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MONDAY MORNING MESSENGER

Message prepared especially for Members of the American Institute of Inspectors® as well as Home Inspectors abroad

April 30, 2001

GOOOOOD MORNING, A.I.I.™....

It's a great day here in Orem, Utah! As you read this I will be somewhere in the middle of the great state of Wyoming. It seems that my client has been struggling with a water entry issue for over 10 years now and they are about to tear down the addition on their home. Before they do, however, they thought it would be a good thing to figure out where the water entry has been coming from so that when they recreate the addition the same mistakes will not occur.

I have asked you before just how far will you drive for an inspection? This is usually followed with the typical answer, "It depends on how much they are willing to pay." This response makes us sound like "Ladies of the Evening" in that we will do anything for money. I have found myself in this same situation with the Wyoming clients. If you want to see where I am traveling, just pull out your AAA Road Atlas and follow Interstate 80 east across the state of Wyoming. Half way across the state, you will find a little town called Rawlins...... Wait a minute, here are the directions directly from the client via e-mail.

Dear Mike, Here are the directions...in writing, no less! Take the Saratoga exit off I-80. It is about 20 miles past Rawlins. Turn right (south) to Saratoga. It is about 20 miles from the interstate to Saratoga. Head through Saratoga another 8 miles. You will see a turn on Highway 130 ( The Snowy Range Highway) towards Laramie/Centennial. Turn left (east) and continue for 7 miles. You will see a large reddish sign on your right that says BRUSH CREEK RANCH. Turn right (south) onto the dirt road and continue for almost exactly 5 miles. Turn left at the "XH Land and Cattle Company" sign. It is a hairpin turn. Continue for @ 1 mile and turn right. Continue for another 1/4 mile and you will see our house. Please call if you get lost or if your plans change. 307/xxx-xxxx. Looking forward to this! Sincerely, Laura xxxxxx

Please don't be thinking that this will be an easy ranch to find. My cell phone stands no chance of working and the property is located 5.5 hours away from my front door. What do you think my chances of finding the "XH Land and Cattle Company" sign are? I am always leery of country boy directions given by the people that live there. The locals are so used to the landmarks that they generally don't think like a stranger and they forget important details. I remember the directions to a family reunion a few years back..."Go to the house that used to have the pioneer wagon wheels in the front yard and turn right." What a joke! How was I supposed to know which house USED to have pioneer wagon wheels in the front yard?... But I digress.

So why am I heading far across Wyoming for a 3 hour, onsite water entry evaluation with 11 hours of driving time involved? "I'm not sure why," is the answer. I don't know if it is greed, curiosity or just a stroke to my ego that I was even sought out for the challenge. I do know that it will make for an interesting edition of the MMM next week and that may be motivation enough. I'll let you know what the real motive is as I ponder the issue during the 5.5 hour drive to get to Saratoga.


THE SUCKER LOT FEEDBACK

Walter Jowers really hit the head on the nail. It seems that Sucker Lots really are available all over North America. Richard Grisham shared.....

Michael: In the desert, the water table can be as much as a couple thousand feet (depending on how high in the desert you all are talkin' about), but for the most part, just about everybody gets away with putting up a house with a concrete pad foudation and sloping it away at about 1/4" per foot. I'm sure that there are some sucker lots because Las Vegas means "the meadows" in Spanish and I have seen unbelievable volumes of water come gushing down our main thoroughfares on its way to the Las Vegas Wash & ultimately to Lake Mead. Knowledge of this local characteristic has educated almost all of the architects & builders to prepare ahead of time for these inevitable floods of water.

Some people that buy homes are not as aware of this and make modifications that will let the water "get past" the berms and swales originally put there to prevent flooding and direct the water that does get in, back out again. There are some houses (very few) with basements, and there are some houses (a few) that have crawl spaces. I have inspected a few that showed signs of water intrusion, but for the most part that has been a plumbing condition and not from exterior flooding. One house had a leaking sprinkler control valve in a sprinkler box, over which a wooden deck had been built. (That one took me a long time to track down to its source.) Anyway, after reading Walter Jowers' article I will certainly be more on the look out for them!!!! Richard Grisham - Las Vegas, NV

I have inspected maybe a dozen "sucker lot" homes. Walter Jowers description is right on target, brief, and funny. His description fits the lots I have encountered very accurately. After my first few "Sucker Lots" (that I wrote up very poorly), I fell into a routine wording that goes like this:

This house has standing water (---or puddles of water---) in the crawl space. There is no visible evidence of plumbing leaks. There is negative grade---(and I describe it as best I can in a few words). It may be possible to cure this problem with surface grading or a french drain or a sump pump system under the house. The matter should be referred to a drainage contractor for recommendations.

