All together now- Wireless Smoke Alarms The Wenatchee Home Inspector

As a home inspector and former emergency responder safety is very dear to me. It is very common in older homes, about 20 years old and more, you will not have interconnected smoke alarms.

Interconnected smoke alarms are a very important part of fire safety in the home.

In the event of fire smoke alarms that are interconnected will activate the alarm on all of the smoke alarms in a home. This will greatly improve the chance of hearing an alarm if a fire starts in another area of the home from where you are.

So if you home is older and the smoke alarms are not hard wired and interconnected you can now purchase wireless interconnected smoke alarms.

There are various versions of these, both battery and AC powered. But you should make sure the wireless interconnected smoke alarms are of the same make and model. You have to make sure that they communicate with each other.

Remember that a smoke alarm installed within 20 feet of a kitchen /cooking area should have a “silence” or “hush” button so nuisance alarms can be easily dismissed.

You should purchase enough smoke alarms so you can install at least one on every floor of the home, including the basement, one in each bedroom, and one in the hallway outside of each sleeping area.

I also highly recommend you install photoelectric smoke alarms they are less prone to nuisance alarms and react better to smoldering fires.

Smoke alarms have a 10-year life span and then will need to be replaced. The batteries need to be replaced on an annual basis. You should vacuum the dust off smoke alarms every six months.

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                              509-670-9572

Watch out for the Mod’s- Manufactured Homes Repairs what you should know!

Manufactured homes are a bit of a different beast than your conventional site built home. I do quite a few home inspections of manufactured homes as well as manufactured home foundation certification inspections which may be required by the lending institution based on the loan type.

A manufactured home is constructed entirely in a controlled factory environment, built to the federal “Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards” (better known as theHUD Code).

Starting in 1976, the HUD Code established a more stringent series of construction and safety standards that ensure that modern manufactured homes are superior to older "mobile homes" (the term used for factory-built homes produced prior to the introduction of the HUD Code).

So with a manufactured home having to be transported to the site many areas of the home will be built with lighter materials that are specifically engineered for this type of construction.

What many homeowners or contractors do not know, and really need to, is that any modification as well as some replacement items will need to have a permit from Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). L&I will oversee any modifications and permitting as it pertains to a manufactured home.

So if you plan to do work on the home is a very good idea to contact L&I and see if you will need a permit. Here are some common things that actually need a permit that you may not think of; reroofing, adding sheetrock to walls or ceilings, new or replacement of Heat Pump/AC or furnace, replacement of siding, repair or replace floor decking/joists, and replacement of water heater (this list is not all inclusive).

The lack of proper permits, inspections, and approval could affect the safety of your home, your ability to obtain home financing, and your ability to obtain insurance or collect on insurance claims. Even if thetitle has been eliminated on your manufactured/mobile home, alterations still require a permit, inspection, and approval by the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).

(A manufactured home title is usually requested to be eliminated by a financial institution for lending purposes. Once the title is eliminated, it is viewed the same as a stick built house. This removes the personal property status for titling and tax collection purposes.)

Links-

http://www.lni.wa.gov/ipub/622-049-000.pdf

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=296-150M-0410

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                              509-670-9572

Got you covered, Rebar coverage in foundation walls.              Chelan Home Inspection Services

So what is to look at in foundation that has just been poured? Well a lot, this is the foundation and everything will be built upon it, so doing this right will go a long ways in how the job will go.

But I wanted to talk about one specific item that came from a recent home inspection. When I was looking at the foundation during a phase inspection I see that there was exposed rebar in the foundation. This is not proper. All rebar in the foundation needs to be covered in concrete.

When I wrote this up the contractor’s response to my client was “It will be covered by backfill”. Umm that is the point the rebar is not to be in contact the earth.(The form wood was another issue, but that was not contested)

So my response to my client was this from the IRC (International Residential Code)

R404.1.2.3.7.4 Support and cover.  (bold and underline is mine)

Reinforcement shall be secured in the proper location in the forms with tie wire or other bar support system to prevent displacement during the concrete placement operation. Steel reinforcement in concrete cast against the earth shall have a minimum cover of 3 inches (75 mm). Minimum cover for reinforcement in concrete cast in removable forms that will be exposed to the earth or weather shall be 1-1/2 inches (38 mm) for No. 5 bars and smaller, and 2 inches (50 mm) for No. 6 bars and larger. For concrete cast in removable forms that will not be exposed to the earth or weather, and for concrete cast in stay-in-place forms, minimum cover shall be 3/4 inch (19 mm). The minus tolerance for cover shall not exceed the smaller of one-third the required cover or 3/8 inch (10 mm).

