More Ventilation

Part 2

 

By now you’re wondering what that last blog has to do with home inspections. Quite a bit actually. Most inspectors get up on to the roof if they can to be able, to tell the condition of the shingles. If the shingles are aged prematurely a home inspector has an good indication that something further is going on. 

 

Inspectors look for signs of moisture throughout the home. Most signs of moisture come from a leak from somewhere, like a leaky faucet. But sometimes an inspector will note a mold like substance in a closet with no apparent source of leaking. Sometimes moisture from washing machine, dish washers and even breathing can collect in different areas and condense on the walls. This moisture gives mold a chance to grow. When an attic is under ventilated or has too much insulation, we as home inspectors know we may find additional issues with moisture in the home.

 

Most inspectors will also get up into the attic and determine how much insulation is present, if it is installed properly and if there is plenty of ventilation. Improperly installed insulation, such as a kraft paper faced insulation installed with its facing upward can trap moisture underneath of it and promote mold growth. Also, blown in insulation that is blown covering soffit vents can lead to heat buildup and possibly damaged shingles. Home inspectors also look for the proper amount of insulation. In our area we should have at least a R-38. What is R-value? R-value is simply the resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value the greater the insulating effectiveness it has. Each type of insulation, from batts to blown in insulation has its own R-value so make sure to follow the manufacturers’ instruction when adding new insulation. Here is a link to an interactive guide on how much insulation you may need in you area.

 

An attic may not seem like a very important area, especially since most home owners will never see it. But as you can tell by this reading, an attic contains some very important components of your house. If an inspector doesn’t, at a bare minimum, open up that attic hatch and poke his or head up there is doing their client a big disservice. Inspectors will also be looking at plumbing, electrical, and structural members.

Understanding proper ventilation in a home can be a daunting task. Even professionals will argue about the best way to properly vent attic spaces. You may be wondering why attics need to be properly vented. There are several reasons for properly venting an attic and we hope by the end of this writing you’ll have a better understanding.

First, let’s start off with how proper ventilation can help with heat transfer. In an improperly vented attic on a nice hot day heat will build up on the roof surface high as 170 degrees and that heat will transfer into the attic space. This can raise the attic temperature to 140 degrees or more.  In an inadequately vented attic all of that heat can then transfer down into the living space raising the temperature to an uncomfortable level and that will cause your utility rates to go up as you try to counter this by using air conditioners and fans. In order for your attic to be properly vented you will need balanced airflow. That means you will need the same proportion of intake and exhaust vents. Proper airflow will help cool the underside of the roof helping with the heat transfer but it won’t completely eliminate it. Oddly enough newer home with heavy insulation the effect of heat transfer is magnified. Heavy insulation holds more heat and the best solution is to have a properly designed ventilation system to handle the extra heat. Taking out insulation can negatively you and your home at other times of the year.

Next, improper ventilation can affect your roof itself. You’re probably asking how a lack of vents can affect the shingles. As heat builds up in the attic that heat can cause your shingles to warp and distort over time. This will lead to premature aging of your roof and replacing a roof can be a significant cost.

This next one is something that almost no one will think of. Every time we cook or take a shower or bath, every time we wash clothes or dishes and even every time we breathe we put moisture into our home. Now what does that have to do with an improperly vented attic? A lot actually. An average family of four can put 2-4 gallons of water vapor into the air per day! That moisture vapor will naturally rise into the attic space and in improperly vented attics that vapor will condense onto the insulation, joists and even the sheetrock. All that moisture can lead to damaged wood, compressed insulation and sometimes even mold.

We'll discuss more ventilation issues later. But keep in mind, a well ventilated home is a much healthier home.

For more information, you can log on to our web site at www.thejardineoffice.com or simply call Matthew or Hank at 314-308-6489.

How Often Should You Check Your Home?

