What I'm Seeing Now

It doesn't matter how small or large, how inexpensive or expensive or how high or low your house is.  You can always have unwanted guests that don't pay rent.

In this case, it was a very high window, on a very expensive house, with a piece of trim that must have fallen off at some point.

And it was one of FOUR such locations, with birds actively flying in and out!

The seller had no idea.

The buyer just wants it fixed and the birds foreclosed on!

I guess they will pull out all the furniture and leave it at the street.

All that needs happening is replacing the trim and sealing up any gaps.

Birds don't need a wide hole to get in!  Some can enter easily with only 1/4"!

So care will have to be taken.

My recommendation:  look around.  You might have gaps or locations that are tempting to birds.  They are very opportunistic little animals!  And what better place to nest than inside a spot that is protected, warm and dry!  But they can do damage and encourage other animals to follow.  Like bats.  You probably don't want bats!  So look around!  Seal the gaps and repair holes!

Yesterday while inspecting a little bungalow in Northern Virginia, I ran across a bonus room - a bomb shelter!

Pulling up to this little bungalow, highly fenced, electronic gate with camera, speaker and key pad, and cameras all over the house and property, I was impressed by many things!

First, you aren't anywhere near this house without being watched by at least three cameras!

Second, it looks like a house right out of Versailles!  Or there abouts.

On the disappointing side, there was only garage space for 8 cars, but I digress.

You know the seller and my client, the buyer.  You know of them anyway.  Both are prominent people who are very much into security and self preservation.

The house has all the bells and whistles, and is quite large.

One thing I liked very much was the small media room because they have it decorated, intentionally, with Washington Redskin colors!

It only has three levels and individual seating for twelve, but still, I liked the colors!  It's probably fun to watch a game there!

There are two closets in the front.

Usually that means one is for DVD storage and the other for the electronic equipment.

The closet on the left is for storage, and LOTS of it!  But the electronics are elsewhere.

The closet on the right was most interesting.  You can see into it on the top photo.  Here I opened the door slightly to give you a tease.

It is, in fact, a bomb shelter!  And more!

I have never before run into such an elaborate place! 

It is essentially a big safe.  But it can be opened from outside or in.

And it is self contained.  It is loaded with beds, food, water, medical supplies, hygiene stuff, clothing - it is ready at a moment's notice.

There is special ventilation, communication and the ability to hear what is going on inside the house.  It is surrounded with very re-inforced, 4' thick concrete all around.

In the event of a war or disastrous bomb, it would house people for some time!  And probably safely!

It also provides a place for the family to run and hide, and be protected, if the house was invaded or under siege for any reason.  Closing the closet door might actually hide the fact that the room is there.

They even had the builder present for my inspection in case I had any questions.  And I had a bunch about this room!  Counting the ceramic floor tiles the room looks to be 22'x16'.  So it's not a small space!

My recommendation:  sometimes on inspections you run into things you have never seen before.  Ask questions!  And have some fun!  And given where I live and many of the clients I serve, you have to know this isn't the only house with this rare feature!

While sitting in the car, listening to the radio and waiting for my next client to arrive I received an email.

It said, "Jay, not sure if you remember us, but you inspected our home about one year ago.  I hope all is well.  Do you have an electrician you could refer to us?  The electrical outlets in the kitchen are all out :(   Lulu Belle"

Well, that could be any of many things.  So I probed a bit.  This began a string of emails.

"All of them?  How long has this been so?"

"A couple of days ago one side of the kitchen went out.  So we moved all the appliances to the side that worked and now, today, that side is out."

"Lulu, this sounds like your GFI outlets have tripped.  Your kitchen should have two of the outlets with the push buttons.  Push in both of the red (or stuck-out) buttons hard, or until they snap.  Then try the outlets for power."

"They work!"

"You must have overloaded one side while using the appliances one day.  By moving them to the other side you probably overloaded it too.  The next time just look to see if one of the buttons has popped out and push it in."

"Thanks Jay!  I called around to electricians and you probably just saved us $300!  U ROCK!"

Another day of doing good and doing right!  Just then my client arrived and I was off to save Lil' Nell from SNIDELY FLIPLASH!

My recommendation:   when you have a problem, don't be embarrassed to call your home inspector for advice!  The solution to your problem may be easier than you think!

It was a big house, 15 years old, wood siding, wood windows, wood window sills and lots of rot.  How far the rot extends under the siding, or around the windows and doors, or under the gutters, and so forth is UNKNOWN.  That will certainly need attention.