Having poor coverage of rebar can have several consequences but the point is the contractor should know this.

Hey I am just a lonely home inspector, but it seems that some contractors need a big dose of code training before they are allowed to build you a home.

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                                  509-670-9572

Bubbly is good for drinking but not for wiring.  The dangers of loose electrical connections.

Wenatchee Home Inspection Services

With all electrical systems heat is the enemy. When evaluating the system with in mind you may think what can cause heat. One of the main contributors to heat is resistance.

 In electrical systems you can think of pressure being applied on the charge (amps) as Voltage. How difficult or how much friction it is to push that charge along as being resistance.

So using the old water analogy we have more friction/resistance pushing water through a long narrow pipe (long runs of light gauge wire) versus wide short pipe (short run of heavy gauge wire).

Now couple that with a high resistance connection then we lead to a condition that can cause failure and fire. As you can see in this photo we have reached that condition.

Each connection point, be it at a receptacles, switches, splices or connection in the panel, needs to be properly tightened (torque). Failure to do so creates resistance, which creates heat, which creates a higher potential for failure and fire. This will worsen over time as that connection goes through heat cycles.

Most panel manufactures have specifications on what the torque values are in the panel.

Example-

So by this panel manufacturer, Square-D the screws (on the neutral/ground bar) need anywhere from 10 in/lb to 35 in/lb of torque depending on screw sets.

When performing home inspection we are required by our Standards of Practice  to evaluate all readily accessible panels and subpanels to inspect the wiring and overcurrent devices (breakers and Fuses).  It is very important to look for signs of overheating because over time this will lead to failure.

The NFPA states that the largest portion of fires caused by electrical distribution systems (48%) were caused by faulty fixed wiring, receptacles and switches. So having these connections evaluated could prevent possible future problems. Time is not forgiving on anything (me included).

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                              509-670-9572

 Civilian Residential Fire Fatality Notices For the week of Sep. 1 - Sep. 7, 2013

When insurances will just not do, Improper outbuilding wiring.

Wenatchee and Chelan Home Inspection Services.

Okay I am going to start a series of posts on something dear to me, the treatment of the elderly homeowners. Now this really could be anyone but when things happen to the elderly it really chaps my hide.

I did a recent home inspection for a retired woman that just wanted to get a feel for whether she should put money into her home or start new. It was a manufactured home. So she hired me to go through the house to give a feel where the home stands in regards to condition and potential costs.

So as I am doing my electrical inspection I go to the main breaker that is on a pedestal outside of the home (standard for manufactured homes). I see a conduit running out the main panel and I want to make sure all is good.

Well, all is not good. Whoever did this work obviously did not know what they were doing. I asked my client if they pulled a permit. She said she was assured that all was done correctly and properly, um not quite and obviously no permit.

So here is what we have… We have a 120v circuit that is directly bolted to the hot bus. There is no over-current protection (circuit breaker/fuse) for the circuit. That means this circuit is hot it whole length out to the detached garage. If for some reason you hit this wiring you would get all the voltage it will give till something blows and there is the potential chance for shock, electrocution and fire (Bonus points for anyone who also sees another issue not related to this wiring).

Next they used NM wire (Romex) that is not designed or rated for such an installation since it was a direct burial installation, wrong again.

Then to cap it off they have a disconnect in the garage has fuses that are too large for the wires being protected (30 amp fuse on 12 ga wire). Bingo we now have the trifecta. This kind of installation could result in property damage, get someone injured and if all went wrong killed.

I cannot stress enough the need to hire the proper contractors and tradespeople to perform the job. Still anyone who is doing this is performing illegal work.

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                              509-670-9572

Grounded conductors and Grounding Conductors in service panels

I got your back, or not… exterior receptacles.                        Chelan Home Inspections

I was performing a home inspection on a newer home, early 2000’s, and came upon a curious situation. It did not have receptacles at the back of the home. Well this is not right for the age of the home.

