Summary

Major Concerns

E-1 Electrical:
Old style fuse panel noted. Main power feed conduit appears to have over heating damage. Recommend having fuse panel replaced with modern style breaker panel by a licensed electrician.

Repairs

G-1 Grounds:
A sink hole cracking pattern was noted in the asphalt driveway. Hire a qualified general contractor to further investigate and repair to eliminate all trip hazards and ensure a reliable walking and driving surface.
I-1 Interior:
The wood laminate floors are damaged in places. Have all damaged flooring further evaluated and repaired by a qualified contractor as needed.
I-2 Interior:
Water stains were noted on the walls in the bedroom. These stains were tested with a moisture meter during inspection and tested dry at the time of inspection. Inquire with the seller for any history of prior leakage to get a better sense if repairs may be needed to prevent another leak. Many water leaks are intermittent or related to specific weather conditions or occupant behavior; it is impossible for us to distinguish these conditions during a one-time inspection or to know if repairs could be needed to prevent future leaks. Repair damaged finishes and paint as needed for a proper cosmetic appearance and implement additional repairs as needed to prevent future leaks.
I-4 Interior:
This home has a hodge podge of different windows that are in generally satisfactory condition. Some of the windows have been updated with nice new windows and some of the old windows with character are still in use. You may wish to continue with window updates depending on your desire for window performance. I recommend moving in and updating old windows as you feel needed for desired comfort and performance.
I-5 Interior:
Some of the windows in this home are old wood windows that require maintenance and repair. They are in fairly typical condition for old wood windows. You need to decide how you want to approach the windows in this home as they are generally older and do not comply with modern standards for safety glass and energy efficiency. Repairs can be made on an as needed basis and efficiency can be added with storm windows and curtains. Existing windows that have character are often worth preserving and restoring, where windows that are in worse condition and have less character may be good candidates for replacement.

Recommended Maintenance Items

R-3 Roof/Attic:
The attic access hatch cover is missing insulation. Install a thermal barrier here to reduce heat loss.
R-4 Roof/Attic:
The weather strip for the attic access hatch is missing and the hatch is leaking air. This should be better air sealed to prevent heat migration into the attic.
R-6 Roof/Attic:
The lower, intake soffit vents appear to be obstructed by insulation. Cardboard baffles are typically employed in an attic area to keep insulation away from soffit vents to insure these vents communicate between the outside and the attic. I recommend addition al inspection by a qualified general contractor to ensure soffit vents are open and unobstructed.
G-2 Grounds:
The vegetation is too close to the home. All trees, branches and vegetation should be pruned at least six feet away from the building to eliminate a condition conducive to wood destroying organisms. This also allows for an increased potential of pests and bugs. Get It Inspected recommends lawn maintenance.
HCFV-1 Heating, Cooling, Fireplaces and Ventilation:
Annual servicing of the gas forced air furnace is recommended for safe and reliable heat. I could not find recent service records on the furnace. The furnace was tested during inspection and was operational. The design life of these forced air furnaces is 15-20 years. I recommend having it serviced and keeping it on an annual service schedule until updated.

Due Diligences

R-2 Roof/Attic:
The roofing material on this building is a recently installed dimensional or architectural grade shingle. These are often rated as 30-40 year shingles. In practice, as a roof assembly, these tend to last about 18-23 years depending on the quality of the installation, the steepness of the roof and the exposure. The installation appears neat and professional. Inquire with the seller about any warranty information for this roof. Many professional roofing companies will offer limited workmanship warranties. Please note that roofs are not a shingle. they are an assembly and they require regular cleaning and maintenance to keep them performing reliably.
SB-1 Structure and Basement:
Evidence of structural modification to the building was noted. Inquire with the seller if permits were obtained for this work and / or engineering was done. No red flags to indicate failure were noted at the time of inspection, however, the framing is concealed from view and an evaluation of structural adequacy is beyond the scope of this inspection.
SB-2 Structure and Basement:
There is evidence that a water proofing system has been installed in the basement. I recommend inquiring with the sellers for more information on the history of basement moisture problems and the extent of the work that has been done. Often, these companies will offer warranties for this work; these may be transferable to the next homeowner. Regular cleaning and servicing of these systems is recommended to ensure reliable performance. Hire a basement water proofing specialist to clean and service this system.

Roof/Attic

Roof Materials

Method of Roof Inspection: Viewed from window, Viewed with binoculars

Roof Style: Hip

Flashings: Present and Visually Standard

Roof flashings are used to keep a roofing system waterproof 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. Any non-standard flashings noted during inspection will be reported on below if found.   

