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Is Some Moisture OK?

Home inspectors are often asked to render opinions on other professionals work. Many times we are challenged by licensed professionals, such as engineers, architects, and contractors, who feel differently about a problem.

Who is right?

Remember professional inspectors offer an OPINION of the condition of a building. This should be an informed opinion based upon knowledge and experience; but it is OUR opinion and not someone else’s. Sought after home inspectors are often in disagreement with others and we need to be firm in our conclusions if we are to best serve our clients.

Recently, I inspected a 7 year old commercial building that was in bank foreclosure. My first and primary concern was moisture intrusion. I began my analysis on the exterior of this concrete block and brick structure. Soon, I found a number of details that concerned me:

  • The roof valley drainage was restricted by a decorative facade
  • No rubber gaskets were on the nails of the roof to wall metal flashing
  • Many brick wall locations requiring weep ropes had none or were mortared over
  • The window and door steel lintels were painted but had already rusted

When I went inside I observed:

  • Water stains on the concrete floors and plaster ceilings
  • Water stains on the window sill frames

Shortly after relating these concerns to my client, I received an engineering report on the building. Evidently, the building had already been in litigation and this had not been disclosed to my client. The engineering report confirmed many of my findings.

The engineering firm designed a very thorough and costly solution to this complex problem. It included all new window, door, and roof flashing, as well as adding brick weep ropes. I recommended that these detailed repairs be completed to resolve the issue and keep the water out of the building. However, the engineer also said that this problem could be managed by water sealing the exterior bricks. In the end, the bank determined that sealing the face of the bricks was sufficient to correct the problem and resell the building.

My client looked to me to advise them on this matter. Was I OK that this moisture problem had been resolved with a thin coat of brick water sealer?

How do you feel about it?

Email me at doug@citiesinspection.com with your opinion and I will reply with mine.

Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor

 

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Go With What You Know

Approximately 90% of all structural building failures are caused by moisture. With the exception of the homeowner, moisture is the #1 enemy of the house. Unfortunately, moisture damage typically occurs in concealed spaces. This makes it difficult for most home inspectors to identify.

Good inspectors know there are 3 major elements that impact the risk of moisture intrusion.

  1. The more complex the design of the home the higher the risk.
  2. Poor drainage of water on or around the house increases the danger.
  3. Missing or improper flashing details can be a disaster.

Based upon the analysis of these 3 principles, an experienced inspector will determine whether the probability of concealed moisture damage is low, medium, or high. Regardless of what other ‘experts’ may say, home inspectors are required to communicate these observations to our client and make the appropriate recommendation.

Let me give you an example. Within the last year I inspected an Italian Renaissance home with an elaborate and complicated building design. This building included numerous room projections from the main structure, a 3rd level tower, and a traditional stucco exterior finish.

A flat roof deck was incorporated within the main hip roof structure that included a large skylight and an internal drainage system.

Flat Roof Deck & Skylight
Internal Roof Drain

The perimeter of all windows, doors, band boards, and corners had ‘bump out’ projections without any flashing. Doors onto the flat roofs were level with the deck and had no room for threshold flashing. The stucco was extended below grade without any drip screed flashing. And the roof did not include kickout flashing.

Bump Outs With No Flashing
No Kickout Flashing

Seemed like a no brainer…complex house design, poor roof drainage, and missing flashing details made this high risk. However, the home had been previously moisture tested by a very reputable contractor. The infra-red imaging and meter probing results were all negative. The ‘expert’ concluded no to low probability of moisture intrusion.

Should a professional home inspector change their conclusion and recommendation? Absolutely not, go with what you know. In this example my clients relied upon the moisture testing, moved into the home and quickly discovered the exterior wall structure was rotted out, the house was unsafe to live in and would require over a half a million dollars to fix.

Always remember…STAY WITH WHAT YOU KNOW…an inspector is paid for their opinion not someone else’s.

Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor

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Spring Water Problems

It’s time to start getting your home ready for spring.

Part 2:  Leaking roofs are the second biggest problem. 

Most roof leaks are caused by roof slope or metal flashing.  As a MN home inspector for the past 27 years, I have found these conditions are seldom addressed until becoming a problem.  What I mean is until a homeowner sees interior water stains they assume nothing is wrong.  This is seldom true.  Small amounts of invisible roof moisture can be more destructive than large water events, such as storm damage.  Why, because as water is absorbed into the wood cells, decay and fungal growth begins to take hold.  The longer this condition exists the more apt it is to develop into something substantial

Roof shingles are designed to shed water.  This means if there are obstructions in the free flow of water off the roof, it will most likely develop into a leak.  This is a design issue and many times the homeowner does not have a choice about the proper slope of their roof.  But they do have a choice about the type of material to install on the roof.  There are low slope and flat roof materials that are designed to be waterproofing membranes.  And when there is a design problem with the roof, the proper and more expensive materials should be used.  A good inspector can advise you on this matter.

