Decks come in various sizes and shapes and not all decks are created equal.  In fact most decks we see have some deficiencies.  In some cases the deficiencies are minor, but in other cases these deficiencies can lead to a total deck collapse and personal injury. A deck evaluation is the best means to ensure the safety of your deck.

One of our recent clients was a condominium association that had seventy-four (74) decks in various sizes and construction.  They had just experienced a deck collapse and retained Team Engineering to do a comprehensive evaluation of all decks on the property.

Normally, invasive examination is not required; however, some of the deck structural components were concealed by exterior sheathing and exterior siding.  Due to inferior construction techniques, moisture had collected behind these exterior components causing severe rot.  This was the direct cause of the ensuing deck failure.

Team Engineering had the surface sheathing and siding removed to examine the hidden components. Behind this covering, many of the decks were found to have severe rot.  These decks were then closed until repairs could be made – thus preventing another deck collapse.

In this evaluation, Team Engineering used our proprietary 30 point deck check-list to examine critical elements of the structural components.  We developed an approach keeping safety as the first level of evaluation.  While all of the decks required some level of repairs, there were some that needed immediate attention to avoid injuries and further loss.  Prioritizing the deck repairs also allowed the condominium association to approach the deck repairs as time and finances allowed.

Contact us today for your deck inspection.

Building Inspection, Home Inspection & Design

We are fortunate to work with many home inspectors while providing our Building Inspections and Design Services. These inspectors and designers, in many cases, rate high in quality and professionalism. Be aware that not all carry such a high rating. Here is where the phrase “buyer beware” is great advice. Make sure you do your homework to avoid the following scenario, which is an example of the kind of story that we hear more often than we’d like.

You have found a home that you really like.  All is a “go,” except you have not had a home inspection.  You search the web.  You find a Home Inspector who is licensed in New Hampshire.  His credentials look good.

On the day of the inspection, the Home Inspector arrives early and has his equipment ready when you arrive.  In one quick tour around the house the inspector finds some trim rot.  Then, he takes you into the basement and upstairs.  He finds cracks in the foundation wall that he refers to as “stress cracks”, and “vapor staining” in the attic.  “Nothing to worry about,” he says.  The inspection is over in about 2 hours.  Everyone is relieved.

You have purchased your home and have been living in the home for the winter.  Now you are stressed.  The “stress cracks” in the foundation walls are getting bigger.  There are new cracks on the ceiling.  You have large icicles hanging from the eaves and inside water damage.  What do you do now?  A friend says that you should call a Building Inspection Engineer.

You have an inspection by an engineer who does home inspections.  He finds the following:

• There is an unstable slope in the rear yard.  The rear of the house was constructed on fill that was not properly compacted.  The “stress cracks” are due to excessive settlement of the soil under the foundation.  Ground improvement needs to be done at the cost of $15,000 to $20,000.
• The cracks in the cathedral ceiling are due to snow loading.  The framing can be reinforced for $6,000.
• There is no vapor barrier on the attic floor and only about 6-inches of insulation.  This is the cause of the ice dams.  The “vapor staining” is actually mold caused by previous episodes of ice damming.  Attic air sealing and insulation can be improved for about $3,000.
• There are now interior finishing repairs to be done.  That’s an additional $3,000.

Home repair costs add up quickly.  You would have known about these necessary repairs before you bought the home if you had had an Engineered Home Inspection.  An Engineered Home Inspection (EHI) by Team Engineering is thorough.  As a buyer, we will give you the information that you need to make the best decision that you can about what may be the most significant purchase that you will ever make.  You deserve no less.  An EHI will protect everyone involved in the transaction. Contact us today to learn more.

Building Inspection, Home Inspection & Design

There are more than 250,000 oil heat customers in New Hampshire, the majority of whom are residential according to the NH Department of Environmental Services (DES).  As the existing tank population ages, more releases are being reported.  In addition, many existing tanks do not meet today’s standards.

The average cost to clean up a leak from a residential tank exceeds $15,000.  I am aware of clean-ups costing more than $100,000.  However, typical homeowner’s insurance policies do not provide coverage for releases from oil tanks.  There are funds available at the NHDES, if regulations and “Best Management Practices For the Installation and Upgrading of On-Premise-Use Heating Oil Tanks” are followed, and if the NH Petroleum Fund(s) is solvent.