It has been since the early 1990’s that receptacles were required at the front and back of homes. So this got me thinking… when were the requirements for outside receptacle come into play?

So doing a little research and some very kind help from Mr. Code Check (Doug Hansen) I got my answers.

So we start in 1975, NEC 210-25(b) “For one-family dwelling, at least one receptacle outlet shall be installed outdoors.”

Then in 1990 NEC required a receptacle at the front and the back if there was no direct grade level access from the front to the back (if a cord could not be pulled around the house) [210-52(e)].

Then in 1993 we are first required for front and back (Section 210-52 (e)) “For a one-family dwelling and each unit of a two-family dwelling that is at grade level, at least one receptacle outlet accessible at grade level shall be installed at the front and back of the dwelling.”

In 2005 this requirement like in 1993 was added to include the outdoor receptacles at a multifamily dwelling with direct grade level access.

In 2008, the requirement was added for balconies, decks and porches (Section 210.52(E) (3)). (3) Balconies, Decks, and Porches.  “Balconies, decks, and porches that are accessible from inside the dwelling unit shall have at least one receptacle outlet installed within the perimeter of the balcony, deck, or porch. The receptacle shall not be located more than 2.0 m (6½ ft) above the balcony, deck, or porch surface.” Exception to (3): Balconies, decks, or porches with a usable area of less than 1.86 m2 (20 ft2) are not required to have a receptacle installed.

Then in 2011 the exception was removed for balconies, decks, and porches with a usable area less than 20 square feet.

The object of all of this is to have receptacles in locations that we need them and to reduce the need of extension cords.

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

Wenatchee Home Inspection                                             509-670-9572

 

Color code requirement for Grounding Electrode Conductor

It is not the gospel- Beware of classes and continuing education

Like many professions you may have requirements for continuing education.  As a home inspector in Washington State I am required to have 24hrs per every 2 year period, pretty minimal in my book. But that is what is required.

So I was attending a continuing education class recently presented by one of the main National Home Inspector Associations.

During my class I notice that some of the information presented in the class was not correct and/or was not quite correct without more information being provided (this is not the first class I have noticed this). What… Not Correct! But… it was in the class! So even instructors make mistakes and/or have improper information in the class, go figure.

So I had a thought or two, what is the vetting process and two, you as an attendant of these classes you better not take the information as gospel.

This is a tough spot for home inspectors. We have to know so much information on so many subjects you cannot know it all. Yet people trust us to know a vast amount of details for their protection and information.

Then we go out into our everyday world armed with all this new knowledge, but it may not be correct.

I personally do not like some of those courses where they say “you do not need to know this detail, it is wrong” and just make the call. If I cannot understand why something is wrong then how does that help me learn, or am I parrot.

We as home inspectors have to be careful about the information we receive because our observations and then our reports will reflect that information. (I do not know about you but I do not need any help in messing up information.)

So when attending any of these classes it is important that you do your own research and make sure the information you learn is factual, you understand it and then use that what you learned.

Being a home inspector takes much more than a few accredited courses to gather the information needed to do the job correctly. Some of the best information comes from places that have no accreditation.

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                             509-670-9572

 Out of sight out of mind, HVAC inspections.            Wenatchee Home Inspection Services

This is part two of my articles on taking advantage of the elderly. Like I stated inpart 1, it is bothersome to me that some contractors would do the work they do and leave the client unknowing.

So I was brought in by a lovely 90+ year old young woman to do a home inspection. This started off with her hiring me to look at her roof because she thought there was some wrong (long story there). After having me there for the roof inspection she want a full inspection from me to look for any other issues that she may want to take care of.

Being the home was older they had the furnace located in the crawlspace.  Not my favorite place for a furnace to be installed, but it is what it is.

The unit is barely a year old and when the contractor installed it being that it was below the exterior level of the home it would require a condensate pump to properly discharge the condensate from the evaporator coil to the exterior of the home.

Only one problem, there was no receptacle to plug the condensate pump into. So now we have a condensate pump with no power. The condensate is backing up in the housing and starting to rust the unit, a brand new unit. You have to be kidding me!

So there are a few rules that are in play when a furnace (HVAC  equipment) are installed in such locations.

