Pocono Home Inspections

	Safety	Poses a risk of injury or death
	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

 

	Infestation	Evidence of infestation of wood destroying insects or organisms (Live or dead insect bodies, fungal growth, etc.)
	Damage	Damage caused by wood destroying insects or organisms (Rot, carpenter ant galleries, etc.)
	Conducive conditions	Conducive conditions for wood destroying insects or organisms. (Wood-soil contact, shrubs in contact with siding, roof or plumbing leaks, etc.)

2) Exterior:   - One or more ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) electric receptacles did not trip when tested. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate and repair as necessary.
(GFCI outlet left of the outside front entrance door did not trip when activated to trip, Recommend replacing with new GFCI outlet).
3) Exterior:   - One or more deck ledger boards are nailed to the structure rather than being attached by adequate fasteners. This poses a significant safety hazard since the ledger board(s) may separate from the structure, causing the deck(s) to collapse. A qualified contractor should install lag screws or bolts as per standard building practices to securely attach the ledger board(s) to the structure. 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
4) Exterior:   - Gutters in one or more areas are significantly filled with leaves. Leaks may result. A qualified contractor should evaluate and clean out gutters where necessary.
5) Exterior:   - One or more electric receptacles appear to have no power. Recommend asking the property owner(s) about this. Switches may need to be operated to make some receptacles energized. If necessary, a qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary.
6) Exterior: - One or more downspouts are loose or detached. This can result in water accumulating around the structure 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 so downspouts are securely anchored and functional.
7) Exterior:   - One or more outside faucets aren't anchored securely to the structure's exterior. Fasteners should be installed or replaced as necessary so faucets are securely anchored to prevent stress on plumbing supply lines and possible leaks.
The front hose bib is not anchored to the siding, Recommend fixing.
8) Exterior: - Decking boards are spaced closer together than 3/8 inch with accumulated organic debris (leaves, fir needles, etc.). This is a conducive condition for wood destroying insects and organisms. Debris should be cleaned as necessary to prevent accumulation and resultant rot. If or when the deck boards are replaced, recommend spacing boards so they're at least 3/8 inch apart to allow debris to fall through the cracks rather than accumulate in them.
9) Exterior: - Recommend cleaning deck(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
12) Heating and cooling:   - The outside condensing unit is not level. Damage may occur if it is more than ten degrees off from level. A qualified contractor should evaluate and make repairs as necessary, such as replacing the pad that the condensing unit is installed on.
14) Fireplaces, woodstoves and chimneys:   - A significant amount of creosote (1/8 inch or more) is visible in the fireplace flue. A qualified chimney service contractor should inspect, clean, and repair if necessary now and annually in the future.
15) Kitchen:   - One or more stove top burners are inoperable. A qualified appliance technician should evaluate and repair as necessary.
16) Kitchen:   - One or more cabinets and/or drawers are damaged and/or deteriorated. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair or replace cabinets and/or components as necessary.
17) Kitchen:   - Refrigerator light bulb is broken and should be replaced or repaired as necessary.
18) Kitchen:   - One or more faucet handles are loose or missing and should be repaired or replaced as necessary.
The kitchen sink faucet handle is loose and won't function properly when activated, Recommend fixing or replacing.
19) Kitchen:   - One or more sinks are clogged or drain slowly. Drain(s) should be cleared as necessary, and by a qualified plumber if necessary. Kitchen area sink drained slow at the time of the inspection, Recommend cleaning drain.
20) Kitchen: - Caulk is missing and/or deteriorated where countertops meet backsplashes in wet areas, such as around sinks. Caulk should be replaced where deteriorated and/or applied where missing to prevent water damage.
21) Bathrooms: - One or more toilets are loose. A qualified contractor should remove the toilet(s) for further evaluation and repairs if necessary. A new wax ring should be installed and toilet(s) should be securely anchored to the floor to prevent movement and leaking.
Basement bathroom toilet bowl was loose and missing bolt caps, and should have caulking around the base of the tioletbowl, Recommend fixing.
22) Bathrooms:   - One or more exhaust fans are noisy or vibrate excessively. A qualified contractor should evaluate and replace the fan(s) or make repairs as necessary. Exhaust fan in the main floor bathroom was noisy at the time of the inspection, Recommend fixing or replacing.
23) Bathrooms:   - One or more faucet handles are loose or missing/broken and should be repaired or replaced as necessary.
24) Bathrooms:   - Basement bathroom door drags onto the floor when opening or closing door, door also is separating at the bottom front corner where door is dragging on the floor, Recommend fixing or replacing basement bathroom door.
25) Bathrooms: - Caulk is missing and/or deteriorated in main floor bathroom where countertops meet backsplashes in wet areas, such as around sinks. Caulk should be replaced where deteriorated and/or applied where missing to prevent water damage.
26) Interior rooms:   - One or more open ground, three-pronged electric receptacles were found. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary. For example, replacing receptacles or correcting wiring circuits.

Grounding type receptacles began being required in residential structures during the 1960s. Based on the age of this structure and the presence of 2-pronged receptacles in some areas of this structure, an acceptable repair may be to simply replace the ungrounded 3-pronged receptacles with 2-pronged receptacles. However the following appliances require grounding type receptacles:

Lawn mowers

This list is not exhaustive. Grounded circuits and receptacles should be installed in locations where such appliances will be used.
27) Interior rooms:   - One or more smoke alarms are damaged, deteriorated and/or missing from their mounting brackets. Damaged and/or missing smoke alarms should be replaced as necessary so a functioning one exists in each hallway leading to bedrooms, and in each bedroom. For more information, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5077.html
28) Interior rooms:   - Handrail(s) at some stairs are loose. This is a safety hazard. A qualified contractor should make repairs as necessary. For example, installing new fasteners and/or hardware so handrails are securely attached.
29) Interior rooms:   - 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.
Downstairs bedroom on center wall.
30) Interior rooms:   - The lock mechanisms on one or more sliding glass doors are inoperable and/or difficult to operate. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair as necessary.
Recommend placing lock on the sliding door in the basement building is unsecured.
31) Interior rooms:   - One or more sliding screen doors are difficult to open or close. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair or replace door(s) as necessary.
32) Interior rooms:   - Minor cracks were found in ceilings in one or more areas. They do not appear to be a structural concern, but the client(s) may wish to repair these for aesthetic reasons. Drywall tape either falling down or not placed, Recommend fixing or replacing drywall area where the tape is coming down.
33) Interior rooms:   - Screen(s) in one or more windows are torn or have holes in them. Screens should be replaced where necessary.
Fix or replace screen in livingroom behind TV by fireplace.
34) Interior rooms:   - One or more locksets are loose and should be tightened, repaired and or replaced as necessary.
35) Interior rooms:   - Carpeting in one or more rooms is damaged and/or significantly deteriorated. Recommend replacing carpeting where necessary.
36) Interior rooms:   - Trim is missing and damaged or deteriorated in one or more areas. Recommend having a qualified contractor install trim where missing, and replace or repair trim where necessary.
37) Interior rooms:   - Stains were found in one or more ceiling areas. However, no elevated levels of moisture were found. The stain(s) may be due to past roof and/or plumbing leaks. Recommend asking the property owner(s) about this, and monitoring the stained area(s) in the future, especially after heavy or prolonged rain. If elevated moisture is found in the future, a qualified contractor should evaluate and repair as necessary.