The approximate square footage listed in the report is listed as a courtesy and is based off of public records and disclosure. An evaluation of square footage of the buildings and property lines is beyond the scope of this inspection.

The number of bedrooms identified is pulled from the MLS listing or public records. Any observed non-conforming bedrooms will be identified in this report. The simple requirements for a room to be considered a legal bedroom include:

• A heat source.
• An emergency escape and rescue opening (often referred to as fire egress opening.)
• At least 7 foot tall ceilings for at least half the room.
• Lighting.
• At least two outlets.

Note: A closet is not required for a room to be considered a bedroom by modern building standards. This is a common misconception. NWMLS may have a different definition of what is considered a bedroom.

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. All thermal images will be immediately followed by a normal picture of the exact same frame. 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 a thermal 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. Please note that the weather had been dry leading up the inspection, so water leaks on the exterior of the building envelope may not be detectable, even with thermal imaging.

This house was vacant / unoccupied at the time of inspection. Vacant and unoccupied houses present unique challenges for home inspections, especially the piping and wiring systems which have not be subject to regular use prior to the inspection. While these systems can be tested during inspection, this one-time test is different than regular use and it is difficult to know how these systems will respond to regular use after the inspection. For example, septic systems may initially function and then fail under regular daily use. Plumbing traps may operate with no signs of leaks and then let go when being actively used for a few days. Shower pans may only leak when someone is standing in the shower and taking a shower. Seals for plumbing fixtures can dry up and leak when not is use. Sewer lines with roots may allow water flow, but then fail when waste and tissue are flushed; it can take a few days for that to backup. Please understand we are trying our best to look for clues of past or existing problems to paint a realistic best-guess as to the reliability of these systems during inspection.

This home had staging furniture at the time of the inspection. Inspections of furnished homes presents some challenges as belongings can obstruct visual inspections and access to parts of the building. I do my best during the inspection to work around belongings to discover as much as possible about the house without moving or damaging personal property, however, the presence of personal items does limit the inspection.

These are photos of the grounds at the time of the inspection.

While performance of lot drainage and water handling systems may appear serviceable at the time of inspection, predicting drainage performance as conditions constantly change is impossible. Furthermore, items such as leakage in downspout/gutter systems are very difficult to detect during dry weather. Inspection of foundation performance and water handling systems, therefore, is limited to visible conditions and evidence of past problems.

The chimney had been resided with newer fiber cement siding.

Please note that the deck framing inspection was limited. I could not see framing and deck structural components in many places because the underside of the deck was not accessible.

Please note that the deck ledger board (how the deck attaches to the house) inspection was limited. I could not see the full ledger board because the underside of the deck was not accessible.

These are photos of the roof taken to add context.

Roof flashings are used to keep a roofing system water proof where the roofing material starts, stops, changes direction or is penetrated. During inspection, I 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.

Typical granule loss was observed in places; the black material visible on the shingles is exposed asphalt due to granule loss. This is one way to age a roof. The granules on the shingles help reflect UV radiation from the sun. When granules are not in place, UV radiation causes the asphalt shingles to dry out and crack, eventually leading to roof failure.

These are photos of the interior at the time of the inspection.

Some flooring was not accessible/visible due to stored personal items.

Some areas were not accessible/visible due to stored personal items.

These are photos of the bathroom(s) at the time of the inspection.

These are photos of the kitchen at the time of the inspection.

Thermal images show the freezer and refrigerator were working during the inspection.

Thermal images show the oven was operated and was working at the time of inspection.

Thermal images show the cooktop was tested and working during the inspection.

This is a thermal image of the dryer operating at the time of the inspection.

These are photos of the garage at the time of the inspection.

The photo eye sensors are sensors that project an infrared beam across the bottom of the garage door. If something breaks the beam while the door is closing, the door should automatically stop closing and reverse to prevent it from crushing something.

The auto-pressure reverse sensor should trigger when the garage door hits something while closing. It should trigger with 10 pounds of force or less. This sensor will immediately stop the door and cause it to reverse to prevent the door from crushing something.

Full attic access/visibility not possible due to limited clearance in the attic and surfaces blocked by insulation.

This house had vaulted ceilings in areas. With this roof design, there was no attic space and no access to inspect roof framing, thermal barriers, or fans exhaust ductwork.

These are photos of the attic at the time of the inspection to provide context.

In our climate, modern building standards recommend insulation with an R-value of between 38 and 60 in the attic. Different materials have different R-values, but in general, around 12 to 14 inches of insulation is the minimum recommended in attics.

The R-value of blown fiberglass is around 2.5 per inch of depth.