One- Lighting is needed

IRC (International residential Code) E3903.4 - Storage or equipment spaces. (Bold/Underline is mine)

In attics, under-floor spaces, utility rooms and basements, at least one lighting outlet shall be installed where these spaces are used for storage or contain equipment requiring servicing. Such lighting outlet shall be controlled by a wall switch or shall have an integral switch. At least one point of control shall be at the usual point of entry to these spaces. The lighting outlet shall be provided at or near the equipment requiring servicing.

Two- Beside the obvious need for a receptacle there is not secondary wires installed for the condensate pump. These wires are there turn off the air handler should there be an issue with the condensate pump. (Yeah I know why install those if you have no power for the pump).

If this is not corrected eventually the housing could rust out and could cause damage to circuitry in the unit.

There is no excuse for this type of work and it is not compliant with the codes.

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                             509-670-9572
 

 Article from WSJ on lead in paint litigation.

You must be dedicated- Branch circuits for Kitchen, Baths and Laundry

It is very common during remodeling or when someone needs an extra receptacle or outlet to grab power from the nearest branch circuit, and depending on what branch circuit it is this may be a big no-no.

All too often during a home inspection (especially of homes that are a little older) I find that some that some circuits have been extended to the exterior or another location from one of these dedicated circuit areas.

I have two recent examples from home inspections. Example one is from a 1930’s home that the kitchen counter circuit was extended to the main bathroom.  This is wrong in two ways that will be explained below.

The other example is very common- where an exterior receptacle was extended from the kitchen counter top circuit to an exterior receptacle (I have also seen this from bathroom and laundry circuits).

Remember when you do electrical work on a home you are most likely going to be required to meet current standards once you modify the original configuration.  Only the local authorities can grant exceptions.

So what does this mean, well the main meaning is that who did this work was not an electrician most likely and the work was not permitted. That seems that is always a given. There is a reason for these dedicated circuits and people should be aware of these requirements.

So lets us look at the requirements which are defined in section 210.52 of the NEC (National Electrical Code). (Dwelling units is code speak for residential.) (Bold with underline is mine.)

210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets.

For the kitchen we are looking at what is called SABC (small-appliance branch circuits)

(B) Small Appliances.

(1) Receptacle Outlets Served. In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit, the two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits required by 210.11(C)(1) shall serve all wall and floor receptacle outlets covered by 210.52(A), all countertop outlets covered by 210.52(C), and receptacle outlets for refrigeration equipment.

(2) No Other Outlets. The two or more small-appliance branch circuits specified in 210.52(B)(1) shall have no other outlets.  

Exception No. 1:  A receptacle installed solely for the electrical supply to and support of an electric clock in any of the rooms specified in 210.52(B)(1).  

Exception No. 2:  Receptacles installed to provide power for supplemental equipment and lighting on gas-fired ranges, ovens, or counter-mounted cooking units.

(3) Kitchen Receptacle Requirements. Receptacles installed in a kitchen to serve countertop surfaces shall be supplied by not fewer than two small-appliance branch circuits, either or both of which shall also be permitted to supply receptacle outlets in the same kitchen and in other rooms specified in 210.52(B)(1). Additional small-appliance branch circuits shall be permitted to supply receptacle outlets in the kitchen and other rooms specified in 210.52(B)(1). No small-appliance branch circuit shall serve more than one kitchen.

This pretty well defines that unless the receptacle is located in the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area you cannot extend that circuit to other areas (such as the exterior)r kitchens.

Now let’s look at the bathrooms and laundry per the NEC, same section 210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets.

(D) Bathrooms. In dwelling units, at least one receptacle outlet shall be installed in bathrooms within 900 mm (3 ft) of the outside edge of each basin. The receptacle outlet shall be located on a wall or partition that is adjacent to the basin or basin countertop, located on the countertop, or installed on the side or face of the basin cabinet not more than 300 mm (12 in.) below the countertop. Receptacle outlet assemblies listed for the application shall be permitted to be installed in the countertop.

(F) Laundry Areas. In dwelling units, at least one receptacle outlet shall be installed for the laundry.  

Exception No. 1:  In a dwelling unit that is an apartment or living area in a multifamily building where laundry facilities are provided on the premises and are available to all building occupants, a laundry receptacle shall not be required.

Exception No. 2:  In other than one-family dwellings where laundry facilities are not to be installed or permitted, a laundry receptacle shall not be required.

