Preferred Home Inspection

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Dear Mr & Mrs. Xxxx,
Thank you for hiring me to inspect your prospective new home. The inspection was performed in accordance with the "Standards of Practice" of the American Society of Home Inspectors. I adhere to those standards and code of ethics.

To avoid false expectations, please understand that my task is to function as a "general practitioner." I am trained to identify typical home structural or system deficiencies. I perform a visual examination of certain components, and operate systems such as heating, air conditioning and appliances and state their general condition, locate tell-tale problems and then recommend you consult with the appropriate professional tradesmen or other experts for evaluation or repair. Any systems or components of the home not addressed by me were serviceable on the date of inspection. The majority of this report is dedicated to system or structural problems. In the event any component requires repair or replacement and you want that item re-inspected, please call.
Thanks again, Charles

THIS REPORT IS THE SOLE AND CONFIDENTIAL PROPERTY OF Xxxx & Xxxxxxx XxxxxL, THEIR AGENT(S) AND PREFERRED HOME INSPECTION.

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
Garage
Attic
Electric service
Water heater
Heating and cooling
Plumbing and laundry
Crawl space
Kitchen
Bathrooms, Master and Central
Interior rooms

General information

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Report number: xxxxxjxx
Structures inspected: Dwelling, attached garage and detached shop.
Type of building: Single family
Age of building: Built in 1993 (Fifteen years old)
Property owner's name: Jxxx Jxxxxx
Time started: 11:35 AM
Time finished: 2:40
Inspection Fee: $285.00
Payment method: Check
Present during inspection: Mr. Xxxx Xxxx
Occupied: No
Weather conditions: Partly cloudy
Temperature: Cool
Ground condition: Dry
Front of structure faces: Southeast
Main entrance faces: Southeast
Foundation type: Crawlspace
The following items are excluded from this inspection: Irrigation system

Exterior

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Footing material: Poured in place concrete
Foundation material: Poured in place concrete
Apparent wall structure: Wood frame
Wall covering: Wood clapboard, Wood panelsT-111 panels with Cedar lap siding above.
Driveway material: Gravel
Exterior door material: Solid core steel

1) 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.

2) One outside faucet is 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.

This condition applies to one only of the three freeze proof exterior hydrants.

Recommend installing backflow prevention devices on the one exterior hose bibs where missing. They are available at most home improvement stores and are easily installed. For more information, visit: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_AE079

3) The exterior finish over the entire structure has failed. A qualified painting contractor should prep (pressure wash, scrape, sand, prime caulk, etc.) and repaint or restain the entire structure as per standard building practices.

4) One or more crawl space vent screens are damaged and/or deteriorated. Animals such as vermin or pets may enter the crawl space and nest, die and/or leave feces and urine. A qualified contractor should replace damaged or deteriorated screens where necessary using screen material such as "hardware cloth" with 1/4 inch minimum gaps.

From within the crawlspace it was determined the screens inside vents are servicable.

Photo 6

5) Gaps exist at one or more openings around the exterior, such as those where outside faucets, refrigerant lines, and/or gas supply pipes penetrate the exterior. Gaps should be sealed as necessary to prevent moisture intrusion and entry by vermin.

This condition was observed at front of home. An opening was generated to access a ball valve which activates a secondary irrigation system near home. The door to this access is not large enough to prohibit entry of vermin.

6) The finish on the deck(s) is worn and/or deteriorated. Recommend cleaning and refinishing as necessary.

This condition applies to the second floor deck.

7) The finish on the deck(s) and railing(s) is worn and/or deteriorated. Recommend cleaning and refinishing as necessary.

Again this condition is seen at second floor deck.

8) Probable Woodpecker damage to siding. I recommend covering with an anti-vermin treated wood product. The covering should be cut to fit the pronounced peak.

Photo 4

9) West gable Woodpecker damage.

Photo 5

Photo 7

Photo 2

Photo 3

14) Evidence of "light to moderate" rodent infestation was found in one or more areas. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines this as less than 20 feces per square foot. Rodent infestation may be a safety hazard due to the risk of contracting Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). HPS is a rare (only 20-50 cases per year in the United states) but deadly (40% mortality rate) disease transmitted by infected rodents through urine, droppings, or saliva. Humans can contract the disease when they breathe in aerosolized virus. For example, from sweeping up rodent droppings.

