What about that Deck?

As a home inspector, I must  report that the majority of decks that I evaluate are built with substandard materials and workmanship that endanger the safety of the occupants. I urge you to take a few moments and examine the safety of a few key checkpoints that could ultimately cause injury or death if not corrected. Let's inspect the deck together from top to bottom.

First, walk across the deck and take note of any springiness in the floor frame or do a little bounce at the center point. Did you know that a springy floor frame is a telltale sign of a problem? The floor frame should be capable of supporting live and dead loads without exhibiting movement. If the deck does shake, rattle or roll, then the floor frame is most likely undersized, over-spanned or both. Reinforcement is needed to prevent collapse.

While on the deck, walk to the center of the outside guardrail. Holding the railing with hands spread wide and feet spread wide apart, shift your weight left and right while pulling on the railing with the objective of trying to make the deck move from side to side. If the deck exhibits lateral movement, it is unsafe and reinforcement is needed to prevent collapse. Elevated decks are notorious for dangerous swaying problems.

Let's take a moment to examine the guard railing. Measure the height of the railing - it should be a minimum of 36 inches high. Take a look at the balusters, they should be vertical (not horizontal) and the spacing should not exceed a maximum of 4 inches. Low railings, large spacing between balusters or horizontal balusters can all result in a personal injury and are unsafe. Grasp some of the balusters and give them a little twist test to check for secure attachment. The balusters are best fastened with exterior screws. Shake the railing and posts, there should be no sign of movement. The posts that support the railings are best fastened with carriage bolts that run through the post and rim joists. Did you know that the railing should be capable of withstanding 200 lbs. of lateral pressure?  Even treated lumber requires maintenance or sun damage and decay may result. Most of the decks I inspect have never received a treatment with wood preservative and obvious nail pops and splinters stick up from the floor boards and railings posing a risk of personal injury. Have you ever had to restrain your child while the doctor struggles to remove nasty splinters from hands or feet? You should examine all deck surfaces and replace those boards that have splinters or decay. Sanding away splinters is not an option, as the grain will continue to lift. Nail pops should be countersunk. Last, get out there and apply a wood preservative at 2-3 year intervals.

 Take a look up in the air. If a new deck has been added and it is located beneath the overhead electrical wires, there could be a serious risk of shock or electrocution. A ten-foot clearance is needed. Many do-it-yourselfers never consider the proximity to the electrical service. Shocking!

 Take a walk down the deck stairs. Are the tread & riser dimensions uniform? Are the handrails and posts secure? Is a center stringer missing resulting in springy stairs? Are the bases of the stringers buried in the soil or do they rest upon a nice little concrete stoop? Next, take a look underneath the stairs as many that I inspect a weakly attached to the deck as an afterthought just waiting to collapse.  Time to get underneath and take a look at things. One of the most flagrant problems that I find when inspecting decks is the omission of lag bolts. Check where the ledger joist or deck is fastened to the house. If you see only nail heads,

then the installer failed to properly secure the deck frame to the house frame and the entire structure could collapse during that graduation party. You should see the presence of "lag bolts" spaced several feet apart that firmly tie the two structures together. Without the lag bolts, the shear strength of the nails alone may fail under load resulting in total deck collapse! Next, take a look at each end of the floor joists. You should see the presence of metal joist hangers beneath each end of each joist. If the hangers are missing, then the floor joists are only end nailed and could collapse under load. The joist hangers provide each joist with 1 1/2 inches of required end bearing to safely support all of your guests. If the joist hangers are present, inspect the nail holes in the hangers themselves to see that each is filled with a joist hanger nail (not a roofing nail). 