But now we have to look at one more section of the NEC. (Bold with underline is mine.)

210.11 Branch Circuits Required.

C) Dwelling Units.  

(1) Small-Appliance Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits shall be provided for all receptacle outlets specified by 210.52(B).
 

(2) Laundry Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least one additional 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply the laundry receptacle outlet(s) required by 210.52(F). This circuit shall have no other outlets.  

(3) Bathroom Branch Circuits. In addition to the number of branch circuits required by other parts of this section, at least one 20-ampere branch circuit shall be provided to supply bathroom receptacle outlet(s). Such circuits shall have no other outlets. 

Exception:  Where the 20-ampere circuit supplies a single bathroom, outlets for other equipment within the same bathroom shall be permitted to be supplied in accordance with 210.23(A)(1)and (A)(2).

Electrical systems should not be worked on unless you know what you are doing. I cannot stress this enough. In the State of Washington any electrical work has to have a permit if you modify the system.

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                             509-670-9572

The seat belt analogy… Why you should care about your electrical system.

I use the “Seatbelt” analogy when it comes to how look at the homes nervous system… your electrical system.

The analogy goes- “We all wear seatbelts but how often do we really need them? Less than 95-99% of the time, but we want them there when things goes wrong.”

I know this for a fact when I got t-boned by a pickup truck, was hit sideways, hit the curb and proceeded to pull a TV stunt ride on two wheels across the road and smacked a parked car and landed upside down roof to roof on a ‘72 Chevy Nova. As I was dangling in my seat protected by my seatbelt I was fully aware of its need and how it just saved me from being horribly injured.

I apply this to the electrical system, there are many aspects of the rules in how the electrical system is designed, and they are just seatbelts. They are there for when things go wrong. Mostly they will not be needed. There are several items in the home that can be deadly and the electrical system maybe the biggest one. We take this system for granted and are so used to it that we really do not give it much thought.

This is why when I am performing a home inspection and I evaluate the electrical system I am pretty critical of it. In general water is the enemy of the home. It can cause a lot of damage and can have some health effects, but the electrical system on a given event can be spontaneously deadly.

All too often the homeowner (or even some electricians) because of their lack of knowledge and understanding will play with the electrical system and in effect will compromise the “seatbelt”.  I am always looking for the compromise. Now some of it is pretty minor but you can have an accumulative effect.

The fact that we do not have electrical fires and electrocutions all the time is a testament to the built in safety. We all know the car will run just fine without the seatbelts but when things go wrong you really want it there.

As home inspectors this is a major component that takes a lot of time to understand the rules and why we have them. I spend more time studying these rules than any other component in the home because I feel this is the single greatest safety issue I see in homes.

Fixing the seat belts can help ensure when thing go wrong that you are safe.

“The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant.”

Plato

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                             509-670-9572

Civilian Residential Fire Fatality Notices

For the week of Oct. 13 - Oct. 19, 2013

Map view of past week's  media reports on civilian residential fire fatalities

Detailed summary of media reports on civilian residential fire fatalities

Interactive map view

Weekly compilation of media reports on civilian residential fire fatalities

Civilian deaths:

• Number of fatalities: 33
  
• Number of states with fatalities: 19
  
• Total number of incidents: 28
  

Demographic breakdown:

• Male: 14
  
• Female : 15
  
• Gender unreported: 4
  
• Over 65: 8
  
• Children 14 and under: 3
  
• Number of multiple fatality incidents: 4
  
• Number of deaths in multiple fatality incidents:  9

Party Head Bangers- Beams, girders and ducts height oh my.

Imagine you have a bunch of friends over you having a good time and then bang… you have a friend with a head banger who just has been dropped from pulling a header on a low flying beam. Hope you have a lot of party ice for this one. I have a friend that is a bit taller than the norm, as he would describe it he comes in at 5’-19”. So these items do come to my mind.

So I was on a recent home inspection and I was very aware of a beam that was very low. So out the tape measure comes and I get a measurement of 70-1/2 inches (5’-10-1/2”). Well that is a bit low for most.

2009 Residential code has some defined requirements for ceiling heights.

R305.1 Minimum height.

Habitable space, hallways, bathrooms, toilet rooms, laundry rooms and portions of basements containing these spaces shall have a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet (2134 mm).

