Website: http://www.kingofthehouse.com
Email: kingofthehouse@comcast.net
Inspector's email: steven-l-smith@comcast.net
Phone: (360) 676-6908

Summary Page

Samplehome WSDA6021BK111
Client(s):	Janet Doe
Property address:	1445 Mulberry Lane
Inspection date:	11/12/2004

This summary page published on 11/3/2011 2:54:51 PM PDT

This is not the complete report. This is the report summary. The concerns listed here are, in the inspector's opinion, more likely to be the higher priority issues that require immediate attention. This summary is not numerically sequential as it plucks descriptions from the full report but leaves them at the same number they had in the full report. Since a client might put more priority on some concerns, that might seem routine to an inspector, the non-summary items should not be ignored. The client should read the full report.

Concerns are shown and sorted according to these types:

	Cautionary	A recommendation to enhance safety. Not necessarily urgent
	Replace/Repair	Plan on replacement, or repair, with work to be done by qualified parties
	Repair/Maintain	A recommended repair that might involve ongoing upkeep with work to be done by qualified parties
	Review/Evaluate	Qualified professional to service/repair/evaluate or, as applicable, clients to determine their level of personal concern
	Maintenance/Service (repair)	Requires maintenance, professional service or appropriate repair
	On-site notes	Observations, comments or suggestions noted by the inspector
	Informational	Informational in nature but might include recommendations for small repairs or upgrades

 

	Infestation	Evidence of the presence of, or damage from, wood destroying insects
	Damage	Damage caused by weathering, deterioration, de-lamination, wood decay or other wood destroying organisms
	Conducive conditions	A condition that may attract wood destroying organisms (Wood-soil contact, water leaks, etc.)

Site and Exterior
5) - Balcony/deck: Guardrails at the high wood back deck or balcony (a deck with no stairs or access from outside) are wobbly and unstable. There are no positive connections, toe-nailing only, at the tops of the high columns that support the structure. There is wood decay (rot) evident at joists and wood decking. A cross brace, that runs between the columns, has decayed. There is no metal flashing where the balcony meets the side of the house. This can lead to moisture seepage into the exterior wall. There are no lag bolts in place to secure the structure to the house, see related comments below in this section of the report. Recommend that a qualified party locate and remove all decayed material. Replace it with sound material. Install lag bolts at the ledger board and install a proper flashing to prevent seepage at the exterior wall. Upgrade the guardrails to meet standard safety guidelines. When repairs are complete, refinish the structure with a preservative/sealant to protect against moisture penetration. To see a short video, produced by King of the House Inc, on the topic of rot or wood decay fungi please follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_yywg_q0bk
6) - The high back balcony/deck is not positively anchored to the building's structure. A ledger board should be attached with lag screws/bolts. The fasteners are driven into framing and staggered across the ledger board. Lag screws are less subject to withdrawal than nails and they better resist lateral and vertical forces. Lag screws or through-bolts with nuts should be installed at the ledger board to protect against pull-away of the structure from the exterior wall. Recommend that lag screws be installed at this structure. Work to be done by a qualified party, such as a contractor.
7) - The column that holds up the front porch roof, due to settling of the porch slab below, is no longer supported. It no longer has bearing. The slab has sunk 1 1/2" to 2" at this side. This is a structural issue that has led to sag of the roof. Recommend repair and further evaluation of this problem by a qualified party, such as a concrete contractor. Sometimes the process of slab-jacking -- where a concrete slurry is forced under the settled concrete to raise the height -- is effective.
8) - Wood trim on the home, some locations, has decayed or rotted. This includes trim at the south end, near the exhaust hood from the gas fireplace. Also, there is fascia decay at the south end of the downspout in front. Under the deck, at the S/E corner, there is decayed trim. Recommend that a qualified contractor locate and remove decayed materials, replace them with sound wood and eliminate all conducive conditions. When repairs are complete, all areas to be caulked and painted as required. Where applicable, a shingle or a metal flashing should be added over the rafter tails/fascia to direct runoff over the wood. This reduces the chances of decay in the future. To see an example of this design, photos of two rafters, one with a flashing and the other without, please visit: http://www.kingofthehouse.com/_p/waterheatersafetyscan/garagefasciashingle.jpg
9) - Cement-based siding has installation defects. This siding should be installed with spacing, between sections and to corner boards, of about 1/8". However, in many areas the gaps far exceed the recommended spacing. Therefore, wide gaps have been filled with caulking. Caulking requires periodic maintenance and replacement. Additionally, the siding is not securely attached to the house at some locations. Recommend repair, as required, by a qualified contractor.

