Website: http://www.blessthishouse.biz
Email: rongreen@macomb.com
Phone: (309) 833-1195
621 So. Campbell St. 
Macomb, Il 61455
Inspector: Ron Green

  

Home Inspection Report
Client(s): First-time Homebuyer
Property address: West-Central Illinois
Inspection date: Saturday, March 29th, 2008
This report published on 4/2/2008 11:09:34 AM CDT

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Table of Contents
General information
Exterior
Roof
Attic
Electric service
Water heater
Heating and cooling
Plumbing and laundry
Crawl space
Basement
Kitchen
Bathrooms
Interior rooms
 
General information Return to table of contents
Report number: 3/29/2008
Structures inspected: House
Type of building: Single family
Age of building: 60-80 years
Present during inspection: Client(s), Property owner(s)
Occupied: No
Weather conditions: Clear
Temperature: Cool
Ground condition: Damp, Frozen
Front of structure faces: North
Main entrance faces: North
Foundation type: Unfinished basement
 
Exterior Return to table of contents
Footing material: Not visible
Foundation material: Brick
Apparent wall structure: Wood frame
Wall covering: Vinyl
Driveway material: Gravel
Exterior door material: Solid core steel

1) Repair/Maintain - 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:
  • Hydraulic cement. Requires chiseling a channel in the crack to apply. See http://www.quickrete.com/catalog/HydraulicWater-StopCement.html for an example.
  • Resilient caulks (easy to apply). See http://www.quickrete.com/catalog/GrayConcreteRepair.html for an example.
  • Epoxy sealants (both a waterproof and structural repair). See http://www.mountaingrout.com/ for examples of these products.

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    Roof Return to table of contents
    Roof inspection method: Traversed
    Roof type: Cross gable
    Roof covering: Asphalt or fiberglass composition shingles
    Estimated age of roof: Parts of roof are new, other parts are older.
    Gutter & downspout material: Aluminum
    Roof ventilation: Adequate
    2) Major defect, Comment - The roof structure below the surface is "skip sheathed" where batten boards rather than sheets of plywood support the roof surface. Installing a composition fiberglass or asphalt roof in the future will require the additional expense of installing sheathing, such as plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) over the batten boards.

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    3) Repair/Replace, Evaluate - Standing water was found on the flat roof. It should evaporate within 48 hours after it rains. If standing water remains after 48 hours, then the roof installation is likely substandard. A qualified roofing contractor should evaluate and repair if necessary to prevent prolonged standing water.

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    4) Comment - This asphalt or fiberglass composition roof surface has two or more layers of roofing materials. When this roof is replaced, recommend a complete "tear off", where all existing layers of roofing are removed before installing new roofing materials. For 20-year rated composition shingles, additional layers of material reduce the new roof material's lifespan as follows:

  • 16-20 years - First roof
  • 12-16 years - Second layer on existing roof

    Removing existing roofing materials will significantly increase the cost of the next roof.

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    5) - The porch roof is covered with roll roofing and, in parts with felt paper. When it is time to replace this covering, I would urge using rubber membrane roofing, as is used on the back porch of the house.

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    6) - The fascia is not adequately covered. Rain will penetrate and deteriorate the fascia.

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    Drip edge should be used here, and is not present.
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    7) - Sections of the flat roofs are soft underfoot.

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    8) - The attic turbine vent no longer rotates. It is worn out.

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    Attic Return to table of contents
    Inspection method: Viewed from gable vent.
    Roof structure type: Rafters
    Ceiling structure: Trusses
    Insulation material: Cellulose loose fill
    Insulation depth: 3 - 8 inches. Varies
    Insulation estimated R value: 6 - 15
    9) Repair/Replace - Ceiling insulation is uneven in some areas. Exposed wire junctions are not covered with insulation, and this is as it should be. However, I cannot view many areas of the attic floor. There may be some junctions covered with insulation. Cloth-insulated wires are joined to older knob-and-tube wiring in "open splices", i.e. not in metal junction boxes.

