Home Inspection questions and comments.

Some people need a better idea on how things work.

2010-08-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -Police say a California doctor apparently tried to get into the home of the man she had been dating by sliding down the chimney. Her decomposing body was found there days later.
Police Sgt. Mary DeGeare says investigators do not suspect foul play in the death of Dr. Jacquelyn Kotarac.
Authorities say the 49-year-old apparently climbed on the roof Wednesday night, removed the chimney cap and slid feet first down the flue after unsuccessfully trying to get into the house other ways.
DeGeare says the man whom Kotarac was pursuing had left the home unnoticed to avoid a confrontation.
The body went undiscovered for several days until someone noticed odors coming from the fireplace.
Firefighters dismantled the chimney Saturday to remove the body.

Radon issues

2010-08-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Surgeon General Health Advisory
“Indoor radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and breathing it over prolonged periods can present a significant health risk to families all over the country. It’s important to know that this threat is completely preventable. Radon can be detected with a simple test and fixed through well-established venting techniques.”
January 2005

I have issues with the testing for Radon in homes here in Napa. The test is designed to be done with windows and doors closed over a 2 day period so the tester has time to collect a sample. Great if you plan to leave town for the weekend but not realistic overall. A 2 day test will tell you little in an environment where we deal with seismic occurances from time to time.
Radon is radioactive gas given off by soils and rock below your home. Yes it's there and it always has been, we survived somehow but it is estimated over 20000 deaths in america are due to Radon gas poisoning, scarry if you put it that way.
you could do a long term, 90 day test, only to have issues come up after the next little jolt.
Proper ventilation is the only real solution, one more reason to ensure your home is properly ventilated. Crawl spaces and attics can be power vented with solar with little or no cost to you over a 3 to 5 year term. The upfront costs can be offset my some incentives and tax breaks but we are talking a small entry level system that will cost about $2000.00 plus installation.
If you have a crawl space that's where most of your indoor air is coming from, if it's wet you are exposing your family to mold and other potentially hazardous contaminants. Proper ventilation is the bigest issue I see here in the bay area. My little solar solution is looking for homes to run a test market on so give me a call and we can talk. 707-260-5524

July was a good month.

2010-08-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Regardless what you may hear about the current real estate market, you can see the enclosed statistics show that Napa Real Estate market is very strong.

Napa Valley Statistics July 2010 (reported by Bareis MLS):

114 properties reported sold amount to $64,770,000.
$568,157.00 Avg price

Of above sales we have 70 regular sales, 21 short sales and 23 REOs (Bank Owned.)
Over 60% were regular sales not the banks junk.

If you like to know more and detailed information about the local real estate market, new trends and real estate maintenance issues, I am here to help!

link has it's challenges, try this

2010-07-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

www.homewarrantyreviews.com/home-maintenance-basics-video

Drain your water tank annually.

2010-07-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.homewarrantyreviews.com/home-maintenance-basics-video

Water tanks are something we rarely think about until you wake up to a cold shower. Here is a tip to extend the life of your water heater substantially.
First consider the temperature setting, mine sits at about 120 degrees but I don't have 3 girls in the house either, the dishwasher heats water to the temp required to sterilize dishes so what you need is enough hot water to shower, wash and clean generally. With 50 gallons of hot water (the label on your tank will tell you how much) you likely don't need to have it near scalding at 150 degrees. Every degree you move it up the more heat and energy is lost all day while it sits there waiting for you to draw it down. Why bother to have it so hot you need to mix a lot of cold in? Insulating pipes is a good idea but a challenge to get it done right. Copper pipes in a crawl space or slab are going to be cold. Heating them to 120 is better than 150 since they will cool off shortly anyway.
The second step here is to drain your tank annually to clear all the sediment buildup that will ultimately kill the tank and cost you $1000.00 or more. I see tanks 20 years old working well and I've seen 5 year old tanks being changed out due to lack of care or regular maintenance (turn it down when you go out of town or if the gas is off) The link provided will give you a series of steps to take when you want to drain that tank. Allow lots of time to let it drain all the way so turn it down, go and shower or use up the water and then drain what warm water remains on a saturday morning. Turn the water off that enters the tank after you have used what you need or there will be no pressure. Water tanks today are stainless steel inside and most of our pipes are copper now so rust isn't the big issue, what you need to clear is all the chemical residue or particulates in the water that build up over time. Flushing isn't requires just drain and refill once a year to maintain the water quality hot or cold.
One last note, in an earthquake you have 50 gallons of water waiting for you in this system, attach a hose or fill a jug but use it wisely you may need it for a week. Placing garbage bags in the toilet to be thrown away uses less water but the toilet will flush if you fill the tank at the back.
If you don't have an earthquake preparedness kit in place you need to work on it, I will pull a list together next week and post it here.

