What I'm Seeing Now

How do you know when you have a carpenter bee infestation, and what should you do?

Do you see the stain on the aluminum siding?

That is a sure sign there was a carpenter bee infestation in the past.

It might be current and active.

Sometimes I see 10 or 20 of these stains all along the underside of the fascia board along a roof.

These stains are created by carpenter bee spit and vomit.

If you clean it off and smell your rag, it smells like honey!

Well, of course!  What do you think honey is?

Here is what a carpenter bee hole looks like.

Carpenter bee holes all look the same.

They are very round and about the size of your pinky.

The bees create a hole in the wood and then tunnels to the left and right.  At the end of the tunnel they lay eggs.  Then they drag in some form of food for the eggs when they hatch - another insect or two.  The carpenter bee then dies leaving the next generation to happen.

The next generation will do exactly the same thing.  Over time you can have quite an infestation!  And your wood can become very damaged.

When I see the holes (they happen on our daughter's wooden play set in the rear yard) I do this: 

1.  Spray in some insecticide
2.  Fill the hole with caulking

When the bee returns home it sees all that, and gives up to go find another house to infest!  Often carpenter bees pick out a house in a neighborhood and go at it!  You have to pay attention to the stains and when you see them go into action yourself!

A carpenter bee looks like a bumble bee, but with a slightly more pointed hind end.

That image is just about life sized!

When you see them flying, often they will stay still in the air, especially as they examine something, like the side of your house!  Once they find the perfect spot, they will go after it.  They can create a hole in short order!

My recommendation:  when you see the stains it means a hole is being worked on or already created.  You should eliminate the bee's desire immediately.  Spray the hole and fill it.  That will quash the bee's desire and it will move on.

Where would we be without classic light fixtures?

And you know'em when you see'em.

I think these will never go out of fashion. 

I think these SHOULD never go out of fashion!

Stylish and shapely, this baby probably adorns every house in the country older than 30 or 35 years.

It's wired correctly - black tied to black; white to white; ground line attached to the metal box to go where old ground lines go (translation:  who knows).

And everything is wire nutted together, again correctly.

What would a home inspection on an older house be if the inspector does not find one of these beauties?

Judging from the braided service cable, the amount of dust on the fixture and wires, the thickness of the metal beads on the pull chain, and the two-hole receptacle to connect an extension cord into the light bulb base, I think this baby has been there well over 30 years.

And why not?!  The house is 42 years old.  And this is the storage area in the attic.  This set up might be original to the house!

You gotta have light!

There is something missing.  It was somewhat disappointing too.

Can you guess what it is?

That's right!  An old extension cord, with cracking rubber insulation, plugged in to the fixture and leading to:

1.  Another light or
2.  A home-made vent fan!

Well, this just goes to show you that the age-old adage still works:  you can't always get what you want, but, if you try, sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need!

My recommendation:  if you should run across this classic light fixture on your home inspection, rest assured - it has been there and working fine for a long time!  Like comfort food!  Some things are exactly as they need to be...

During a new construction inspection, what should I do when appliances don't sound right?

One of the goals on a new construction inspection is to test things.  Unless the builder makes it clear some appliance is not completely installed and should not be tested, I test them all.  That's why we're there!

Turning on what is billed as "Gourmet Kitchen - Upgraded Exhaust Hood," it just didn't sound right.

I did the old take-a-piece-of-paper-from-my-pocket test and the paper stuck very well.

That's a sign the fan is actually working!

It's always good when the fan is working...

But still, it didn't sound right.

What does "sound right" sound like?

I don't know.  It should just sound smooth and not like a high wind inside the house.

Yes, this was a "gourmet" vent fan.  It should be powerful.  It should sound strong.  And it did.

But still, it sounded weird and not right - like a high wind and an exposed motor.

Opening the cabinet door this is what I found.

I have found this before!  Remember, this is a new construction inspection.  I find all kinds of things on new construction inspections!

Understandably, we are there to see that things are ready for the final walk through, which, in this case, was to happen in a couple of hours.

The key word in "final walk through" is the word FINAL.

That inspection is with the builder.  It is the REVEAL.  It is when they get to SHOW OFF their ware!

Turning the fan on and opening the cabinet door, I felt a lot of air!  THAT was the sound! 

Air was not directed outside via a connector tube.  It was just blowing into the cabinet!

I was, in fact, listening to a high wind and exposed motor!

Darn good thing they plugged it in!

My recommendation:  I advise clients all the time, when purchasing a newer or an older house, to be involved in taking care of their house.  Listen to the sounds things make. When they are operating well, or correctly, they will make a certain sound.  If and when that changes, you will know there is a change and can take action proactively.  It's nice when they give you a warning like that!

It is no different than driving your car!

P.s.  The dishwasher didn't get rid of the water in the bottom of the unit at the end of the cycle.  I ran it twice to make sure.  What should I do when appliances don't work right...?    ;>P   Yes, that's me, sticking my tongue out.

Coming home soon, the Young Man From Afghanistan had access to a computer!  This tour has not offered much computer opportunity.  So he took advantage when he got to one and sent me a bunch of photos.

