Website: http://www.bwinspections.com
Email: bob@bwinspections.com
Phone: (215) 442-9399
FAX: (215) 442-9399
Inspector: Robert Wills

  

Home Inspection Report
Client(s):	Stephen Lane
Property address:	1159 Park Pl. Washington Crossing, Pa. 18977
Inspection date:	Friday, March 21, 2008

This report published on 3/24/2008 5:08:33 PM EDT

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Thank you for choosing BW Inspection Services for your home inspection needs. We take pride in our work and want to provide you with the best service available. If you have any questions after reviewing your report, please call our office and we will gladly answer them. We want to make sure you fully understand your report or any other concerns regarding the property in question. Again, thanks for using BW Inspection Services and we wish you the best of luck in your new home.

How to Read this Report
This report is organized by the property's functional areas.  Within each functional area, descriptive information is listed first and is shown in bold type.  Items of concern follow descriptive information. 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
	Minor defect	Correction likely involves only a minor expense
	Maintain	Recommend ongoing maintenance
	Evaluate	Recommend evaluation by a specialist
	Comment	For your information

Click here for a glossary of building construction terms.  Contact your inspector if there are terms that you do not understand, or visit the glossary of construction terms at http://www.reporthost.com/glossary.asp

Table of Contents
General Information
Exterior
Roof
Attached Garage
Electric Service
Water Heater
Heating and Air Cond
Attic
Plumbing and Laundry
Basement
Fireplaces and Solid Fuel Devices
Interior Rooms

General Information

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Report number: 032108-1
Time started: 8:15 AM
Time finished: 11:00 AM
Inspection Fee: $350 (Inc. Radon & Termite reports)
Present during inspection: Buyer, Realtor
Occupied: Yes
Age of building: Approx 30 yrs
Type of building: Single family
Utilities On: Yes
Weather conditions: Clear
Temperature: Cold 38 deg
Ground condition: Dry
Main entrance faces: South, East
Foundation type: Finished basement

Exterior

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Foundation material: Poured in place concrete
Apparent wall structure: Wood frame
Wall covering: Brick, Vinyl
Driveway material: Poured in place concrete
Sidewalk material: Poured in place concrete

1) Concrete walks are cracked and heaved in a few areas and poses a trip hazard. Recommend having a qualified paving contractor evaluate and replace or repair walks as necessary to eliminate trip hazards.

Photo 6	Photo 7
Photo 8	Photo 9
Photo 10

2) Propane tanks on side of property. Recommend solid platform such as concrete under tanks to prevent possible damage and leaks to lines.

Photo 3

Photo 41

3) Recommend installing plastic well covers over basement window wells to help deter water away from foundation.

Photo 40

Photo 42

Photo 43

Photo 2

6) Roof and attic was re-inspected 3/24/08, attic was accessible for inspection. No concerns were noted with roof structure at time of inspection (Photos 49/50/51/52). Sag in roof appears to be from a combination of extra long roof rafters which dry out and bow in the center over time. Also, when installed, framing lumber has a slight bow to it which should be installed (crown up) as it's called in the building trade which means the bow would face up toward the roof. If rafters are installed opposite it will make for a more noticeable sag (Photo 44). Combined with the support posts below the structure which appear to have insufficent footings under the posts. The center post is installed across a seam of the patio concrete below. The concrete is lightly cracked around the post which would indicate a poor footing (Photo 47). The inner end post is installed the same way although appears to have somewhat of a footing (Photo 46). The outer post appears to have a sufficient footing, however, it is installed atop a metal plinth which is not anchored (Photo 48). The wood posts also have some splitting which, although normal for exterior structures such as decks, may not be proper under the bearing load installed above(Photo 45) . Structure should be evaluated by a certified building contractor with estimates for corrections made to addition.
NOTE: The installation of this addition had no documentation available to determine when it was constructed, by whom, or if proper permits were obtained.

Photo 44	Photo 45
Photo 46	Photo 47
Photo 48	Photo 49
Photo 50	Photo 51
Photo 52

7) Rear roof above bedroom addition has a sag in the roof rafter line (Photo 39). Underside of roof was innaccesible at time of 1st inspection due to stored items, shelf structure, and sealed access panel.