When to Hire a Contractor

2010-07-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

When to Hire a Contractor vs. Do It Yourself Work
Author: Jessi Moyle

It’s easy to look at a remodel or repair job and convince yourself you can handle it. Surely it can’t be that difficult to fix that leaky pipe….surely! Of course, it’s easy to look at some jobs and know there’s just no way you can tackle the project. Sure…go ahead and knock that wall out…but make certain it’s not a bearing wall. A what?

You’d find out soon enough what a bearing wall is when you remove it, because what it’s probably bearing is some of the roof truss load. Knock that wall out and you’re in for a big surprise…a big unpleasant surprise when you compromise the structural integrity of the house.

Deciding when to hire a contractor versus doing the job yourself is often clear, but not always. Jobs that require regulatory inspections, such as electrical and framing, usually must be completed by a licensed contractor. Large complex jobs such as adding a room are best left to the professionals.

But you can’t really say that all small jobs are ideal for the do it yourself homeowner. If you don’t know how to hang wallpaper, then odds are you’re going to make a mess out of the job. Instead of a beautiful new room, you get lumpy unattractive walls that make you think you’re seeing things where the designs don’t match along the seams. There’s nothing more aggravating than buying materials and spending time on a job only to have to redo the whole job over again. It’s expensive and time consuming.

In addition, you need to admit to yourself when you don’t have the right skills. If you you’ve never built kitchen cabinets or replaced a roof, the time to learn is not on your house. Building materials are expensive today and you don’t want to waste money. That kind of defeats the whole purpose of a do it yourself job, doesn’t it?

Other factors to keep in mind include the following.

• Do you have the right tools for the job?
• Can you safely do the job?
• Do you know all building regulation and permit requirements?
• Can you maintain a high quality?
• Do you have the knowledge needed to do the job?
• Do you know what materials are required?
• Do you have the time to complete the job? 1

These are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself before you decide to repair that foundation crack or replace soffit. When you’re wife wants the bathroom remodeled, you might ask yourself if you are really up to tearing out the bathtub and or installing a new shower enclosure. You can’t do without the use of a bathroom for very long, so it’s wise to admit when you’re not sure you can handle the project.

I know….it may be hard to admit you don’t know everything. But do you want a nice remodel job, or the nightmare and expense of redoing a poorly done job? If your ego is wounded, just tell everyone you’re just too important at work to spend time remodeling. They may not believe it, but it’ll make you feel good anyway.

Sources:

(1) http://www.nari.org/homeowners/tips/doityourself.asp

Maintenance

Trades and construction support

2010-06-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

As a home inspector I do my best to remain impartial with all the reports I do.
The national code of ethics for home inspectors dictates a few practical standards for our industry to live by

I will not do any work on a home I have inspected for one year from the date of the inspection.
I will abide by the Nationally accepted standards of practice that are designed to protect the public
I will work exclusively for the customer, (not the bank the seller or the realtor)

I do get a lot of clients who would like to know how much the costs of repairs could be for the shopping list of deficiencies I have found. This inevitably gets me in trouble since I cannot price another man's time or materials. I can provide a ballpark but lets be realistic, most contractors will take hours to pull a bid together for a job, some off the cuff guess on the part of a home inspector is not what you want to base your buying decision on.
Knowing what needs to be done is half the battle and perhaps here is the other half.
I am constantly in contact with qualified trades people who have the proper skills to get things done right the first time. Many of these companies are eager for work and more than willing to bid work that needs to be done in the near future, which is the case with the work on my report.
I will, over the next few weeks be adding contact information to my website for some of the people I know who are capable of doing a quality job at a fair price. Since I do not recommend any one contractor for any one job I am living up to my desire to remain impartial in my inspections.
Remember: I work for you, I will provide you with the information to make an inteligent desion on but you still need to pull the trigger.
Good luck and happy hunting.

Service Magic

2010-06-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

Ed Begley, Jr. in Praise of Energy Audits

2010-01-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

Energy audits are a natural progression from Home Inspections since we are in the attic, the crawl space and generally reviewing the various mechanical and functional systems of a home. Complete audits can include blower door and ductwork tests to determine the exact amount of conditioned air you are losing every minute your HVAC system runs. The real numbers nationwide indicate we lose 300 to 400 cubic ft of air per minute based on national testing results.
Here in California those numbers could be higher for older homes because we have an inventory of homes built before insulation or a tight seal on the building envelope was a requirement.
Reducing your PG&E bill by one third to half is a good goal, and achievable for many homeowners, new or old construction.
Open this link to learn hear the opinion of one well known Hollywood proponent of energy conservation.
www.efficiencyfirst.org and look for the Ed Begley blog coments posted Jan 5th 2010

Thank you, Dean.