The R-value of fiberglass batts is around 3.2 per inch.

Attic and roof cavity ventilation is a frequently-misunderstood element of residential construction. All roof cavities are required to have ventilation. This is primarily to reduce moisture levels in the attic, which helps prevent organic growth issues, and keeps the roofing material cooler, which extends its lifespan. 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:

1. Make sure the ceiling between the living space and the attic is airtight
2. Ventilate consistently across the whole lower part of the roof cavity with low, intake soffit venting
3. Upper roof cavity venting is less important and if over-installed can exacerbate air migration into the attic from the living space.
4. Avoid power ventilators which can depressurize the attic and exacerbate air migration from the house into the attic.

For more information, please see here.

Full crawl space access/visibility not possible due to limited clearance, surfaces blocked by insulation, and duct work.

These are photos of the crawl space at the time of the inspection to provide context.

Signs of seismic protection were noted during inspection. This inspection is not a cohesive analysis of seismic engineering, but I do look for signs of seismic protection.

Crawl spaces ventilation is designed to keep humidity levels as low as possible. Crawl spaces are a common location for rot and mold issues, and having airflow through the space helps keep moisture levels low.

The sub-floor in this crawl space was covered with insulation in most, if not all, areas. This obstructs visual inspection as most of the framing was not able to be inspected. I did pull back insulation in places to spot check the floor frame. No defects were found.

In our climate, modern building standards recommend insulation with an R-value of at least 25 under the floor. Different materials have different R-values, but in general, that's around 8 inches of insulation.

The R-value of fiberglass batts is around 3.2 per inch.

Please note that many supply pipes were concealed behind walls are were not visible during the inspection. Determination of the supply piping materials used here is an educated guess based on the materials that were visible coming out of the wall and below fixtures.

Note that the waste piping system was mostly concealed behind finishes and not visible to inspection.

Note that when the sewage discharge type is listed here, it is listed based on public records and disclosure. It is always possible that the system is not as it is listed; for example, a property could be listed as a public sewer system when in fact it is on a private septic system. This is unlikely, but is possible.

These are context photos of the water heater.

This water heater appeared to be using F.V.I.R technology. Prior to 2003 most gas water heaters had an open combustion system which made them a potential ignition source in places like garages where gasoline vapors could ignite. Starting in 2003, residential water heaters began using “F.V.I.R.” (Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant) technology. This means that the combustion chamber is now sealed. In order to light the water heater, you must use the pilot mechanism and you can no longer use a match, like the old pilot lights. Effective July 1, 2003, all water heater manufacturers are required to build their 30,40 & 50 gallon atmospheric vent water heaters to new government standards. The American National Standards Institution (ANSI) have established these new standards to prevent accidental or unintended ignition of flammable vapors, such as those emitted by gasoline. By July 1, 2005, the ANSI Z21.10.1a-2002 standard will apply to virtually all gas fired residential water heaters with BTU ratings of 75,000 and below.

This is the video of the sewer scope.

This is a photo of the electrical service entrance, meter, and any visible service wires.

During a home or property inspection, every effort is made to inspect the visible components of the electrical system grounding. The grounding system is critical for safely discharging electrical surges, especially in the case of lightning strikes. There is no way in the context of a home inspection to verify the "effectiveness" of the grounding system as much of the system is not visible and there are not practical tests one can perform in the way we can test a furnace or a plumbing fixture. However, there are many things that can lead me to recommend further evaluation of the grounding system by a licensed electrical contractor and they will be documented in the observations below if discovered.

During the inspection, I attempt to visually document electrical system bonding. There is no way in the context of a home inspection to verify the "effectiveness" of system bonding. All metallic systems (metal water pipes and metal gas pipes) in the building are required to be "bonded" (connected) to the building's electrical grounding system. Bonding creates a pathway to shunt static charges (that would otherwise build up on the system) to earth, and to provide a pathway to trip a breaker in the event that these bonded metallic components became energized.

Photos of the electrical panel are provided for context.

Smoke detectors are a major safety component of a house. According to current building standards, every floor of a house should have at least one smoke detector in a common area outside of sleeping rooms, and all bedrooms should have a smoke detector inside the room.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause sickness, nausea and even death. The installation of carbon monoxide alarms is recommended for all homes that have fuel burning appliances such as gas or oil furnaces, gas water heaters, gas ovens and cook-tops, gas fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, Washington State law (WAC 51-51-0315) now requires UL 2034 approved carbon monoxide alarms in all homes and condominiums being sold in Washington State. According to the law, at least one alarm should be installed outside of all sleeping areas (within 15 feet) and at least one on each floor of a residence.