Inspection Articles
Join us in a discussion of various inspection related topics. Old Building at Boone Hall.
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Learning About Water Softeners
Water softeners are a very necessary appliance in some parts of the country where the water is “hard”. In these places water softeners are a common occurrence. Around the Charleston Lowcountry area…. not so much. However we do see water softeners occasionally and sometimes well observe a system someone might mistake for a water softener.
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Understanding Plumbing Venting Methods
Without getting into too much detail this article will try to take the mystery out of the different ways plumbers can vent your plumbing system. If you’ve ever noticed the plumbing pipes sticking through the roof you probably knew they were there to vent the plumbing drain piping. While most people understand how an individual
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About The RV Receptacle Outlet
It seems that Recreational Vehicles are becoming more and more popular and so there is increasingly the presence of an RV receptacle or multi receptacle RV box located somewhere on the property. Sometimes it’s in the middle of a field. Because the RV receptacle is different than other receptacles that we find in the typical
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Cables and Conduits
The types of wiring systems in homes have evolved over time so this article will not discuss all those types that we sometimes find in old homes. Nor are we going to cover every type of wiring system in use today. That’ll be too big a topic. Instead we’re going to focus on the
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Sump pumps and sewage pumps
Both sump pumps and sanitary sewage pumps sit inside a pit and pump out fluids in a similar way but they function in very different ways and serve very different functions. One source of confusion is that the words sewer and sewage can be applied in very different ways. In this article we’re going to
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What are weep holes?
Weep holes are the little gaps in brickwork near the bottom that allows moisture to escape from the wall cavity. They’re required to be spaced 33″ apart right above the flashing. They also help to equalize air pressure and dry the wall cavity out. Some vinyl windows also have weep holes to dry out the
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Building Decks Right
Because decks are often added on sometime after original construction they are not always built in an optimum way. This article will discuss some of the most common deck building mistakes and some possible ways to correct the issues. Decks should be built to the same standard as the home. If done correctly they should
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Understanding Wind Zone Requirements
In this discussion we’re going try to take the mystery out of understanding wind zone requirements. In today’s world almost every structure has to be built to certain standards. One of these standards is that the home has to be built to resist uplift or shear forces from a strong wind like a hurricane for
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General Insulation Requirements
Current insulation requirements for homes built in SC.
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Flashing Windows with integral J channel
This article is about houses with windows which have built in j-channel. This style of window is popular among builders because it negates the need for purchasing j channel as these window have the J channel built in. However, in the opinion of this inspector this type of window has a design flaw that
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Fireplace and Chimney Safety
When your home inspector notes a deficiency in your chimney or fireplace it is very important to get a qualified fireplace professional or certified chimney sweep to evaluate and make repairs. Fireplaces and chimneys are complex and it takes special training and knowledge to build and maintain them. This discussion will describe the most common
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What is Knob and Tube Wiring?
Knob and Tube wiring is a method of wiring that was popular from about 1890 to 1940. Characterized by the ceramic knobs that held the conductors away from the joists and ceramic tubes that the conductors ran through when it had to pass through a joist or wall plate.
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Understanding Solar PV Systems
Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems work by collecting sunlight onto specially designed panels which produce DC current. This current is transferred to an inverter which converts it to AC current to match our home electrical system. Since these systems are becoming more and more popular it’s important to gain an understanding of how theses systems
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What is a Multi-wire branch circuit?
Most people are familiar with how a regular 120 volt circuit is constructed (a hot, a neutral and a grounding conductor). Some may even understand how a 240 volt circuit operates (two hots, a neutral and a grounding conductor). But what the heck is a multi-wire branch circuit? Well, a multi-wire branch circuit is
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Understanding Feeder Taps
In this article I want to clear up some confusion about a wiring method home inspectors sometimes encounter and which sometimes even some electricians don’t thoroughly understand. I’m talking about section 240.21(B) of the NEC (National Electrical Code) which discusses Feeder Taps. While most people understand that overcurrent protection is typically required at the
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Types of Generators and Transfer Switches
As more and more homeowners are opting to add a generator to their home it’s time to discuss the different types of generators, how they’re used and how they should be installed. We’ll discuss the proper bonding and grounding along with some options for transfer switches. Let’s get started. Two types of Generators Basically
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J Channel at bottom holds water
Have you ever seen vinyl J channel used at the bottom of a wall and wondered where the water caught in the channel will go? Well, it runs sideways until it gets to a joint in the J channel or a corner intersection where it’ll weep out. If these areas are flashed correctly then
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How to Drop a Hip Rafter
This discussion will explain how much to drop a hip rafter. Let me explain….. a hip rafter rises from the corner of a building at a 45 degree angle. Because of this, if the carpenters used the same HAP (height above plate) on that rafter as he did the commons then the corners of
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All About Mold Growth
If mold, apparent mold growth or microbial growth has been noted on your report it means that the inspector has found growth that appears to be mold. Mold is a fungus and there are hundreds of thousands of different species. If it looks like mold then it probably is; but only lab analysis can
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Recognizing Termite Activity and Damage
Whether or not you currently have termite problems it’s important to know what attracts termites to your home and what signs to look for and why. Did you know for instance that every acre of land in South Carolina has over a dozen termite colonies. So since termites are probably already on your property
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The Shocking Truth About Microwaves
A Microwave oven is mighty handy for boiling a cup of water in a hurry or popping popcorn. However it might surprise you that the microwave oven is not the only device in your home that uses microwaves. In this article we’ll talk about some more devices that produce microwaves and some common sense
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Inspecting Garage Doors
A good home inspector will carefully examine your garage door. He’ll check for damage, proper operation and safety. You’d be amazed at how many homes that I have been to have garage doors which are improperly adjusted or even dangerous. Most people don’t realize how dangerous they can be. Every year people die because
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Those Problem Pipes
This article will discuss four popular types of water supply piping we find in modern homes and some surprising issues you probably didn’t know about, but should. Copper, Polybutylene, PEX (PEX A and PEX B) and CPVC. About Copper Piping Advantages of Copper Piping Copper piping in general has a very good track
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What is a drip Leg or Sediment Trap?
