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Michael Leavitt & Co Inspections, Inc. |
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MONDAY MORNING MESSENGER |
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Message prepared especially for Members of the American Institute of Inspectors® as well as Home Inspectors abroad |
GOOOOOD MORNING, A.I.I.....
It's a great day here in Orem, Utah! This week will be a special one for the leavitt household. Our oldest son Adam will be turning 8 and he will ba baptized on Saturday if he survives his birthday party on Friday. Adam will become a Cub Scout when he turns 8 and he is excited about the upcoming Pinewood Derby and earning all of the Cub Scouting awards.
To wax philosophically for a moment, I was struck by my clients last week who were buying one of the top 50 nicest home's in my county. This was a 1994 smart home complete with computerization and motion sensors that could identify your presence in the room and would raise the lighting and heating to make the room comfortable. This home had everything that one would dream of including a minuturized version of the home in the back yard that made a playhouse. Yes, the playhouse did have lighting and heating to make one comfortable on a cold winter night. The hard part for me was that the buyers were a young couple with one young child and they requested that I not share anything about them and their purchase with others. This home was 6 times bigger than any young family needs and they could not even bring themselves to telling their extended family and friends where they were purchasing their home. The home sits in the Sherwood Hills portion of Provo, Utah which was originally established by the Osmond family and the views of the valley are incredible.
I left the elite home inspection thankful for my family and our much more modest abode. I had just inspected the home that dreams are made of and it was surrounded by other homes of similar value. The seller of the home was a dot com millionaire who was now in a bind. It seems that about 10 months ago he woke up in his last 3 year filthy rich mode and by the same afternoon he had lost 30 million dollars when his company stock crashed. Everything that he had was leveraged against the value of those stocks........... Let me see........ Hmmmmmmm......... I wake up with 30 million dollars still in my bank account and by afternoon snack I have lost all 30 million. This was a sobering reality. We can search for all of the material riches in the world and just like that they can all be stripped away from us.
MASTER INSPECTOR QUIZ - WASHING MACHINES
I thought that it would be fun to test our knowledge of the installation of washing machines. We look at hundreds of them each year and I was amazed at how little I knew about their installation requirements. The inspiration for this quiz came from another inspector asking the simple question, "What is the maximum level that a washing machine can discharge?" You have probably seen the service basement installation of a laundry room where the sewer leaves the home at the main floor level and the homeowner modifies in their own laundry hook-ups in the basement. So how high can a unit safely pump the discharge upwards? As you think about that question I encourage you to take the following quiz. Take it first without referring to anything other than the details stored between your ears. Then return and retake the quiz after you have researched the topic. It might amaze you at how little we all currently know about clothes washer installations. Please don't be shy and take the time to participate...........
WHY JIM CORBIN ATTENDS CONFERENCES 
I attend for the same reasons Ron Coyd attends and for probably the same reason that many of you attend each AII Spring and Annual conferences. I too have not missed a meetingsince joining AII. The first conference saw me short of funds because I was just starting out my business. I just happened to do a couple of inspections the week before and I used those funds to attend instead of something else I really needed at the time. I was not disappointed. Instead, by attending I was convinced that I would not miss a single future conference due to the mass of information and the pleasure of meeting all of the "experts" in the business. It is so great when talking with someone about one of your concerns and the individual offers..."I had that same issue and here is what I did about it. In fact, I still have the paper, report, reference, etc. and I will send it to you. Give me your business card." This type of interaction not only solvesolves your issue but gains you a valuable business contact who you can turn to later if you need help. I have used these contacts countless times to validate issues, gain insight of another approach or get the information I need to attack a finding I had not seen before. Plan to attend the conferences...you will not be disappointed. I also recommend that you bring a lot of business cards so that you can exchange them with the other participants. See you in Reno! Jim Corbin - Bow, WAHave you registered for the April Spring 2002 AII Cnnference yet? If you register by March 15, 2002 you will save $50.00. Call Betty at 800-877-4770 and register today!
FHA INSPECTIONS PT. 2 By Ted HarrisWhen Michael asked me to share my experience on FHA inspections, I realized that I was going to be writing stuff to a lot of guys who know a lot more about this than I, and who have been doing these things a lot longer than I have. To you apologize in advance. Please accept this as it is offered. Any response or correction sent to MMM will be appreciated.
I think that it would be proper to remind you that we are looking at FHA Inspections in an attempt to review those additional inspection requirements that might be placed upon the home inspector. The reason that you are conducting an FHA inspection is to determine and reveal those conditions in the home that may have to be repaired or modified in order to comply with FHA requirements. You only give the facts, keeping in mind that it is the appraiser's call. Appraisers are busy, and in a hurry. They miss things, and lets face it, they sign off on things that you and I never would. Having said that, if you have done a good job, that is as far as you can go.
