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Roof Rules & Safety

Why don’t some home inspectors go on the roof? There are no requirements in the standards of practice of the national associations for a home inspector to go up on to the roof. Those inspectors who do walk the roof do so to be competitive and to be able to get…up close and personal… to any issues affecting the roof. Getting onto the roof is a personal decision and it would be rare to see a home inspector who would walk roofs that are steeper than 6 in 12 slope.

Inspection from the ground using binoculars is very effective. The type and condition of the roof surface can largely be seen from the ground. A good pair of binoculars will help in getting a close look at details such as the flashing around chimneys and the use of chimney crickets. Inspecting the roof from a ladder will help greatly. Gutters, the life expectancy of the roof, number of layers and condition and location of fasteners can all be seen from a ladder. Number of layers can also be assessed by examining the shingles on the rake edge.

Walking the roof can involve insurance and legal issues if the inspector has employees or permits the customer or realtor to climb onto the roof. OSHA rules clearly state that the home inspector is not to work at more than 6 feet off grade without proper harness installed by a trained technician. Insurance companies support the criteria of OSHA, the federal job safety agency. So, in the event of an accident to your customer or realtor; it would be very unlikely that an insurer would pay a claim.

So, don’t judge home inspectors by whether or not they walk the roof! Judge them by the accuracy and clarity of the report that they make about the roof.

Rob ‘Pops’ Leslie

MN Home Inspection
Minneapolis & St. Paul

Kaplan University

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RADON – Myth or Menace!

Governor Mark Dayton has approved a bill that includes the Minnesota Radon Awareness Act dated May 7, 2013.

This act which becomes effective on January 1, 2014 covers all residential home sales (including: existing homes, new construction and high-rise buildings). What does this mean to the realtor and the home inspector?

To the realtor this act means that the seller must be informed that they must make an accurate written statement about radon and radon testing in their home at time of sale. The written requirements are very specific, including a, “radon warning statement” that must include legislated language. To the home inspector; this act will mean much more business, provided he or she is certified to do in-home radon testing.

Public awareness of radon issues in Minnesota is increasing rapidly. There are two basic reasons! The Minnesota Department of Health in recent times has done a tremendous job in getting knowledge of radon to the public through the media and the other significant reason is that all new construction in residential housing in Minnesota, over the past few years, has required passive radon mitigation.

The public is asking; if radon mitigation is required in new construction, why isn’t it required in existing homes?

You may have noticed in the previous paragraph that I said “passive radon mitigation”! I will describe passive and mechanical mitigation in future blogs. The fact is that the Department of Public health would far rather see that mechanical mitigation is used. Broadly, the differences are that passive mitigation relies on the fact that hot air rises to get the radon gas from under the floor slab of the house out above the roof. Mechanical mitigation uses a fan! Passive mitigation is good, mechanical ventilation, which costs surprisingly little, is much better.

I will go into the written requirements of the act and all that is required for realtor, home inspector, and homeowner to understand the radon issue in future blogs. I will be quoting Josh Kerber from the Department of Public health on the written requirements, for the seller, in the act!

In the meantime, if you want to get ahead of the game, contact Joshua.Kerber@state.MN.US. I am sure that Joshua will be happy to provide the wording of the written disclosure and the radon warning statement. Joshua and others of the Minnesota Department of Health have fought vigorously for a very long time to have this act implemented…Congratulations!

Rob ‘Pops’ Leslie

MN Home Inspection
Minneapolis & St. Paul

Kaplan University

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MN Inspector or MN Realtor’s Role!

How much is this home worth?

…is a question often asked, by buyers, of their home inspector! Value is in the eye of the beholder and what the buyer thinks is value may be very different to the home inspector’s opinion. The role of the home inspector in helping the buyer with valuation is solely providing an accurate report that covers the condition of every aspect of the home. The cost of overcoming individual weaknesses in the home can only come with price quotes from other experts involved. Reaching an accurate cost is a matter of being certain that all weaknesses have been found and can be allowed for in a renovation. Good inspection and accurate reporting will greatly reduce the risks involved in budgeting for any needed repairs.