Personally, I would rather avoid the financial risk associated with an oil tank that may leak.  I also wish to avoid the inconvenience and odor that accompany an oil release.

So how can an oil release be avoided?

First and foremost, a good tank installation is needed.  The tank needs a solid one-piece concrete slab or floor on which to sit.  It also needs:

• Legs that are stable
• Appropriately located, sized, and capped fill & vent pipes
• Plastic fuel line protector
• Suitable gauge, valves, and filter.

If it is an exterior tank, it needs roof protection when not located near the gable end, and its filter needs to be protected.  The tank should have a sticker or stamped label indicating it meets Underwriters Laboratory 80 or 142 standards.

Inspect your tank every 3 months.

Old or new, a tank should be inspected at least every 3 months.  Most often a tank starts leaking slowly before releasing all its contents. So detection and evaluation of a slow leak is important.  If there is a leak, inspection would reveal oil under or on the tank, oil staining associated with the fill and vent pipes, or oil being released at the end of the plastic fuel line protector.  Inspections should also include observations or rust, wet spots, excessive dents, or threats to the tank (e.g., storage of items precariously near the filter).

If it is an underground storage tank, the tank itself and underground piping cannot be directly inspected.  However, fuel use records will indicate if there is a suspicious increase in fuel consumed.

What to do if you have a leak.

If a leak or defect is found, then you should contact your oil dealer, burner technician, plumbing and heating contractor, and/or the NHDES Oil Remediation and Compliance Bureau at (603) 271-3899.

If you have questions about your home heating oil tank or need an inspection, please contact us today.

Building Inspection, Home Inspection & Design

We have reached the “perfect storm” for renovation loan financing.  If you have limited cash and you either own or are contemplating the purchase of a home that needs renovations, you should consider the 203(k) program. The following factors are at play:

1. There is an abundance of neglected homes on the market
2. Incomes have not grown at rates necessary to generate cash for home improvements
3. Financing rates are still incredibly low
4. Existing home values are generally lower than it costs to build new (this means it’s a great time to buy and a difficult time to get home equity lines of credit)

Among other advantages, the 203(k) program allows financing of nearly 100% of a home’s value – far higher than traditional methods, and extremely helpful at this time.

Whether you’re planning a Streamlined (<$35K in renovation) or a Standard 203(k), there are requirements for the property to be inspected by a qualified individual that knows the 203(k) program requirements.  All too frequently, our office receives inquiries regarding preparation of a 203(k) work write-up after a home inspection. In most cases, the home inspection report does not satisfy the HUD requirements, which then obligates us (now acting strictly as a 203(k) Fee Consultant) to re-inspect the home – creating additional and unnecessary expense for the home buyer or owner.

Team Engineering can help you determine if a home is a good candidate for the 203(k) program. The 203(k) Loan Program works well if the process is started properly. In most 203(k) cases, buyers know in advance that they are planning to purchase a “fixer upper,” which means you can save time and money by hiring a home inspector that is also a qualified 203(k) Fee Consultant.

Home Inspectors Who are Licensed Engineers

To sweeten the deal further, all Team Engineering home inspectors are also licensed Professional Engineers. As a result, when the all-too-often structural defect is discovered, we can simultaneously answer these questions with authority and create practical and economical solutions as part of the 203(k) write-up.

Saving Clients Money

The vast majority of our 203(k) clients are on limited budgets. We can all help you limit expenses and expedite the 203(k) process by guiding you through the process in the most practical and economical way. Let us work together to revitalize our neighborhoods.  Make Team Engineering your one stop shop for 203(k) inspection and work write-up support!  Contact Team Engineering today if you need a 203K inspection.

Building Inspection, Home Inspection & Design

Attend this FREE seminar from NeighborWorks to learn and better understand the responsibilities associated with home ownership with this step-by-step session! Team Engineering’s own Nancy Nichols will be delivering a presentation covering the importance of a quality home inspection. She will speak from 1:45 PM to 2:30 PM.

