presented by: gcw real estate services, inc. - gcw home...

Presented by: GCW Real Estate Services, Inc. Commercial & Residential Property Assessment Services

(952) 297-2505

Copyright 2014 GCW Real Estate Services, Inc. 1

Just because a home is new does not mean that it is free of defects

Local governmental code inspections do not guarantee there will be no defects

Even good quality, professional builders make some mistakes

Low cost subcontractors are not always the most professional

New technology and materials can mean better quality at a lower cost

Copyright 2014 GCW Real Estate Services, Inc.

The grade (soil) level around the house’s perimeter should be a minimum of 6” below the brick and 8” below the siding or stucco exterior wall covering.

Weep holes or wicks should be clear of water infiltration and wood destroying insect entry.

Most landscapers do not know this. Most builders don’t either.



Brand new 4,400 square foot house.

Code inspected.

But with a big defect!


Note the nice stone planter at the front of the house?

The weep wicks are located 3” below the planter’s soil level.

Water can enter the house through the weep wicks.

The result?


Three months later, the buyer found this behind the basement drywall. Rotted rim and floor joists and sill plate. $36,000 repair bill.

Attics should be ventilated. This is to guard against moisture build-up and mold formation, as well as to extend the life of the roof covering.

Most builders to not properly install the attic insulation.

Often, bathroom, kitchen and laundry exhaust vents are not taken to the exterior, but simply vented to the attic.



Covered soffit vents leading

to excessive moisture build-

up in the attic and mold

formation.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ronhungarter.com/images/mold3L.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ronhungarter.com/mold-attic.html&h=1052&w=1532&sz=197&tbnid=lvHz8r8lwDsZHM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=150&hl=en&start=12&prev=/images?q=attic+ventilation&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&sa=G


2nd floor laundry dryer vented to the soffit, but not properly taken to the

exterior. Roof decking is rotted. This house was only 3 months old.

Roofs shed water into gutters Upper roof downspouts should not drain

to lower roofs

Excessive water from downspouts can destroy the lower roof and usually voids the roof manufacturer’s warranty.

Downspouts should extend, at least, 6’ away from the house’s foundation.

If water is taken away from the house, it can’t leak into the basement.



This porch roof

has failed.

Water was

leaking

underneath.

The cause,

water from the

downspout that

drains the

upper roof

area.

Downspouts

should be

drained directly

into lower

gutters or the

ground.


Gutter end

downspout

draining

directly onto a

cedar shake

roof in a

12,000 square

foot house.

Roof decking

displayed signs

of leakage on

the inside.

This house

was less than

two years old.


Gutter end not closed, no downspout. Water draining directly onto roof

and flowing against dormer sidewall.


Thermal imaging of

interior shows water

infiltration into walls

because of

excessive water

against dormer

sidewall has overrun

the flashing and is

leaking inside.

Moisture readings of

this area confirmed

the thermal image

data.


It is truly

amazing that

people will pay

$10,000 for

waterproofing

and drain tiles,

but will not

spend $20.00

for downspout

extensions.

Water taken

away from the

house will not

enter the

house.

Plumbers will sometimes do anything to get the pipes in, even if they have to destroy the house’s structure to do so.

Watch out for cuts in floor joists, stud walls and even foundations.

Most of these defects can not be seen once the house is completed.

It pays to have a phased construction inspection before the drywall is installed.



Plumber simply

removed the floor

joists that got in

the way of the

toilet installation.

While this is an

older house, the

defect was original

to the house.

This was

uncovered during

a recent

remodeling after

the ceiling drywall

was removed.


The foundation

just got in the

way of this

plumbers need

to install a soil

drain pipe.

Solution?

Just break

through the

foundation.

But, he

managed to

properly support

the pipe.


Support pier gets in the way? Just “modify” it

Due to poor planning by the Builder, or poor design by the Architect, the installation of ductworks can sometimes be an afterthought.

Structural joists should not be notched or cut unless a Licensed Structural Engineer has calculated the loads and approved the modification.

HVAC duct installation in attics and crawl spaces should always be checked very closely. Insulation is key!


Here, the floor

joist in the

basement was

just cut to

allow for the

duct.

This severely

effects the

structural

soundness of

the house.


In this house,

the builder did

not follow the

manufacturer’s

instruction for

cutting holes in

the I joists.

Manufacturer’s

instructions

always override

local building

codes.


Here, the cut openings were according to manufacturer specs, but

were misaligned.


The ceiling HVAC

ductwork in this

house, run in the attic,

was not properly

insulated and sealed.

The result?

Humid air in the attic

condenses on the

duct and drips down

onto the ceiling.

Un-repaired, the

ceiling will fail in a

couple of years and

cause mold buildup.

Easy to fix.


The structure of a house is determined by calculations made by a Structural Engineer and should not be changed without the Engineer’s approval.

Many times, errors are made in the field and structural changes are made without any approval.

Other times, installation is not done properly.


This support

post is not

installed

correctly.

The plate at the

end of the post

should support

the entire beam

assembly.


The support pier in

this house is not

properly placed to

support the beam.

The floor beam

was installed

about 6“ too far to

the left.