Roof flashings are the most overlooked key component to keeping water out of the attic.  When re-roofing, contractors are not required to replace the metal flashings on the roof.  This is a poor choice.  Additionally, many low budget roofers are not qualified to install new flashings correctly.  As an inspector this is one of the biggest problems I see day in and day out.  When you see black tar on the roof, you know you have a problem.

This spring it may be a good time for you to check your roof…before it’s a problem.

Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor

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Wet Where and Wet When

What Makes My Window Panes Wet?

Problem:  The window is wet on the room side of the glass for a few weeks in fall.

Solution:   Moisture has accumulated, over summer, in the structure of the house from cooking, showering, and even the family breathing. This can be overcome by having fans exhausting to the outside in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry.

Problem:  The window is wet or has frost on the room side of the glass in the winter.

Step 1:  Keep window drapes up 2-3” above the window sill to allow for air circulation.

Step 2:  Install bath and kitchen exhaust fans that vent directly to the outside of the home.  Turn on the fan when room is in use.

Step 3:  Put timer switches on all exhaust fans; keep the fan running for a half hour after the user leaves the room.

Step 4:  Install a continuous rated exhaust fan in the highest level hallway or bath.  This fan should be variable speed from 30 to 110 cubic feet per minute (CFM).  Be sure there is an outside air supply into the furnace room in the basement.  Leave fan running 24/7.

Solution:  Take this slowly, one step at a time.  You may not need to do all 4 steps.

Problem: The window glass is wet or fogged in between 2 glass panes all year round, but most noticeable in the winter.

Solution:

Insulated glass:  The air seal is leaking and glass must be replaced.

Storm windows:  Glass putty must be in place and sealed tight to wood sash.  Wood sash must be sealed tight to the window frame.

All humidity problems are fixable.  Winter relative humidity levels are typically 30 to 40%.  On super cold days you may need to reduce the humidity to 25%.

Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor

‘Pops’ Rob Leslie
Kaplan Professionals, Retired

 

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Let’s Look Closer At Deck Failure!

There are just two basic reasons for decks failing. The first is overloading and the second is improper construction.

Overloading: deck failure usually happens unexpectedly. We have been using the deck for several years, even barbecuing for the family without a problem. But today we are having a graduation party. Fifty teenagers’ crowd the deck which has never carried more than seven people! The music starts, the teenagers jump up and down, and the deck tears off the rim joist with the deck collapsing towards the house. Unfortunately several people are hurt.

What happened? Floor loads in a house are limited to 40 pounds per square foot or a point load of 300 pounds. That limit is designed to carry some furniture and people walking or sitting in the room. Decks are usually designed to the same limit so our deck was grossly overloaded with a large number of people on it, and absolutely could not carry the extra shock load of the teenagers’ dancing . The reason the deck failed where it is connected to the house (or the rim joist) is that this is the point where the entire load is perpendicular to the direction of the fastener. It is like suddenly smacking the fastener with an ax.

Party on the deck, by all means, but have it checked for structural integrity to be sure that the extra load can be carried. Pay particular attention to the rim joist, which should be bolted in a manner that pulls the deck floor joist and the house floor joist together. Proper hardware and an installation guide are available from your local big-box store.

Improper construction: every existing deck should be inspected to see that it has been properly constructed. Unfortunately, many contractors and local building officials do not appreciate that proper deck construction is even more important than it is in a house. The deck at some point will carry greater loads than the house floor and is being continually attacked by the weather where it has to contend with sun, rain and snow loads.

Any home inspector can determine if your deck is capable of carrying the loads required. Most often a contractor will be able to reinforce the existing structure without the need of building a new deck.

Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI certified inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor

‘Pops’ Rob Leslie
Kaplan Professionals, Retired

 

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Wood Deck Failures

What happened to pressure treated deck lumber?

Pressure treatment is a process that forces chemical preservatives into the wood. The wood is placed in a closed cylinder and pressure is applied to force the preservative into the wood. Preservatives protect wood from decay and insect damage. There are 3 classes of wood preservatives; the waterborne method is typically used in residential construction. For decades the lumber industry successfully used CCA, chromated copper arsenate, as the preservative of choice. However negative publicity regarding the arsenate caused the wood product industry to voluntarily transition away from CCA to alternative preservative systems. CCA has no longer been used residentially since December 2003. A number of alternative preservatives are available. The most recognized are ACQ, alkaline copper quad, and CA, copper azole.