• When: Saturday, March 9th, 2013
• Location: 801 Elm Street, Second Floor, Manchester, NH 03101
• Time: 8:30am to 4:30pm
• Register by calling NeighborWorks at 603.626.4663 ext. 2979 or click here

Topics covered in this FREE home buyer seminar:

• How and where to start this complicated process
• The major steps to buying a home
• Are you ready to purchase a home?
• How to establish a budget and improve your credit
• Receiving a free copy of your credit report
• How to improve your chances of getting a mortgage
• What you need for a down payment and closing costs
• Learn about special program resources to finance your home
• How and when to work with real estate agents, loan officers, home inspectors & title companies

We look forward to seeing you there!

Building Inspection, Home Inspection & Design

Goffstown, NH – January 16, 2013

John Turner, P.E., owner and President of Team Engineering and Licensed Professional Engineer in New Hampshire, has been awarded the Professional Architectural Engineer license by The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Division of Professional Licensure Board of Engineering.  Based in Goffstown, New Hampshire, but serving all of New England, Turner and his staff at Team Engineering back their commitment to servicing the engineering needs of a growing client base.

Team Engineering is a firm that has been specializing in building inspection & design services for twenty years. “Our clients appreciate our ability to serve multiple states in the New England market.  Being responsive to our client needs has always been a priority for Team Engineering”, states Turner.

To qualify for the Massachusetts Professional Architectural Engineer license, the educational emphasis and demonstrated expertise focused on a holistic understanding of civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, properly integrated with architecture, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning requirements.

Team Engineering’s client base includes private investors, institutional investors, architects, builders, other engineers, municipalities and many other organizations with interests in multiple New England States.

Click here to learn more about Team Engineering.

Building Inspection, Home Inspection & Design

Our phone starts to ring as snow loads build up. The callers ask: “How much snow is safe on our roof? Or should we shovel our roof?” The answer is … it’s complicated!

There is no generic answer for how much snow a roof can handle. The Standard Practice for a few decades in NH was to build our roofs to support 40 PSF (pounds per square foot) live (snow) load. That’s about 4’ of powder and as little as 2’ of wet snow. Unfortunately, most buildings constructed during those years (1970-2000) do not even meet the 40 lb. requirement. Pre-1970 buildings are typically framed even lighter.

The science of requirements for structures in New Hampshire got a great boost in 2002 when The Structural Engineers of NH initiated and volunteered to study the snow load database for NH. Using formulas developed by CRREL in Hanover, they calculated the ground snow load at a specific elevation for each community in NH. The document they produced gives specific requirements for towns throughout the state. As a result, answering the question of how much snow a roof can theoretically handle has now become town specific.

As an example, the current “Ground” Snow Load requirement for Manchester is 70 PSF. This means that properly built buildings since 2002 should be safe to support about 7’ of dry powder! Unfortunately, we regularly inspect buildings (new and old) in the area with roof frames having a safe loading capacity of below 20 PSF! Often, this is the result of improper connections and detailing of the framing.

As a result, when someone asks, “How much snow can my roof safely support?” The most accurate answer can only be provided by a licensed and qualified engineer. The good news is that it typically costs less to get an engineer to answer this question for you than it does to shovel the roof! Contact us today for an appointment.

Building Inspection, Home Inspection & Design

May this Christmas end the present year
On a cheerful note and make way
For a fresh and bright new year.
Here’s wishing you a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Building Inspection, Home Inspection & Design

Homeowner: Not again.  Those ice dams come back almost every year.  The icicles are so long. 

Inspector: How long are they?

Homeowner:  They are so long that they break my lights and threatened to guillotine my family.  Not only that, I’ve had to repair drywall and paint the ceiling of my kitchen three times because of these ice dams.

I’ll bet you or someone you know well can relate to this conversation and the frustration involved.  But, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Ice dams don’t have to be a fact of life in New Hampshire.  Quite often, ice dam mitigation can simply be performed by adding more insulation to the attic, air sealing around attic floor penetrations, and making sure that ducts that traverse the attic are not leaking.  Sometimes attic ventilation needs to be improved.  While this may not be fun work, it is not generally exorbitantly expensive.

Why would this work?  Snow and ice melt on the roof surface when ambient temperatures are below freezing, because the roof surface is warm.  The meltwater then quickly freezes again.  The cycle continues, and ice dams build.  So, if the roof surface were to stay cold, the snow would stay as snow until the spring thaw when ambient temperatures are above freezing and meltwater drains off the roof rather than re-freezes on the roof.