 If a main girder is present, it should be properly assembled so that any splices fall above support posts and with support posts that are properly sized and spaced. If you note any evidence of sagging or scissoring at joints then there could be a problem. If the floor joists are cantilevered beyond a main girder, then as a "rule of thumb" the cantilever should not exceed approximately two feet.  I hope that you notice some support posts beneath the deck and that they are spaced about 4-7 feet apart. Examine the joint and the method of fastening where the posts join the floor frame. Often posts are over-notched, decayed or poorly secured at this location. Next, probe the base of each post for decay at they are exposed to constant wet dry cycles. Better builders will raise the base of the posts up on metal anchors to prevent decay and also to secure the posts to the footings. Sight down the row of support posts and footings for plumb. If you see any signs of tilting, then a problems is indicated and repair is needed.  Down at ground level, there should not be any vegetation left under the deck and the footings should extend below frost level (four feet deep in this area). If you find that the deck posts only rest on concrete blocks or patio blocks then it is obvious that proper construction standards were not followed and the deck is vulnerable to frost movement. If you find that the deck posts are buried within the concrete footings, then the footings will eventually crack from water infiltration and frost expansion. Ideally, the footings should be four feet in the ground and should project slightly above grade.

 In closing, your deck is part of the means of egress for the occupants and another living space. It must be safely built, safely supported and safely fastened to the home. Any deficiencies in the above could result in collapse and personal injury. If you have questions about the safety of your deck, then you should consult a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors or your local building department. 

Information herein was borrowed from ASHI

Lights Flicker?

Flickering In One Area

• The problem could lie with lights that are on the same circuit. If that's the case, the likely source of the problem is in the circuit breaker or the neutral connection. The neutral connection runs to the electrical "ground." More often than not, connections, especially the neutral connection, are the problem. It is less common for connections along the path to the circuit to be faulty. A good clue that the problem may lie with the neutral line is that some lights become more dim while others brighten. If only some lights on a circuit blink, this indicates the trouble lies somewhere along the circuit to the panel--a much more difficult problem to diagnose and solve.

Flickering Throughout The House

• It's hard to tell if the lights flicker all over simultaneously because you can be at only one place at one time. A friend or member of the household can assist you in discovering if the flickering problem affects the entire home. If the flickering isn't limited to a single bulb, outlet or circuit, there is a good chance that a main wire connection in the home's circuit breaker panel is the cause. It could even mean that the problem lies outside of the house in the supply line from the power company's transformer to your home.

  Flickering When Major Appliances Turn On

  • A slight, interim flicker is not uncommon when big-power drainers with motors such as washing machines and air conditioner compressors kick on. Use a gauge to check that the phase-to-ground voltage is around 120 volts. If the voltage dips momentarily when a large appliance is turned on, there probably is no serious problem. Check the voltage at the panel, the main line and have an electrician check the voltage at the meter enclosure.

  An Electrician's Tip

  • Before expecting the worst, there is an old electrician's trick to track a potential problem quickly. If the problem if more than just one light or area, check the wall outlet voltage on the outside wall nearest to the service panel, that is, the circuit breaker panel. The reason is a logical one, from an electrician's point of view. Homes are often wired with the first outlet box on the circuit as the distribution point for the rest of the circuit. Variations in temperature, moisture and the fact that the entire flow of electricity for that circuit runs through that outlet, makes it most susceptible to loosening or wear on the wires and their connections.

    
    

    
    

    
    

    Borrowed from Chuck Ayres

  
  

Choosing the right filter for your furnace

The choice of which filter to buy for your furnace depends on how much you want to spend, what you're trying to filter, and how diligent you are about changing the filter.

The minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) scale goes from 1 to 16. Most residential filters range from 4 to 12. Furnace manufacturers prefer the traditional spun fiberglass filters (MERV 2) because they filter out enough of the large particles to protect the furnace while providing maximum airflow. Maintaining the furnace manufacturer's specified airflow is critical to achieving energy efficiency and maximum life from the blower motor and heat exchanger. An inexpensive MERV 4 filter captures 80 percent of the particles 50 microns and larger, but only 25 percent of the particles in the 3 to 10 micron range.

For most homeowners, a more expensive MERV 7 or 8 pleated filter provides a good balance between cost and filtration efficiency. These filters trap 80 to 95 percent of the particles 5 microns and larger—more than enough filtration for most households.

Furnace efficiency is one thing. But if you're a clean freak or have family members with allergies or low-immunity issues, spend more on a high-efficiency (MERV 11 and higher) filter. Then just make sure you stay on top of filter changes to protect your furnace.