Roof
17) - Algae and moss are growing on the shakes in some locations. There were a few curled and split shakes. Shakes are natural products that can weather and rot. This roof is in need of professional cleaning and it is at a point where, if it does not receive attention, it will degrade and decay. Therefore, recommend that a qualified roofer, who has experience with wood roofs, clean the roof and, at that time, make any repairs that might be necessary; such as, replacing split or damaged shakes. When maintenance and cleanup work is complete, roofer to apply a finish treatment that will protect the shakes.
18) - The roof/wall flashing over the small roof, at the east, is improperly installed at the top. The flashing should go under and behind the siding. At the south edge the metal extends out from underneath the siding. If water gets behind that flashing, it could cause damage at the exterior wall. Recommend that a qualified party adjust/repair the flashing.

Attic
21) - The insulation in this attic is resting around the metal B-vent from the furnace. A B-vent can achieve temperatures of 300 degrees when gas appliances are operating. Therefore, insulation, including fiberglass, should be 1" of space minimum away from a B-vent to eliminate the hazard of a fire. This is accomplished by removing insulation around the vent and installing a sheet metal insulation collar. Recommend modification/repair with work to be done by a qualified party, such as an HVAC professional. For more information on this matter please visit: http://www.kingofthehouse.com/arblogs/bvent.pdf

Attached garage
25) - There is a breach in the fire wall between the garage and the attic -- gaps into the attic from the garage. As it is at this time, a fire in the garage could be "drawn" into the attic. Additionally, exposed wood structural members in the garage, if they caught on fire, would allow a fire to pass into the garage. When garage is empty, no vehicles and access behind storage, recommend repair of the firewall so that it meets all of the general safety guidelines. Work to be done by a qualified party.
26) - The garage vehicle door failed to "auto-reverse". The door should reverse when closing when it strikes an object. Failure to auto-reverse is a safety hazard, especially for small children. Recommend having a qualified garage door contractor evaluate and repair the mechanism as is necessary.
27) - The wood panel overhead vehicle door has been exposed to heavy moisture and decay or rot is present, both inside and at the exterior. Recommend having a garage door professional replace the door. Alternatively, clients could clean it, scrape it, patch it and re-finish it in an attempt to gain some additional life from the door.

Electric service
29) - Inadequate access/clearance exists at the main service panel. This panel has a storage shelf in front of it. While the inspector did take the screws out of the shelf, and remove the panel cover, this location does not meet minimum safety guidelines. A panel must be easily accessible. Recommend repair. To be considered accessible, a panel must have:

30) - Double-tapping is present at two terminals in the main breaker panel. These breakers appear to be designed to accommodate only one wire under the lug. (UL) Underwriters Laboratories has identified this as a safety hazard since the conductors are likely to loosen which could lead to safety issues. Recommend that a licensed electrician repair as is required. At that time, electrician to evaluate system and make recommendations regarding any concealed defects, safety concerns or system upgrades that might be deemed beneficial or essential.

Water heater
34) - The temperature-pressure relief valve drain line is buried in the dirt. This is a safety concern. The tubing should terminate 6" to 18" above grade. Recommend immediate repair. Cut tubing to establish proper clearances from grade. All work to be done by a qualified party. To see a short video on this topic, produced by King of the House Home Inspection, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QpOmv3inWk
35) - Hot water temperature reads as 130 degrees F, which is greater than 120 degrees Fahrenheit -- the hottest water can be and still be considered a safe temperature. Recommend adjusting thermostat so water temperature doesn't exceed 120 degrees to avoid potential scalding danger. Adjusting the temperature consists of turning the temperature control at the front on a gas water heater. At an electric water heater there are thermostats inside the panel(s) at the side or front of the tank. When there are two thermostats, most common, both thermostats must be set the same. With an electric water heater, removing the covers to access the thermostats can EXPOSE A PERSON TO DANGEROUS VOLTAGES so it should be done by a qualified party. After adjusting, test water temperature with a meat thermometer. For more information on this issue, visit: http://www.kingofthehouse.com/arblogs/scalding.pdf
36) - This water heater has extensive rust at the draft hood/flue and steel nipples have been, improperly so, used in the water supply and outlet lines. As a result of the dis-similar metals being in contact, galvanic action has taken place and there is significant corrosion at the fittings. Recommend repair, further evaluation of the condition of the water heater, by a qualified party such as a plumber.