I know of at least two houses that were cured (hopefully) by putting in a sump pump system, with the discharge piped off to a low place or to a storm sewer. Steve Jordan - Lincoln City, OR

Here in Medford, Oregon, we have expansive clay soil on the Eastern side of the valley, moderate clay soil in the center of the valley, and decomposed granite on the Western side of the valley. I have seen most sucker lots in the East and center areas. Standing water in the crawl space is an all too common condition, especially during years with normal rainfall. This year has been a drought year and the water situation is noticeably less than it normally is.

One of the most difficult items of inspection reporting is to explain in writing that the crawl space is currently dry but will likely support aquatic life come next winter when normal or above normal rainfall returns. The first question that is asked is "How much water?" It really does not matter if the soil is wet or has six inches, the vapor is still enough to cause dryrot and induce insect habitation. The amount of air movement is the key factor that determines damage amounts in our area.

When this condition is reported for a newly constructed home, the builder usually states that it passed code inspection and has a certificate of occupancy, therefore it is not an issue. The local code inspectors won't take any responsibility for incorrect grading or foundation drainage systems being correct, so the liability becomes the home inspector's complaint if a lake forms under a home that was inspected by them. In the areas of expansive soils it becomes a double issue. Wet is better than dry for stability. It is easier to keep soil evenly wet than evenly dry.

Homes are built on uncovered soil and begin life sitting on 'FAT' soil. As the soil drys out (from now being covered), it shrinks and settles. I have recommended installing drip irrigation lines along footings and pier pads many times and with good results for achieving a stable structure that has working doors year around. Sounds crazy, but it works. It is really difficult to report accurately about POSSIBLE conditions in the future when you must honestly report all the possibilities and then be accountable to the home buyer for the next millenium of time. Besides incorrect exterior siding installations, foundation drainage is the biggest builder's boo boo that I see. Out of site--out of mind.

Sump pumps work but require water to do so! You need a sump full of water and so you have an excessive amount to some degree. Adequate gravity drainage is great as long as it is in a pipe or remains under a vapor barrier so the effects of vaporization and condensation are eliminated. The bottom line is that this particular condition is common to my area and very few builders address it with the same expertise as they use in building the structure.

I am continually amazed that many new homes are still being built on inadequately prepped sites with absolutely no drainage that works. The unfortunate home buyers that think, or are told, that a home inspection is not needed for this "NEW" home all too often face a major expense when they go to sell a few years later. By then, no one is accountable. New home inspections are a must. More and more Realtors are realizing this fact. Planners and builders need to address these conditions seriously before the home is built, but we all know that that involves dollars that are not cosmetically productive. Nuff Said. Reggie Ayres - Medford, OR

In the southern California area, we have many hillside lots. The hillside lots are almost as disasterous as the ones in a bowl. Seldom is there fall from the uphill side of the structures. More than that, the cut into the hill to provide the pad for the structure sometimes intercepts underground water flows. These flows now have no place to go except under the structure. This causes wet crawl spaces and more disasterous - the cracked slab! At least one in four structures in this area suffer from drainage challenges. The plus for hillside is that there is usually a way to control and dispense the collected water. This is not true with the bowl condition. Also, remember that sump pumps are not allowed when there is FHA financing - except in certain conditions one of which is not dispersal of surface and sub-surface water around the structure. Tom Walther - Vista, California

What reportable conditions are you finding with "Hillside Lot" structures???

Your Name:City: State:

Please include your name or else I don't know who it is from.


CPSC FLOOD VICTIM WARNING

For Immediate Release April 25, 2001 Release # 01-134

Contact: Jane Francis or Ken Giles (301) 504-0580

CPSC Warns Flood Victims: Replace All Gas Control Valves, Electric Circuit Breakers, GFCIs, and Fuses That Have Been Under Water

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning flood victims that all gas control valves, electric circuit breakers, ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), and fuses that have been under water must be replaced to avoid explosions and fires. Even if these safety devices appear to function after being submerged in a flood, they are unfit for continued use and cannot be repaired. They may eventually fail, causing explosions or fires. Other parts of gas and electric appliances that have been submerged such as fans, motors, electric circuits, and venting systems should be evaluated by a qualified technician for continued safe operation. Entire appliances may need to be replaced.