High-efficiency filters capture 99 percent of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns (bacteria and viruses, fumes and pollen). But you'll have to run your furnace fan full time to get the maximum benefit from a high-efficiency filter, and that will cost more. Figure the extra cost into your decision.

Finally, never switch from a fiberglass filter to a high-efficiency filter without first talking to your HVAC technician. The technician can boost fan speed to compensate for the reduced airflow. Even then, you still have to be diligent about replacing the filter regularly. A clogged filter can burn out the blower motor, damage the heat exchanger and cost you hundreds of dollars in wasted energy.

Foundation Cracks

There are no perfect houses. Whether you have a new home or one that’s a hundred years old, houses have cracks. Houses shift and settle into position after construction.

Houses will have cracks in either the cosmetic finishes or structural components. Most of these cracks have no structural significance. Some are significant and Pillar To Post home inspectors use every technique to help their clients figure out the difference.

Shrinkage Cracks

A newly poured, concrete foundation may contain small cracks because concrete shrinks as it cures. Fortunately, a shrinkage crack in a foundation wall is not structurally significant. Here’s how to recognize a shrinkage crack in a poured, concrete foundation:

•  The crack will be small, less than 1/8th of an inch wide.
•  The crack will be vertical.
•  The crack will not extend up through the structure. The crack is in the foundation wall only.
•  Shrinkage cracks usually occur in the middle third of the length of the foundation wall. If the crack is located towards the end of the length of the foundation wall, it’s probably not a shrinkage crack.

  Horizontal Cracks In A Basement Foundation Wall

  This discussion relates to cracks in the concrete foundation wall for a house with a basement. This is not relevant to slabs on grade or to cracks in walls above grade level.
  A horizontal crack in a foundation wall, below grade, which runs the length of the basement, is likely a sign that the foundation is failing under the weight of the surrounding soil. The soil outside the foundation wall exerts an enormous pressure on the foundation wall. Foundation walls are designed to be strong enough to resist this load. Occasionally, unanticipated, additional loads exert pressure and the foundation begins to fail, resulting in a horizontal crack in the foundation wall.

  Settlement Cracks

  Foundation settlement cracks are vertical, extending up through the structure. For a brick home, you may see cracks following the mortar joints in the brick wall. In most cases, the settlement crack itself has no structural significance. Rather, we are concerned that the house could continue to settle over time.
  Most settlement cracks are the result of short-term settlement. Ongoing settlement is unlikely and uncommon. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to identify ongoing settlement from a one-time visit to the home. Since multiple visits to the home over a few years is not compatible with a real estate transaction, we have to use our experience to ‘read the cracks’ and take an educated guess as to whether ongoing settlement is likely.
  Settlement crack size: A larger settlement crack is more likely to be due to ongoing movement than a smaller settlement crack. While there are no hard and fast rules, a settlement crack or series of settlement cracks that have a sum total opening of less than 1/4 inch are probably not due to ongoing settlement.
  Direction of movement: A typical settlement crack is vertical, where the crack opens up. The bumps and crevices line up and fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. If the crack face has moved in any other directions, such as a shear crack, the quarter-inch rule described above does not apply. This can be a significant structural concern.
  Repaired and re-cracked: A settlement crack that has been repaired and has re-cracked (not just a hairline crack) also could indicate ongoing movement.
  Information from Living with My Home
  
  
  
  
  
  

Installing an exterior french drain by David Beaulieu

What are French drains? When are they useful?

If your neighbor’s land stands at a higher elevation than yours, you may be experiencing problems with excessive moisture on your property. Water from your neighbor’s property may be running down the slope (just one of the challenges of landscaping on a hill) and spilling onto your property. You need better yard drainage. One option in such cases is installing French drains.

When some people speak of a “French drain,” they refer to a trench in which a drain pipe is laid, but the traditional French drain is basically a trench filled with gravel.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Depends on extent of water flow and ground to traverse.

