Ask the Virginia Beach Home Inspector

Have A Stain? It Might Not Be A Leak

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:28:59 +0000

Those moisture stains on the ceiling are not always indicators of a roof leak. If the insulation is damaged on the cold low pressure line for the AC and it is running through a hot attic you get condensation. This condensation will drip to the insulation below saturating it and the ceiling below. Make sure that you low pressure line is insulated to prevent damage from condensation and to improve system efficiency. Moisture in a hot humid attic is a recipe for a host of problems.

Just an example of the things your Virginia Beach home inspector is looking for during your home inspection in Hampton Roads.

“Pic of the Day” Virginia Beach Home Inspection – Electrical Panel

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:36:03 +0000

This electrical panel was found at a home inspection in Virginia Beach. We have a condition which is commonly referred to as a “double tap” which means that a breaker that is listed for one conductor has two conductors terminating under the screw. Here we have two wires one copper and one aluminum terminating under the screw. So we have a couple of issues at the same time because aluminum branch circuit wiring comes with its own list of issues that need to be addressed. Just another example of some “homeowner upgrades” to the electrical panel.

Just an example of the things your Virginia Beach home inspector is looking for during your home inspection in Hampton Roads.

Virginia Beach Home Inspector “Pic of the Day”- Drain Lines

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:45:13 +0000

On more an more Virginia Beach home inspections I am seeing more and more of this product. It is flexible drain lines installed under kitchen and bathroom sinks. These are always DIY repairs that seem to eventually always go wrong. Having your drain line run uphill is just another clue that this was a DIY install as well. Now I am not a code inspector, but these definitely are not a code approved product.

Drainage fittings shall have a smooth interior waterway of the same diameter as the piping served.

These drain lines seem to always be crammed under that cabinet that has all types of different storage. Have a qualified plumbing contractor make necessary repairs when things go wrong. This will help prevent things from going wrong in the future.

Just an example of the things your Virginia Beach home inspector is looking for during your home inspection in Hampton Roads.

Chesapeake Home Inspector “Pic of the Day” Cut Beams

admin — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:14:37 +0000

Just another example of a pesky beam getting in the way of the plumbing. This was a notched beam found in during a Cheaspeake home inspection. Above this beam you can see three joists that happen to be under a bathroom tub. One of the purposes of a crawlspace is to provide plenty of room for plumbing and HVAC systems components.

Just an example of the things your Virginia Beach home inspector is looking for during your home inspection in Hampton Roads.

Chesapeake Home Inspector “Pics of the Day” Truss Alterations

admin — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:15:05 +0000

Trusses are used quite often in residential construction. Trusses are designed using calculations that consider all the load conditions for a particular structure. The design takes into consideration factors such as grade of wood and plate sizes for the truss. Truss work by using structural redundancy within each truss. The triangle is a geometrical essential element of the truss because of its natural stability.

Now if a portion of a truss is damage or broken the redundancy of the design will most likely continue to hold the load until the appropriate repairs can be made.

The trusses in this attic were found during a home inspection in Chesapeake. You can see that multiple chords were cut. This was done in order to install some plywood to add additional storage. There was an attempt at a makeshift knee wall to support the cut trusses, but there is no way that that an engineer approved these alterations.

Just an example of the things your Virginia Beach home inspector is looking for during your home inspection in Hampton Roads.

Suffolk Home Inspector “Picture of the Day” Carpenter Bees

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:20:22 +0000

All the buzz at this Suffolk home inspection was the inhabitants of the log cladding. It was infested with carpenter bees. As the morning got a bit warmer I could hear the buzz coming from inside the logs. This “picture of the day” shows the damage that these bees can cause if not dealt with. The two pictures at the bottom middle are mounds of saw dust at the base of the foundation.

Now in real estate having your property be “all the buzz” in the neighborhood is great, unless its because it’s from unwanted inhabitants.

Just an example of the things your Virginia Beach home inspector is looking for during your home inspection in Hampton Roads.

Home Inspections Virginia Beach “Pic of the Day” Moisture Issues

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:52:14 +0000

At this Virginia Beach home inspection I anticipated seeing the problem before I actually saw it.The front of the house was cladded with EIFS and the sides and rear were cladded with vinyl siding. There was a band of EIFs around the base of the vinyl siding separating it at the foundation wall. The problem I saw here was that at the base of the vinyl siding it was caulk where it met the EIFs. No flashing was visible at all. The picture below shows the result.

virginia beach home inspection moisture issues

With no where to go the water that got behind the vinyl siding ended up trapped at the EIFS cladding that had no method of draining the water. When I went into the crawlspace I saw the results. The sheathing that was visible in the crawlspace at these locations was crumbling away or already gone. The sheathing had basically turned into mulch. Moisture management is always necessary when siding is applied to your house. Here they just managed to create a big problem.

Just an example of the things your Virginia Beach home inspector is looking for during your home inspection in Hampton Roads.

Chesapeake Home Inspection – Crawlspace “Pictures of the day”

admin — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:21:08 +0000

At many Virginia Beach home inspections or anywhere else in Hampton Roads for that matter many times there is the crawlspace inspection. They are usually nasty places that nobody wants to be in and so they are pretty much ignored. The first picture shows what many crawlspaces look like. There is debris everywhere, dead rodents (which usually means there are more nearby), and ductwork that is a complete mess.

This next picture shows an encapsulated crawlspace. No debris, it is sealed off from vermin intrusion, the ductwork is clean, and there are pumps installed for moisture management.

There is a lot of debate about crawlspace science and what is best. I can tell you that I would much rather crawl around the second crawlspace anytime.

Just an example of the things your Virginia Beach home inspector is looking for during your home inspection in Hampton Roads.

Virginia Beach Home Inspection “Pic of the Day” – Dryer venting

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:36:12 +0000

This was the crawlspace at a Virginia Beach home inspection. The dryer vent terminated in the crawlspace and created quite a mess. You have a few issues with this setup. Moisture being blown into the crawl can cause mold issues, and all this dryer lint can also be a fire hazard.

Just an example of the things your Virginia Beach home inspector is looking for during your home inspection in Hampton Roads.

Norfolk Home Inspection “Pic of the Day” – Chimney

admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:03:45 +0000

During a home inspection in Norfolk a chimney that was a big problem waiting to happen was discovered. There was no mortar holding the bricks in the top two to three rows of the chase. A strong wind will likely cause damage to the chimney and the roof below if not repaired.

Just an example of the things your Virginia Beach home inspector is looking for during your home inspection in Hampton Roads.