Company Information

Diligence Inspections


rdhinspect@gmail.com

Inspected by: Ryan Horton

The Scope and Purpose of a Home Inspection

Purchasing property involves risk

The purpose of a home inspection is to help reduce the risk associated with the purchase of a structure by providing a professional opinion about the overall condition of the structure. A home inspection is a limited visual inspection and it cannot eliminate this risk. Some homes present more risks than others. We cannot control this, but we try to help educate you about what we don’t know during the inspection process. This is more difficult to convey in a report and one of many reasons why we recommend that you attend the inspection.

A home inspection is not an insurance policy

This report does not substitute for or serve as a warranty or guarantee of any kind. Home warranties can be purchased separately from insuring firms that provide this service.

A home inspection is visual and not destructive

The descriptions and observations in this report are based on a visual inspection of the structure. We inspect the aspects of the structure that can be viewed without dismantling, damaging or disfiguring the structure and without moving furniture and interior furnishings. Areas that are concealed, hidden or inaccessible to view are not covered by this inspection. Some systems cannot be tested during this inspection as testing risks damaging the building. For example, overflow drains on bathtubs are generally not tested because if they were found to be leaking they could damage the finishes below. Our procedures involve non-invasive investigation and non-destructive testing which will limit the scope of the inspection.

This is not an inspection for code compliance

This inspection and report are not intended for city / local code compliance. During the construction process structures are inspected for code compliance by municipal inspectors. Framing is open at this time and conditions can be fully viewed. Framing is not open during inspections of finished homes, and this limits the inspection. All houses fall out of code compliance shortly after they are built, as the codes continually change. National codes are augmented at least every three years for all of the varying disciplines. Municipalities can choose to adopt and phase in sections of the codes on their own timetables. There are generally no requirements to bring older homes into compliance unless substantial renovation is being done.

This is just our opinion

Construction techniques and standards vary. There is no one way to build a house or install a system in a house. The observations in this report are the opinions of the home inspector. Other inspectors and contractors are likely to have some differing opinions. You are welcome to seek opinions from other professionals.

The scope of this inspection

This inspection will include the following systems: exterior, roof, structure, drainage, foundation, attic, interior, plumbing, electrical and heating. The evaluation will be based on limited observations that are primarily visual and non-invasive. This inspection and report are not intended to be technically exhaustive.

Your expectations

The overall goal of a home inspection is to help ensure that your expectations are appropriate with the house you are proposing to buy. To this end we assist with discovery by showing and documenting observations during the home inspection. This should not be mistaken for a technically exhaustive inspection designed to uncover every defect with a building. Such inspections are available but they are generally cost-prohibitive to most homebuyers.

Your participation is requested

Your presence is requested during this inspection. A written report will not substitute for all the possible information that can be conveyed verbally by a shared visual observation of the conditions of the property.

How to Read This Report

Getting the Information to You

This report is designed to deliver important and technical information in a way that is easy for anyone to access and understand. If you are in a hurry, you can take a quick look at our "Summary Page” and quickly get critical information for important decision making. However, we strongly recommend that you take the time to read the full Report, which includes digital photographs, captions, diagrams, descriptions, videos and hot links to additional information.

The best way to get the layers of information that are presented in this report is to read your report online, which will allow you to expand your learning about your house. You will notice some words or series of words highlighted in blue and underlined – clicking on these will provide you with a link to additional information.

This report can also be printed on paper or to a PDF document.

Chapters and Sections

This report is divided into chapters that parcel the home into logical inspection components. Each chapter is broken into sections that relate to a specific system or component of the home. You can navigate between chapters with the click of a button on the left side margin.

Most sections will contain some descriptive information done in black font. Observation narrative, done in colored boxes, will be included if a system or component is found to be significantly deficient in some way or if we wish to provide helpful additional information about the system or the scope of our inspection. If a system or component of the home was deemed to be in satisfactory or serviceable condition, there may be no narrative observation comments in that section and it may simply say “tested,” or “inspected.”

Observation Labels

All narrative observations are colored, numbered and labeled to help you find, refer to, and understand the severity of the observation. Observation colors and labels used in this report are:

  • Major Concern:
    Repair items that may cost significant money to correct now or in the near future, or items that require immediate attention to prevent additional damage or eliminate safety hazards.
  • Repair:
    Repair and maintenance items noted during inspection. Please note that some repair items can be expensive to correct such as re-finishing hardwood floors, but are considered simply repair items due to their cosmetic nature.
  • Recommended Maintenance:
    These are repair items that should be considered "routine home ownership items," such as servicing the furnace, cleaning the gutters or changing the air filters in the furnace.
  • Improve:
    Observations that are not necessarily defects, but which could be improved for safety, efficiency, or reliability reasons.
  • Monitor:
    Items that should be watched to see if correction may be needed in the future.
  • Due Diligence:
    Observation such as a buried oil tank that may require further investigation to determine the severity and / or urgency of repair.
  • Future Project:
    A repair that may be deferred for some time but should be on the radar for repair or replacement in the near future.
  • Efficiency:
    Denotes observations that are needed to make the home more energy efficient as well as to bring the home up to modern insulation standards. This category typically includes windows and insulation. Other items, such as lighting and appliances, are not inspected for their energy status.
  • Completed:
    Items that were initially an issue but have since been completed.
  • Note:
    Refers to aside information and /or any comments elaborating on descriptions of systems in the home or limitations to the home inspection.
  • Description:
    Detailed description of various aspects of the property noted during the inspection.