Here's How:

1. Determine a spot on your property where the excess water coming off the slope could be re-routed. Determining such a location may end up being a matter of choosing “the lesser of two evils.” If water is currently spilling out at your house foundation and excessive moisture threatens to damage it, obviously almost any other spot would be preferable. The ideal French drain leach field would be an out-of-the-way area with sandy soil, through which the water could percolate harmlessly....
2. But be sure your attempt at yard drainage will not adversely impact anyone else’s land. Otherwise, installing a French drain could land you a lawsuit! Check your city codes before digging. Another preliminary step that could save you headaches later is checking with your local utilities concerning the whereabouts of underground cables and the like, so that you'll know where not to excavate for a French drain. There's a quick way to check: just dial the Dig Rite phone number. 
3. Locate the best area for a French drain. Find an area along the slope on your side of the boundary where excavation would be easiest for your French drain (i.e., free of obstructions). Trench lines should be plotted out before you begin digging French drains. You need to create your own mini-slope to carry the water down to its destination. A grade of 1% (i.e., a drop of 1 foot for every 100 feet in length) is often recommended for French drains; others advise a drop of 6" for every 100'. Getting the water to go where you wish is essential for improving yard drainage; the grade will facilitate your efforts. 
4. So how do you measure the grading for a French drain? Pound 2 stakes into the ground to mark the beginning and end of the trench. Tie a string tightly to one of the stakes, then run it over to the other stake and tie it off there, too, but loosely (for now). Attach a string level to the string, adjusting the string to get it level. Once it’s level, tighten the string at the second stake. Make sure the string is taut. Now begin digging the trench. As you dig, you’ll be able to measure down from the string to make sure you are achieving the desired grade for your French drain. 5.
5. Check yourself as you go. For instance, if the trench for the French drain is to be 100’ long and the grade 1%, then by the time your trench is 50’ long, it should be 6" deeper than where you began excavating. 6.
6. You'll be digging a horizontal trench across the length of the slope. The digging is the most labor-intensive part of installing French drains. The trench will slope down toward the area where you've determined the water will be re-routed (if it doesn’t quite reach that spot, you’ll have to dig a connecting ditch down to it). Trench width will depend on the magnitude of your moisture problem. Bigger moisture problems call for wider trenches. Small trenches are often dug to a width of 5”-6”. 7.
7. Before applying gravel, line the trench with landscape fabric. The landscape fabric will keep dirt out of the gravel. You want to preserve the porosity of the gravel, which promotes percolation of water through it -- one of the underlying principles that make covered French drains work. Shovel a coarse gravel onto the landscape fabric. Wrap the ends of the landscape fabric over the top of the gravel layer. 
8. You now essentially have a tube of landscape fabric filled with gravel. To fill in the rest of the trench, shovel in a layer of coarse sand, cover it with more landscape fabric, add 4" of topsoil and lay sod on top. Your French drain is complete!

Tips:

1. Hire a surveyor. If you don't think you can get the grading right for a French drain on your own (Step 3), hire a surveyor. Or simply hire a pro to do the whole job.
2. Hire a backhoe operator. If you're not inclined to dig a French drain trench by hand, you could hire a backhoe operator. But that will jack up the cost for the French drain -- not only for the digging, but for the extra gravel you'll need (since a backhoe can't dig as small a trench as can a person wielding a spade). Another alternative is suggested by reader, Matt Fisher, noting that "many rental shops rent trenchers now. These machines cut very thin trenches...."
3. Bigger not necessarily better. If you can get away with a small trench (Step 6) for your French drain, you'll save money, as there'll be less gravel needed to fill the trench.
4. Terminology. "Gravel" is a term that can be used differently in different regions. Here, "gravel" refers to small pieces of rock.
5. Where to channel the runoff. The most difficult problem in installing French drains can be figuring out where to channel the water. For possible solutions, consult this article on what to do with runoff.

Attic Inspections

Throughout this  I will highlight the different systems found in the attic, followed by the main problems home inspectors identify during the attic inspection. In order for the attic space to function well, the combination of insulation, ventilation and vapor barrier must work in harmony. However, it is all too common for one or more of these components to be flawed, which ultimately leads to any number of conditions.

The attic is also a space where other systems such as the structure, roof sheathing, electrical, heating and plumbing concerns can be discovered…which makes this space one of the most important areas of the home to investigate.

Structure – The roof and ceiling structure can be seen in the attic. Sometimes we discover that structural members are leaning, broken, rotting, split, sagging, cut or improperly installed. These are the issues that would warrant further investigation or repairs, depending on the specific situation.