Here is a typical farm.

Remember, the area is extremely dry.

This photo shows millenia-old irrigation techniques.

Does anyone want to guess what is being grown?

Hint:  it is a cash crop.

And it is very popular in the United States.

Here is a photo of the farmer!

Maybe you can tell why he is so happy.

Let's call him "Poppy..."

I was exceptionally interested when I got a call from a former client telling me that lightning, and the gas piping system, caused a house fire.

Just under a couple of years ago I did an inspection for this couple's elderly mother's retirement condo.  During the inspection I had noticed that the building was plumbed with a particular gas line made of CSST (corrugated stainless steel tubing) - and the brand was TracPipe.  That CSST is involved with a court case, and I alerted them.

My insurance company had suggested that I put particular wording in my reports whenever CSST is used, and other additional wording if the brand is TracPipe.  The suggested wording has to do with grounding and bonding, and includes information about the tubing.  I also say that there is between 1 billion and 1.5 billion linear feet of this stuff nationwide, so while the potential for a problem exists, it is minimal.

I told them that there was an excellent blog they could read written by Reuben Salzman.  They called later and asked if I could get them information to contact Reuben, and they did.  And when they got home from our inspection, they discovered they had it on their single family home! 

There was no contact since, until the other day!  Their house had been struck by lightning!

It struck the gas line, cracked the foundation in four places, and followed the gas tubing throughout the house.

It also jumped to some electrical and exited the house through a lower, rear light.  Neighbors said that the rear of the house looked like fireworks were coming out of it!

ALL OF THIS HAPPENED IN A GAZILLIONTH OF A SECOND.

To make a long story short, a smoldering fire started that was blocked by the kitchen floor ceramic tile. 

All the appliances in the house were zapped beyond repair.

Both gas furnaces were zapped as well.

The basement had to be gutted, with some structural members replaced.

All of the CSST had been replaced with black iron gas tubing.

The couple called me to come do a pre-drywall inspection, checking the contractor's work before it got sealed in.

Here is one thing I found - many feet of the foundation sill plates had not been strapped after replacement.

You can also see in this photo that the totally-gutted basement had been sprayed completely with KILZ.  It seals back the scorch marks and eliminates the burned odor.  All of that was substantial.

The kitchen also had to be gutted.

Some of the structure and the sub floor had to be replaced.  The ceramic tile, carpeting and hardwood flooring all over the house was also removed.

Their insurance company said that this kind of lightning damage has been happening more and more!

It has happened so much they already had protocols in place. 

The couple was put up immediately in a hotel, and then into a short-term rental home.

And this work has been going on for a few months now.  The work was substantial.  It will be a few more weeks before they are back in the house.

So this is a problem that began with corrugated stainless steel gas tubing!

My recommendation:  be sure that when you see such gas tubing on a home inspection, that your inspector gives you a complete head's up.  Yes, the likelihood that your house will be struck by lightning IS minimal.  But the potential exists!  When you do see it, it is circumspect to have it checked out by a professional.  A couple of weeks ago I found CSST and alerted the buyer, and his Realtor Brian Block.  And a few days ago I got a phone call from them, and their electrician, asking questions as they were having it examined and getting an estimate written for suggested repairs.

Like I said, circumspect.

Jay's Saturday morning haiku - 14

The English form of the traditional Japanese Haiku includes any or all of the following:

• The use of 17 syllables, in the form of three lines, with 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively.  Some haiku may employ 10 - 14 syllables, but 17 is traditional.
• The use of a season in the poem.
• The use of a "cut word" or punctuation to set off and compare two images.

BY WAY OF INFORMATION, THE YOUNG MAN FROM AFGHANISTAN, COMPLETING HIS FIFTH ALL-EXPENSE-PAID TRIP TO THE MIDDLE EAST, WILL BE HOME IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.  WE NEVER KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.  WE MAY SEE HIM AND WE MAY NOT.  BETWEEN THE LAST TOUR AND THIS ONE WE DID NOT SEE HIM.  SOMETIMES THEY ONLY GIVE HIM A COUPLE OF DAYS TO VISIT EVERYONE HE NEEDS.  BUT STILL, IT APPEARS HE WILL BE HOME SOON.

 A breakfast with the

Young Man from Afghanistan.

It is hot - he's warm.

Sometimes I can drive by houses and see problems from the street.

This house was no exception.  Here is one way to tell when there is poor insulation in the attic.

These clients needed for me to arrive early.  I got there just after 7am.

Notice the addition on the left side.

See how the heat from the room is causing the frost on the shingles to melt?

See the main house on the left side how that same frost is NOT melting?

And the right side of the same house where it is also beginning to melt?

Why?

The answer can only be the quality of the insulation.

You can see that the furnace flue is in the rear of the house, so it can't be flue related.

The addition has a cathedral ceiling, where the visible drywall is very close to the roof.  From inside dark stains can be seen in various spots.  That is an indicator of condensing air.  And the residents (renters interested in buying the house) complain that this room is unusually cold and hot.