My client wanted to change the siding to fiber cement, replace the windows with vinyl and wrap all the trim with aluminum.  Smart plan.

My client got an estimate and asked my opinion.

I am not without opinions and ask my clients to contact me when they have questions.  NOT ALL DO THAT!

The contractor was arranged by his Realtor.  The contractor never went to the house but provided an estimate from a couple of photos.  The contractor never met his customer, my client.  The material suggested was vinyl siding, which I understood my client to say he did not like or want.  This contractor does not do windows and they were not addressed. 

ALL THOSE THINGS ARE RED FLAGS TO ME. 

The estimate left lots of gaps, lots of things not addressed.  That is also a RED FLAG to me as it leaves open the opportunity to add dramatically to the job later. 

What was an original estimate becomes something much bigger, takes longer and is a whole lot more expensive.  Was that intentional here?

While an estimate cannot count all the beans, it must count as many as possible.  It should anticipate problems and address their potential.

IN MY OPINION AN ESTIMATE SHOULD DEMONSTRATE THOUGHT, SPECIFICITY AND MAKE CHANGES TO THINGS THAT HAVE CREATED THE EXISTING PROBLEMS SUCH THAT THEY DO NOT CROP UP AGAIN.

THIS ESTIMATE DID NONE OF THAT.

Here is how his home inspector answered him:

• Did you do your own research?  What do you know about the company?  Did you compare this estimate with anyone else?  Did you meet the contractor?  Did you look him in the eye and hear his words?  Who are they sending to do the work?  What is the skill set of the installers?  Their experience?  Etc!
• The estimate is not specific.  What is the square footage of under-layment?  Square footage of siding?  The linear feet of gutters?  The linear feet of aluminum wraps? 
• The estimate was done with the site unseen by the contractor
• There is rot on the existing wood trim, siding and window sills.  Is the material underneath wet, moldy, damaged?  If so, your price will vary dramatically.  Does this contractor have the expertise to deal with that?  You will not be able to control a price tacked on to what is proposed.. are you comfie with that?
• The estimate was done with the site unseen by the contractor
• Does the new, styro-foam under-layment proposed trap moisture underneath like the original EIFS product?  What would be done about any existing rot or mold trapped under that?
• The estimate was done with the site unseen by the contractor
• Have you seen the product they propose?  Have you looked into the product?  Or compared the product to others?  Have you seen reviews of the product?  I thought you didn't want vinyl siding...
• The estimate was done with the site unseen by the contractor
• The estimate does not include priming and painting.  What would need to be and when would it be done - before or after?
• The estimate was done with ... well, you get it
• The estimate does not propose a different gutter arrangement to alter water flow to properly direct water so it does not rot wood.  It does not propose a different discharge method so that it no longer sends a lot of square footage of roof surface water right into the same spot.  The current gutter arrangement, as we discussed during the inspection, has caused a lot of the existing problems.  Also, the estimate does not mention kick out flashing, again as we discussed.  See my attachments on the report as to what kick out flashing is.
• Is this before or after the new window installation?
• You only have one estimate from one company!
• THE REALTOR'S NAME APPEARS ON THE ESTIMATE.  YOURS DOES NOT!!  WHO ARE YOU AGAIN?

That is a pretty aggressive answer by his home inspector!  My client could not believe that he would get such a detailed answer in response.

My recommendation:   when you want to do work on the house, consult your home inspector!  It will be well worth your time.  And please:

DO SOME RESEARCH AND GET MORE THAN ONE ESTIMATE!

Last fall we went to Disney World.  On the Jungle Adventure ride in the Animal Kingdom, we stopped to watch a group (herd?, pod?, flock?, cathedral?) of gorillas sitting and eating.

The big male looked at our bus.  Looking directly at me, and snorting, he got up and did this.

Now, looking at me on a bus I probably would have done the same thing.  Butt still...

This guy paused for a minute before making his way into the brush.

I got the message.  Communication sent.

I remember from MBA school that communication involves four things:

Output - a message is sent.
Input - the message is received.
Function - something has to be done with that message.
Feedback - the party receiving my message needs to reply back in some fashion, perhaps having done the thing I had asked.

WITHOUT ALL FOUR OF THOSE CRITERIA BEING SATISFIED, THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION.

That is why I don't consider email to be valid business communication.  When I send an email, often I don't know if the last three criteria have been met.