Roof Sheathing – This is the main support for the materials that cover the roof, such as the shingles. We look at the sheathing to see if we can notice any leakage, water stains, wood rot or fungal staining. (Mold)

Electrical – It is not uncommon to see electrical wires running through the attic. We want to make sure that the wires have been properly secured to the structural members and out of the way. However, I see wires running in all sorts of directions laid out on the insulation and fully exposed. This can pose a serious fire hazard especially if rodents find and chew on the wires. Sometimes pot lights are covered with insulation, which could be a fire hazard if the lights are not containing the letters IC, which stands for insulated ceiling.

Heating – Chimneys and vents often run through the attic on their way up through the roof. Often, the connections are not secure or the fully discharging out through the sheathing. Metal chimneys could be rusted from condensation or missing a fire stop at the bottom.

Plumbing – Much like chimneys and heat vents, plumbing stacks run through the attic and on through to the outside. Home inspectors pay attention to plumbing stacks that discharge their gasses into the attic area. This is fairly evident from the gas odors… and confirmed when we can actually see it.

Insulation, Vapor Barrier and Ventilation Concerns:

Insulation – The insulation is meant to keep the living space below the attic warm. The most common issues I find are too little, inconsistent, compressed or missing insulation. The main concern is heat loss, which leads to higher energy costs. So, it makes a lot of sense to ensure that the attic space has adequate and consistent insulation.  When the insulation has been compressed or wet from leaks or condensation it loses its R-value (The greater the R-vale, the better insulation can resist heat loss)

Sometimes however, adding too much insulation in the wrong areas of the attic can be problematic as well, because it will make the attic colder, but not necessarily limit the moist air that leaks into the attic (this is what vapor barrier is for). As a result, condensation builds up on the wood members because the warm moist air mixes with the cool attic air before it can be vented out. If left unchecked for long enough, rot damage will happen.

In older homes, there is the possibility of finding dangerous insulation, such as vermiculite containing asbestos. When disturbed, the tiny particles of asbestos can get lodged into the lungs leading to cancer, years down the road. I recommend that the vermiculite be tested. If the test reveals that there is a dangerous percentage of asbestos found, then a Hazardous materials company must be called in to remove it. This can be very disruptive and expensive, depending on the time it takes and the overall amount to be removed.

Vapor Barrier – When installed correctly, the vapor barrier is essentially what stops the warm, moist air from the living space from entering the attic from below. In cooler climates the vapor barrier must be placed on the warm side (below the attic insulation). The main problems we find includes incomplete, incorrect placement and vapor barrier that is missing altogether. Really, any opening from the living space below can lead to moisture related problems, depending on the temperature and ventilation in the attic. Some common leakage points include, plumbing attacks, pot lights, vents, ducts and around chimneys. Subsequently, a properly weather-stripped and insulated attic hatch with vapor barrier is one of the best ways to reduce the heat and airflow into the attic.

Ventilation – Proper ventilation is the last piece of the puzzle.  The different types of attic vents include ridge, (at the very top, along the length of the roof peak) roof, soffit, and gable vents. Poor ventilation usually happens as a result of improper installation. One condition I frequently discover is when soffit vents have been blocked by insulation. Other times there are not enough roof vents installed. Ideally, about 50% of the ventilation should be located in the soffit areas.

Again, if the attic ventilation has been obstructed or there is or inadequate ventilation then condensation will take place, leading to mildew, mold and rot damage.

I have also seen other problems in the attic such as broken bathroom vents, laundry exhaust vents discharging into the soffit areas, torn vapor barriers, bee hives and other pests, just to name a few.

What the Heck is PEX

PEX Piping vs. Copper Piping

If you are like the rest of us non-plumbers, then there is a good chance that you don't know which plumbing pipe is better. You may not even know what a PEX pipe is. Relax: Not many of us do. We're not plumbers, but maybe it's time that increase our basic knowledge so that we know what we are getting and whether it is something we truly want. Once you know the basics, you'll feel more comfortable to find a plumber to help you with your piping needs.