Checking your own house periodically can prevent disasters

Home inspectors use all of their senses when inspecting a house. An experienced inspector can draw several conclusions within the first few minutes of a home inspection. Actually, as soon as we pull up to a house, we can pretty well determine what we are in for. Many of the problems we see and report on could have been avoided. Here are some things you can (and should) do periodically to maintain your house.

At least once every six months, take some time to care for your prized investment – your house. Pick a quiet time of the day when the kids are away, no gardeners are blowing leaves, and you have about half an hour of free time. Turn off the radio, iPod or TV. Quietly walk around the interior of your house and listen. Really listen for drips, leaking water, and running toilets.
One common source of leaks is in the toilet tank. If you hear running water it is usually caused by one of three things; a high water level, a worn flapper, or a worn valve.

Brittle Flapper

The simplest problem is when the level of the water is set too high. You will see water pouring over the top of the spill tube. Adjust the float to shut the water off before the level goes over the top of this tube. If you still hear water trickling at the toilet when the valve has stopped, your flapper valve may be worn out. Over time the flapper valve becomes brittle. It will no longer create a good seal and water trickles through. This constant flow of water can cause a lot of problems. It can deteriorate the wax seal under the toilet which leads to floor damage. It can also cost you money because tens or hundreds of gallons of water per month are going down the drain. One telltale sign of a worn flapper is “phantom-flushing”. That’s when your toilet mysteriously fills with water periodically by itself. Flappers are inexpensive and easy to replace. We recommend replacing all of them throughout the house at the same time.  If the water continues to flow after changing the flapper and adjusting the level, the valve itself may be bad or your water pressure is too high. Flush the toilet and observed the water flow. If it is spraying really hard, or if the valve whines when shutting off your pressure regulator may have failed. Call a plumber or buyer a pressure gauge  and have it checked. If the water pressure appears normal (50 – 80 psi max) then your toilet fill valve may be worn and requires replacement. Changing the toilet fill valve is fairly easy and a reasonable do-it-yourself project. You’ll also want to listen for dripping tub and shower faucets. Again this wastes water, but it can also rust out components in the tub and drain.

Tub Drain

  Fixing this might be beyond the average homeowner. So get a plumber to do it. It will save you money in the long run.

Your water heater can cause a lot of trouble particularly if it is more than 10 years old. If the water heater pops or gurgles when it is heating water, replace it. This indicates pending failure and poor efficiency. You are hearing sediment at the bottom of the tank. Over the years, sediment from the water and the rusting tank settles at the bottom. This layer of gunk acts as an insulating layer. When your water heater tries to heat water, the flame must stay on longer to heat the water. By the way, simply flushing your water heater once a year can prevent this. To wrap up your plumbing inspection, check all of the valves under the sinks, at your clothes washer and behind the toilet. These valves

Corroded Valve

commonly fail, and can flood your house. If you find valves that have excessive calcium build-up, have them replaced immediately. We recommend changing them all even if you find one that is deteriorated. The others will follow.

Another item that should be checked periodically is your electric panel. Now if you have any concerns about your electrical system you should not do this yourself. Rather, call an electrician. But if your electric panel is in good condition open the lid and listen for buzzing breakers. You can also gently rest your hand on the breakers to see if they are excessively hot. If either of these conditions

GFCI receptacle

exists you should have your panel checked. Your GFCI receptacles must also be checked periodically. They have a built-in test button. Go ahead and test them. If they do not trip, or reset, they need to be replaced.

There are many other items that should be checked at your house including the roof, windows, garage door, heating and AC system, and appliances. Plumbing and electrical systems cause the most problems. Most home inspectors will provide a maintenance inspection for homeowners. It is a good idea to have your house inspected periodically. Catching some of these items early can save you money in the long run.

The Jardine AmeriSpec Office
www.thejardineoffice.com
hjardine@amerispec.net
314-308-6489

Born in a Barn?

Were you born in a barn and brought up outdoors?

This was a question I was asked frequently as a kid. Kids have little concept of hot and cold---let alone what it takes to heat a home.  Leaving doors open as they run outside is common.  It always has been common, and probably always will be common.