This support

beam was

misaligned where

it meets the

foundation.

Wooden shims

were installed in

an attempt to

correct the error.

Bad planning by

the foundation

contractor.


The placement of

the crawlspace

vent was

changed in the

plans.

The main support

beam is resting

on one little piece

of 2 x 4.

This house had

just passed local

municipal code

inspection.


Building a house is a complex process. Sometimes, little things get missed.

When they do, it is imperative that the errors be corrected properly, and in a professional manner.

Haphazard or ‘figure it out as you go’ correction can be very costly.

Better to find them out before the sale is complete.


No place for the

garage door

opener? No

problem.

Let’s just cut

through a large

support joist in the

garage’s ceiling.


No clearance for

the garage door

opener’s track?

Again, no problem!

Let’s just break out

the old acetylene

torch and cut a hole

through a steel

girder.

Think of the time

and effort that went

into creating this

defect.


This huge (15,000

SF) custom house

was halfway built

when they found

out that it was

falling over.

Some of the

engineering

calculations were

wrong.

Large and

expensive repairs

had to be done.

Even architects and

engineers make

mistakes. Copyright 2014 GCW Real Estate Services, Inc.

Custom made and

massive new steel

girders had to be

installed.

This also called for

a complete change

in the design and

layout of the house.


Most of the new houses on the market are built after the tear down of an old house.

This means that the new houses are substantially bigger than the houses the replace.

Large houses have their own special needs, especially with regards to the electrical system.


Larger houses

require larger

electrical

service.

Just two

decades ago,

60 amps were

considered to

be sufficient.

This house is

supplied with

400 amps of

electrical

service and

two large 200

amp panels.


Large electrical service

requires large electrical

service equipment.

This 400 amp main service

equipment panel is usually

only found in commercial

construction.

Does the electrical

subcontractor have

experience with installing

commercial equipment

such as this?


With so little room

in urban building,

sometimes the

electrical service

drop is placed too

close to doors,

windows and other

areas where people

may come in

contact with the

wires.


With large houses,

it is necessary to

run wire long

distances. If not

done properly, this

can cause

excessive drops in

voltage.

NEC states that

voltage drops

should not exceed

5% at 12 amps

load.

Here we see more

than twice that.


Recessed, ‘can’ ceiling lights are very popular, but must be

installed properly and of the proper type. This light is not.


Do you see

where this

recessed light

is installed?


Inside the pull

down stairway to

the attic!

A very ingenious

installation, but

to acceptable to

National Safety

standards.


Installing a 240 volt electrical receptacle directly next to a toilet is also

not a good idea.


Water heaters, if improperly installed or maintained, can pose serious safety concerns.

Does the water heater have sufficient combustion air?

Was it properly installed.

Is its safety features working properly.


This water heater

was only 3 years old.

It was improperly

installed.

Its water connections

were not equipped

with the required di-

electric fittings and

the flue pipe was

improperly set.


This water heater’s

TPR (Temperature

Pressure Relief)

valve connected to

plastic tubing and

extending up rather

than down.

In the case of

excessive pressure,

live steam would be

sprayed outward and

upward and the

steam’s heat would

melt the plastic

discharge piping.


This water heater was installed in an unfinished crawlspace, directly

on the ground.


Just too many things wrong in one place.


Even with the best plans and the best Builder and the best subcontractors, Murphy’s law still has precedence

This is what is technically known as the ‘Oops’ factor

The usual hazard to the home inspector is just plain laughing themselves to death.


Improper toilet /

door placement.

Bad planning and

lack of

coordination

between sub

contractors.

Many buyers just

can’t understand

how this could

have happened.

Many contractors

wonder as well!


“It was OK before

they installed the

carpet.”

Different sub

contractors blaming

each other.

Originally, sub-floor,

then hardwood,

than a change

order for carpet.

In any case, the

receptacle should

not be installed in

the base molding.


The interior

designer got a little

carried away with

the White Sox win,

last year.

Please Note:

The usage and

spacing of the bats

as ballisters does

not conform to

National Safety

standards for child

safety!

This is a child

safety hazard!


Is the light fixture

too high or the

suspended ceiling

too low or are the

light bulbs of too

high a wattage?

Whatever the case,

it is a fire hazard

and is wrong.


This huge, beautiful whirlpool was, later, surrounded with expensive Italian

marble tile. Problem? No access door was installed.


Many masons

today use the

‘Buddy’ system

for laying bricks.

The outcome?

Improper

buttering of brick

joints as seen on

the right.


Too much

fertilizer in the

roofing cement?


If you need a professional home inspection for a residential property up for sale or one that you or your clients are thinking about purchasing, you've come to the right place!

A home inspection is one of most important steps in the home purchase process. Like any investment, you will want to know as much information about your purchase as possible. Our comprehensive, professional home inspection services are designed to help you with that effort.

A good professional home inspection can help you protect the largest single investment you may ever make. It can eliminate unpleasant and costly surprises that can create headaches in the years to come. And it can educate you with confidence in a property decision you can live with. An objective, unbiased property evaluation by a trained & qualified home inspector makes sense.


presented by: gcw real estate services, inc. - gcw home...

Documents