Now you're probably wondering what PEX piping is. Well, it is cross-linked polyethylene pipe. After going through several processes, the material becomes durable for extreme temperatures (hot or cold), creep deformation which happens from long-term exposure to stress, and chemical attack from acids, alkalies and the like. All of this makes PEX an excellent piping substance for hot and cold water systems, especially since PEX is flexible and well adapted for temperatures below freezing all the way up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

As mentioned above, PEX is a good plumbing material because it is flexible and easy for plumbers to install. PEX is also resistant to breaks in cold weather and has fewer joints, bringing your costs down.

Since copper piping has been around for decades, we know that the metal is durable and flexible, making it easy to install - especially compared to iron pipes. Copper piping also provides a biostatic atmosphere, making it difficult for bacteria to grow inside of it, which is an important health consideration.

Copper also resists corrosion and is unaffected by ultraviolet rays, which means it can be used for outside needs. This is unlike PEX pipes, which are affected by ultraviolet rays and therefore should not be used outside. However, copper can corrode due to the pH of the water if it is too acidic or too basic for the pipes. But just because it corrodes doesn't mean that the water is bad for you. Try to think of it like this: the Pacific Northwest region of the US and, of course, Canada, has some of the best drinking water in the world, but that very same water has a corrosive effect on the pipes.

The choice between PEX and copper is solely yours, but keep in mind a few of the advantages and disadvantages of each system before you decide.

Advantages of PEX:

• Adaptable and easy-to-use plumbing system
• Can be used with hot and cold water
• Can also be used with metal and PVC piping
• PEX has fewer fittings, making it faster to install and with less of a chance to leak
• PEX is more burst-resistant due to its flexibility to expand and contract
• It has a shutoff valve at each supply line, making it more convenient for you when you have to get repairs done
• PEX can have a pressure balanced system
• Since it is flexible, the pipes can be bent around most corners and usually won't need a coupling or fitting

Disadvantages of PEX:

• It cannot be used outside
• Cannot be recycled, due to its shorter life use
• It provides an impermeable membrane that may allow the possibility of water contamination
• The pipes may be damaged if left outside for a long period of time

Advantages of Copper:

Durable and flexible, making it easy to install Safer in natural disasters Weather and bacteria-resistant Resists corrosion, more so than other metals Unaffected by ultraviolet rays, so it can be used outside Copper does not release toxic gases in a fire because it resists burning In earthquakes, the slightly elastic pipes flex so that they don't snap Copper is recyclable, making it a more sound environmental choice

Disadvantages of Copper Piping

• Can corrode
• Has become expensive
• With higher levels of copper from corrosion, water can have a metallic taste
• Copper can freeze and break during cold water

Compare the prices of PEX and copper piping to help understand the

differences between the two:

PEX Prices 
3/8" - $0.38
1/2" - $0.40
5/8" - $0.62
3/4" - $0.76
  1" - $1.26

Copper Prices 
3/8" - $4.87
1/2" - $5.67
5/8" - $7.31
3/4" - $10.21
  1" - $13.38

We Asked Plumbers: What do you think about PEX piping when compared to copper piping?

Master Plumber Rick Marquette answered: "There really is no comparison. I like my copper pipe because with PEX pipe, you have to have the right tools. It's convenient if you have all the tools...and that really matters when on a job site. I find copper easier to install because of this, and that is the main difference."

Carol Jones said: "It [PEX] is obviously superior, and easy to install. Copper will break, and then there are all the elbows that must be installed. Every spring, with copper, I have breaks from the cold winters. The polyethylene pipe (PEX) will give a little, so it's not as likely to break as copper. And PEX is faster and easier to install and it is easier to drain the system since each line is independent to the incoming source of water. You can turn off each segment. Copper runs all together and is a lot harder to install since you have to know how to solder, and not everyone knows how. With PEX, the only thing you have to do is buy the expensive crimper, which pays off after having to have the copper fixed every spring because of breakage. PEX is more for do-it-yourselfers and it isn't hard to splice, plus it is cheaper to install."

We hope this gives those non-plumbing homeowners or business owners a basic knowledge and understanding of the difference between PEX piping and copper piping. If you have any other plumbing issues, feel free to visit our online plumbing forum.