If your ice damming is above a Cathedral ceiling, then the solution may not be so simple.  The framing of Cathedral ceilings often does not allow enough space for typical fiberglass bat or cellulose insulation with an R-value of 49 or better.  The solution may also not be so simple if you live in a home with undersized rafters and/or limited roof ventilation.  For these scenarios, there needs to be a more creative solution tailored to your building needs by an engineer.

Repeat ice damming can cause extensive damage to finishes, and can also promote mold growth.  Why wait for Ice Dam Dementia again this year?  Contact us today!

Building Inspection, Home Inspection & Design

Pray for snow!  Yes, I mean it.  Why live in New England if you don’t enjoy the white stuff?  In December, snow gets us all cheerful and full of Christmas spirit!  Snow is also great fun for sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and it allows me to host an annual bonfire party in January. Let’s not forget that it’s also tremendously beneficial to our economy here in New Hampshire: snow inspires tourism!

At Team Engineering, we also love snow because it gives us the opportunity to answer your questions about safe snow loads on your house or building.  Further, there remains so much confusion in the construction industry about ice dams and what must be done to prevent/minimize them. Specifying “Ice and Water Shield” or similar bituminous membrane products as roofing underlayment may reduce leakage, but does not solve the underlying problems that cause ice dams.

For years, the primary focus was on ventilation, but we have learned that ice damming is a result of many additional factors, which are listed here in order of significance:

1. Solar orientation and heating. The impact of the sun on roof performance and icing is tremendous.  You will rarely see a large ice dam on a south facing roof.  It is unfortunate how little consideration we New Englanders give to the solar orientation in our design.  A complicated, north facing roof is simply begging for ice damming trouble.
2. Roofing color. The probability of ice damming problems with black shingles versus white or reflective is tremendous.  I know, we New Englanders love our black roofs, but they are not ideal from an ice-dam and energy design standpoint.  Light color or reflective type shingles will not only reduce the tendency for ice damming but also reduce cooling demand in the summer months.
3. Draft Stopping.  Far too many homes and buildings have plenty of insulation, but have poor vapor separation between the living space and the attic.  One of the classic examples of this is office buildings with suspended acoustical ceilings and fiberglass batt insulation installed on top of the ceiling.  The heat loss through direct exfiltration (drafts through the ceiling assembly) is incredible.  Assuming a sloped roof above, ice dams are guaranteed in this situation.  Most homes also suffer from similar conditions – lots of direct exfiltration to the attic. This is a great example of ice dams indicating tremendous heat loss and inefficiency.
4. Heating System Location.  Too many of our modern homes and buildings are constructed with the heating system in uninsulated attics. The Energy Codes and industry are finally beginning to address this practice. While it may save on construction cost with ease of installation, you will pay dearly for energy costs, and ice dam problems are a virtual guarantee.
5. Insulation. Most of our clients are familiar with insulation R-values. The more the better, and since 1986, most homes have been required to have at least R-30 installed in the attic.  Sounds good, right?  Unfortunately, 10” of blown fiberglass or a 10” thick fiberglass batt – both theoretically R-30 – are relatively useless when installed in an open, well-ventilated attic.  My favorite analogy is that if you wear three wool sweaters on a blustery winter day, you’ll still be cold – as the wind blows right through those layers of wool. Properly insulated envelopes require a combination of insulation and vapor control.  No different than how you’ll appreciate your Gore-Tex shell when you ride the Cannon Mountain chair!
6. Ventilation. Traditional, insulated, ventilated attics still work great.  Unfortunately, industry momentum has managed to convince most that ridge vents are an adequate alternative to end vents.  The trouble with the ridge vent theory is that four letter word: snow!  In most cases, ridge vents do not provide sufficient ventilation to counteract the solar heating and heat loss described above. There is growing consensus toward the viability of insulated (non-vented) roof decks.

If you are concerned about how much snow your roof can support, if you are frustrated with ice damming problems with your home or building, or if you are designing an addition or new building, please contact us and let us help you enjoy the snow!

Building Inspection, Home Inspection & Design