A reminder, also that these opinions that I give here are my own. I have tried to base them all on fact and actual experience. You may not agree with me on all of my opinions. That is the reason for this MMM, and I welcome any discussion.
Let's talk this week about attic and crawlspace ventilation. Without mentioning the C _ _ _ _ word, we should all have pretty much the same opinion as to what the standard is for attic and crawl space ventilation. I have always been taught one square foot unobstructed opening for every 150 square foot of space whether it be foundation crawl space or attic.
ATTIC & CRAWL SPACE VENTILATION: First of all I will talk about attic ventilation. Our trusty guide, the 4150.2 says: "Natural ventilation of structural space, such as attics and crawl spaces, must be provided to reduce the effect of excess heat and moisture that are conducive to decay and deterioration of the structure. All attics must have ventilation to allow moisture and excessive heat to escape. The appraiser must check the attic areas to determine whether the ventilation is adequate." That sounds reasonable to me, if some one will just define what "natural" ventilation is in an attic. I am supposing that they mean hot air rises and it should go out near the top of the attic, and cooler air should come in through the bottom. Now, what is adequate? Since no other guidance is given to the appraiser here, should we consider our old rule of thumb: Not less than one square foot vent space to every 150 square foot of the attic. There is no clear guidance here from the manual. In the end, whether it is adequate or not will end up being the appraiser's opinion. I feel that it would behoove the inspector just to note the actual conditions of the attic ventilation and note his or her opinion as to whether it is adequate or not. I don't have to add that you should give an opinion that you can defend.
Let me share with you my thinking on vents, both attic and crawl space: Lets use as a model, a rectangular 30 X 60 dwelling. That's 1800 feet roughly, discounting the overhangs. This means that you need 12 square feet of vent openings, right? Ideally, twelve openings, right? It very seldom works that way. To start off, I am not familiar with any vent that gives one square foot of opening. The key word here is unobstructed. Too often the rough opening is equated to finished vent space. I know that they come in all sizes, but let's take the standard 8 x 16 screen will give you 128 square inches. As I recall a square foot is 144 square inches. Let's just ignore the fact that the cutout section is even less than that. I may stand to be corrected here, but screen on a vent or metal louvers will reduce the area by 25%. Now you have 96 square inches. That means now at least 18 vents. Do you reckon the appraiser is going to note this? I don't think so. When the appraiser fills out the VC Form, the only question that he has to answer is: "No ventilation by vent, fan or window. Yes/No." I have to mention here that, on the other side of the balance, many times I have been in attics with minimal to no venting, and except for the fact that the heat did build up, there was no other adverse affect to be noted. I am sure that you have seen the same thing. This does not mean that I am not a firm believer in attic vents. When I built the house I am living in now, I put 4X24 inch vents every three feet in the soffits, and full ridge vent at the top. Each soffit vent is 24 open square inches. That means that it takes six of these vents to make one square foot. At first glance it looks like I almost over did it. Remarks have been made to that effect. Realistically, I didn't install enough.
Now to move on to foundation venting: We have the usual 1 square foot for every 150 square feet of foundation space. Here is where it starts getting complicated (for me anyway). If the ground surface is treated with approved vapor barrier material, and if one vent opening is within three feet of each corner of the building, then the requirement minimum is one square foot for every 1500 square feet. Some one correct me here if I have read it wrong. In a lot of cases, that means a minimum four vent openings in our model building. The reason being that one vent must be located at least three feet from each corner. Without the vent at the corner requirement, the actual requirement would be a 1.2 square feet. Vapor barrier or not, that just doesn't seem to be enough ventilation.
Let me digress just for a moment, and talk about vapor barriers. For better or worse (One of these days I will reveal my real opinion about vapor barriers in crawl spaces), FHA requires that homes to be covered by FHA Loan Insurance have a vapor barrier installed. Where do we find that in our guide? The ol' 4150.2, Section D-2 Valuation Condition Requirements. This section gives specific conditions of the subject property that the appraiser must review and note in the Valuations Conditions Form. (The VC Form that I previously mentioned). Page D-29 simply states, "The foundation/basement must have a vapor barrier. Strangely, or maybe not so strangely since this is a government handbook, the VC Form doesn't even ask the question: "Is there a vapor barrier under this house?" As far as I can see, nothing else is mentioned about the necessity of having a vapor barrier installed. So if we note the lack of a vapor barrier on our report, and the appraiser doesn't go under the house, this will probably slip by anyway. This is a good reason that you should state your professional judgment as to the adequacy of the foundation ventilation.