Testing has indicated that ACQ and CA are more corrosive to steel and the protective coatings applied over steel.

In other words, the old galvanized nails, screws, metal hangers and connectors were no longer approved for use with the ‘new’ pressure treated wood. Unfortunately, either nobody told the builders and lumber suppliers or they just didn’t care. Hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel fasteners and hardware are the recommended products to use. The structural stability of the wood deck depends upon using these approved fasteners.

When you see rusted nails, bolts, and other metal hardware on a wood deck, it is a big problem.

 

Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI certified inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor

‘Pops’ Rob Leslie
Kaplan Professionals, Retired

 

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Decks Can Be Dangerous

Deck failures are becoming more common. Why do decks fail?

The most common reasons are:

  • Old age
  • Poor design
  • Improper materials
  • Overloading

Decks should be inspected annually. All lumber should be inspected for rotting, particularly where posts meet the ground, at joist unions, and the ledger board connection to the house. Most of this rotting is caused by old age, moisture, and lack of maintenance.

However, much of the rotting is coming from fasteners and connectors that are incompatible with the type of wood preservative the deck lumber was treated with. Rusted heads on nails, screws, or bolts connecting metal joist hangers are an indication that these fasteners or connectors have failed. This was caused by a chemical reaction between the metal hardware and the pressure treated wood. This form of failure is the number one reason for decks collapsing.

Unfortunately, there is great confusion as to which fasteners and connectors are to be used with what type of lumber. The best choice is stainless steel, but it is also the most expensive and difficult to obtain. The most commonly used nails, screws, bolts, and metal hangers are hot dip galvanized. These are a good, available, and lower cost choice. The thicker the galvanized coating the better and longer the metal hardware will perform. Other approved materials, similarly priced to hot-dipped galvanized, are silicon bronze and copper.

Deck collapses are often related to overloading or lateral movement. This two conditions place a great amount of stress on the deck fasteners and connectors. Therefore, whenever rust is seen on nails or screws, they should be removed for inspection or replaced.

Avoid a disaster inspect your deck each year.

Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI certified inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor

‘Pops’
Rob Leslie
Kaplan Professionals, Retired

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My Ice Dams Are Really Bad

Icicles indicate the formation of ice dams. What do ice dams indicate?

Icicles form where water is dripping from the roof when snow is melting and the air temperature is less than freezing. Older houses are most prone to ice damming and large icicle formation. Recent building and energy codes addressed this problem and provided solutions. Assuming homes built in last 40 years are properly constructed, they have little to no problem with icicles. This is because the heat loss through the ceiling is small and warm house air does not reach the roof. Current roof ventilation design and adequate ceiling insulation will not allow snow to melt and refreeze as it crosses the cold overhang of the roof. This refreeze forms the ice wall that causes water backup under the roof shingles. This is also how the interior ceiling, wall, wood structure and insulation become water damaged.

Remember mold forms in building materials that remain wet longer than 48 hours. 

Today, what can be done about a problem that is knocking on the door? The only answer is to have the ice dam professionally removed by an insured contractor. However, the long term solutions is to have an expert assess attic insulation and ventilation levels, examine for proper roof flashing and shingle underlayment, determine if poor roof design necessitates using heat cables.

Converting roofs to meet a standard that will prevent ice dams is not difficult, but it can be costly. 

Begin the solution to your ice dam problem with an unbiased home inspector analysis. Or ‘Like Us’ on Facebook for more day to day information.

Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI certified inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor

Rob ‘Pops’ Leslie
Kaplan Professionals, Retired

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Too Much Roof Snow?

Can my roof collapse from too much snow load? It’s possible, but highly unlikely.

Since about 1950, cold climate states must adhere to engineering principles that configure the structure of the roof. They are based upon the highest potential roof snow load in your area. The building code will then require the roof be designed and sized to safely meet or exceed those live snow loads. In Minnesota that load is 42 pounds per square foot north of a line that crosses the state just south of Hinckley. The south side of the line which includes Minneapolis and St Paul is 35 pounds per square foot.

How deep would the snow be if there was 35 pounds of snow per square foot on the roof?

Well…if it was light snow it would be 5 feet deep! If it was medium or normal density it would be 2.5 feet deep and if it was tightly packed, it would be more than 1.5 feet deep. The measurement by the way would be uniform over the whole roof. In the real world there will be places that are less deep or less dense. These include areas that are covered by roof overhangs, spots protected from wind, and behind chimneys and dormers. So, if your roof meets current code, you have little to worry about.

