Inspector's Corner - Viewpoint

Radon Testing - Should I have it done?

2011-04-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

Radon is a radioactive gas that is released by Uranium decay products found in rock and soil and is present everywhere. Outdoor levels are typically very low and present little risk. Indoor levels tend to be higher due to the natural "stack effect" or suction that occurs as warm air rises through the home and out of the attic. Well water can also be a contributing factor to indoor Radon levels.

Radon is considered the second leading cause of Lung Cancer next to smoking being the first and second hand smoking coming in at third. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that Radon causes 21,000 deaths per year. The EPA recommends that every house be tested and mitigated if the levels are above 4.0pCi/L.

From my own records over the last several hundred Radon tests that I have performed in the Lehigh Valley, 43% of homes have Radon levels at or above 4.0pCi/L.
A myth that I often hear is that if the home is on a slab or does not have a finished basement then it won't have Radon. Radon levels can be high on all levels of the home and the "Stack Effect" which draws Radon out of the soil will still occur on a home that is built on a slab. Also, if one house has elevated Radon levels, it does not mean that the neighboring house will also. The only good way to be sure is to have your home tested.

The good news is that high Radon levels are easily corrected. Most homes can be mitigated for less than $1,000. Radon mitigation systems are very effective at reducing Radon levels to near outdoor levels and require little maintenance.

For more information on Radon health risks, testing and mitigation, read the EPA's Citizen's Guide to Radon.

New Construction - Do I need a Home Inspection?

2011-04-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

Many buyers will think that if they are purchasing a new construction home, then there will be nothing wrong with the home and skip the home inspection. While it is true that we should expect to not find much wrong with a new construction home, things do occasionally get missed. That is not to say that home builders are not building quality homes. There are a lot of stages involved in building a home and multiple sub contractors are performing different tasks. Even with a good construction manager or general contractor and municipal inspections things can be overlooked. You can read examples of things I have found in new construction listed at the bottom of this post.

Builder's Warranty

You may say, "Well, the home has a 1year warranty so I don't need an inspection." From the experiences of past clients of mine, it is always much easier to point something out and have it corrected prior to settlement than after. Don't get me wrong, the builder's warranty is important and you should take full advantage of it. Many of my clients that have their new construction home inspected will also have an 11th month inspection performed. This is your last chance to put together a punch list of items that crept up without you noticing.

What do I find wrong with new construction?

I have decided to keep a running list of items worth mentioning which I have found inspecting new construction. I will update this list from time to time as something new comes along.

Incomplete Ductwork - I have come across this on at least 2 homes. One home had a supply register in a ceiling with no ductwork connected in the attic. The flex duct was laying several feet away and was never connected. On the other home, the flex duct was missing all together and the supply plenum had an open connection blowing into the attic. In both houses, heating and cooling was being wasted into the attic and the respective room was not being heated or cooled.
Dryer or bathroom exhaust venting into the attic - This one is a common find. All bathroom and dryer exhaust must vent to the outside. On occasion I have found the exhaust vent laying to the side and was just never installed. Venting moist air into the attic can lead to Mold and deterioration of nearby structure.
Second Floor Laundry Room - If you have a laundry room on the second floor, there must be an overflow tray installed under the washing machine. This tray will have a drain that discharges into the garage or into an unfinished basement. If this tray is missing and the washing machine develops a leak, substantial water damage can occur to the home.
3-Way/4-Way Wall Switches Improperly Wired - This is also another common find. A three or four way circuit means that you have a light fixture that is controlled by more than one or two wall switches. If not wired properly, you will find that in a particular configuration of wall switch positions leaves one of the wall switches inoperable. You would be surprised how often I find this.
Attic Insulation Around Recessed Lighting - Not all recessed lighting cans are rated to be in contact with insulation. If this occurs, the light fixture can overheat and become a fire hazard. The light fixture will be labeled whether or not it can be covered with insulation. If not, then a baffle needs to be installed around the recessed can in the attic to hold back the insulation.
Improper Wall Cabinet Installation - Kitchen wall cabinets are often "stock" cabinets that have a real wood front but the back and sides are a compressed particle board. This type of cabinet needs cabinet mounting screws or finishing washers under wood screws to increase the surface area of the mounting screw. This prevents the screws from pulling through the particle board resulting in a cabinet that pulls away from the wall.
Poor Grading - The overall grading of the property needs to slope away from the home to direct any rain water away from the foundation. This is a common contributor to water intrusion in basements. Many municipalities do not allow any runoff from one home to run across another yard. When looking at the grading, it is also important to consider the likely 6" or more of settlement that will occur around the perimeter of the home where loose backfill exists. A yard that drains well in the first year may not necessarily drain well three years from now.
Loose Shingles - This one was a surprise. While walking the roof, I noticed several shingles that were loose and out of place. Looking at a loose shingle, it appeared that the roofer may have run out of nails in his nail gun a few times without noticing it right away.
Gas Furnace Roof Vent, Improper Clearance - Concentric vent/intake is a nice little package to provide exhaust and an fresh air intake for a high efficiency furnace while only making a single penetration through the roof. In our climate, there should be at least 12" of clearance from the high side of the roof to the intake. This allows for continued fresh air intake with snow accumulation on the roof. If the intake is blocked, the furnace will shut down and you will find yourself without heat.

Outlet Adapters - Can I use them?

2011-03-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

Two Prong Outlet Adapter

We have all seen and most likely used these adapters. Here is the situation. You live in an older home that has two-prong outlets and you need to plug in a cord that has three prongs. What do you do? Well, you could hire an electrician to change out or re-wire the outlet. Then you go to your local big box home improvement store and see one of these little babies. You say to yourself....Self, this thing is cheap and it solves my problem!