The buyer, with an accurate home inspection report and a quality realtor evaluation, showing value against comparables in the same district, can decide if the house is good value when the cost of updates identified in the home inspector’s report are factored into the purchase price of the home. This fact… Identifying Final Value… is often lost to buyers, sellers and realtors! Buyers want to buy and sellers want to sell and all things are negotiable. Given an opportunity both sellers and buyers are very often better prepared to adjust their price to cover needed repairs that have been identified or; to make the necessary repairs adjusting the price to meet the new value.

How much is this home worth?

It is worth the perceived value of the buyer after the home inspector has identified and commented accurately in his or her report. And, firm quotes have been received from the experts required to bring the house up to the quality expectations of the buyer.

 

 

Rob ‘Pops’ Leslie

MN Home Inspection
Minneapolis & St. Paul Home Inspections

Kaplan University

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Good Home Inspectors Listen to the House

Is a home inspection necessary?

This question is asked often because many homeowners and realtors do not realize just what an inspector does. A home inspector’s task is to represent the voice of the house. A good inspection report will tell you precisely the condition of the house at the time of writing. A well-written report will direct an owner, buyer, or seller to any action that is required to bring a house up to good condition relevant to its age.

Is a Minnesota Home Inspection Necessary?These days, most realtors realize that a home inspection is necessary at time of sale. Today, more than 90% of buyers have a home inspection, so that they know exactly what they are buying. Sellers are also learning the value of a home inspection. A good inspection will tell them what they are really selling and help overcome the surprise of being asked for concessions at close.

A home inspector is not an engineer and does not have a crystal ball. A good inspector cannot predict what is going to happen in the future or what the value of the house will be down the road. Assessing value is the task of the appraiser and life expectancy comes from plumbers, window suppliers, and other specialists. However, the home inspector should be an expert in understanding exactly what is happening to the house at the time of the inspection. In fact, a good home inspector needs to have a solid grounding in all of the elements and systems of a home.

How do you identify the right inspector for you?

When you are looking for the right fit, you need to find someone who is ASHI certified, has reputation, business longevity and can produce testimonials from realtors who have used their services over time.

Rob ‘Pops’ Leslie

MN Home Inspection
Minneapolis & St. Paul

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Not So Common Sense…Look Before You Sit!!

Old houses have many quirks and memories. Growing up, I’m sure you can remember many stories about some old dirty, damp, and dingy basement. A vacation home, a farmhouse you visited, maybe your grandparents house, or even where you grew up.

Can you still feel the angst walking down those creaky wood steps?

Being a Minneapolis and St. Paul home inspector, there are many old homes that I visit daily and how the memories float around in my head. This last week I had a very fond recollection of my youth. Little did I know what I experienced would be an important lesson 50 years later.

It’s not as uncommon as you would think, but many old MN homes have a toilet sitting out in the open of the basement. This wasn’t for lack of modesty…it just didn’t get used or at least very often…hence the concern. You should always be able to see water in a toilet bowl. This waters primary purpose is to keep sewer gases out of the house. If a toilet is not used for a length of time the water trap will evaporate and sewer gas enters the home. Sewer gas is a methane gas which is toxic and explosive; that’s why smoking is not recommended when using the toilet…BOOM!

Just joking about the cigarette, but when a toilet is abandoned and has lost its water seal it is also a great nesting place for sewer rats. So the next time at home or when looking at a piece of real estate and you see a lonely, dirty, old toilet in the basement, be careful lifting up the lid or you may be very surprised at what crawls out. Always…Look Before You Sit.

For me, it was a lesson I will never forget.

Doug Hastings

MN Home Inspector
Minneapolis & St. Paul

Kaplan University
Home Inspection Lead Instructor

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Safety Alert!!! Frozen Gas Meters

This week I was reminded of how dangerous this time of year can be in the northern states. With snow and ice thaw and then re-freeze, gas meters become a very BIG safety concern.

Who looks at their gas meter?