But doors and windows are not the only thing that wastes energy when they are left open.

As an inspector, one of the most common things I find left open on a home is the fireplace damper. When the wind blows past the top of the chimney it creates a negative pressure on the chimney resulting in drawing huge amounts of conditioned air out of the home---especially if windows and doors are left open.

This is incredibly wasteful in both summer and winter when we are expending energy to either heat or cool the home.

I would bet that more than 50% of older style fireplaces that I inspect have their damper open at the time of inspection.  Of course modern fireplaces have glass doors that help with this problem.  Most likely the best solution is a gas insert that will actually contribute to the heating of the home instead of making your house more like a barn.

Do you know if your fireplace damper is open or closed right now?

For a home inspection or just have questions, please call us at 314-308-6489 or visit our website at www.thejardineoffice.com

Simple Radon Explanation

What the heck is Radon and why should we be concerned if it found a home? 

It seems like there are so many scientific explanations of radon and they seem too complicated for me to understand, almost. I wanted to explain what radon is and why it's important.

This may sound too simple but as the rocks under a home get older they emit a a radioactive isotope called Radon 222 or 220. The radioactive materials from the rocks creep into our homes through cracks in the concrete, around plumbing pipes going through the concrete and from sump pits among other venues around the home. Radon gas is heavier than air, so it typically will pool in a basement or crawl space. 

Let's face it, our homes are built over rocks, which allows radon to enter all homes at some time or another. The age of the house doesn't matter, the rocks are there first, so even new homes can have radon entering them. That means that even new homes could put people at risk to breathing in the radon gas. In St. Louis and St. Charles County Radon levels on an average is here . All this is depending the rocks and how much uranium happens to be in those rocks under your home. The more uranium, the better the chance you may have higher levels of Radon in your home. 

I used a measurement term, pCi/l, it's how Radon is measured. How much Radon is in a cubic foot of air is all this measurement is. Because the half loss time or how long the Radon lives before disappearing is about 48 hours we find a minimum test should be 48 hours. During the test, Radon is measured in a cubic foot of air over the test period. What's in a home today and tomorrow is replaced by more Radon every day.

Radon can be removed. There are systems that remove the gas before it enters the home. Suggest clients check out several companies before making the decision to choose a company. There is a list of Certified Companies here.

We would love to help even if you just need information. You can call us at 314-308-6489 or go to our website by clicking here.

Low Water Pressure

Low water pressure is a common complaint that we hear often, especially in older homes.   Water pressure is a subjective subject, good water pressure for one may not be good pressure for someone else.  We will try to clear up a few misconceptions on water pressure as it relates to the residential plumbing system and the correlation between pressure and flow. 

Low water flow to fixtures in the home can be caused by numerous factors.  Often times the low pressure at a faucet is caused by low water flow throughout the homes plumbing supply system.  If there isn’t a large enough supply of water to the supply system there is no way to get adequate pressure to the individual faucets or fixtures.  For example, a 3/4″ water supply pipe that is feeding four faucets at the same time will not produce the same amount of pressure at the faucet as a 1 1/4″ supply pipe connected to the same plumbing system.

The first things we need to look at when diagnosing low flow are the water pressure into the home and the size of the main water supply pipe into the home.  Plumbing code in most areas state that the water pressure into the home should be a stabilized 40 to 80 PSI (Pounds per Square Inch).

With all faucets and fixtures turned off, the water pressure should be recorded.  If the pressure is within the normal range, this indicates that the water pressure into the home is adequate.  The problem is mostly likely a flow problem and not a pressure problem.

If the pressure is below the normal range, you have isolated the problem to a water pressure problem.  There are numerous things that could cause this low water pressure.