Exceptions:

1.        For rooms with sloped ceilings, at least 50 percent of the required floor area of the room must have a ceiling height of at least 7 feet (2134 mm) and no portion of the required floor area may have a ceiling height of less than 5 feet (1524 mm).

2.        Bathrooms shall have a minimum ceiling height of 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm) at the center of the front clearance area for fixtures as shown in Figure R307.1. The ceiling height above fixtures shall be such that the fixture is capable of being used for its intended purpose. A shower or tub equipped with a showerhead shall have a minimum ceiling height of 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm) above a minimum area 30 inches (762 mm) by 30 inches (762 mm) at the showerhead.

R305.1.1 Basements.

Portions of basements that do not contain habitable space, hallways, bathrooms, toilet rooms and laundry rooms shall have a ceiling height of not less than 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm).

Exception: Beams, girders, ducts or other obstructions may project to within 6 feet 4 inches (1931 mm) of the finished floor.

This begs the question if this has been permitted and if a variance was issued. I highly doubt it.

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                             509-670-9572

Pre-punched - Phase inspection of window Installations

I do several phase inspection a year. I will look at installations of the various components of the home and perform in essence quality control.

During a recent phase inspection of a new construction I saw the contractor installed the windows without using the manufacturer’s pre-punched slots for the fasteners. Depending on the environment of the home this may have an effect on the performance of the window and shows that the windows were not installed per manufacturer’s recommendations.

Now this will vary a bit from manufacturer whether it will void a warranty. I spoke with a technical representative from one of the prominent window manufacturers here in Washington State and their position is they do not warrant the installation, just the windows.

Vinyl will move in relation to wide temperature fluctuations.  If this is not accounted for it will put stress on the frame and possibly on the sealant used around the glass.  Over time this can lead deformation during certain times of the year and in extreme cases cause damage to the flange or welds. Vinyl windows have pre-punched slots to account for this movement. Fastening in any other portion may damage the windows and limit rights under the warranty by some manufacturers.

In addition you do not want to overdrive the fasteners. This may fracture or unduly deform the mounting flange.

For this manufacturer here is their installation guide.

http://www.cascadewindows.com/sites/default/files/installation-instructions.pdf

From the guide-

Apply one fastener through a pre-punched hole in the nailing fin at the side of the frame, approximately 3-4” below an upper corner of the unit – to “lock” the unit in place. Use fasteners that will penetrate into the stud at least 1”.

Ensure unit is SQUARE, PLUMB, AND LEVEL, with FULL support under sill.

Apply another fastener through the nailing fin at the opposite diagonal (lower) corner of the unit.

Verify the unit is still SQUARE, PLUMB AND LEVEL, that unit operates smoothly, and that operable sash are sitting square in their openings.

Continue fastening window, using every other pre-punched hole in the nailing fin.

As you can see this installation did not meet the recommendation and should be corrected.

“The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant.”

Plato

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                             509-670-9572

Weatherproofing Commercial Buildings- Sealants and Adhesives- Wenatchee Home Inspections

Performing commercial inspection is quite a bit different than Residential Home Inspections. Systems are bigger and usually a bit more complex. The clients objective are bit different also and for the most part they have less personal feelings involved.

That being said there are still some basics when it comes to water infiltration of structures. Water does not play nice and will find its way in if given a chance.

So when performing a commercial inspection, especially one with a large amount of glazing and seams inspection of the sealants are crucial. Commercial Sealants and installation is a huge maintenance item and restoration costs can be quite expensive. Cost can be as much as $7 a linear foot. Budging for this is often not thought of for many commercial building owners. National Institute of Building Science-  Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) for sealants-  http://www.wbdg.org/design/079200.php

Most commercial sealants have a life expectancy of around 20 years. This will vary on many environmental conditions, joint design, joint movement, and how well the installation was performed.

When performing an inspection I will doa nondestructive test that places strain on the sealant to test the adhesive bond. Though termed non-destructive, it may cause minor failure of the bond, an indication poor adhesion. The results of this procedure should be either adhesive failure or no failure.

Performing proper testing of the exterior sealant will become very important as they age. Proper adhesion testing should be performed by a qualified contractor/representative. A field adhesion test is a destructive testing method for verifying the installation quality of the joint seal. This will be performed on a representative sample size, usually to ASTM standards (ASTM C1521-Standard Practice for Evaluating Adhesion of Installed Weatherproofing Sealant Joints).