The answer is nobody…unless there’s a problem. Every year MN home inspectors come across frozen or snow blocked gas meters. Frankly, unless this condition is corrected a seasoned home inspector wouldn’t enter a home until this condition is fixed. It’s simply too dangerous!

In Minneapolis, St. Paul, and most all communities, there are two locations for natural gas meters. The older meters are located inside the house and obviously do not present themselves as a winter concern. Not so fast, if these interior meters have a regulator, this must be vented to the outside of the home.

A regulator on a gas meters indicates the local utility is supplying the house with high pressure gas. Are you beginning to get the picture? Is the house speaking to you? High pressure gas needs to be vented to the outside of the building. If the vent pipe is blocked by a pile of snow, oh my, this could be a MEGA problem.

Modern meters are installed on the outside of the home. There are good and bad locations for these meters. For example they shouldn’t be under the drip line of a roof or in areas that accumulate piles of snow. In these situations the meter regulators could become buried or frozen. When blocked, there is a good chance that gas fumes could build up and an explosion could occur.

So go outside today and check out your meter or the vent opening and verify the snow and ice has not blocked it.

Be safe…

Doug Hastings

MN Home Inspector
Minneapolis & St. Paul

Kaplan University
Home Inspection Lead Instructor

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Moisture Problems – Sumps to Big Bumps (Part 13)

Basements and crawl spaces with sump baskets may or may not be drain tiled. And drain tiles can be located on either the interior or the exterior of the foundation footing. Contractors will give varying opinions on which method is best, but it really doesn’t matter. In real swampy locations, ‘cautious’ contractors will install drainage tiles on both sides of the foundation. Home inspectors in Minneapolis and St. Paul pay very close attention to the existence and quality of installation of these sumps in order to protect their clients from future water damage and mold problems.

Steep Hill Requirements

 

Next, what about big hills? Historically, home buyers and Realtors have been very skittish about homes that back up to large hills. The obvious concern is the large volume of water running directly towards the house. Frankly, many people walk away from purchasing a perfectly good home just because of this topography. Steep hills in building code terms are those that have a 45 degree slope or greater. The question is should we be apprehensive about this. The answer is no…just as long as the correct detail to earth slope, drainage swales, and possibly retaining walls are observed.

So, if we obey the principles of controlling surface and subsurface water, we should be able to buy or sell a home, with confidence, in almost any location and keep the water out of the basement. As a MN home inspector for the past 25 years, it’s amazing to me that so many homeowners don’t do this. They sure would sleep better on those dark rainy nights if they did.

Did you know small moisture intrusion problems in basements are a much greater mold concern than a major flood…WHY?

Doug Hastings
Home Inspector Minnesota
Kaplan Instructor

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Moisture Problems – Is Your Drain Tile Dependable (Part 12)

Too many homebuyers have hired MN home inspectors that found the sellers disclosure regarding basement moisture to be incorrect and sometimes blatantly false. Unfortunately, too often, unsuspecting real estate agents are pulled into this scheme. The biggest culprits of this ruse are sump pumps and drain tiles. You would be surprised how many innocent agents are told the basement of the house they listed is drain tiled…and never look to verify that it is true. This is way too risky and this home inspector intends for that never to happen to you. Honestly and understandably, many agents and homeowners have never been trained to be able to distinguish between the different types of water control systems.

Did You Remember?
Some systems work and many do not.

Recently, one of my home inspection students told a horror story in class about a lawsuit his daughter won against the real estate agents involved in her home purchase. The MLS listing stated that the house was drain tiled and the buyer’s agent when seeing the sump basket verbally confirmed that to be true. The daughter moved into the house and the basement flooded shortly thereafter. She was eventually awarded a $30,000 claim against both agents.

Did You Know?
Water always goes to the easiest exit point.

Drain tiled basements have a pipe that is continuous around the entire perimeter of the foundation. This 4” pipe has holes that will freely gather ground water before it gets onto the floor. These pipes extend and dump water into the basket which is then pumped outside.

