Here a some interesting roof repairs found while taking a stroll on a roof during a Virginia Beach home inspection.
Fire Prevention Week Reminder From Virginia Beach Home Inspector
October 10th, 2011 · Home Safety
The Virginia Beach home inspector from Safe House Property Inspections wants to emphasize the SAFE in SAFE HOUSE and remind everyone that this is fire prevention week.
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Virginia Beach Home Inspections 757-418-0944
September 29th, 2011 · Home Inspection Information
When you hire a home inspector in Virginia Beach make sure you are getting value for the price you pay.
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Virginia Beach Home Inspector Finds What Sucks
September 27th, 2011 · Plumbing
OK, it’s not what you think. You see them coming from the backside of most house. Those white pipes, but not always, that protrude from the roof. These are the plumbing vents, and they play a crucial role in the plumbing system.
So what do these vents do for you exactly? When you walk up to your bath room sink and turn on the water it is going down a drain pipe that is full of air. So now you have allowed a lot of water to go down the drain it is pushing that air down. If you do not introduce additional air to the system you end up creating a vacuum.
When you create a vacuum in your plumbing system you will hear a gurgling sound as the trap servicing the fixture is sucked dry. Without a proper trap you will experience the issues discuss previously in, What is this in my house? The P-trap.
So the other day during a home inspection in Virginia Beach I came across a setup that I am sure has been causing some issues for who knows how long. The vent is no longer connected in the attic and the vent pipe had some kind of debris stuffed into down into the pipe.
When you are ready to buy a home in Virginia Beach make sure your Virginia Beach home inspector goes into the attic to find out exactly what is going on up there. There are usually something interesting finds.
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The Virginia Beach Home Inspector’s Mischievous Kid
September 26th, 2011 · Home Inspection Information
Working as a home inspector in Virginia Beach my camera is one of my most important tools. So recently as I upload pictures after a home inspection I always seem to have a few that I did not anticipate being there. Of coure when I ask my kids if they have been using dad’s inspection camera the answer is a big “NO dad” not us. Well after yesterday’s Virginia Beach home inspection I think I know who the culprit was the whole time.
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Virginia Beach Home Inspector Looks In The Attic
September 16th, 2011 · Interior
Recently on more than one Virginia Beach home inspection I have test the bathroom ventilation fans as usual and went about my inspection. Bathroom ventilation systems are designed to exhaust odors and moist air to the home’s exterior. A typical ventilation system consists of a ceiling fan unit connected to a duct that terminates at the roof.
Usually I will look for dust buildup which can impede the flow of air. Also particles of moisture-laden animal dander and lint are attracted to the fan because of its static charge.
I like to see ventilation systems in all bathrooms including bathrooms with windows, since windows will not be opened during the winter in cold climates.
The most common thing I will see during a home inspection is vents that terminate in the middle of the attic, usually strapped to a truss. Also sometimes they will be directed out a soffit vent which is getting the air out of the interior of the house, but kind of defeating the purpose of the soffit vent.
Now back to a few recent home inspections in Virginia Beach. Here you can see that the vents were never connected to any ducts whatsoever.
Now all that moist warm air is blowing around your insulation, and right into your attic. So when you hire a home inspector in Virginia Beach make sure that they go into the attic an see what is going on up there.
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Think Small To Win Big
September 3rd, 2011 · Energy Savings
Previously I had a topic about missing insulation on attic kneewalls and how that allowed heat to radiate into your home from the hot attic. So staying with insulation as the point of interest I thought I would discuss something that I see on almost every home inspection in Virginia Beach, almost every.
Pull down stairs or scuttle holes into the attic are rarely insulated. When I go into an attic and see that the homeowner has taken the steps to insulate the attic to R-38 everywhere except the entrance to the attic it is a shame knowing how much heat loss they are having through that small area.
I am certainly no math whiz but there are those who do these type of calculations, and have done the math. When you have 99% of the attic insulated properly and have that small 1% uninsulated it can drop the total insulation value by approximately 25%.
The amount of heat flow through this small area due to conduction is a lot higher than the insulated parts of the attic. This is not even taking into consideration heat loss due to air leaks. So make sure your attic access is insulated whenever you it penetrates an insulated ceiling. If not you will be losing big by not thinking small.
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Virginia Beach Home Inspections Shows Knee-d For Insulation
August 29th, 2011 · Energy Savings
Every now and then during home inspections in Virginia Beach I will come across the following conditions pictured here.
What you see are attic kneewalls and skylight chases where there was no insulation installed or it has fallen out of its intended location. So know you have an attic where temperatures can be well over 120 F. So now you have an uninsulated wall that is heating up due to all the hot air in your attic and radiating heat into your conditioned house. Now your air conditioning system is working harder to try and keep the house cooler.
It does not matter what the R-Value of the insulation is if it is not properly installed and protected. Loose, hanging, or missing insulation will not perform anywhere near the stated R-Value of the product being used.
Ideally what you want to see is the kneewall insulated and covered with an air barrier like drywall or rigid foam board. This will prevent the insulation from falling and the keep the hot attic air off the interior wall where it can radiate the heat into the house.
When you decide to hire your Virginia Beach home inspector make sure they do more that poke their head through the scuttle hole to inspect your attic.
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Portable Generator Dangers
August 26th, 2011 · Home Safety
Here in Virginia Beach and practically the rest of the east coast we are bracing ourselves for a pretty intense hurricane. There is an important thing that needs to be remembered as you prepare yourself and family for this storm. Unfortunately it happens almost every hurricane season.
Deaths which are the result of carbon monoxide poisoning cause by using portable generators indoors or partially enclosed areas. The CPSC estimates that more than 220 people died from generator-related CO poisonings in the years between 2000 and 2005. More than a third of these were in the very active hurricane season in 2005.
You have to remember that CO does not have a smell, and you will not be able to tell when you are in danger due to elevated levels. CO does not discriminate it can affect everyone including your pets.
Important things to keep in mind when using portable generators:
- Do not ever use a portable generator indoors, including in your home, garage, basement, crawlspace, shed or partially-enclosed area even if it is ventilated. Having open doors and windows or using fans will not prevent CO from building up in your home.
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Use CO alarms with battery back-up in your home. Test the alarms to ensure they are working before using the generator.
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If you feel any symptom such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath get as much fresh air as soon as possible.
- Make sure you are using extension cords rated for outdoor use.
- Keep the generator away from windows, vents or doors that can allow CO into the home.
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Make Sure Your House Is Connected
August 24th, 2011 · HVAC
Are you connected? Better yet is your house connected? Sometimes during home inspections in Virginia Beach I will find homes that just are not totally connected. Here are a few examples of ducts that were never connected or got disconnected.
When you are buying your home in Virginia Beach make sure that your home inspector check to see if your house is connected.
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