Manufacturers of fiber cement siding have done a poor job helping inspectors and consumers distinguish their products after installation; these products have few if any distinguishing characteristics. This report will site James Hardie manufacturers installation requirements for reference because they are the most common manufacturer of fiber cement siding and the various manufactures seem to share similar installation guidelines. Here is a link to the HZ-10 Best Practices Guide. However, reference of these guidelines in this report does not ensure that the fiber cement siding here is a James Hardie product.

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

This house has cedar softwood decking installed. The recommended maintenance of this type of decking is annual cleaning and staining with transparent or semi-transparent deck stain. It is common to use decking paints when the decking is older and in the last phase of its useful life, however, painting is not recommended as this can trap moisture in the wood, facilitate wood decay and lead to higher maintenance costs when prepping peeling paint. Annual cleaning and sealing is important to prevent the deck from becoming slippery and unsafe, especially as pollen organic growth accumulate on the decking.

Roof flashings are used to keep a roofing system waterproof where the roofing material starts, stops, changes direction, or is penetrated. During the 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 the inspection will be reported below if found.

This building has a very new composition roof installed. The shingles are not bonded together yet, so I was able to check the fastening pattern. Fastening looked correct where I spot-checked. Proper fastening of roofing shingles is critical to ensure reliable long-term performance. Fasteners should be specifically located in the correct area of the shingle and not high or low-nailed. Fasteners should also be driven straight and flush with the shingle. Over time, the shingles should start to bond and fastening will no longer be visible without prying the shingles apart, which we avoid doing during visual home inspections.

This shows the propane shutoff at the propane tank.

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 no practical tests one can perform in the way we can test a furnace or a plumbing fixture. However, many things 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 in the building are required to be "bonded" (connected) to the 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. There are many things that can lead me to recommend further evaluation of this system by a licensed electrical contractor and they will be documented as repair items in the observations below if discovered.

During inspection I make an effort to test and inspect all accessible electric receptacles and switches. In general, the scope of testing is directly related to access; where personal belonging and furniture obstruct access to receptacles and fixtures, fewer of them can be reasonably tested during inspection. All defects found during inspection today will be listed in this report. Inspection/testing of the electrical system can be challenging. It should be anticipated that not all defects will be discovered and that some issues found may actually not be defects at all. Tools used to verify proper wiring and function can vary wildly in reliability/consistency. The kinds of tools that could be used to confidently analyze the system and its function cannot typically be done in the context of a Standard Home Inspection. I look for indications of issues, based on the age of the home, types of wiring systems used etc, as well as personal experience and by testing with a variety of common tools. Issues identified, will be further discussed with recommendations in the electrical section below.

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 cooktops, 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. The location should be: at least one alarm outside of all sleeping areas and one on each floor of the house. Best practices are to have these alarms hardwired with a battery back-up - though requirements are for the installation to meet manufacturer's specifications. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause sickness, nausea and even death. Alarms have a useful service life of roughly 6 years, so changing them more frequently than smoke alarms is recommended.

During the home inspection, I try and test a representative sample of the smoke alarms by using the test button on the alarms. This is NOT an accurate test of the sensor, just a test to see if the unit is powered. For reliability, fire marshals recommended updating smoke alarms every ten years and changing batteries bi-annually. The latest data indicate that we should be using photoelectric technology in our smoke alarms for improved fire detection and reducing problems with false alarms, which can lead to disabling of this critical safety system. Unfortunately, the alarms must be removed to determine if they are photo-electric or ionization types. It is surprisingly complex to accurately test a smoke alarm system and determine the reliability, age, and type of sensor technology used, especially as many homes can have half a dozen or more alarms throughout the house. A complete evaluation of smoke alarms is beyond the scope of this inspection. For optimal fire safety, I recommend taking control of these critical safety devices and learning about how to service and maintain your smoke alarm system to keep the building occupants safe. For more information, please read this link. For more information, please read this link.

The following list is a minimum set of requirements to be expected of heat pump or air conditioning servicing. I provide these as a courtesy to show they types of check-ups that should be expected from a professional servicing.

• Check compressor efficiency
• Check refrigerant level
• Clean the condenser coil
• Change or clean air filters
• Inspect contactors and wiring
• Inspect drive-sheaves, pulleys and belts
• Check and adjust for proper air flow
• Clean the blower motor as needed
• Lubricate all motors and shaft bearings
• Check, calibrate and program the thermostats and be sure the thermostat has adequate batteries as needed
• Check unit smoke detector, clean filter if applicable
• Check safety disconnect, laser-temp -- check across contacts

Determining proper ventilation to the exterior from kitchen, bath, and laundry fans can be tricky as exhaust fan ductwork is often concealed behind finishes and fan terminations can be all over the house from the roof to the foundation, presenting difficulties for systematically checking every fan termination. During inspection, every effort is made to verify proper terminations of fan vents to the exterior, but it is possible to miss something here that is latent or concealed.

The visible portions of the supply piping appear to be insulated. However, prior to freezing weather it is always a good idea to check pipes and hose bibs for adequate insulation and freeze protection to protect pipes from cold weather and freezing conditions. Hose bibs can often be winterized prior to cold weather.

Copper water supply pipes were installed. Copper pipes installed prior to the late 1980's may be joined with solder that contains lead, which is a known health hazard especially for children. Laws were passed in 1985 prohibiting the use of lead in solder, but prior to that solder normally contained approximately 50% lead. Note that testing for toxic materials such as lead, is beyond the scope of this inspection. Consider having a qualified lab test for lead, and if necessary take steps to reduce or remove lead from the water supply. Various solutions include:

• Flush water taps or faucets. Do not drink water that has been sitting in the plumbing lines for more than 6 hours
• Install appropriate filters at points of use
• Use only cold water for cooking and drinking, as hot water dissolves lead more quickly than cold water
• Treat well water to make it less corrosive
• Have a qualified plumber replace supply pipes and/or plumbing components as necessary

The water temperature was tested multiple times during inspection. It is common for water temperatures to fluctuate throughout the house depending on the distance from the water heater, the water heater settings, the type of water heater and any thermostatic controls used in the plumbing fixtures and mixing valves. For reporting, the median temperature is used.

The kitchen sink here is done as an under-mount style sink. The proper mounting of the sink is considered during inspection but this is difficult to verify. Ideally the sink is both sealed to the countertop and employs additional physical attachment such as clips or supporting plywood. Any indications of a loose or poorly mounted sink will be noted. Use caution when stacking dishes in an under-mount sink and the weight of the dishes can cause the sink to pull free of the countertop.

During inspection, I try and run the clothes washing machine. This is mostly so that I can push water down the drain to test the waste piping system. Running the clothes washer during an inspection is not a reliable test of the appliance. I am not actually doing a load of laundry, so please note the limitations of this test.

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 an 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: Link

During inspection of the crawl space, every effort is made to inspect the entire space. Visual inspection of crawl spaces is difficult and limited as access is often restricted by pipes, ducts and sub-floor insulation as well as limited clearances.

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