So take the cover off the sump basket and look inside. If you see two 4” pipes coming thru the side of the basket, the basement is drain tiled and dependable. If there are no pipes, the basement is not drain tiled and undependable.

Very often what looks like a drain tiled basement turns out to be nothing but a pit in the floor. This would be a mega real estate agent or homebuyer nightmare.

Oh the sweet sound of the house speaking so softly.

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Moisture Problems – Sump Pumps and Drain Tile (Part 11)

Many homebuyers and real estate agents have the perception that a sump pump and drain tile indicate a problematic house, something they should walk away from…nothing could be further from the truth. When this system is installed properly it will really work. Soil conditions will impact the exact type of installation and the elevation of the water table on how often it will need to operate, but when these two factors are considered this method of water control is very reliable.

Why is it that so many people continue to have this uneasiness about sumps?

Sumps and pumps have evolved over the years. Old drain tile systems are made with clay tiles and placed directly in the dirt. Because of the brittle material and open joints, they are prone to becoming damaged or plugged with silt. It’s not uncommon for this condition to exist in many homes today. In addition, countless con artists have designed cheaper “quick and easy” water control methods for homeowner installation. Commonly called beaver systems, these systems failed miserably and most of these people ended up in jail for fraud. Both of these systems are concealed, either below the basement floor or behind finished walls. So…using our “see thru wall’ home inspector eyes, how could a buyer or agent tell if either of these risky conditions existed?

It’s simple – find the basement floor drain. Most drains are on the surface of the floor, but sometimes they are below a wood or metal cover plate that you must lift up. These old systems will drain directly into a plumbing floor drain which indicates that problem home.

But newer drain tile systems are embedded in gravel and made with a continuous plastic pipe with holes. These pipes are more durable and are covered with a silt screen fabric that keeps them from becoming plugged. The sump pump will be discharged into the yard and in some instances there will be an additional battery backup pump. These systems are very reliable and should put the homeowner, buyer or the real estate agent at ease.

How would you recognize this type of dependable installation? Do all sumps have drainage pipes that go around the perimeter of the foundation? Next week let’s listen to what the house and this MN home inspector have to say about these matters.

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Moisture Problems – High Water Table Signs (Part 10)

When a home is built on land with a high water table, re-grading and gutters are not the correction to the problem. Remember, grading and gutters correct stained, damp or wet walls and, sometimes, minor floor seepage stains. This problem could exist on a portion of one wall, on an entire wall, or on all the walls. It will depend upon the condition of the outside landscaping on the other side of the foundation. Has the house not spoken to you? Are you now confident in being able to recognize these types of situations?

In a high water table situation the observations will be very different. For example, you might spot that the bottom of wood beam posts in the middle of the basement are soft and rotted. Maybe sections of the concrete floor are cracked, buckled, and pushed up from hydrostatic water pressure. Typically these cracks will have water marks on the edges. You might even see loose vinyl floor tiles, tiles with water marks on the seams, or a brittle crackly noise when you walk on these tiles. If you’re really adventurous, take a small screw driver and pull back carpet corners looking for water damaged wood tack stripping. Can you see a consistent water mark ring on all the walls around the perimeter of the foundation?

If you can see any of these clues, can you begin to
hear the sound of a flooded basement?

Flooded basements will have the same problems existing on all four walls and over the entire basement floor. The subsurface ground water is coming up into the basement. It is not surface water coming down the sidewalls. There is only one way to correct this situation…install a sump pump and foundation drainage tile.

Do these systems really work? Are they always reliable?
Do they indicate a problem home?

Great questions, next time let’s ask the house.

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Moisture Problems – Look for Signs (Part 9)

Wetland, Swamp & Outlot

It’s often said there are 3 L’s in real estate, location…location…location. Unfortunately, many times, in order for a home to be located in a desirable location, builders constructed them on land that for a long time had been rejected because of unstable or wet soil. Or other times, homes were built intentionally adjacent to lakes, rivers, and wet lands because of the privacy and beauty. With populations increasing and prime undeveloped land decreasing, contractors, real estate agents and homeowners turned to building on this premium land foregoing previous concerns about soil stability and a high water table. By engineering the foundation and installing sophisticated water management systems these homes cost more, but being in the right location topped this concern by a mile.

