Nolan Swanson Inspections, LLC

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I found the construction of this house to be above average, built with high quality materials. The concerns listed within this report are of a minor nature with no structural issues found. Please read the entire report and call me with any questions. Thank You for your business!

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
	Repair/Replace	Recommend repairing or replacing
	Repair/Maintain	Recommend repair and/or maintenance
	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
Fireplaces, woodstoves and chimneys
Crawl space
Basement
Bathrooms
Interior rooms

General information

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Structures inspected: House
Type of building: Single family
Age of building: 3-4yr
Inspection Fee: Prepaid
Payment method: Check
Present during inspection: Client(s), Realtor(s)
Occupied: Yes
Weather conditions: Partly cloudy, Rain
Temperature: Hot
Ground condition: Wet
Foundation type: Unfinished basement, Crawlspace
The following items are excluded from this inspection: Irrigation system

1) Some wall, floor and/or ceiling surfaces were obscured by furniture and/or stored items. Some areas couldn't be evaluated.

2) 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 over time. Repairs should be made as necessary, such as installing or repositioning splash blocks or 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.

Photo 9   Gutter needs extension away from house

3) One or more gutters discharge to lower roof surfaces by means of end relief rather than down-spout. This is very common with wrapped metal fascia, but it can cause water damage to wood fascia and soffit, reducing the life of said materials, due to large amounts of water frequently contacting the wood surface. Recommend considering having a qualified contractor install downspouts and ends as necessary so water doesn't rot wood surfaces.

Photo 1   Gutter relief wetting fascia and soffit

4) One or more exhaust duct end caps are missing. Their purpose is to prevent unconditioned air from entering the house, and keep out birds, rodents and insects. Blocked ducts can cause fan motors and/or clothes dryers to overheat and may pose a fire hazard. Vent cap(s) should be installed where necessary.

5) Recommend filling settlement void to prevent moisture and vermin intrusion.

Photo 8   Void from settlement under lentil @ garage to porch

6) The perimeter grading slopes towards the structure in one or more areas. 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. Wet soil may also cause the foundation to settle. Recommend drains or grading soil so it slopes down and away from the structure with a slope of at least 5% (10% or better is optimal) for at least 6 feet.

7) Trim out on porch post deteriorated at base.

8) Vegetation such as trees, shrubs and/or vines are in contact with or less than one foot from the structure's exterior. Vegetation can serve as a conduit for wood destroying insects and may retain moisture against the exterior after it rains. Vegetation should be pruned and/or removed as necessary to maintain a one foot clearance between it and the structure's exterior.

Photo 10   Shrubs in contact with house

Photo 2   Chimney saddle and flashing done nicely

10) The auto-reverse mechanism on the vehicle door opener was not inspected due to no available operation control devise i.e. wall button/remote. This is a possible safety issue, especially for small children. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair as necessary. For more information on garage door safety issues, visit: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/523.html or http://www.ohdstl.com/safety.html

11) Pull-down stairs are installed for the attic access. No insulation is installed above the stairs and no weatherstripping is installed around the hatch perimeter. To reduce air leakage, buyer may consider installing weatherstripping and an insulated hatch cover. An example of one can be seen at http://www.batticdoor.com/.

Interior air leaking into the attic results in heating and cooling losses, increased energy costs, and a possible increase in moisture levels in the attic due condensation forming on the underside of the roof sheathing during cold weather.

12) GFI receptacle in laundry on left side did not respond to "trip" devise, this plug may be faulty. Recommend having a qualified electrician evaluate.

13) The hot water temperature is set closer to high and doesn't show a degree on setting. Temperatures greater than 120 degrees Fahrenheit are a safety hazard due to the risk of scalding. It is common with large tubs that people turn up their water heaters, this can be a risk to un-knowing children/visitors. For more information on scalding dangers, visit http://www.tap-water-burn.com/

14) Air loss at air handler in attic. This can result in higher energy cost and higher condensation in attic. Re-taping should fix leaks.

Photo 3   Air loss @ Air Handler (re-tape)

15) Condensation on supply air ducts under "Study", indicating higher moisture content in this area. Recommend insulating "wells" between floor joist with batted fiber-glass and "taping" floor register to prevent air loss.

Photo 5   Basement under Study, heavy condensation on air registers

16) The filter(s) for the heating/cooling system should be checked monthly and replaced or washed as necessary.

17) One or more gas fireplaces and/or stoves did not respond when the controls were operated. This may be due to the pilot light being turned off, the gas supply being turned off, or any number of other reasons. As a result, these appliances were not fully evaluated. As per the Standards of Practice for both the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI) and the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) the inspector does not operate gas shut off valves or light pilot lights during inspections. Recommend consulting with the property owner(s) as to how the fireplace(s) and/or stove(s) operate, and/or having a gas appliance contractor evaluate and repair if necessary.

18) The damper in fireplace has no opening/closer rod. This fireplace has gas logs that may need no venting, should that be the case, damper should be left closed as it will "draw" conditioned air from the house, resulting in higher energy cost. Buyer should ask homeowner of their knowledge on this matter and/or a qualified gas service contractor should evaluate and advise as necessary.

19) Cellulose-based debris such as wood scraps, form wood, cardboard and/or paper were found in crawl space. All cellulose-based debris should be removed to avoid attracting wood destroying insects.

Photo 6   Board/Wood in crawl space

20) Basement exterior entrance doors are damaged and/or deteriorated and should be repaired or replaced by a qualified contractor.

21) Recommend filling voids so higher moisture crawl space air doesn't enter basement area, also install security lock.

Photo 7   Ducting from basement to crawl space

22) Caulk is missing or deteriorated along the base of master shower inside, where trim meets the wall. It should be replaced where deteriorated and/or applied where missing to prevent water intrusion and damage to the floor structure.

23) 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

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

Photo 4   Smoke detectors loose

24) The weatherstrip around one or more exterior entry doors is incomplete, missing and/or deteriorated. Weatherstrip should be installed where missing and/or replaced where deteriorated, and by a qualified contractor if necessary. "Breakfast" deadbolt mechanism is difficult to operate. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair as necessary.