    Assess to the attic has been limited, since there is no longer ceiling access from the inside of the house. It is not possible to crawl through the gable vents. I was not able to determine the depth of the insulation, nor view the entire attic space.

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    Electric service Return to table of contents
    Primary service type: Overhead
    Primary service overload protection type: Circuit breakers
    Service amperage (amps): 100
    Service voltage (volts): 120/240
    Location of main disconnect: Breaker at top of main service panel
    System ground: Ground rod(s) in soil
    Main disconnect rating (amps): 100
    Branch circuit wiring type: Non-metallic sheathed, Knob and tube
    Smoke detectors present: No
    10) - Inside of circuit breaker box

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    Water heater Return to table of contents
    Estimated age: 2 years.
    Type: Tank
    Energy source: Electricity
    Capacity (in gallons): 40
     
    Heating and cooling Return to table of contents
    Estimated age: 1 year
    Primary heating system energy source: Natural gas
    Primary heat system type: Forced air
    Primary A/C energy source: Electric
    Primary Air conditioning type: Split system
    Distribution system: Sheet metal ducts
    Manufacturer: Aire Flo
     
    Plumbing and laundry Return to table of contents
    Location of main water shut-off valve: Basement
    Location of main water meter: Front yard
    Location of main fuel shut-off: Gas meter
    Water service: Public
    Service pipe material: Galvanized steel
    Supply pipe material: CPVC
    Vent pipe material: Galvanized steel
    Drain pipe material: Plastic
    Waste pipe material: Plastic
    11) - There is no vent system in the plumbing drain lines in the new bathroom at the front of the house. This may cause draining water to pull the traps dry, and allow sewer gases to enter through the sink drains. This is fixable with an under-sink vent, if necessary.

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    Crawl space Return to table of contents
    Inspection method: Traversed
    Insulation material underneath floor above: None visible
    Pier or support post material: Bearing wall
    Beam material: Solid wood
    Floor structure above: Solid wood joists
    Vapor barrier present: Yes
    12) - No vapor barrier exists between the insulation and the foundation wall. The vapor barrier on the insulation is installed on the wrong side, thus trapping the dampness in the insulation. This can be repaired by removing the insulation, installing a plastic vapor barrier, and re-installing the insulation with the vapor barrier facing the outside.

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    Basement Return to table of contents
    Insulation material underneath floor above: None visible
    Pier or support post material: Bearing wall
    Beam material: Solid wood
    Floor structure above: Solid wood joists
     
    Kitchen Return to table of contents
    13) - Kitchen sink, cabinets and electrical outlets all functional. No appliances present.

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    Bathrooms Return to table of contents
    14) - Bathroom drains and toilet in the front of the house are not vented.

    The light switch by the sink is closer to water than current code allows. This can be corrected by installing a GFCI breaker on the circuit that supplies current to the bathroom light switch.

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    Light switch by bathroom sink.
     
    Interior rooms Return to table of contents
    15) Safety, Repair/Replace, Evaluate - One or more open ground, three-pronged electric receptacles were found. These circuits can be protected by installing Arc Fault Protection breakers at the electrical panel.

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    16) - Infrared scan of the exterior walls of the house (from within) indicate the presence of effective insulation in all rooms. There qre two small areas that show missing or incomplete insulation. One is in the north wall, east side of the living room. The other is in the north wall of the front bedroom. It appears that this is cellulose insulation that was not blown in fully, or perhaps has settled.

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    East side of north wall of living room.
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    Insulation has settled in one area of the north bedroom wall. (Shows as darker area in photo)

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    A few shingles shows cracks or deterioration. Most of the roof shingles are in good shape.

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    Use downspout extensions to guide rainwater away from the foundation of the house.

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    View of the attic is accessible through the gable vents. Access is limited due to the size of the openings.
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    Water drain and supply lines are new cpvc plastic.

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    View of ceiling above dropped-ceiling tile.
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    Under kitchen sink.

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    Thank you for your trust.
    BlessThisHouse Inspections
    Ron Green