2009-11-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

Thank you Dean. I'll endorse you too. You did a very thorough and good inspection. Great with the client too!

I wanted to thank you;

2009-09-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

I want to thank you for the home inspection at **** Clay St. in Napa. I needed the inspection with very little lead time and you were very accommodating. Most importantly though, is the fact that I received a very thorough inspection with detailed explanations along the way. The written report you followed up with was also very detailed and easy to understand.Thanks again for your good service. I highly recommend you to anyone needing a home inspection.

L. G. Boutilier

response to forclosure:

2009-07-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

In todays market a forclosure can look like a bargain, and most are. The mold problem listed below is a nightmare waiting for an unsuspecting client due to one faulty valve. The remediation and repairs can easily top $50,000.00 in that case, so your question is valid. A few issues to note is that the previous owner could not afford the home so the defered maintenance probably wasn't a priority for some time. Bank's tend to close up a home and try to protect it from damage. The problem is that valves, hoses and flexable lines can crack when dry for long periods. The filters on the furnace haven't been cleaned in who knows how long and the firing systems on the water tank or the furnace can fail. Water tank's should be drained and refilled annually to remove the residue buildup, just let it cool and drain it to the yard with a garden hose before all that sludge fills your lines or fills your tank bottom.

More to your point is to run all the lines at the same time for a few minutes to check for adequate flow and drainage. In older areas roots can make their way into drain lines, eventually pluging the line or worse. Be sure the toilets flush at the same time, watch for leak's, even the little ones. Toilets should not move at all! Sewer gass is a bad thing.

Over time just do a periodic test monthly perhaps by using the fixtures, pee freely, it's your's!

It is estimated that the average home loses 300 to 400 cubic ft /min of conditioned or heated air hourly due to leeks in ductwork, if you have a dirty air filter that can double since the furnace/ac cannot get air easily from inside. That is the equivilent of 3 or 4 bath fans running constantly, sucking the money out of you wallet. CHANGE FILTERS MONTHLY!

I recently purchased a foreclosure.

2009-07-14T16:42:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a foreclosure. The home is only about 4 years old and in excellent condition. I'm a single man with no kids and the house is about 2400 sq ft. Obviously I don't use alot of the appliances, fixtures, HVAC, etc compared to a family. For example, the secondary bathroom doesn't get used at all, I don't run the AC and I rarely run the dishwasher. I'm wondering, how often is it necessary for me to operate everything or is it ok to keep things idle?

Seizmic tiedowns, supports and HUD label

2009-07-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

Manufactured homes have certain requirements for safety and financing.

six weeks and $20,000.00 later

2009-06-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

This home was closed up tight for months with all the utilities off while going through the repo process. The problems arose when the water was turned back on and the faulty laundry valve showed up running water to the street from the second floor. All the carpet was removed and then closed up again. Where exactly was the water to go? A wet crawl space and moisture wicking up the walls was a recipe for mold. Today it's the most impressive blooms the mold inspector has seen in some time.
Note: any time a home is closed up the various mechanical items can deteriorate seriously, this ball valve was a minor item untill it dried out.

Victorian charm, redwood rott

2009-06-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

These homes stand the test of time but like anything you have to be dilligent with the caulking paint and maintenance. Redwood is great but it rotts like any other wood if it's in constant exposure to water. Still: 120 years is a feat of defiance against the elements. This home has been moved so some of what you see is new wood.

Be sure you test the plumbing on a REO

2009-06-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

I recently did an inspection for a client in Vallejo looking to buy an vacant REO (bank foreclosure). Initially the water was off but we had the bank turn on all the utilities to be sure we inspected all systems possible. Good thing we did, the furnace igniter was burnt out and the copper pipes in the crawl space had been removed for the scrap value.
In the end the bank revised their position of : "no adjustments were available because of the bargain offered up front".
An inspection costing $300 to $400. can easily save you 10 to 20 times that amount in grief and hard earned cash on any property by being sure you know what you have to work with.

Napa inspection

2009-06-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for the timely and thorough inspection! It has been a pleasure working with you! Jenny H. Realtor in Napa

Welcome to my blog:

2009-06-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

This site is dedicated to the adventurous homeowner. We have all heard of the money pit that ate someones paycheck endlessly, this site is an attempt to help to define some of the potential problems before you start dumping money into properties. Today's market is full of bank owned properties that have had little or no regular maintenance for the last few years. Caution is advised but an educated risk at this point could prove very profitable five yours down the road.
If you have any questions or comments to share please feel free to ask, if I don't have an answer for you I can get one from a reputable source. Photo's are a good place to start.