From the attic the insulation is 1977 vintage, the age of the house, but basically undisturbed under what is the left side of the main house in this photo.  Hence the continued frost.

Under what is the right side the insulation has been crushed by storage.  That makes it basically 2x4 depth, with an R-value of less than 10.  Hence the melting frost.

The residents complained also that the bedrooms (right side) were hotter and colder than the living room (left side).  I was not surprised to hear any of that.

They had not mentioned anything to me when I suggested to them that the addition and bedrooms were harder to heat and cool than the rest of the house.  They looked at me like I was all-knowing Karnack the Magnificent!  Well not really.  Just somebody who understands insulation!

My recommendation:  if ever you see sections of a roof where frost or snow melts more quickly, it is often insulation related.  And an examination of the attic will very often reveal why!

We all know Elmer's Glue should not be used to install most housing products, but what really happens when faux stone is installed with faux glue?

Actually faux stone is not installed with glue at all, but a mortar-based mastic.  It is heavy stuff!

IT MUST BE GLUED ON CORRECTLY OR IT WILL NOT STICK!

Virtually all over this house the faux stone was coming loose.

Some of it was sagging so much, it was bulging under its own weight.

I could push on it and move it.
I could pull on it and move it.

My client said, "That's really bad stuff."

My answer was that it is fine, when installed correctly and there are many links to many manufacturers that I could send him to show him proper installation techniques.

I did pull off one really loose stone and showed him why it was coming loose.  The "scratch" coat of mastic had not been scratched!  The stone had not been "back buttered," a term I really dislike but is a perfect description of what must be done.

Final result?  NO STICKO!  (Sorry to dip into my home inspector dictionary for technical wording there...)

This house is five years old.  And this stuff has been coming loose for most of those five years.

My recommendation:  people often ask me if this or that is a good builder.  The answer to the question is this:  it depends on the supervisor who is one site every day, and the subcontractors the builders use.  I don't often know which builder did a particular house.  But I can ALWAYS tell when the super or subs were not the best around!

From many (wonderful) excursions into crawl spaces, home inspectors all know that wood gets slippery when wet - resulting in rot.

First we need some excuse to stay wet all the time.

Let's not have gutters on the front of the house!

In addition, the soil in front, and sidewalk, and porch (!), should all incline toward the house.

That will all contribute to making the crawl space really wet!  Home inspectors also enjoy a water view!

That is one front corner of the house, with the standing water extending out about 3'.

The rest of the front wall and the other corner look the same.

The space is very muddy as that plastic sheet does not cover all the soil.

This is what the termite guys call a "conducive condition!"

But it also makes for wet conditions and is a huge invitation to mold and fungus.

And it is.

This house was built in 1977.

The beam is a triple "built-up" beam, meaning that three beams have been attached together side to side to side.

The seams are nailed together.

Today these beams would be of pressure-treated and they would be through-bolted together.

Such wood is not rot vulnerable.

But in this case the beams are rot vulnerable.

They are not separated from the brick columns on which they rest. They are actually squishing where all the weight from above presses them into the supports!

The rot is migrating into the joists that rest on top of the beams. 

And look at the insulation.  The paper is mold infested.  And it's infested with black mold.  ALL OVER THE PLACE.

The moral of the story is to keep the crawl space as dry as possible. 

My recommendation:  Keep water away from the house by installing gutters and diverting downspout water well away from the foundation.  Cover the crawl space soil and properly install insulation under the floor.  Keep any wood as dry as possible and separate it (moisture isolation) from brick and concrete.  And check for gutters and water drainage when you look at the house!  It's crucially important to the health of the house.

One thing wood does not like is continually touching something wetter, so moisture isolation is necessary when it does.

That is why there are many things for separating wood and water.  Deck posts rest on metal stools or feet.  Wood beams are separated from foundation walls 1/2" with metal shims.  The trim around exterior doors and garage doors should be cut and separated from concrete stoops and driveways.  This goes on and on.

IT IS COMMON SENSE.  Why?

Concrete holds moisture after a rain and can draw moisture from the soil via capillary action.

And concrete by itself stays wet for a long time.

It stays wetter than the wood that touches it wants to be anyway.

What happens when wood touches wetter concrete for long periods of time?

It rots!  That is the simple conclusion.

And you know how "they" say never say always and never say never.

The subs that builders hire NEVER prime and paint all six sides of a piece of wood!  They paint the visible edge quickly and are done with it!

Such was true in this case.  This nice front porch step is bare wood where it is merely resting on the concrete.  Only the wood you can see was painted.  It rained the night before and a puddle can still be seen at the wood!  And they didn't even protect the concrete when they painted it, getting paint slop on the concrete around the stairs!

Well, what would you expect.

This stair will rot in short order, likely within a year.  Hopefully it will last beyond the warranty period and be the buyer's problem!  OK, that was pretty facetious.

My recommendation:  on new construction inspections, you MUST look for things like this.  It's the little things that make a world of difference.  Separating this wood from the concrete will help it to last a long time.   And now is the time to do it.

Bottom line:  do it right the first time!