Sometimes I have to ask again if they got it.

There are times when I just want to strip, walk into the brush, and show the world my best side as I walk in that direction.

PURE COMMUNICATION.

Get the message?

Some roof designs are designed for heavy loads, not only because of the style of the roof, but its size.  One thing you don't want to see is a cracked roof truss.

This is a hip roof, with two large gable penetrations.  This creates a lot of valleys on the roof.  So many valleys sets up a design for long supports.

The long truss in the center of the photo to the right is one of four in the house.

It holds a lot of weight.  There are roof sections from both sides tied into it, with collar ties everywhere (the horizontal members) that help stabilize the sections and keep the roof from lifting upward with heat.

Because these long trusses carry so much load, where they anchor to the house structural support is very important.

Surprisingly this truss rests on a corner.

They notched out the end so it fitted around the corner at a lower point and would align with the level of the roof sheath and other rafters.

But less than half of the truss actually rested on the support!

It cracked!  This arrangement was too little support!

Looking into the crack, this did not happen yesterday.  The house is 14 years old and I am thinking it happened not long after construction!

Emailing all this info to a structural engineer friend, he said it needs to be addressed, but it has been there a while so shoring up is probably all that can be done at this point.

THE TRUSS IS LIKELY TO CRACK MORE.

The owner has been there from day one.  The new owner would like to feel comfortable.

And my job is done.

There were some fun emails last night between the buyer (retired fighter pilot) and engineer (rugby coach) because the buyer went to Clemson and the engineer to VA Tech.  They had some fun together last night, including me in on their antics.

BUT THE PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE SOLVED AND IT WILL!

My recommendation:  this house design created a large attic space where everything was easily visible.  Some attics aren't so accommodating.  When it isn't dangerous or too difficult, the attic needs to be investigated as completely as possible to see what can be seen.  And take a good flashlight with you...

A roof pedicure happens when "repairs" are made by using a nailing technique called "toe nailing."

To toe nail a technique that abuts two perpendicular pieces of wood by driving nails at an angle on the very end.

This attachment technique really isn't good for most long term applications and is often only a temporary thing until the proper strap or bolt is put in place.  It should not be used long term for, say, roof support!

From the outside of the house there was a substantial dip in the roof.

That almost always means fun on the inside!

This roof was no exception.

I found two sistered joists in a row.

For all I know this was done many years ago.

But maybe even last year as the sheathing above these two joists was fairly new looking.

Nevertheless, this roof application is unprofessional and even dangerous.

When I see a dip in the roof and I can get to it, I never walk on it to test its strength!

Looking at this"repair" you can see just how wise that practice is.

And this view gives something of a close up of just how professional a job it was!

You will notice that this fine job uses three toe nails and six sistering nails!

Somebody thought that was "over engineering."

I certain worlds I guess that is.

My recommendation:  roofs sag for various reasons, but it is best to determine why.  The reason might actually be a safety issue.  Safety issues are not something one wants to inherit when buying a house.  Have a home inspector check it out!  You may be pleasantly surprised, or not...

About a year and a half ago I did an inspection for the head trainer for the Washington Redskins.  He recommended shots for my very arthritic knees, a viscous material that surrounds the joint and stays there, acting like a little, oily pillow.  As neither of my knees have cartilage between the upper and lower bones (my doctor calls them flat tires) I am a perfect candidate.

One of the products the trainer suggested to me was Euflexxa.  There are many such viscous, injectable materials.  No doctor since however wanted to do anything more than go in and "trim" things up.  That is an expensive and short-term solution.  And time consuming.  The final solution would be new knees.

I DID NOT WANT TO GO THAT ROUTE.

A doctor was recommended to me who was said to be very common sensical and tried to avoid surgery at all costs.  I set up an initial visit and he recommended Euflexxa. 

Euflexxa requires three shots.  It DOES NOT work on everybody.  But if it works on one knee, we will do the other.

Arriving on time for my first injection, I was immediately ushered into the furthest room.

"Wait," is all I heard, and the door shut.  I laid on the cushioned table.  It wasn't very comfortable.

I was alone for a long, long time with my thoughts.  It is easy for me to fall asleep, sometimes in seconds.

The room was dark and dank.  Were there recordings, or did I really hear tortured screams, pain-filled moans, and rumbling thunder in the distance?

The thunder got louder and the lights would flicker with each crashing roar.  I thought I heard soft, heavy objects hitting the floor, then the dragging of squishy things by the closed door to my room.  Was that bare skin squealing on the vinyl floor as it slid by?

