 Home inspector's basic tools: (clockwise from left) torpedo level, plug-in circuit tester, inspection mirror (for furnace work), multibit screwdriver, AC voltage indicator, and moisture meter (center). |
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 More than two layers? Strip it before reroofing. Putting too many layers on a roof can be problematic for two reasons. First, layers add a lot of weight, making the framing vulnerable to failure in earthquakes, high winds, and when loaded with snow. Second, roofers often do not use nails that are long enough to penetrate all the way through the sheathing. These nails work loose in time and the shingles then blow off in windy weather. |
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 A rooftop garden: fungus on wood shakes. Moss typically grows on the north, or heavily shaded, portions of wood shake and shingle roofs. It's usually best not to try to remove moss from older roofs, which can be easily damaged. |
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 Paint peeling off in large pieces because of inadequate priming. A good painter knows that proper surface preparation is very important to achieve a long lasting paint job. Primer should be applied before painting bare wood, ideally on all sides, to prevent premature peeling and paint failure. |
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 Step-cracking caused by a rusting lintel. Bricks over doors and windows are often supported on a steel lintel that is exposed to the weather and will rust in time. Rusting causes the steel to expand and will actually gradually lift the bricks overhead, until the familiar step-crack pattern becomes visible. A little caulk and paint is usually all that is needed to slow this process. Badly rusted lintels may require replacement. |
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 Condensation damage and mold. Mold requires three conditions to grow: warmth, moisture, and food. Any place where people live is sufficiently warm. Moisture comes from two likely sources: from the outside and from the activities of people living in the home. It can enter the home through leaking roofs and walls, through plumbing leaks, or by rising up from the soil below. Household activities such as showering and cooking without sufficient ventilation are also common contributors of mold growth. |
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 Excessive attic moisture, delaminating sheathing, and a moldy ceiling. Mold needs food and loves gypsum board (or sheetrock). When active molds are present the best strategy is to discard all porous materials that are affected. Non-porous materials such as glass, aluminum window frames, painted wood, tile, etc. can usually be cleaned effectively with any regular household cleaner. For more information see: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldguide.html. |
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 Uneven steps can cause a person to trip and fall. Most people are not aware that the single most dangerous place in their home is the staircase. Steps should be the same height, and proper handrails that can be easily grabbed are very important. See Code Check's description of proper stairway design at http://www.codecheck.com/pg07_08building.html#deckstairs. |
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 "Cottage cheese" texture typical of sprayed-on asbestos ceilings. Sprayed acoustic ceilings installed prior to 1978 often contain asbestos. Any older ceiling with a sprayed-on coating should be tested for asbestos before the coatings are removed or before any remodeling is done that might damage or modify the ceiling. Some homeowners have these ceilings painted to seal in any asbestos present. While painting can be effective, it will make future removal more difficult and expensive. |
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 Creative kitchen drain guaranteed to clog. Plumbing codes require that all waste pipe fittings have smooth interior surfaces to allow the free flow of drain water. Although the accordion-type, flexible fittings available at hardware stores may facilitate making the connections, they will also reduce the rapid flow of water down the drain. |
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 Structural damage beneath a leaky toilet. Toilets often leak, especially when they come loose, causing hidden damage to the framing below. Check toilets for looseness and look periodically at the framing below for stains or other signs of leaks and damage. |
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 Efflorescence. Efflorescence is a white, powdery deposit that forms on masonry or concrete as the moisture evaporates and leaves lime or salt crystals that can grow into large, flower-like forms. Efflorescence, from the Latin word to flower, indicates the presence of moisture in contact with masonry or concrete. Minor efflorescence is common even in new construction. Substantial efflorescence may indicate the need to repair a defective drainage condition. |
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 Vertical crack caused by sinking foundation corner. The size of this crack suggests an older, pre-1940 foundation with no steel reinforcing bars to hold it together when the soil below is too soft to support it. Patching the crack with mortar and writing the date on the wall can provide important information about the amount and rate of movement over time. Old, stable cracks are much less problematic than new, active ones. |