Summary Page

The Summary Page is designed as a bulleted overview of all the observations noted during inspection. This helpful overview is not a substitution for reading the entire inspection report. The entire report must be read to get a complete understanding of this inspection report as the Summary Page does not include photographs or photo captions.

Summary

Major Concerns

  • RA-9 Roof/Attic:

    Moderate to severe cracks were noted in the masonry brick chimney. These indicate the chimney may require structural repairs or even re-building. I recommend additional inspection of the chimney by a qualified mason or chimney sweep. Implement repairs as recommended and be sure to have the flue checked to ensure the flues are safe and operating as intended. The flues are not visible and are beyond the scope of this inspection.

  • E-9 Electrical:

    The knob and tube wiring has had running splices made onto it - see attic. All splices onto knob and tube wiring should be done inside of listed junction boxes. Have the knob and tube further investigated by a licensed electrician and repaired as recommended to ensure safe and reliable performance. In general, I recommend updating and eliminating this older wire for improved safety.

  • E-10 Electrical:

    The cloth insulation on older knob and tube wiring as well as concealed branch wiring is aged, brittle, and falling off in areas. For safety reasons it is highly recommended that this older wiring be upgraded to reduce the chances of shock or fire.

  • P-5 Plumbing:

    No anti siphon valve was seen on the automatic filler for the water feature (fountain). This allows for the possibility of contamination of potable water and carries a health risk. This should be addressed at this time by a qualified plumbing contractor.

  • P-6 Plumbing:

    The galvanized steel supply pipe in this home looks to be at the end of its useful and reliable service life. Poor functional flow and multiple corrosion and leak points were noted. Hire a licensed plumbing contractor to further evaluate and replace this supply pipe.

  • P-15 Plumbing:

    Rust knobs on cast iron waste piping were visible in areas throughout. These are indication that the pipe has rusted through and is at the end of its serviceable life. Recommend seeking bids for replacement by 2-3 qualified plumbing contractors at this time.

  • HCFV-3 Heating, Cooling, Fireplaces and Ventilation:

    Holes present between the burner and blower compartments. This can result in exhaust gasses containing carbon monoxide being drawn into the breathable air in the dwelling with potentially harmful results. Repair needed at this time and prior to continued use of the system.

Repairs

  • RA-3 Roof/Attic:

    The roof on this building is done using a clay tile roofing system that appears to require repair in areas and tune-up work in others. These are very durable tiles that can last for nearly 100 years but often maintenance and on-going tune-ups are needed to get such a long service life and much depends on how the roof was installed. Hire a licensed roofing contractor who specializes in tile roofs to further evaluate and repair / tune up this roof as recommended. Please note, I did not walk on this portion of the roof as this risks damaging roofing tiles - this limited inspection to visible locations from accessible portions of rolled composition roof and additional defects may be present which were not visible.

  • RA-4 Roof/Attic:

    Patching visible on areas of rolled composition roofing is indication of past problems with water entry. Be aware that these will likely be in need of frequent maintenance and are more likely to leak again in the future. Recommend a more permanent repair be completed by a qualified roofing contractor.

  • RA-5 Roof/Attic:

    Roof flashings are used to keep a roofing system water proof where the roofing material starts, stops, changes direction or is penetrated. During inspection, we look for standard flashing techniques that could be considered normal or standard in our region. Damaged, incomplete or non-standard flashings can be a sign of an older or less reliable roofing system and may require repair. Several instances of non standard flashing installation are noted beneath.

    1. Flashing would ideally have an additional layer of rolled composition roofing installed over the top. Present installation is dependent on brushed on mastic which will not provide a reliable long lasting installation.
    2. Flashing beneath air conditioning condenser platform is of non standard installation and the weight of the condenser may damage the roof surface.
    3. Counter flashing at roof to wall connections is not integrated with the siding material and will require frequent maintenance to remain water tight. Improvements recommended otherwise frequent maintenance will be needed.
  • RA-6 Roof/Attic:

    Roof to wall connections between garage and main structure lack proper flashing and are of improper installation. Have a qualified roofing contractor conduct further evaluation and correct as needed.

    Cracked and displaced clay tile noted along front of structure. Repairs needed to prevent water entry and damage.

  • EG-1 Exterior/Garage:

    Localized repairs are needed to the exterior trim. This is important for the siding system to perform as intended. Hire a qualified contactor to further evaluate and repair the exterior trim here.

    Some of this damage should also be evaluated by a pest control professional. Their inspection would determine the extent of repairs needed as well as cost.

