 | CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTIONSWebsite: http://www.reporthost.com/certresinspEmail: tlabrosse1@on.nachi.org Phone: (905) 885-7941 TREVOR LABROSSE PORT HOPE, ONTARIO Inspector: TREVOR LABROSSE |
| "HOME INSPECTIONS REPORT" | |
| Client(s): | Jenifer Moreau & Mark Garrard |
| Property address: | 15 Sanders Drive Port Hope, Ontario L1A 4E8 Port Hope |
| Inspection date: | Tuesday, March 27, 2007 |
This report is the exclusive property of this inspection company and the client(s) listed in the report title. Use of this report by any unauthorized persons is prohibited.
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 | 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 |
 | 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.aspTable of Contents
General information
Exterior
Roof
Garage
Attic
Electric service
Water heater
Heating and cooling
Plumbing and laundry
Basement
Kitchen
Bathrooms
Interior rooms
Structures built prior to 1979 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(s) should consult with specialists as necessary, such as industrial hygenists, professional labs and/or abatement contractors for this type of evaluation. For information on lead, asbestos and other hazardous materials in homes, visit these websites:
Some wall, floor and/or ceiling surfaces were obscured by furniture and/or stored items. Some areas couldn't be evaluated.
GENERAL LIMITATIONS:
One or more trip hazards were found in sidewalk and/or patio sections due to cracks, settlement and/or heaving. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair or replace sidewalk and/or patio sections as necessary to eliminate trip hazards.
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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.
 Photo 5 |
One or more outside faucets are 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 house. If a chemical sprayer is being used with the hose, those chemicals can enter the water supply pipes.  Photo 10 |
One or more downspouts have no extensions, or have extensions that are ineffective. This can result in water accumulating around the structure's foundation, or in basements and crawl spaces if they exist. Accumulated water is a conducive condition to wood destroying insects and organisms, and may also cause the foundation to settle and possibly fail over time. Repairs should be made as necessary, such as installing or repositioning splash blocks, or installing and/or repairing tie-ins to underground drain lines, so rain water is carried at least several feet away from the structure to soil that slopes down and away from the structure.
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One or more exhaust duct end caps are damaged and/or deteriorated. Their purpose is to prevent unconditioned air from entering the house, and keep out birds, rodents and bugs. Blocked ducts can cause fan motors and/or clothes dryers to overheat and may pose a fire hazard. New vent cap(s) should be installed where necessary.
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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: Photo 3 |
One or more sections of foundation and/or exterior walls are excluded from this inspection due to lack of access from vegetation, debris and/or stored items.
 Photo 9 |
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.
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The roof surface material appears to be near the end of its service life and will likely need replacing in the near future, even with repairs. The client(s) should budget for a replacement roof surface, and may want to have a qualified roofing contractor evaluate and attempt to issue a "5 year roof certificate".
Debris has 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 structure's exterior or make water accumulate around the foundation. Gutters should be cleaned now and as necessary in the future.
**LIMITIATIONS: Due to the unpredictable and latent nature of roof leaks, no assurances or warranty can be provided that your roof wil not develop leaks at any time after the inspection date.
The interior perimeter of the garage is excluded from this inspection due to lack of access.
**LIMITATIONS: The inspection process cannot predict the ability of the roof structures to support heavy snow loads.
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One or more overcurrent protection devices (circuit breakers or fuses) are "double tapped", where 2 or more wires are clamped in a terminal designed for only one wire. This is a safety hazard since the bolt or screw may tighten securely against one wire, but leave others loose. Arcing, sparks and fires may result. A qualified electrician should evaluate and repair as necessary.
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Based on the size of the rating of the main service panel, the size of the service conductor wires, and/or the rating of the main disconnect device, it appears that the main service panel is undersized. This is a potential fire hazard. A qualified electrician should evaluate and repair if necessary.
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The electric service to this property appears 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.
The estimated useful life for most water heaters is 8 to 12 years. This water heater appears to be at this age or older and may need replacing at any time. Recommend budgeting for a replacement in the near future.