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 Old concrete damaged by 60 years of persistent moisture. This foundation has spalled where the concrete has broken off, exposing the rusty steel reinforcing bars inside. Older, porous concrete, especially on salty or corrosive soils, will absorb water, and the salts will cause the steel to rust, corrode, and expand substantially, breaking off pieces of the concrete. |
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 Moldy joist. Fungus and mold can grow rapidly, even on new framing, if the subfloor area or crawlspace beneath the home is both damp and poorly ventilated. We have seen extensive damage to the floor framing beneath deluxe homes, caused by poor drainage and insufficient ventilation. Some experts now believe that adding ventilation may not be the best solution and are recommending covering the soil with plastic, concrete, or both, to seal the dampness and reduce the humidity in the air that causes such damage in the subfloor area. For more information, see www.buildingscience.com. |
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 Moisture will "wick up." This isolated pier, which has grown soft from moisture exposure, is being crushed by the weight of the house above. A simple fix is to replace the pier with a new, poured concrete footing. |
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 Water droplets and mold. The water on this ceiling is obviously caused by excessive interior humidity. This much mold indicates a serious problem that should be cleaned up by a qualified mold remediation contractor. |
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 Overloaded panel. Most all new panels installed by electricians are properly installed. However, as homeowners and amateur fixit-types remodel, they often add new wires and overfill the panel, creating a potential for loose connections, overheating, and electrical fires. |
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 Cable could get sliced. This condition can be seen only after removing the panel cover. This work was obviously performed by a non-electrician or homeowner who was not familiar with good wiring practice. |
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 Steel and copper piping. When new copper piping is added to older homes, it is important to avoid direct contact between the two metals. The "less noble" of the metals (iron, in this case) will release ions into the water, creating oxidation or rust. Once copper is added to a steel piping system, the corrosion will accelerate until all the older piping will need to be replaced. The two metals should be separated where they connect by either a brass fitting or a dielectric union. Plastic washers separate the metals in dielectric unions. All dielectric unions should be provided with clamps and jumper wires to assure that the piping is properly bonded for electrical system safety. Using a short brass pipe allows for reduction of corrosion with no sacrifice of electrical safety. |
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 Scorch marks from water heater flame rollout. Flame roll-out from the base of a water heater is a hazardous condition, which needs immediate correction. Roll-out can be caused by a damaged or improper vent, insufficient combustion air, or a defective burner. |
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 Rusted out cast-iron waste pipe. Slow leaks are common in old cast iron waste piping. This condition usually indicates the piping will soon need replacement. |
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 Heat leaking duct. The plastic wrapping on some brands of flexible ducting is defective and fails or disintegrates with time. While it may be possible to rewrap the ducting, complete ducting replacement may become necessary. |
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 Back drafting or spillage at furnace draft hood. Water is a byproduct of natural gas combustion. The moisture often creates rust stains on furnace and water heater draft hoods. An inspection mirror will easily fog over when the moist fumes flow across it. This condition can be very hazardous if the furnace is located in an area that is not well ventilated to the exterior and carbon monoxide is allowed to escape into the living area. |
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 Cracked heat exchanger. A heat exchanger is the metal box inside a furnace that contains the flame and exhaust gases. The blower pushes air over the outside of the heat exchanger, where it picks up the heat and carries it to the heat registers and into the house interior. Heat exchangers expand and shrink every time the burner ignites, and the metal eventually cracks and fails. Under some conditions, the fumes from the flame can flow through the cracks and into the heated air supply. For this reason, a cracked heat exchanger on older furnaces signals that it's time for furnace replacement. In some newer models it is possible to replace a failed heat exchanger with a newer one. |
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 Furnace flue pipe rusted out. The moisture that is present in the non-combusted gases from a furnace or water heater will rust out the vent pipe, especially if the vent has a long horizontal run that allows the moisture to condense inside the piping. |
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 Not Cool! Wall-mounted air conditioners draw air from the outside into the room. Installing one in a garage wall not only violates the firewall separation requirement, but can also cause death if the car is left running with the garage door closed. |
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