The screams and moans continued and louder.  I'm not sure they were recordings.

A loud rap at the door was accompanied by barking and snarling dogs.  Then HE entered.  The traditional white doctor smock was replaced with a black, hooded robe.  His hands were fitted with black leather gloves, both covered in sharp, pointed studs.  The room suddenly got very, very cold!

Parting the hood briefly I saw his sinister, sarcastic smile.  The teeth had all been filed to points!

"MY TOOLS!"  Scrambling a nurse went to the cabinet to get him what he wanted.

I swear, the needle was 13", no 15", no 17" long!  That was going to be my injection!

And I remember from our first meeting that it was going to be inserted all the way!  I wasn't sure I would stay conscious, but I am certain I remember seeing the nurse pushing the doctor from behind as he slowly inserted the needle to the hilt!

Not sure how long it had been, I awoke in a deep puddle of cold sweat and a pungent shot of ammonia just under my nose.

"I NEED TABLE!"  It was the nurse.  She was not smiling.  I was being dismissed.  "YOU PAY!"  I stumbled out of the room to the front desk, greeted with knowing smiles by all present.  Demanding my co pay they merely pointed to the sign on the wall...

"REQUIRED TIP:  66%  CASH ONLY"

The waiting room was full of women and children.  I entered and in unison they all began wailing mournfully.  Was it my appearance?  They averted their eyes, mothers covering their childrens' faces as I passed.

Yes, it was my appearance...  And only two more injections to go!

______________

OK, that might not be how it went down.  The doctor was terrific.  He was gentle and the process was ABSOLUTELY PAINLESS.

In my nervousness my joke machine was set on high.  I had everyone on the staff at one point or another looking into the room.  The doctor's laughing wife grabbed my camera (I took the other photos) and said, "I HAVE to take a picture of this."

The doctor warned me that I didn't want to make him laugh!  I actually had a pretty good time.  And so did they.

And I didn't cry!  Which got me my prized lollipop.  Cherry red.

Oftentimes HVAC units are put in the attic and the best practice when this is the case would be to include an auxiliary drip tray for air conditioning systems that is separately drained outdoors.

An HVAC system in the basement or garage will typically have one condensate drainage system.  It can send this condensate into a floor drain or an electric pump to eliminate what it removes from the air.  On a hot and humid day a large system can remove many gallons of water from the air every day, perhaps 10 or 12.  That water has to go somewhere!  If it has no where to go, it will choose to use your ceiling!

When a system is located in the attic, in former times, there was often not even a drip pan underneath!

Now all units will have such a pan.

But the condensate drainage can happen any of many ways.

There can be a single primary discharge line.  This is not good enough should a clog occur.

If it leaks, that water will hopefully get captured by the drip pan, but that pan needs to send it somewhere.

Most HVAC contractors include one or both of two back ups.

Some put in a float device which, if the pan fills with water, theoretically will float up to a point where it turns off the AC and no more condensate is collected.

At that point an HVAC contractor needs to clean out the primary line and eliminate the water from the pan.

This is fine, but in my opinion not quite enough.  In addition to, or even instead of, the float, a second discharge line should be installed into the pan.  That way, if there is a clog and the pan fills up with water, this second tube can send it somewhere.  Ideally it is discharged outdoors.  Often the HVAC contractor will set it so it drips in front of a window or onto a deck where its discharge can be easily seen and the clogged unit will be detected and fixed.

This house has the second line installed in the pan.  I like that!  This is an older system and for them to have done this way back then made this installation way state of the art.

But there is a problem.  The opening is clogged with insulation and debris.

I SEE THIS OFTEN ON NEW CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS, WHICH IS A VERY, VERY GOOD REASON TO HAVE AN INSPECTION ON NEW PROPERTIES!

The insulator sometimes blows in his product and disregards the HVAC drip pan.  Such was the case with the system here.  This pan has been clogged for many years and fortunately has not needed to discharge water!

My recommendation:  check the HVAC system in the attic to make sure 1. that it has a drip pan and then 2. that the pan has a second condensate discharge line installed.  And then be sure that it can drain water!  If it has a float consider it triple protected!

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Tell me, how often do you pull into that driveway or walk around the side of the house and look at a boring, empty, everyday chimney!?

Well, can I guess?

Everyday!

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I am so proud of this can I introduce it with a song?

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I'll make your chimney look better than new!

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