Gas control valves on furnaces, water heaters, and other gas appliances that have been under water must be replaced. Silt and corrosion from flood water can damage internal components of control valves and prevent proper operation. Gas can leak and result in an explosion or fire. Gas control valves that have been under water cannot be salvaged; they must be replaced.

Electric circuit breakers, GFCIs, and fuses that have been submerged must also be replaced because water and silt inside the devices prevent them from performing properly as safety devices. Flood water and silt trapped inside circuit breakers or switches can cause electrical shorting or mechanical malfunctions. The only safe action is to discard and replace circuit breakers, GFCIs, and fuses that have been under water.

CPSC also recommends that consumers replace smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms that have been submerged.


TERRA-COTTA BLOCK EXPLAINED

Last week I shared....... Then came the surprise response from Walter Jowers in Nashville, TN..... Y'know, that ain't brick. That's terra cotta block. I've seen whole houses built of it. Some stuccoed. Typically 1920s-30s. The worn-out holes into the channels give it away. Walter Jowers

That's a new one on me..... I can't wait to learn more about this terra cotta block.... Stay tuned.

Walter Jowers went on to say..... It's like a flowerpot, only made in cubes. (Well, probably made stronger than flowerpots, but you get the idea.) I don't know how they made it, but it looks like maybe it was extruded, and put together in halves. (Maybe one of the engineers can guess). All the spalling issues, as far as I know, are the usual stuff.

Unlike bricks, you can bust this stuff up with a baseball bat. You might do a web search for "architectural terra cotta" and find out more... Walter Jowers - TN

Richard Grisham shared...... Michael: As you probably know, I am also a CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist) and do ocasional commercial inspections for Health & Safety at the jobsite (mostly I just sell my signature for 50 to 100 and let others do the work). Last week I had occasion to visit a modern mini-brewery, restaurant in which the floor in the brewery area was tiled with clay (terra cotta) tiles instead of ceramic tile. They were afraid of mold, because the tiles had come loose and revealed excessive moisture underneath, etc. One of the things I wrote in my report was that "the tiles leading to the drainage trough are unglazed and permit water to diffuse through if wet for extended periods of time. We recommend complete tear-out and replacement with glazed ceramic tile as a permanent solution, followed up with a waterproof sealant and regular maintenance (grout, mastic, sealant, mortar or whatever it takes to keep water from getting under the tiles). Anyway, they were not worried about freezing and spalling here, but understandably, they were worried about mold and mildew since the airborne contaminants might have put an end to the delicate culturing that they do to make the beer produce the correct alcohol and flavors. Hope you find this of interest and thank you for the many kind comments you have made in the past. I must get back to work right away, hospital and Doctor bills arriving pretty regularly now! More on Betty's condition later (mostly good!) Richard Grisham - Las Vegas, NV

I received the hot tip from Tony Devine about a great Terra-cotta explanation. I was fascinated to learn more about this process, and I am also aware that the information presented here is not critical to your inspection. The Inspector would be completely accurate in his reporting that "The masonry is deteriorated on the upper rows of the chimney. There has been spalling and deterioration to the brickwork. Repairs are needed by a Mason to the chimney's crown and brickwork. It is recommended that a level 2 evaluation be made to the chimney by a certified Chimney Sweep and fully assess the scope of needed repairs. These repairs are often relatively expensive and obtaining bids immediately will help determine your course of action." Now one could argue that the inspector's comments are not accurate because the brick are not brick, but that they are Terra-cotta blocks, but I think that is just semantics. But for those of you where both brick and Terra-cotta are used, it would be nice to be knowledgeable enough to know the difference.

Greg DeVault from the Seattle area shared...... It's not uncommon here in the Seattle area. I've always called it clay blocks as opposed to brick. Mostly for chimneys but I've seen houses built out of the stuff, too. Because of our mild climate, it usually does OK although I have seen it spalled similar to the picture. Greg DeVault - WA

Tony Devine sent the following link...... http://www.oldhousejournal.com/notebook/npsbriefs/brief07.asp

NOTE: If you inspect older houses, I highly recommend you subscribe to the Old House Journal. This is one of my top 5 Home Inspection-related periodicals.