Photo 30

Photo 39

8)

9) No visible concerns noted with roof covering at time of inspection.

10) Drywall in garage attic space is loose. Recommend securing drywall which is a fire deterrent. Wood attic access door also has no fire proofing material such as drywall installed.

Photo 37

11) Garage-house door isn't auto-closing. Recommend installing hinges with springs or an automatic door closing device so door closes and latches automatically to prevent vehicle fumes from entering building.

Photo 38

14) Recommend electrician to correct following concerns: Open ground outlet in dining room near windows, two loose wall outlets in laundry room,

15) Outlet loose in basement near closet. Repair as needed.

Photo 17

16) Recommend upgrading kitchen outlets within 6' of water source to GFCI protected outlets for safety. Also recommend upgrading all bathroom, exterior, at least one garage, and one basement outlet to GFCI protected outlets for safety.
NOTE: This recommendation may or may not be required in some areas due to a grandfathering clause but is still recommended to buyer as a safety suggestion.

17) One or more smoke detectors appear inoperable, loose, missing, or in need of repair. Recommend replacing inoperable smoke detectors as necessary, and installing additional smoke detectors as necessary so a function one exists in each hallway and bedroom.

Photo 34

18) Recommend installing cover on open electrical box in heater room of basement.

Photo 19

19) Recommend outlet cover on wall outlet above fireplace in family room for safety.

Photo 24

20) Light above kitchen sink was inoperable. Replace bulb as needed.

Photo 36

Photo 13

24) Recommend installing shutoff switch within sight of A/C condenser for safety.

Photo 4

25) Recommend that this system be inspected, serviced and repaired as necessary annually in the future by a qualified heating and cooling technician.

Photo 4

Photo 15

26) Outdoor air temperature below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, unable to operate and/or fully evaluate cooling system.

27) Water pressure was very low in several areas at time of inspection. Noted were: Master bedroom shower, basement, 1st floor, and master sinks, kitchen sink. This can be caused by several reasons including, blocked feed lines, clogged screens and/or aerators at faucets, problematic well pump, etc. Recommend evaluation of well pump and plumbing lines if necessary to determine cause of low pressure.

Photo 12

28) Recommend having septic tank inspected. Recommend pumping tank if last pumped more than 3 years ago.

29) Have cable wall outlet secured to wall as needed in basement. Minor defect.

Photo 16

30) Recommend buyer upgrade security to basement door such as deadbolt assembly which is only locked by a regular handset with has a weak striker plate and easily accessible.

Photo 18

31) Trench cut into basement floor in utility closet is to allow water drainage from floor perimeter to drain into sump pit. Buyer can install a PVC type pipe in trench and cover with concrete if desired.

Photo 11

Photo 14

33) Concrete pointing missing in wall of fireplace in family room (Photo 20). Only a very small portion of flues were visible from dampers. Recommend that fireplaces be cleaned and re-inspected to insure no hidden damage is present in chimneys or flues prior to settlement. Recommend annual inspections by a qualified chimney service contractor and cleaned as necessary thereafter.

Photo 20	Photo 21
Photo 22	Photo 26
Photo 27

34) Torn screens in family room and end bedroom windows. Repair/replace as needed.

Photo 23

Photo 32

35) Ceramic wall tiles in laundry room are damaged or loose at floor level. Repair as needed.

Photo 25

36) Drywall loose or damage above window in dining room next to ceiling beam (Photo 28). Also in living room at wall/ceiling joint at top of cathedral ceiling (Photo 35),( NOTE: not as noticeable in photo.)Appears to be from condensation over time from interior warm and exterior cold conditions. This is mainly cosmetic.

Photo 28

Photo 35

37) End right bedroom closet door missing door stop molding. Install trim as needed.

Photo 33

38) Access cover missing in master bedroom. Other bathrooms do not have plumbing access. Recommend installing access panels if plumbing to bathrooms is needed in future.

Photo 29

39) No ventilation noted in kitchen. Recommend at least non-vented hood with fan over range for ventilation.

Photo 31