However, if your home is hundred years or so old or you have some reason to doubt that it has been built to code, you may wish to remove some snow. Remember though, if you are removing snow you are removing a very good insulator.

If you must remove snow use a roof rake with extension handles. Never stand on the roof or scrape the roof bare as this may damage the shingles. Be very cautious about letting someone who comes knocking on your door remove the snow from your roof. Check their credentials. Make sure they have insurance.

This could become a very expensive mistake!

Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI certified inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor

Rob ‘Pops’ Leslie
Kaplan Professionals, Retired

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Your House Cracks

Home Inspectors get paid a lot of money every year just to look at other peoples cracks; cracks in plaster walls and ceilings, cracks in basement and garage floors, cracks in foundation walls.  To understand cracks the first thing a real estate agent or homeowner need to know is that almost all plaster and concrete cracks.  Seasonal changes in air temperature and moisture levels cause building materials, wood and concrete, to expand and contract.  Have you ever heard strange house noises that you didn’t recognize or couldn’t locate?  If so, it’s just another ‘house whisper’.  This type of movement is small and will typically have no long term impact on the building.

So when is a crack significant?

Seasonal movement cracks will range in width of 1/8 to 1/4 inch.  They will be consistent in size for the length of the crack and there could be more than 1 in the same location.  These cracks can be vertical, diagonal, horizontal, or in a step pattern.  It is very common for these cracks to be located near windows, doors, vaulted ceilings, basement floor posts and beams.  These cracks are aesthetic and mean absolutely nothing to the stability of the house.  Normal movement cracks probably make up about 98% of the cracks real estate agents and homeowners will typically see.

Structural movement cracks are different.  They are big, 3/8” or greater is size.  Many times these cracks are wider at one end than the other, in other words they are tapered width.  Sometimes one side of the crack will not be on the same wall or floor plane as on the other side of the crack.  This is uneven when a section of the wall or floor has moved but the other section didn’t.

Not comfortable with what you are seeing…

Uneven or differential movement is not OK and these cracks require close scrutiny by a ‘qualified’ and certified home inspector.  These experts will be able to ‘listen’ to what these cracks are saying and determine the next steps to pursue in correcting the problem.

Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI certified inspector
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor

Rob ‘Pops’ Leslie
Kaplan Professionals, Retired

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3 Easy Tips for Prepping Your Home for Winter

Trim the bushes…then fix the grade!

Winter is closer than you think, and it’s time to begin winterizing your house. Obviously I’m not talking about cleaning gutters at this stage! That will wait until after the leaves have fallen.

Prune shrubs and bushes first. This will let you see if adjustments to grade are necessary and it will make it possible for you to inspect all of the wall surfaces. Plants and bushes damage the house. If bad enough, you could even hear a scratching or rubbing noise inside. Second, check that the grade slopes away from the house, so that snow, turning to ice doesn’t just lay up against the walls for months. Remember with grade, you need it to be falling away from the house at an angle of 6 inches in the first 10 feet. Landscape rocks and wood chips are not the grade, they are decorative. It must be the earth below that slopes properly.

Have you purchased your tube of silicone caulk yet?

Well, I hope that caught your attention! Step 3, this is a great time to seal up any air leaks in the walls of your home. Finding and sealing wall penetrations is the most important part of your winterizing program! Your house is most likely under slight negative pressure. That means that air will be sucked from the outside atmosphere into your home when the furnace or other fans are operating. You don’t want that to be happening in the cold of winter!

Check any existing caulking carefully, particularly around doors and windows. Caulking deteriorates over time, and it will shrink or crack letting cold air into your home. Check for small holes and be certain that air is not leaking around such things as water faucets, TV and cable wires. Small holes can make a big difference. Can you hear the whisper of the wind blowing through the cracks in your house?

How do I know I filled all the cracks and holes?

There is a simple way to check for leaking around door and window frames. Turn on the furnace and any exhaust fans that you have in the kitchen and bathrooms and approach each frame with a burning candle. If the flame remains vertical, even when you are very close to the frames, you do not have a leak. Confirm this by keeping the candle very close to the frame and taking it all around the edges. If the flame bends into the room you have a frame leak that must be sealed. If the flame bends towards the window or door frame, your house is under positive pressure and this requires examination by an expert home inspector.

Listen for the soft sound of a breeze inside your home…Find and caulk all wall leaks and you will…be warm and…save a lot of money!

Doug Hastings
Certified Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI certified inspector
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor

Rob ‘Pops’ Leslie
Kaplan Professionals, Retired

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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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