 The Preservation of Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta de Teel Patterson Tiller

Glazed architectural terra-cotta was significant in the development of important architectural idioms in this country--specifically, the "Chicago School," the High Rise and the Historic or Beaux Arts styles. In fact, glazed architectural terra-cotta is one of the most prevalent masonry building materials found in the urban environment today (Fig. 1). Popular between the late 19th century and the 1930s, glazed architectural terra-cotta offered a modular, varied and relatively inexpensive approach to wall and floor construction. It was particularly adaptable to vigorous and rich ornamental detailing. However, with changing vogues in materials and architectural styles and rising production costs, glazed architectural terra-cotta fell into disfavor and disuse by the mid 20th century.

Today, information on the maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement of glazed architectural terra-cotta is limited, as are sources of new glazed architectural terra-cotta. This report, then, will discuss some of the major deterioration problems that commonly occur in historic glazed architectural terra-cotta, methods of determining the extent of that deterioration and recommendations for the maintenance, repair and replacement of the deteriorated historic material.

What is Terra-Cotta?

Generically, the broadest definition of terra-cotta refers to a high grade of weathered or aged clay which, when mixed with sand or with pulverized fired clay, can be molded and fired at high temperatures to a hardness and compactness not obtainable with brick. Simply put, terra-cotta is an enriched molded clay brick or block. The word terra-cotta is derived from the Latin word terra-cotta--literally, "cooked earth." terra-cotta clays vary widely in color according to geography and types, ranging from red and brown to white.

Terra-cotta was usually hollow cast in blocks which were open to the back, like boxes, with internal compartment-like stiffeners called webbing (Fig. 2). Webbing substantially strengthened the load-bearing capacity of the hollow terra-cotta block without greatly increasing its weight.

Terra-cotta blocks were often finished with a glaze; that is, a slip glaze (clay wash) or an aqueous solution of metal salts was brushed or sprayed on the air-dried block before firing.

Glazing changed the color, imitated different finishes, and produced a relatively impervious surface on the weather face of the final product. The glaze on the terra-cotta unit possessed excellent weathering properties when properly maintained. It had rich color and provided a hard surface that was not easily chipped off. Glazing offered unlimited and fade-resistant colors to the designer. Even today, few building materials can match the glazes on terra-cotta for the range and, most importantly, the durability of colors.

Types of Terra-cotta

Historically there are four types or categories of terra-cotta which have enjoyed wide use in the history of the American building arts: 1) brownstone, 2) fireproof construction, 3) ceramic veneer, and 4) glazed architectural.

Brownstone terra-cotta is the variety of this masonry material used earliest in American buildings (mid to late 19th century). The brownstone type is a dark red or brown block either glazed (usually a slip glaze) or unglazed. It was hollow cast and was generally used in conjunction with other masonry in imitation of sandstone, brick or real brownstone. It is often found in the architecture of Richard Upjohn, James Renwick, H. H. Richardson and is associated with the Gothic and Romanesque Revival movements through such ornamental detailing as moldings, finials and capitals.

Fireproof construction terra-cotta was extensively developed as a direct result of the growth of the High Rise building in America. Inexpensive, lightweight and fireproof, these rough-finished hollow building blocks were ideally suited to span the I-beam members in floor, wall and ceiling construction (Fig. 3). Certain varieties are still in production today, although fireproof construction terra-cotta is no longer widely employed in the building industry.

Ceramic veneer was developed during the 1930s and is still used extensively in building construction today. Unlike traditional architectural terra-cotta, ceramic veneer is not hollow cast, but is as its name implies: a veneer of glazed ceramic tile which is ribbed on the back in much the same fashion as bathroom tile. Ceramic veneer is frequently attached to a grid of metal ties which has been anchored to the building.

Glazed architectural terra-cotta was the most complex development of terra-cotta as a masonry building material in this country. The hollow units were hand cast in molds or carved in clay and heavily glazed (often in imitation of stone) and fired. Sometimes called "architectural ceramics," glazed architectural terra-cotta was developed and refined throughout the first third of the 20th century and has been closely associated with the architecture of Cass Gilbert, Louis Sullivan, and Daniel H. Burnham, among others. Significant examples in this country include the Woolworth Building (1913) in New York City and the Wrigley Building (1921) in Chicago.

Late 19th and early 20th century advertising promoted the durable, impervious and adaptable nature of glazed architectural terra-cotta. It provided for crisp, vigorous modeling of architectural details as the molds were cast directly from clay prototypes without loss of refinement. Glazed architectural terra-cotta could accommodate subtle nuances of modeling, texture and color. Compared to stone, it was easier to handle, quickly set and more affordable to use. Thought to be fireproof and waterproof, it was readily adaptable to structures of almost any height. The cost of molding the clay, glazing and firing the blocks, when compared to carving stone, represented a considerable savings, especially when casts were used in a modular fashion--that is, repeated over and over again. Maintenance of the fired and glazed surface was easy; it never needed paint and periodic washings restored its original appearance.

