Website: http://www.allpointinspections.com/
Phone: (XXX) XXX-XXXX
XXXXX XXXXXXXX XX 
Poulsbo, WA 98370
Inspector: Jim Gallant

Summary Page

Full General Home Inspection and Structural Pest Inspection WA State Dept. Agriculture ICN# XXXXXXXXXXX
Client(s):	XXXXXX XXXXXXX
Property address:	XXXX XXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXX XX
Inspection date:	XX/XX/XXXX

This summary page published on XX/XX/XXXX XX:XX:XX PM PDT

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
	Minor defect	Correction only involves a minor expense
	Evaluate	Recommend evaluation by a specialist
	Comment	For your information

 

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

2) Grounds:   - Guardrails in some areas with drop-offs higher than 30 inches were missing. This is a safety hazard. Standard building practices require that they:

3) Grounds:   - Handrails at one or more flights of stairs were missing. This is a safety hazard. Standard building practices require that handrails be:

Installed at stairs with three or more risers

Sized and shaped so your hand can encircle them

Permanently and securely attached, and able to withstand a 200 pound force in any direction at any point

Continuous and extend for the entire flight of the stairs

Located between 30 and 38 inches above the leading edge of the stair treads

A qualified person should repair, replace or install as necessary and as per standard building practices.

4) Grounds: - Vegetation such as trees, shrubs and/or vines was in contact with or less than one foot from the building 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 building exterior.

5) Exterior / Foundation: - One or more minor cracks (1/8 inch or less) were found in the foundation.

6) Exterior / Foundation: - Cardboard was found in the crawl space. All cellulose-based debris or stored items should be removed to avoid attracting wood destroying insects.

7) Roof / Attic:   - The pull-down attic stairs in the attached garage ceiling were not fire-rated. This ceiling should have a one-hour fire rating to slow or prevent the spread of fire from the attached garage to attic spaces above the living areas. A qualified contractor should evaluate and make modifications to these stairs as necessary so they have a one hour fire rating. Other options include removing them or replacing them with commercially made, fire-rated stairs. Examples of possible solutions include:

Installing 5/8 inch Type X sheetrock on the lower surface of the stair door and eliminating gaps around the edges of the door.

Removing the stairs and installing a traditional hatch made with 5/8 inch Type X sheetrock.

Installing a Battic Door and installing sheetrock over it as described at their website, http://www.batticdoor.com

Replacing these stairs with fire-rated stairs such as Calvert USA Fire resistant commercial aluminum folding attic stairs, http://www.calvertusa.com

8) Garage / Carport:   - No "photo eye" sensors were installed for one or more vehicle door's electric door opener. They've been required on all automatic door openers since 1993 and improve safety by triggering the vehicle door's auto-reverse feature without need for the door to come in contact with the object, person or animal that's preventing it from closing. Recommend considering having a qualified contractor install these devices for improved safety. For more information on garage door safety issues, visit:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/523.html
http://www.ohdstl.com/safety.html

9) Garage / Carport:   - The door stop on the garages-house door should be removed. This door is intended to be a fire-safe door and should self-close at all times.

10) Garage / Carport:   - When the inspector tested the south vehicle door's auto-reverse mechanism, the door bracket popped off the chain. This happened twice. A qualified contractor should evaluate both doors and repair as necessary.

11) Electric:   - Some (one on east wall of garage) electric receptacles had reverse-polarity wiring, where the hot and neutral wires are reversed. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary.

12) Electric:   - One or more ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) type receptacles were found to have an open ground (one at south building exterior and one in kitchen). GFCI protection will still work with an open ground, but ideally repairs should be made as necessary so grounding is correct with these receptacles. A qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary.

13) Electric:   - Based on the age of this structure and the appearance of existing smoke alarms, the alarms may be older than 10 years old. According to National Fire Protection Association, aging smoke alarms don't operate as efficiently and often are the source for nuisance alarms. Older smoke alarms are estimated to have a 30% probability of failure within the first 10 years. Newer smoke alarms do better, but should be replaced after 10 years. Unless you know that the smoke alarms are new, replacing them when moving into a new residence is also recommended by NFPA. For more information, visit this article: NFPA urges replacing home smoke alarms after 10 years.

14) Electric:   - Smoke detectors were missing from bedrooms. Additional smoke detectors should be installed as necessary so a functioning one exists in each hallway leading to bedrooms, in each bedroom, and one each level of the building. For more information, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5077.html

15) Electric:   - Some cover plates on receptacle boxes were missing (garage ceiling). 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. A qualified person should repair as necessary.

16) Electric:   - Some (one in kitchen) light fixtures were inoperable. Recommend further evaluation by replacing bulb(s) and/or consulting with the property owner. Repairs or replacement of the light fixture(s) by a qualified electrician may be necessary.

18) Plumbing / Fuel Systems:   - One or more outside faucets were 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 building. If a chemical sprayer is being used with the hose, those chemicals can enter the water supply pipes.

Recommend installing backflow prevention devices on all 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

19) Plumbing / Fuel Systems:   - Some water supply pipes in the crawl space were uninsulated. Recommend insulating pipes as per standard building practices for better energy efficiency and to prevent water pipes from freezing.

20) Heating:   - The estimated useful life for most forced air furnaces is 15 to 20 years. The inspector was unable to determine the age of the furnace. The client should be aware that this furnace may be near, at, or beyond its useful life and may need replacing or significant repairs at any time. Recommend attempting to determine the furnace's age (ask property owner or service technician), and budgeting for a replacement if necessary.

21) Kitchen:   - The dishwasher wasn't securely attached to the counter above. Fasteners were missing. A qualified person should repair as necessary.

23) Bathrooms / Laundry / Sinks:   - The clothes dryer was equipped with a 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, visit:
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5022.html

24) Interior Rooms / Areas:   - Seals between multi-pane glass in some (one by front door, one in living room) windows 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 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.