Examples of low water pressure cause:

• Low pressure from utility
• Leak in a water supply pipe
• Partially closed shutoff valve
• Mineral buildup in pipes

One common misconception is that increasing the water pressure into the home will drastically increase the water flow at the faucets.  While this can sometimes help, it can be at the expense of the components in the plumbing system.  Pressure over 80 PSI can cause numerous problems with faucets, water hammer, pipe joints etc.

If the water pressure is good and you still have low water pressure to individual water faucets the problem could be harder to repair.  There are a few reasons you could be having low water flow to the faucets:

Examples of reasons for low water flow:

• Diameter of water main too small
• Water supply pipes clogged with minerals
• Leak in supply pipes
• Shutoff valve partially closed for that faucet

If these issues are found we suggest contacting a licensed plumber here in the St. Louis Area. 

To contact us, please call us at 314-308-6489

or email at hjardine@amerispec.net

www.thejardineoffice.com 

Dryer Vent Safety

We know that Dryer Vent safety is important, but do you know why? The following information should give you some insight as to why this innocent appliance.        The How’s and Whys of a Dryer Fire    A clothes dryer works by forcing hot air through a turning drum. Wet clothes placed in the drum are then dried by the moving hot air. It is possible for a full load of wet clothes to contain as much as one and a half gallons of water. Lint is created from the clothes as the water is removed and the clothes dry. While much of the lint is trapped by the dryer's filter, lint also is carried through the venting system, together with moist air.  The accumulation of lint, both in the dryer and in the dryer vent, reduces the airflow and creates a highly flammable fuel source. In addition to the accumulation of lint, blockage in dryer exhaust vents also can occur from the nests of small birds and animals or from bends in the venting system itself. A compromised vent will not exhaust properly to the outside. Overheating may result. If enough heat is produced to ignite the lint itself or nearby combustible items, such as the clothes in the dryer or combustibles left nearby, the engineered safety mechanisms are compromised and fire ensues. Leading Factors Contributing to Residential Building Dryer Fires Proper maintenance for clothes dryers involves removing the lint from the traps, vents, and surrounding areas of the dryer. Not unexpectedly, the leading factor contributing to ignition for dryer fires is operation deficiencies - specifically "failure to clean." Failure to clean accounts for 70% of dryer fire operational deficiency contributing factors. Other leading factors contributing to dryer fires include "mechanical failure," "electrical failure," and "misuse of material or product." A clothes dryer that has to work harder to evacuate lint and moisture can trigger enough heat to cause some dryer components to malfunction and can sometimes produce sparks or even flames. The overheating can sometimes produce enough heat to ignite lint or other nearby combustibles.    Clothes Dryer Venting Systems For optimal venting the exhaust should vent directly outside the house. Flexible foil vents are not the best choice for venting clothes dryers and really not recommended. Flexible vents can sag, allowing lint to build up and catch on fire if it comes in contact with a sufficient amount of heat. If a fire starts beneath the dryer when the motor overheats, then the drafts from the dryer can pull that fire up into the duct and venting allowing a house fire to develop. Using smooth sided metal vents is much safer and is recommended. Conclusion In most cases, clothes dryer fires can be prevented. "Failure to clean" is the number one factor contributing to clothes dryer fires, followed by mechanical and electrical failure. Clogged dryer vents occurring from lint buildup may make the dryer operate incorrectly and raise the temperature of the dryer machinery high enough to ignite lint or nearby combustibles. The exhaust vent should be as short as possible and have limited bends to allow sufficient airflow. Improper items placed in the dryer, such as plastic, foam, or other synthetic materials also can increase the risk of fire. Make sure to follow the recommended safety tips for operating clothes dryers safely. The photo below is a clogged dryer vent just waiting to be a hazard.    In particular, by following installation guidelines and performing regular inspections on dryer vents, consumers can protect themselves further from clothes dryer fires. Depending on the frequency of use, how long the vent is, or the age and type of dryer used, dryer vents need inspection on average every 2 to 3 years. If you do not feel comfortable cleaning or inspecting the dryer vent yourself, you can call a duct cleaning service.