With the passage of time, many of the phenomenal claims of the early proponents of glazed architectural terra-cotta have proven true. There are many examples throughout this country that attest to the durability and permanence of this material. Yet present-day deterioration of other significant glazed architectural terra-cotta resources ultimately belie those claims. Why? Historically, the lack of foresight or understanding about the nature and limitations of the material has, in many instances, allowed serious deterioration problems to occur that are only now becoming apparent.

Characteristics of Glazed Architectural Terra-cotta as a Building Material

Glazed architectural terra-cotta has many material properties similar to brick or stone. It also has many material properties radically different from those traditional masonry materials. It is those differences which must be considered for a better understanding of some of the material characteristics of glazed architectural terra-cotta when it is used as a building material.

Difficult to identify: Glazed architectural terra-cotta probably comprises one of the largest if not the largest constituent material in some of our urban environments today. However, the infinite varieties of glazing have hidden this fact from the casual observer. One of the attractive features of glazed architectural terra-cotta in its time was that it could be finished (glazed) in exact imitation of stone. In fact, many building owners and architects alike are often surprised to discover that what they presumed to be a granite or limestone building is glazed architectural terra-cotta instead.

Two separate systems: Historically, glazed architectural terra-cotta has been used in association with two specific and very different types of building systems: as part of a traditional load-bearing masonry wall in buildings of modest height, and as a cladding material in High Rise construction. As cladding, glazed architectural terra-cotta often utilized an extensive metal anchoring system to attach it or to "hang it" onto a wall framing system or superstructure (Fig. 4). In the first instance the anchoring was limited; in the second, the anchoring was often extensive and complex. Likewise, in the first instance, deterioration has generally been limited. However, where glazed architectural terra-cotta was used as cladding, particularly in high rise construction, present-day deterioration and failure are often severe.

Complexity of deterioration: Deterioration is, by nature of the design, infinitely complex--particularly when glazed architectural terra-cotta has been used as a cladding material.

Deterioration creates a "domino"like breakdown of the whole system: glazed units, mortar, metal anchors, and masonry backfill. In no other masonry system is material failure potentially so complicated.

Does this change your outlook on Terra-cotta ?

Your Name:City: State:

Please include your name or else I don't know who it is from.


 

PHOTO CHALLENGE #55 FEEDBACK

I would suspect a roof leak or a ceramic tile shower surround on the other side of the wall that has not been properly maintained and sealed. Nathan Buckley Klamath - OR

It is obvious that I threw everybody for a loop on this apparently vague photo of a stain on an upper wall. I have to share with you that I am a little bit disappointed that there was not correct identification by those local Utah Inspectors who attended the recent Meth Lab presentation by the Salt Lake Sherriff's department. That's right, when you see a seemingly unexplained stain high on a wall it very well could be the signs of a Meth Lab. In this case there were no plumbing fixtures on the wall behind, it was an interior wall and there were no evidences of leaking in the attic above the area.

What other Meth Lab clues are you aware of???

Your Name:City: State:

Please include your name or I don't know who it is from...


PHOTO CHALLENGE #56

Steve Dansby shared the following photo gem. He shared the feature highlights.....

Tired of typing with your stubby finger(s) on a small hand-held device? Exhausted from squinting at the smaller screens and key boards? Thinking about stepping up to a full size computer that you can use in the field? Then you are ready for Bubba's ergonomically designed transport system. Only $19.99. But wait! If you order within the next fifteen seconds we will throw in one additional roll of our fine Duct Tape.

 

  To use the newer Pocket PCs or stick with the full running desktop system??? That is the ultimate question...... Order yours today!

What do you think of his creativity???

Your Name:City: State:

Please include your name or else I don't know who it is from.


QUOTABLE QUOTES: ".... You will see a large reddish sign on your right that says BRUSH CREEK RANCH. Turn right(south) onto the dirt road and continue for almost exactly 5 miles. Turn left at the "XH Land and Cattle Company" sign." Country Client Giving Country Directions


HAVE A GREAT WEEK! =:-)

Michael Leavitt & Co Inspections, Inc.

The Most Qualified Inspector in Northern Utah!


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