Vapor barrier aside, let me give you my opinion of ventilation in the crawl space. Our model home has 1800 square feet of crawl space. That means twelve unobstructed square feet of vent openings. You have all seen the older homes where the standard size opening is 8 X 16, although you can see them with all sizes and shapes. They normally leave an 8 X 16 opening. Then they take 2-by and frame the hole. Now the opening is 5 X 13 which is 65 square inches. Then, to keep the varmints out, they get screen wire and cover the opening. Now you have 49 square inches. Where our requirement was for 12 square feet of unobstructed openings we now need 35 vent holes.
Using the newer plastic vent units which are 8 X 16, the vent opening is 5 ½ X 14 inches which equals 77 square inches. As ridiculous as it sounds, it would take 22 vent holes to meet the standards. Quite often I am hesitant to tell a seller or buyer, what it would take to ventilate their foundation.
Of course the strict requirement for a vapor barrier for FHA makes this a moot point, as we are back to 1 square foot per 1500 square foot of crawl space.
I would suggest that each of you be careful, and do a little more than walk around the house and count vent holes. I hardly ever see new or up to ten-year-old construction that meets these standards. They appear to be just counting holes. Perhaps there is a standard that I don't know about. However, it appears that, to best serve your client, a strong statement should be made in your report as to your opinion of the ventilation of the crawl space.
I look forward to your responses.
PHOTO CHALLENGE #94 FEEDBACK
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No flashing! Looks like the brick window sill in the background is level, but I am not sure. Chris Burkhart - Sandy, Utah
The EIFS trim on top of the bricks is not properly sloped away from the house. The bricks under the window & under the EIFS are not sloped away from the house. The EIFS is installed in direct contact with the bricks & the window instead of having a gap that is sealed with backer rod & caulk. Nathan Buckley - Klamath Falls, OR
Jim Archer gets the time investment award because he took the time to document 11 items for our benefit. Thanks Jim!
1. The first thing "Wrong" is that it IS EIFS! Probably over wood framing and sheeting.
2. The brick ledger is flat, not sloped, on top and without flashing or an expansion joint. . This allows water to get through the EIFS / Brick junction. Not visible are any weep holes at the base of the brick
3. Brick can act like a sponge and allow water through.
4., The EIFS detail, horizontal band, is not sloped.
5. Windows are "Water Resistant" not water proof. Some models have screws at the top and bottom that hold the vertical component to the frame. These may not be sealed and present another water penetration point.
6. Not visible is the EIFS / Window joint. It may or may not have a backer rod with a caulked joint. If a sealant, such as Vulkem is used, you may find that some of the 2-3 "Product Numbers" are not compatible with the substrate. One is compatible with Vinyl but not the base coat of the EIFS. One may be compatible with the finish coat EIFS but not Vinyl. The many caulking types and variables in the EIFS system, the brick, vinyl windows, flashings etc. gives all kinds of combinations that may or may not work.
7. Moisture from the interior of the home is trapped behind the EIFS. If the system is over 5-6 years old, it probably is not installed with a "drainable" substrate.
8. If the installation contractor has insurance, he probably had to sign a waiver noting he installs EIFS, pay higher premiums or had it cancelled because he is installing EIFS.
9. If the home has a vinyl soffitt, there may be condensation on the upper surface. Depending on that transition, water can get behind the EIFS there.
10. These observations are based on life on the Central Oregon Coast where rain can come horizontally at 100 MPH! However, even 60 miles inland, where conditions are less severe, the same challenges are seen. Any of you on the East Coast probably know many of the horror stories. I read somewhere that the "Stuff" was never intended for application over wood. After seeing what 9 months of failure can do, I believe it. The framing and sheeting looked like yesterday's oatmeal.
11. Recommend Licensed / Certified EIFS Inspection Company Evaluate!!!
Jim Archer, Archer Home Inspection Services - Florence, OR
PHOTO CHALLENGE #95Last Monday found me driving up to a getaway cabin in Heber, Utah. We delayed the timing of this inspection for the Olympics to be over with since I had to pass right by one of the major olympic park and rides to get to the property. This home was set high in the mountains and I could only get my vehicle within a half a mile of the cabin. I had to ride the rest of the way with my client who had the grand vision of converting this wekend getaway structure to a full time home. He was concerned with what conversions would be needed to be able to live there full time.
High mountain homes bring with them their own unique challenges. Of course I was up to my waste in snow throughout the exterior portion of the evaluation. This cabin suffered from some of the more common issues. Please take a look at the photos and then share with me what you would write up.
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QUOTABLE QUOTE: "Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present." Jim Rohn |
HAVE A GREAT WEEK! Michael Leavitt & Co Inspections, Inc. The Most Qualified Inspector in Northern Utah! |
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