Roof Covering Materials: Architectural grade composition shingle

Approximate Age of Roof Covering: 2-4 Years

Overlay Roof: No

(R-2) Due Diligence:The roofing material on this building is a recently installed dimensional or architectural grade shingle. These are often rated as 30-40 year shingles. In practice, as a roof assembly, these tend to last about 18-23 years depending on the quality of the installation, the steepness of the roof and the exposure. The installation appears neat and professional. Inquire with the seller about any warranty information for this roof. Many professional roofing companies will offer limited workmanship warranties. Please note that roofs are not a shingle. they are an assembly and they require regular cleaning and maintenance to keep them performing reliably.  

Chimneys

Chimney Material: Masonry

Chimney Flue Liners: Present

Gutters and Downspouts

Gutter and Downspout Materials: Seamless Aluminum

Attic Access

Viewed at access

(R-3) Recommended Maintenance:The attic access hatch cover is missing insulation. Install a thermal barrier here to reduce heat loss. 

(R-4) Recommended Maintenance:
The weather strip for the attic access hatch is missing and the hatch is leaking air. This should be better air sealed to prevent heat migration into the attic. 

Note:I did not crawl the crawl space for the attic where there was no ramp or safe way to access the space. Crawling in the V of trusses or on top of framing risks damaging thermal barriers and ceiling finishes and is not a safe way to access an attic. This limited inspection of this space. 

Roof Framing and Sheathing

Rafters: 2x6

Sheathing: Plywood, Solid wood

Reference (Photo/Materials/Overviews):

Attic Insulation

Insulation Type: Cellulose

Approximate Insulation R-Value on Attic Floor: Inconsistent

Approximate Insulation R-Value on Attic Ceiling: 0

Approximate Insulation R-Value on Attic Walls: Not applicable

Reference (Photo/Materials/Overviews):

Attic and Roof Cavity Ventilation

Attic Ventilation Method: Roof jack vents, Soffit vents

Attic and roof cavity ventilation is a frequently-misunderstood element of residential construction. All roof cavities are required to have ventilation. The general default standard is 1 to 150 of the attic area and ideally, this comes from at least 60% lower roof cavity ventilation and 40% upper, but this is a wild over-simplifications of the subject. As a good guiding principle the most important elements for healthy attic spaces, which are traditionally insulated and ventilated are:
Make sure the ceiling between the living space and the attic is airtight
Ventilate consistently across the whole lower part of the roof cavity with low, intake soffit venting
Upper roof cavity venting is less important and if over-installed can exacerbate air migration into the attic from the living space.
Avoid power ventilators which can depressurize the attic and exacerbate air migration from the house into the attic.
For more information, please see: Link

(R-6) Recommended Maintenance:The lower, intake soffit vents appear to be obstructed by insulation. Cardboard baffles are typically employed in an attic area to keep insulation away from soffit vents to insure these vents communicate between the outside and the attic. I recommend addition al inspection by a qualified general contractor to ensure soffit vents are open and unobstructed. 

Exterior

Siding and Trim

Trim Material: Metal

Wall Material: Vinyl

Reference (Photo/Materials/Overviews):

Soffit

Aluminum

Reference (Photo/Materials/Overviews):

Exterior Window Frames

Clad Exterior, Metal

Decks, Balconies and Porches

Present

To see a prescriptive guide for residential wood deck construction click this link: 

Deck Structure: Ground contact treated lumber

Deck Ledger Board: Standard

Guardrail: Standard

Decking Material: Treated wood

Grounds

Driveways/Walkways/Flatwork

Driveway: Asphalt

Walkways: Brick

(G-1) Repair:
A sink hole cracking pattern was noted in the asphalt driveway. Hire a qualified general contractor to further investigate and repair to eliminate all trip hazards and ensure a reliable walking and driving surface.

Grounds, Trees and Vegetation

Trees/Vegetation too near building: Yes

(G-2) Recommended Maintenance:The vegetation is too close to the home. All trees, branches and vegetation should be pruned at least six feet away from the building to eliminate a condition conducive to wood destroying organisms. This also allows for an increased potential of pests and bugs. Get It Inspected recommends lawn maintenance.

Outbuildings

Storage shed

Reference (Photo/Materials/Overviews):

Interior

Floors and Floor Materials

Floor Materials: Hardwood, Wood Laminate

(I-1) Repair:
The wood laminate floors are damaged in places. Have all damaged flooring further evaluated and repaired by a qualified contractor as needed. 