  • EG-3 Exterior/Garage:

    Localized siding repairs are needed to the exterior. Hire a licensed general contractor to further evaluate and repair all damaged siding as needed. Examples of observations noted during inspection include:

    1. Gaps where stucco meets framing,
    2. holes in siding which will allow water entry.
  • E-7 Electrical:

    The wiring to the sub-panel requires repair. This is a modern 4-wire feed. The neutrals should be on a floating bus bar and should be separated from the equipment grounds to eliminate stray voltage. Hire a licensed electrician to further evaluate and repair this condition.

  • E-8 Electrical:

    Hire a licensed electrician to correct the double lugged conductors in the electric panel - this is when two conductors share the same lug- see neutral bars. Double lugged conductors risk poorly protected conductors that are more vulnerable to arcing and overheating. This requires additional evaluation by an electrician.

  • E-15 Electrical:

    Hire a licensed electrician to eliminate all open grounds in both house and garage. This is a common condition in older buildings (prior to 1962) where three prong receptacles have been installed on an older two wire system. This creates a safety hazard as it is false advertising; appliances that rely on an equipment ground to discharge a fault can be plugged into ungrounded circuits. This disables the important safety feature of an equipment ground. Proper repair can include:

    • Running an equipment grounding conductor or a new three-wire circuit
    • Filling the third prong of the receptacle or restoring a two-prong receptacle or
    • Installing GFCI protection for this circuit and labeling the open ground receptacles

    If GFCI protection is used, the outlets on this circuit should be labeled so it is clear they are protected. Examples of locations where open grounds were found include:

  • P-4 Plumbing:

    A leak was noted at the main water shut off. Hire a licensed plumber to further evaluate and repair.

  • P-14 Plumbing:

    Waste pipe venting was terminating in the attic. This is a safety hazard that can allow sewer gas and moisture to accumulate in the attic. This vent needs to be run through the roof to the exterior. Hire a licensed plumber to further evaluate and repair and note that repairs will need to be coordinated with a roofing contractor to ensure transition through the roof is correctly flashed to prevent leaks.

  • P-19 Plumbing:

    Inquire with the seller to make sure a flue liner was run for inside the chimney for the gas water heaters. I did not see one sticking out the cap of the masonry chimney. Please note that a liner is required for gas appliances vented into masonry chimneys when three sides of the chimney are exposed to the weather. This is because they can be cold in winter and allow products of combustion to condense inside the chimney. This can damage older masonry chimneys. If there is no additional information, have this further evaluated by a qualified plumbing contractor and repaired as recommended.

  • HCFV-6 Heating, Cooling, Fireplaces and Ventilation:

    Exhaust and intake vent piping are too close together and the exhaust pipe may be too close to the exterior grade to function properly. Exhaust piping also does not appear to meet minimum required clearance from an operable window which allows for the possibility of carbon monoxide entering the dwelling. Have a qualified HVAC technician further evaluate to determine the best means of correction.

  • FSD-3 Fuel Storage and Distribution:

    The CSST gas pipe in the attic space is poorly supported. This pipe typically requires support or hangers every 4′ for 3/8″ pipe, every 6′ for 1/2″, and every 8′ for anything larger, though this specification is manufacturer specific. There are also specific brackets required where CSST transitions to rigid gas pipe or appliance connectors. Have this pipe further evaluated and properly supported to meet manufactures' specifications.

  • FSD-4 Fuel Storage and Distribution:

    CSST jacket may be trimmed too far back from connectors at some visible locations. Recommend further evaluation by a qualified installer.

  • SB-3 Structure and Basement:

    Deterioration noted to older cast concrete piers and evidence of settlement was noted on some. Piers are out of level and shims have been placed between the masonry and framing connected. Recommend further evaluation by a foundation specialist to determine what degree of repair or replacement may be needed as well as cost.

  • I-7 Interior:

    Several broken window panes were noted in various rooms. This requires glazing replacement to repair.

Improves

  • EG-10 Exterior/Garage:

    Deck framing and surface are constructed of what appears to be a species of wood not naturally resistant to rot. This wood should be properly treated or painted to help delay damage and provide a longer serviceable life. Recommend improvements by a qualified deck or framing contractor.

  • P-3 Plumbing:

    The main water pipe from the street to the home appears to be done with old galvanized steel pipe. This pipe could require updating at any time. Evaluation of this pipe is beyond the scope of this inspection as the pipe is not visible. Based on age, this older material should be considered to be at the end of its serviceable life. Recommend seeking bids for upgrade by 2-3 plumbing contractors.

    Also noted was the presence of a compression type repair coupling. This is a likely indicator of prior issues with leakage and is not considered a permanent repair. Suggest replacement at this time.

Due Diligences

  • RA-7 Roof/Attic:

    The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) recommends an annual inspection of all chimneys, fireplaces, solid fuel-burning appliances, and vents. They also recommend an NFPA 211 Standard, Level II inspection upon sale or transfer of the property. A Level II inspection includes, not only cleaning the interior of the chimney pipe, but also the use of specialized tools and testing procedures such as video cameras, etc. to thoroughly evaluate the serviceability of the entire flue lining and fireplace/chimney system. Level II inspections are not always needed, especially for short simple flues that can be inspected visually after a cleaning. If a chimney cleaning has not been performed over the past 12 months, such an inspection is recommended before home changes ownership---for fire safety reasons. Implement any repairs as recommended.