Is your problem solved?

Maybe, maybe not. If your home was built in the 50's or later (and you have two-prong outlets) then you may actually have grounded wiring in your home. If this is the case then the answer is yes it does solve your problem. There is a condition though. See that little green tab on the adapter? It MUST be attached to the screw on the cover-plate of the outlet to provide a ground connection. Once this is connected, it is completely safe to plug in a three-prong cord. If you do not have grounded wiring in your home, then no you should not use this type of adapter.

How do I know if I have grounded wiring?

Pig Tail Tester

You can remove the cover-plate on the outlet (turn off the breaker first) and simply look into the outlet box to see if there is a bare copper wire attached to the metal box and/or the green screw on the outlet. You can also use a pig tail tester to verify a ground connection from the Hot side (smaller hole on the outlet) to the cover-plate screw. This is an very inexpensive tester available a most home improvement stores. If you are not comfortable doing this, call an electrician to verify it for you.

Armored Cable

Armored Cable w/Bond Strip

As in many cases, there is an exception and here it is. If your home is wired using an old armored cable (AC) commonly called BX cable, the tester will show that you have a ground connection. This cable has a metal spiral outer casing. The problem is that unless this cable has a bond strip you cannot use the outer casing as a ground and cannot use this two-prong adapter. If you do, a ground fault can essentially turn the metal spiral wrap into a heating element in your walls which obviously is a fire hazard. Also be aware that you cannot "upgrade" to a grounded three-prong connector on this type of circuit as it creates the same hazard. If the bond strip is present then yes, you can use the two-prong adapter given that you connect the tab to the cover-plate screw. This bond strip is not always easily visible and should be verified by a licensed electrician if you are unsure.

60+ yr Old House - Three-Prong Outlets

2011-03-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

Three Prong Outlet

This post is about an electrical issue that is found all too often in older homes. If a home is at least 60yrs old or so, then the wiring in the home is more than likely two wire conductor with no ground and the outlets should be a two-prong type. This in itself is not necessarily an issue. When I walk into an older home like this and I start seeing a more "modern" three-prong outlet, my suspicions begin. Has the house been rewired or simply "upgraded" to a new outlet. Installing a three-prong outlet on a two wire system is a safety concern. It creates the impression of ground protection when in fact there isn't.

What is a ground connection you ask?

The ground connection provides a path back to a ground rod driven into the ground at the outside of the home and/or the water supply plumbing to carry a fault current away from the person using the appliance. When you plug in an appliance, power tool or any device that has three prongs on the plug, that device relies on the ground connection to prevent possible electrocution.

False Ground, Neutral & Ground Jumper

In a few cases I have found what is called a bootlegged or false ground. This is when a jumper wire is installed from the Neutral screw on the outlet to the Ground screw. If you plug in a simple Three-Light outlet tester, it will show that the outlet is grounded. A novice wiring the outlet may think this is not a problem since the Neutral and Ground connections are at the same electrical potential in the main panel. This is a major electrical safety concern. As mentioned in the last paragraph, a fault current from an electrical short needs to be carried as far away from the user as possible.

What are your options?

GFCI Outlet

Well, you can leave the two-prong outlet in place (or change the three-prong back to a two-prong outlet). This is the least expensive option. If you need a three-prong outlet for a specific appliance, then a licensed electrician can run a new grounded circuit. Another option is to install a GFCI outlet (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter). This is option is allowed by the NEC (National Electrical Code) but it has its limitations. It MUST be labeled with the "Non-Equipment Ground" sticker that comes with the outlet. This will protect the user of the appliance from a ground fault electrical shock. It will not; however, provide ground protection needed for sensitive electronic equipment. Surge protectors for your entertainment system, computers or other sensitive electronics need a ground connection to protect the equipment.

Foundation Cracks

2011-03-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

The foundation is cracked, should I be concerned?

Foundation cracking is very common and is often a topic of concern for buyer's. Not every crack is necessarily a major issue. Poured foundations will typically develop shrinkage cracks as the concrete cures. These will often form on a long wall or from the corner of basement window openings. This type of crack will always be vertical and usually less than 1/8" in width This type of crack is likely not a structural concern; however, it should still be monitored for additional movement. There are devices such as the "CrackMON" (http://www.builderswebsource.com/tools/crackmonitor/crackmon.htm) which can be adhered to the foundation wall to detect movement.
Water intrusion can be an issue with this or any foundation crack. To reduce the chances of water intrusion into the basement, the crack should be sealed, gutters checked regularly and the downspouts should be extended at least 5' away from the foundation. You should also ensure that the grading of the yard has sufficient slope away from the foundation (typically 1/4" per foot for 10') to direct water runoff away from the foundation. In extreme water intrusion cases, a basement waterproofing contractor should be consulted.

When is a foundation crack considered a structural concern? If any of the conditions described below are observed, it is recommended to consult a professional structural engineer for further evaluation.

A vertical crack that is 1/4" or greater in width usually indicates that structural movement has occurred and may still continue.
Any vertical or horizontal displacement in the wall from one side of the crack to the other is also indicative of structural movement.
Horizontal cracking is a sign of possible expansive soil pressure against the foundation. Poor grading will contribute to this type of movement as water runoff will be directed toward the foundation and can push the wall inward during freeze/thaw cycles. Horizontal cracking can also occur during back filling of soil against the foundation during construction. Bowing of the wall is often visible in extreme cases. This type of crack is more likely to be found on a block wall foundation.