A sediment trap which is sometimes called a drip leg (although technically different) is a capped off section of gas line which is installed in such a way that any debris or moisture in the gas line will be caught in the trap where it can be cleaned out easily. The reason for this
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Dating Your House
How old is my house? Home buyers and home inspectors are not always given accurate information about how old the home they are about to buy is. Oh sure, a simple web search on popular real estate sites typically turns up the homes advertised age. However, occasionally homes are built before records are kept;
All About Dryer Vents
Purpose of Dryer Vents The purpose of clothes dryer vents are to reliably transfer the hot air, lent, moisture and in the case of gas dryers, combustion exhaust fumes outside the home. Often, especially on older home this is an afterthought and as a result a lot of functional and safety issues arise. Often
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Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Requirements
Required Locations of Smoke Alarms Although the required number and location of smoke alarms have changed over the years most people will agree that every home should have a smoke alarm. Older homes do not have to be upgraded to the new codes unless there are major renovations as outlined in the code. Paraphrased:
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About Bottom Chord Truss Bracing
In this discussion we’ll talk about the proper way to brace trusses and we’ll try to confine our talk to the proper way to brace the bottom chord and some of the problems associated with not following correct procedures during the building process. The truss design drawings (TDD) and the plans for your particular
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About Attic Ventilation
Attic ventilation is an important part of keeping your building healthy. Current regulations state that the minimum attic ventilation requirements are 150/1. This means that if you have a 1500 sq attic then you would need at least 10 sf of ventilation. (1500 ÷ 150 = 10) So if this is the minimum is
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How to Convert Roof Pitch to Degrees
In the United States roof pitch is usually represented by the numbers (in inches) we use on a framing square to mark the pitch. For instance if we were framing a house with a 7/12 pitch roof we’ll use the numbers 7 on the tongue of the square and 12 on the blade
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About Attic Roof Bracing
Every so often I’ll crawl into an attic without any attic bracing. Usually these are older home built in the 30’s through the 50’s however I’ve seen inadequate attic bracing on homes of all ages. Let’s start our discussion by looking at the proper way to brace an attic. Check out the pictures below.
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How to Splice a Joist or Rafter
About Splicing Wood We’ll begin our discussion by reminding everyone that carpenters have been splicing wood together for thousands of years. It’s one of the things carpenters do best but still there are those who say that this is the purview of an engineer and no one else. Headers, jacks, sills, beams, girders
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What is kickout flashing?
Kickout flashing should be installed whenever a roof surface meets a wall. In the past many homes were built using only the step flashing method and as a result moisture could drain or seep behind the siding and eventually cause damage. Below is a home without kickout flashing. Example of roof with missing kickout
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How to determine the pitch for a shed roof rafter.
Sometimes it’s necessary to cut a shed roof type rafter when you only know the height of the knee-wall or the difference between the two walls and the run. How to determine the pitch of a shed roof rafter. Difference in height in inches divided by run in feet = pitch Conversely pitch times
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How do I know if I have a Heat Pump?
So how do you tell the difference between a heat pump and a regular AC unit? We’ll list several methods below. However, none of these methods are foolproof because the system might have been worked on or parts changed out. For instance the wrong thermostat might cause the system to misbehave. Check out the
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About Stairway Safety Requirements
General Stairway Safety Recommendations Below is a discussion of the general requirements (paraphrased for readability) for stairways. · Minimum stairway width is 36” wide. · Headroom minimum 6’ 8” measured vertically. · Maximum riser height is 7 ¾ “ high, can vary no more than 3/8” between treads. · Minimum tread depth is 10”.
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How to Wire a Three Way Switch for a Ceiling Fan
This discussion will focus on how a three way switch works and show some examples of how to wire them. A three way switch is used to operate a fixture from two locations like a ceiling fan for instance. First this advice – Turn the power off before working with electricity. This discussion is
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What is a double tap?
A double tap is when there are two conductors under a terminal which is designed for only one conductor. This a safety issue because a terminal designed for one conductor will not exert even pressure on two conductors which means one of them could come loose, arc, overheat, cause a fire etc. When we
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Understanding AC Condensate Drains
Modern air conditioners can remove between 8-20 gallons of moisture from the air every day. So on modern air conditioners provisions have to be made to reliably remove any collected water that the air conditioner removes from your home air to a an appropriate place (usually outside). To do this the air handler needs
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About CSST Gas Line Requirements.
CSST stands for corrugated stainless steel tubing. This type of gas line tubing is very popular among builders and contractors because of its ease of use, flexibility and its ability to save on labor installation costs especially over black iron pipe. Although there have been a few concerns with this type of pipe
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