or missing in one or more areas. A qualified contractor should install siding where missing to prevent water and vermin intrusion.
6) Exterior: - One or more wooden deck support posts are in contact with soil. This is a conducive condition for wood destroying insects and organisms. However no damage from wood destroying insects or organisms was found. Standard building practices require that there be at least 6" of space between any wood and the soil below, even if the wood is treated. If possible, soil should be removed or graded so a 6" clearance is maintained. Otherwise recommend installing borate based Impel rods to prevent rot.
7) Exterior: - Minor cracks were found in one or more sections of brick veneer. A qualified contractor should evaluate and make repairs as necessary, such as repointing mortar to prevent water intrusion and further deterioration in the future.
8) Exterior: - Minor cracks were found in the driveway. However they don't appear to be a structural concern and no trip hazards were found. No immediate action is recommended, but the client(s) may wish to have repairs made or have cracked sections replaced for aesthetic reasons.
9) Exterior: - The driveway has significant cracks and/or deterioration in one or more areas. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair or replace driveway sections as necessary.
10) Exterior: - Gaps exist at one or more openings around the exterior, such as those where outside faucets, refrigerant lines, and/or gas supply pipes penetrate the exterior. Gaps should be sealed as necessary to prevent moisture intrusion and entry by vermin.
11) Exterior: - One or more minor cracks (1/8 inch or less) were found in the foundation. 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:

Epoxy sealants (both a waterproof and structural repair). See http://www.mountaingrout.com/ for examples of these products.
12) Exterior: - Recommend cleaning deck(s) and railing(s) and treating with a preservative claiming to waterproof, block ultraviolet light, and stop mildew. Consumer Reports recommends these products:

Olympic Natural Look Protector Plus
13) Exterior: - Caulk is missing or deteriorated in some areas and should be replaced and/or applied where necessary. For more information on caulking, visit The Ins and Outs of Caulking.
15) Garage: - No hatch is installed over the attic access opening. A one-hour, fire-rated hatch should be installed to slow or prevent the spread of fire from the attached garage to interior living spaces. Typically these hatches are made from 5/8 inch Type X sheetrock.
16) Attic: - The ceiling insulation's R rating is significantly less than what's recommended for this area. Recommend having a qualified contractor install additional insulation as per standard building practices for better energy efficiency.
18) Electric service: - Bond and neutrals are terminated on the same bar. They should be separated. Also , no grounding system could be seen. This is a major safety concern. A qualified electrician should evaluate and repair if necessary.
19) Electric service: - One or more clamps that secure the electric service's grounding electrode conductor(s) to the grounding rod(s) are loose. Grounding may be inadequate as a result and may be a safety hazard for shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate and repair as necessary.
The ground rod and clamp in this photo is for the cable system and it is loose.
21) Heating and cooling: - Air handler filter(s) should be checked monthly in the future and replaced or washed as necessary.
22) Plumbing and laundry: - One or more waste pipe cleanouts have no cap installed. This is a safety hazard because sewer gases may vent into the structure. A qualified plumber should install a caps where missing.

This is a temporary cap and should be replaced.
24) Fireplaces, woodstoves and chimneys: - The gas supply for one or more gas fireplaces and/or stoves was turned off. As per the Standards of Practice for both the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI) and the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) the inspector does not operate gas shut off valves or light pilot lights during inspections. These appliances were not fully evaluated.
26) Basement: - Wire splices are exposed due to not being contained in a covered junction box. 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.
27) Basement: - Evidence of prior water intrusion was found in one or more sections of the basement. For example, water stains and/or efflorescence on the foundation or floor, water stains at bases of support posts, etc. Accumulated water is a conducive condition for wood destroying insects and organisms and should not be present in the basement. The client(s) should review any disclosure statements available and ask the property owner(s) about past accumulation of water in the basement. The basement 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 the basement include:

Repairing, installing or improving underground footing and/or curtain drains

Ideally, water should not enter the basement, but if water must be controlled after it enters the basement, then typical repairs include installing sump pump(s) or interior perimeter drains.
28) Basement: - Uninsulated exterior wall. This could result in severe energy loss. Recommend adding Kraft backed insulation batts of R19 or better on all wood framed exterior walls.
31) Interior rooms: - Squeaking or creaking noises occur when walking on one or more sections of flooring. This is usually caused by substandard construction practices where the subfloor decking is not adequately fastened to the framing below. For example, not enough glue was used and/or nails were used rather than screws. In most cases, this is only an annoyance rather than a structural problem. Various solutions such as Squeeeeek No More and Counter Snap fasteners exist to correct this. Repairs to eliminate the squeaks or creaks may be more or less difficult depending on the floor covering, and the access to the underside of the subfloor. Recommend having a qualified contractor evaluate and repair as necessary.
32) Interior rooms: - Many of the window screens fit poorly or improperly. Recommend repair or replace all improperly fitting screens.
34) Bathrooms: - Caulk is missing or deteriorated along the base of one or more showers, where flooring meets the shower. It should be replaced where deteriorated and/or applied where missing to prevent water intrusion and damage to the floor structure.
Shower in the master bath is suspect.