HVAC (Heating, ventilation and air conditioning)
38) - Supplemental heat in the kitchen is supplied by a fan-assisted wall heater. The lower edge of the heater is mounted below the hardwood floor. The heater, at the time of the inspection, was putting out temperatures as high as 240 degrees. Wood typically can ignite at 450 degrees; however, wood continually exposed to high temperatures over a long period of time is altered (pyrolysis) so it is susceptible to igniting at lower temperatures. Recommend repair/replacement/further evaluation by a qualified party, such as a licensed electrician.
39) - This furnace has a heavy accumulation of white condensate inside of it which is s sign that it require service, or it can be an indication of poor venting or draw. Furnaces are not dismantled by inspectors in order to check for cracks or holes in heat exchangers. That is beyond the scope of a home inspection. This unit is 11 years of age. Forced-air furnaces have a life expectancy of 15-20 years. But, to maintain and extend the life of the appliance and for safety, manufacturers recommend that these systems be professionally cleaned and serviced by an HVAC professional annually. Recommend that an HVAC professional service the unit at this time and, while on-site, technician to further evaluate the performance of the system, venting and provide an estimate of the remaining life. HVAC pro to explain to the client any routine maintenance that is required of a homeowner, such as filter replacement or cleaning.

Plumbing and laundry
41) - The clothes dryer is ducted into plastic or foil accordion-type flexduct and that ducting has been routed through the floor, down into the crawl space and then to the outside. Ducting that goes through walls, into substructure areas/crawl spaces, must be rigid metal ducting. That ducting should be wrapped with R4 insulation in unconditioned spaces. Flex duct (and that would be metal flex duct) is only acceptable as a short transition piece behind a dryer.

Wood stoves, fireplaces, gas fireplaces or stoves
46) - The gas fireplace, despite the gas and pilot light both being on, did not operate or turn on with normal controls at the time of the inspection. Recommend repair and service by an HVAC professional when the gas furnace is service. Then, in the future, if the unit is used only occasionally primarily for aesthetics or ambiance, heating professionals recommend that it be serviced about every three years. If it is being used heavily, as a primary heat source, it should be serviced annually, as if it were a furnace. These units, like furnaces, last longer, are more efficient and safer when regularly maintained by heating professionals.

Crawl space
47) - There is a plumbing leak in the crawl space. This is coming from around the main toilet in the bathroom. The toilet, in that room above, is plugged (as are other fixtures -- see "interior" section). However, this significant leak also indicates failure of the wax ring that seals the toilet to the floor flange. Recommend immediate repair of this leak and also that toilet be lifted and re-seated on flange by a licensed plumber. If any sub-floor damage is noted, as a result of the leak, repair at that time.
48) - In this walk-in crawlspace there are twenty tall 4x4 posts or columns that are attached to the beams. Only ten of these columns have proper positive connections at the tops -- wood pieces nailed at both sides of the beams. The other ten posts have a single 2x4 nailed in place on one side. Recommend that proper positive connections, support at both sides of the beams and columns, be established at all posts or columns in this crawl space. Work to be done by a qualified party. For a photo of a simple, yet a common way of establishing positive connections, please visit: http://www.kingofthehouse.com/_p/waterheatersafetyscan/crawlposconnect.jpg

Interior rooms
54) - All sinks were inspected. Results:

The kitchen sink is not draining. This appears to be related to the plugged toilet -- perhaps there is a blockage, causing problems at both fixtures, farther down the waste line. Recommend repair(s), further evaluation, by a qualified plumber.
55) - There were three toilets inspected. Results:

The master bath toilet, as noted in the crawl space section, is plugged and it is, also, has a water leak under the toilet at the floor. (See related concern, at the sinks, in this section of the report). At the half-bath toilet, after flushing the toilet, moisture readings around it were more than 2x higher than only a foot away at a known dry part of the floor. This indicates that there is a leak from around the wax ring that seals the toilet at the flange. Recommend repair of plumbing issues, further evaluation of problems, with work to be performed by a plumber.