Are you starting to hear these homes say…
Basement moisture or foundation settlement?

Cattails

Sadly, many of these homes were poorly engineered and the water control systems were either non-existent, incomplete, or have failed. This makes for a messy situation or what I like to call “home inspector job security.” Remember that in home inspection there are 3 M’s, moisture…moisture…moisture. Actually, on second thought let’s make it 4 M’s.

But what can real estate agents or homeowners look for on the outside of the home that would indicate this problem exists on the inside. Or just as important, if the moisture condition doesn’t exist in the basement or crawl space now, there is a high risk that it will soon.

Flat & Low Land

Here are some very reliable signs:

  • Cattails on or near the site
  • Adjacent to wetlands, swamps & outlots
  • Built on flat or low lying land
  • Settled soils around the perimeter of the home
  • Settled concrete walks & steps
  • Long gutter downspout extensions (8’ or more)
  • Long sump pump discharge pipes (10’ or more)

 

 

What these clues are telling you is the soil is unstable and wet. That the bottom elevation of the home is either near the water table or many times it is in the water table. With rain and snow thaws the surface water will become sub surface causing the water table to rise.

And when it does, ground water will be forced up through the floor slab, foundation walls, and flood the basement. How did I know this was going to happen…because the house whispered to me!

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Moisture Problems – Listen To Your Home (Part 8)

Before going further into high water tables, let’s stop for a moment and reflect on what we have accomplished so far. In the beginning, I asked that you begin to look at the house differently. To take off your real estate agent or homeowner cap and begin to look at the house through the eyes of a home inspector. My intention was to show you that the house can begin to talk to you and tell you where the problems exist, if you will only listen.

Our 1st example of ‘seeing through walls’ has been, when walking around the exterior of the house, you can quickly determine if there is a wet basement…before going inside. Earth, walks, steps, patios, driveways that are flat or have settled and sloped towards the foundation, NOW, should immediately scream basement moisture. Gutters without downspout extensions will shout wet foundations. Trees, retaining walls, small hills that do not allow rain and snow water to flow unobstructed to the street, alley, or city drainage easements ought to holler dampness.

Are you beginning to hear the whisper?

Those musty smells in the lower level…moisture. Orange, yellow, black, grey, and white powdery wall discoloration…moisture. Peeled foundation wall paint…yep…moisture. Warped paneling, black rings around baseboard trim nails, rusted drywall nails…you guessed it, moisture. Seepage ring stains along the edge of the floor slab, crackly vinyl tiles, stiff carpet edges…you got it! I would estimate that over 85% of all MN basements have dampness. And I suspect this would hold true for all homes throughout the U.S. that have below grade space.

Before starting all my home inspections, I ask my clients what they are most concerned about in purchasing this home. Every time one of the top 3 concerns will be not having a wet basement.

NOW, if you are asked the same question, just glance over their shoulder, look at the land and hardscaping, and you can give them an informed answer, because this IS the cause of over 90% of all wet basements. Even if, and there is a small chance, the basement isn’t damp, it’s just a matter of time before it will be. So fix it now or pay for it dearly latter. It is so basic I’m surprised so many homeowners neglect it. When you run water towards something it’s bound to come in…at some time.
AND that’s not OK.

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Moisture Problems – High Water Table Issues(Part 7)

Last week I asked why roof gutters with no or short downspout extensions was so bad. The answer is, when dumping massive amounts of water on small isolated points of a foundation, even the best of soils and grading cannot handle the volume. Notice on this picture the mold and water damage going up the corner of the basement. This is where a downspout had been missing on the outside of the house. Gutters are good, but if not kept intact, they can also funnel water into a basement or crawl space.