Walls, Ceilings, Trim and Closets

Wall and Ceiling Materials: Drywall, Plaster

(I-2) Repair:Water stains were noted on the walls in the bedroom. These stains were tested with a moisture meter during inspection and tested dry at the time of inspection. Inquire with the seller for any history of prior leakage to get a better sense if repairs may be needed to prevent another leak. Many water leaks are intermittent or related to specific weather conditions or occupant behavior; it is impossible for us to distinguish these conditions during a one-time inspection or to know if repairs could be needed to prevent future leaks. Repair damaged finishes and paint as needed for a proper cosmetic appearance and implement additional repairs as needed to prevent future leaks.

During this inspection, a thermal imaging camera was used to check walls and ceilings for thermal anomalies and also to check specific appliances for verification of proper function. Thermal imaging cameras use the infrared light spectrum to build a picture of the house. Experienced thermogrophers look for clues in these thermal images that could lead us to otherwise concealed water leaks or missing air or thermal barriers. In older homes, incomplete air and thermal barriers are so common, we will only report on items that look significantly deficient and are worthy of correction. This service is included with our home inspection; it is limited and is not a complete thermal mapping of the house. The use of an infrared camera is well beyond the minimum standards for a home inspection, but we offer this service because we know it is valuable and can help us help our clients by improving our inspection services. Relevant thermal images will be included in this report. 

Windows

Window Glazing: Single pane

Interior Window Frame: Wood

Window Styles: Single hung

(I-4) Repair:This home has a hodge podge of different windows that are in generally satisfactory condition. Some of the windows have been updated with nice new windows and some of the old windows with character are still in use. You may wish to continue with window updates depending on your desire for window performance. I recommend moving in and updating old windows as you feel needed for desired comfort and performance. 

(I-5) Repair:Some of the windows in this home are old wood windows that require maintenance and repair. They are in fairly typical condition for old wood windows. You need to decide how you want to approach the windows in this home as they are generally older and do not comply with modern standards for safety glass and energy efficiency. Repairs can be made on an as needed basis and efficiency can be added with storm windows and curtains. Existing windows that have character are often worth preserving and restoring, where windows that are in worse condition and have less character may be good candidates for replacement.

Bathroom (Main Floor)

Toilet

Tested

Reference (Photo/Materials/Overviews):

General Bath Condition

Standard

Structure and Basement

Foundation

% of Foundation Not Visible: 90%

Evidence of Seismic Protection: None visible

Building Configuration: Basement

Foundation Description: Poured concrete

Reference (Photo/Materials/Overviews):
It seems as though a dimpled water-proofing fabric has been used around the perimeter of the foundation. 

Floor, Wall and Ceiling Framing

Wall Framing: 2x4

(SB-1) Due Diligence:Evidence of structural modification to the building was noted. Inquire with the seller if permits were obtained for this work and / or engineering was done. No red flags to indicate failure were noted at the time of inspection, however, the framing is concealed from view and an evaluation of structural adequacy is beyond the scope of this inspection.

Basement Moisture

None noted

(SB-2) Due Diligence:There is evidence that a water proofing system has been installed in the basement. I recommend inquiring with the sellers for more information on the history of basement moisture problems and the extent of the work that has been done. Often, these companies will offer warranties for this work; these may be transferable to the next homeowner. Regular cleaning and servicing of these systems is recommended to ensure reliable performance. Hire a basement water proofing specialist to clean and service this system.

Electrical

Service Equipment

Main Electric Panel Location: Basement

Panel Manufacturer: Fused

(E-1) Major Concern:Old style fuse panel noted. Main power feed conduit appears to have over heating damage. Recommend having fuse panel replaced with modern style breaker panel by a licensed electrician.

Branch Wiring

Wire Material: Copper

Wiring Method: Non-metallic sheathed cable

Heating, Cooling, Fireplaces and Ventilation

Heating System

Energy Source: Natural gas

Heating Method: Electric forced air furnace

Age: 2015

(HCFV-1) Recommended Maintenance:Annual servicing of the gas forced air furnace is recommended for safe and reliable heat. I could not find recent service records on the furnace. The furnace was tested during inspection and was operational. The design life of these forced air furnaces is 15-20 years. I recommend having it serviced and keeping it on an annual service schedule until updated. 

Cooling Systems and Heat Pumps

System Type: Air Source

Size: 1.5 Tons

Energy Source: Electric