With these seals being one of the primary components of weatherproofing this will need to be done on an ongoing basis and should be budgeted for as part of the overall building maintenance schedule. Sealant Restoration Guide- Guide

“The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant.”

Plato

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                             509-670-9572

When Lightning Strikes- Whole House Surge Protection

Surge protection devices (SPD), surge suppressors, transient-voltage surge suppressors (TVSS), lightning arrestors and such are devices that are designed to limit excess energy from the electrical system to provide protection of electrical equipment.  They do this by shorting excess voltage to ground.

                                             (melted ground clamp from voltage surge)

These devices are mainly designed to handle transient surges.  Surges can come from various sources, they can enter externally such as from lightning or utility surges or they can be generated internally by equipment and appliances.

This is where a whole house surge protection comes in. A whole-house surge protector works because electricity is sort of like water and seeks a common level.  This allows the surge protector that is not “in series” with a piece of equipment, like a computer, to still “drain” a surge providing protection of the equipment.

So during a recent home inspection I found a “Whole House Surge Arrestor” not installed properly. They wired to the SPD directly to the main service conductors which is improper. These devices are designed to be wired to circuit breakers. We also have a double lug of the main lugs which is a “no no”.

(Improper wiring of Whole House Surge Protection)

                                                            (Double lug of main lugs)

It is very important to follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions, paying particular attention to fuse or breaker requirements and lead lengths. The surge protectors need to be connected to an appropriately rated circuit breaker not into the main lugs. Where possible should they should go to the first breaker at the top of a panel. This ensures optimum protection of all loads connected to the panel.

Here is a manufacturer’s drawing for installation of the Whole House Surge Arrestor.

                                                            (Manufacturer's wiring diagram)

As always these devices should be installed by a qualified and competent electrician. And since we still have Ohm’s law and Kirchoff’s Laws that applies in relation to transient voltage, having the lowest impedance (and shortest wire distances) in the grounding system the better (less impedance equals better protection). This brings us back to proper grounding and bonding of the electrical system which should be evaluated when installing these devices. National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) informationhttp://www.nemasurge.org/faqs/

Another aspect is that whole house protection should be coupled with point of use surge protectors. And like many things you get what you pay for so try to get best you can afford. These devices will need to be replaced over time because they eventually fail from repeated surges. Higher quality devices will have warning lights to let you know they are still functioning.

All of these devices need a grounding conductor to work properly so in older homes you may need to upgrade your wiring to provide protection. The warranty offered by most surge protector manufacturers is only valid if the surge protector is used in a properly grounded outlet.

“The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant.”

Plato

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                             509-670-9572

Your window desiccant is a now doggy doo, Trouble in Vinyl Windows.

Building material manufacturers are always looking for ways to get better materials out at a cheaper price, one such building material is your windows, and sometimes cheap is just that.

Seeing that on a construction project these are about 3 to 10 % of the total cost of the home any savings here is a good thing for the builder.

(different type of spacers)

Not all windows are created equally and the price between them can actually make a difference when it comes to how they are built.

Some of the cheaper windows may have thinner glass using 3/32 glass versus 1/8 glass or low grade steel channels that can rust during failure etc…

Now enter the “Intercept” window spacer system.  Since 1992 this spacer became a very common spacer system for many window manufacturers. The “Intercept” spacer U-channel design was created as a way to create flexibility of the seal which results in a better thermal barrier that reduces the amount of heat loss conducted through the window.

Houston we have a problem. A very common desiccant used with this spacer type is a desiccant caulk. The problem with this form of desiccant is that it is affected by the heat created within the system that causes this desiccant to fail, melting and curling inside the frame. This will be most common on southern facing windows.

Here is a perfect example from a recent home inspection. The desiccant has failed.

Now most of the window manufacturers only warrant these windows to the original owner and most of the time it is a 10 year warranty. Here is a common limitation from the manufacturers- “This Limited Lifetime Warranty is provided to the original Buyer and may not be assigned or transferred.”

The issue with some of these windows is they are failing in less than 10 years. From 2001 to 2008 the average tenure of a home seller was less than this warranty period, with owners selling their homes after owning them for only six years.

“The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant.”

Plato

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                             509-670-9572