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Nook & Cranny Home Inspections, LLCSafe Homes, Sound Advice |
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Photo GalleryWater DamageWater is the number one enemy of structures. From leaks causing rot and mold growth, to floods, to hydrostatic pressure (think of a dam holding back water), water can cause a lot of damage!  Negative grading (ground slopes toward the structure) is often the cause of water in a basement and sometimes even foundation failure. The negative grade is visible here in relation to the bottom of the fence. The downspout discharge adds more water to the problem. This foundation had cracking and visible bowing and required repair.  A downspout from a higher roof empties onto a lower roof. The of excess water will prematurely wear the shingles in this area. It is best to extend downspout discharge either to a lower gutter or all the way to the ground. This 7 year old roof is not showing signs of wear yet, but action is recommended to prolong the life of the shingles.   There is a closet with water stains on the other side of this wall. When gutters are tipped towards a wall, they will direct water there. Add some snow and pine needles to slow down the gutter drainage and an opportunistic leak results. Sloping the gutters away from the wall and moving the downspout to the other end remedies the situation.  Water follows the course of least resistance, typically running downhill. That's why valley flashing should be installed under shingles, not on top of them. There was water damage present on the structures beneath this improperly installed flashing. Safety Hazards Safety hazards are common in homes. Some are expensive, but many are not and are easily fixed. Some can be seen, and others must be detected using tools or special techniques.  Some electrical safety hazards are not always seen right away. In this case, there is no main breaker, it only looks like there is! A person wanting to turn off power to this home must turn off all the breakers. In order to be considered safe, a person must be able to turn off power to a dwelling using no more than six hand movements. This situation should be fixed by a licensed electrician. When thinking of a plumbing safety hazard, lead contamination most quickly comes to mind, but this unused drain is a safety hazard. Drain traps are designed to hold water in them to keep sewer gas from entering the home. When a drain is no longer serving a water source, the trap dries out, allowing explosive sewer gas into the building. This unused drain should be capped. Safety reverse devices should be present on all automatic overhead garage doors. People and pets have been accidentally injured or killed by powered garage doors closing on top of them. This electric eye safety reverse is installed too high (36"), and should be repositioned lower (12" or lower) to truly make it function as intended.  This pipe delivering natural gas is leaking. A gas leak is a safety hazard that cannot be seen, but can be detected with a combustible gas detector or by putting soapy water on connections and watching for bubbles. Gas leaks are not difficult or expensive to fix. Because many pictures of safety hazards look completely normal, this gallery is not as exciting as it could be. A non-functional GFCI looks the same as one that is working. However, just for pure sensationalism's sake, if you see a house looking like the one below, do not enter!  photo credit: Jim Schumacher |
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Nook & Cranny Home Inspections, LLC | 716-983-3420 |