Recommend following guidelines in the CDC's Clean Up, Trap Up, Seal Up article for eradicating rodents, cleaning up their waste and nesting materials, and preventing future infestations. While Hanta virus is believed to survive less than one week in droppings and urine, specific precautions should be taken during clean up. The client(s) may wish to consult with a qualified, licensed pest control operator for eliminating the infestation. A qualified licensed abatement contractor or industrial hygenist could be contacted for clean up. If the infestation was minimal, clean up of rodent waste and nesting materials in non-living spaces (crawl spaces and attics) may not be necessary, or may be performed for aesthetic reasons only (odor and appearance).

This condition was observed under heating system. It appears to have been used heavily for nesting.

15) The garage-house door isn't equipped with an automatic closing device such as sprung hinges. This door should close and latch automatically to prevent vehicle fumes from entering living spaces and/or to slow the spread of fire from the garage to living spaces. A qualified contractor should install automatic closing device(s) as necessary, and as per standard building practices, so this door closes and latches automatically.

16) No hatch is installed over the attic access opening. A one-hour, fire-rated hatch should be installed to slow or prevent the spread of fire from the attached garage to interior living spaces. Typically these hatches are made from 5/8 inch Type X sheetrock.

17) The vehicle door is is impossible to open or close. Vehicle doors should open and close smoothly and easily. A qualified contractor should evaluate and make repairs as necessary.

This condition is the result of the left hand balancing cable having become detached.

There is no power door system and safety systems installed.

18) Ceiling insulation is missing in some areas of garage ceiling.. Recommend installing insulation where missing for better energy efficiency.

19) No insulation is installed over the attic access hatch. Recommend installing insulation above hatch for better energy efficiency.

20) The water heater was turned off at the time of the inspection. Activated late during inspection. Temperature selector was pointed out to my client.

21) The air conditioning system of evaporative type did not respond when its controls were operated. This system was not fully evaluated. The system has been closed down due to seasonal requirments.

A point within the flex duct was observed directly below the unit that is moderatly damaged from water. Recommend on start up to evaluate the float valve and adjust or replace.

22) Plumbing supply lines below sink and lavatory appear to be made of Polybutylene. Polybutylene is a plastic material used extensively during the 1980s and 1990s that has proven to be more prone to leakage than other types of supply piping systems like copper. Recommend reviewing any disclosure statements if available for comments on leaks in the water supply system.

A class action lawsuit has been filed regarding this material that requires the manufacturers to cover piping systems installed between Jan. 1, 1978 through July 31, 1995. For more information on the class action lawsuit, visit http://www.pbpipe.com/index1.htm , or call the Plumbing Claims Group at (800) 356-3496 for more information.

23) Neither the clothes washer nor dryer were present. They are excluded from this inspection.

24) No propane is available in the laundry should the buyer choose a gas dryer.

26) Tile, stone and/or grout flooring is damaged and/or deteriorated in one or more "wet" areas with a wood subfloor below. This condition was observed in the walk in shower of master bath. The deterioration may allow water intrusion, and may result in damage to the subfloor. A qualified contractor should evaluate and make repairs as necessary. For example, replacing broken tiles and deteriorated grout, and resealing grout.

Additionally the hot water valve of west mixer valve set was missing.

28) Seals between double-pane glass in one window appear to have failed based on condensation or stains between the panes of glass. A qualified contractor should evaluate and replace glass where necessary.

The client(s) should be aware that evidence of broken seals may be more or less visible from one day to the next depending on the temperature, humidity, sunlight, etc. Windows or glass doors other than those that the inspector identified may also have failed seals and need glass replaced too.

This condition is limited to the right hand window of small central bedroom, first floor.

29) Entrance door binds slightly in the jamb. The jamb reflects major damage from an unknown force. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair as necessary. For example, adjusting jambs or trimming doors.

30) The whole-house fan was inoperable during the inspection. The client(s) should consult with the property owner(s) as to how it operates, or have a qualified contractor evaluate and repair if necessary.

This observation based on the fact a breaker identified as whole-house fan was seen in breaker box. No such fan was found and may have been removed and opening closed and repaired.