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Because of the age and/or condition of this furnace, recommend that a qualified heating and cooling technician inspect the heat exchanger and perform a Carbon Monoxide test when it's serviced.
The last service date of this system appears to be more than one year ago, or the inspector was unable to determine the last service date. The client(s) should ask the property owner(s) 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
The estimated useful life for forced air furnaces is 15 to 20 years. This furnace appears to be approaching this age and may need replacing at any time. Recommend budgeting for a replacement in the near future.
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The estimated useful life for heat pumps is 15 to 20 years. This heat pump appears to be approaching this age and may need replacing at any time. Recommend budgeting for a replacement in the near future.
The filter(s) for the heating/cooling system should be checked monthly and replaced or washed as necessary.
The clothes dryer is equipped with a vinyl or foil, 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, see http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5022.html
 Photo 33 |
The laundry sink is not anchored to the wall or floor. A qualified contractor should securely anchor the sink to the wall and/or floor to prevent damage to and leaks in the water supply and/or drain pipes due to the sink being moved.
The laundry sink is stained badly. Recommend replace the sink.
 Photo 32 |
The clothes dryer exhaust duct is routed vertically. This can result in extended drying times, premature failure of the motor, drum rollers and heater. Recommend having a qualified contractor reconfigure the clothes dryer exhaust duct so it is routed horizontally, or as close to it as possible.
The inspector was not able to find the water meter. Recommend that the client(s) attempt to find the water meter by consulting with the property owner(s), searching for it themselves, or consulting with the local water municipality. It is especially important to find the meter if no main shut-off valve is found because the meter may be the only way to turn off the water supply in the event of an emergency, such as when a supply pipe bursts.
Neither the clothes washer nor dryer were operated or evaluated. They are excluded from this inspection.
Some wiring is loose, unsupported, or inadequately supported. 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.
 Photo 30 |
Cover plate(s) are missing from one or more electric boxes, such as for receptacles, switches and/or junction boxes. 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. Cover plates should be installed where missing.
 Photo 31 |
Cover plate(s) are broken at one or more electric boxes, such as for receptacles, switches and/or junction boxes. 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. Cover plates should be replaced where necessary.
One or more electric receptacles that serve countertop surfaces within six feet of a sink appear to have no ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate to determine if GFCI protection exists, and if not, repairs should be made so that all receptacles that serve countertop surfaces within six feet of sinks have GFCI protection. For example, install GFCI receptacles or circuit breaker(s) as needed.
Vinyl flooring is damaged and/or deteriorated in one or more areas. A qualified contractor should replace or repair the damaged flooring.
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None of the kitchen applainces were inspected at buyers request. Photo 40 |
One or more electric receptacles that serve countertop surfaces within six feet of a sink appear to have no ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate to determine if GFCI protection exists, and if not, repairs should be made so that all receptacles that serve countertop surfaces within six feet of sinks have GFCI protection. For example, install GFCI receptacles or circuit breaker(s) as needed.
Tile and/or grout in one or more showers is damaged and/or deteriorated. For example, deteriorated or missing grout, cracked, missing or loose tiles, etc. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair tile and/or grout as necessary.
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.
Photo 31 |
Batteries in all the smoke alarms should be replaced after taking occupancy, and annually in the future. "Chirping" noises emitted from smoke alarms typically indicate that batteries need replacing. For more information, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5077.html
Screen(s) in one or more windows are damaged.
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One or more air supply registers are loose or installed in a substandard way. Repairs should be made as necessary so registers are securely attached, flush with the surface they are installed on, and otherwise correctly installed.
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The doorbell button is loose or damaged. It should be repaired or replaced as necessary, and by a qualified contractor if necessary.
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One or more windows are rotted and/or deteriorated in some way. Repairs should be made as necessary by a qualified contractor.
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Screen(s) in one or more windows are torn or have holes in them. Screens should be replaced where necessary.
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