DO YOU REMEMBER?
90% of wet basements are caused by not controlling surface water

Control of surface water is accomplished with positive landscaping, hardscaping, and sometimes gutters. But control of sub surface water can be a little more difficult…to recognize and to correct. Less than 10% of the time homes are built on land with a high water table. In these situations landscaping, hardscaping, and gutters will do nothing to keep water out of the basement. When a home is built in a water table or so close to a high water table that fluctuates with heavy rains and snow thaws, you will need to have a sump pump and drain tiles.

How can real estate agents and homeowners tell if a home is built on a high water table?

In this situation, basements and crawl spaces will flood. What I mean is the entire basement floor will get wet… not just damp walls and maybe some seepage stains along the edges of the floor. Flooded floors disclose themselves almost like leaving a dirt ring around your bathtub when you get out. There will be uniform water marks on all four walls at the same elevation off the floor.

There are other indicators of a high water table problem and we will cover those as we continue our journey with basement and crawl space moisture next week.

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Moisture Problems – Gutters (Part 6)

Large volumes of water discharge off a home’s roof and can compound a basement or crawl space moisture problem. Depending on the roof design, the amount of water can often be too much for even a yard that is properly graded away from the house. Sometimes we need to add gutters and downspouts to the roof eaves. However, all roofs do not need gutters, in fact, most do not.

DID YOU KNOW?
Building code does not require a house to have gutters

Controlling roof drainage is important, but it is never a substitute for proper grading. Too often frustrated homeowners look for the quickest and easiest fix to a basement moisture problem. When landscaping and hardscaping is too difficult or too expensive they look for a short cut. The easy answer is to install gutters, but roof drainage is always secondary to correct earth grading. So, if the landscaping and hardscaping are positively sloped away from the house and the foundation is still damp or wet then adding gutters to the roof is essential. Gutters will manage the surface water coming off the roof and, if properly installed, harmlessly drain it away from the foundation.

So how would a homeowner or real estate agent know when a home should have gutters?

The design of the house is the most common indicator. Homes that most often need to control roof drainage to stay dry have any one or all of the following characteristics:

• Steep roof pitch
• Roofs with valleys
• No overhangs or small roof overhangs

These house styles dump huge amounts of water directly on the foundation which, depending on the type of soil, will saturate the earth adjacent to the walls. These wet soils will hold moisture on or adjacent to the foundation which will eventually migrate towards and run down alongside the basement or crawl space walls. Gutters with the proper extensions will direct this water away from the house.

Understanding that all homes do not need gutters to stay dry…then what could be worse than a roof that needs gutters and doesn’t have any? How about a roof that has gutters with no or short downspout extensions…why?

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Moisture Problems – Hardscaping (Part 5)

Although landscaping is so very important to a dry basement, sometimes other things outside the home can cause water to work its way inside. Because of difficulty and cost, people are often hesitant to consider the negative impact hardscaping can have on moisture intrusion. What I’m talking about here are:

  • Walks
  • Steps
  • Patios
  • Decks
  • Driveways

Just like the earth, over time these wood, asphalt, and concrete surfaces can settle. Often the settlement will either puddle water alongside or actually drive water towards the foundation. As I said these hard surfaces can be expensive to remove and replace. For this reason, most of the time, homeowners will leave the settled hardscaping and try anything and everything else to try to correct the problem…and it never works! There is a core principal here and that is, if water is being driven towards the foundation, at some time, it is bound to come into the basement. It might not be in normal rain or snow thaw, but during in-climate conditions it will.

That’s why if you ask a homeowner selling their house if they have moisture in the basement, their immediate reaction will be no. Then when they think about it for a moment, they will say something like well maybe a little bit on real heavy rainfalls or only when the downspouts are disconnected or only when it rains really hard from the north. What they are saying is the landscape and hardscape are not sloped adequately to handle large volumes of water. Homeowners, home buyers, and real estate professionals don’t expect basements or crawl spaces to be dry some of the time or even most of the time. Today, these people demand that these below grade spaces be dry ALL of the time.

So the grounds surrounding the home are very important to protect against moisture intrusion…but that’s just the beginning!

Doug & Julie Hastings
Your House Whisperers
Minnesota Home Inspection Services

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