Tips & Tricks for Southern Home Owners

Wintertime Allergies? Or Just A Dirty Furnace?

2010-01-21T13:07:00.005-06:00

Every year when the weather gets cold for the first time, my phone rings. Actually it rings all year 'round, but after the first cold spell I get a particular type of phone call.

It goes like this...

“Hi. Do you do mold inspections? We think we have mold because everyone on the house has gotten sick all of a sudden. Runny noses, headaches, scratchy throats, you know, mold symptoms. Could you come do a mold test?”

Of course I can do a mold test, but that may not identify the problem. Because the problem may not be mold. A dirty HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) system can cause the same symptoms.

What happens is this...

In the summer months, a part of the A/C system called the evaporator coil (see photo at right) gets really cold and air from the house blows through this coil. The air passes through a filter first to screen out airborne debris (dust, pet hair and the like). Sometimes that filter get clogged or is the wrong size or is damaged. Then airborne debris gets on this cold, wet coil. It collects all summer. And builds. And builds.

In the fall, as we don't use our A/C as much, this debris dries as a crust on the coil (see photo at left).

Then comes winter...

We turn on the heat. The hot air flows right through this same coil. All of that crud build-up on the coil really dries out now and begins to become airborne again. It gets carried to all corners of the house. This happens for all types of furnaces: heat pumps, gas furnaces and electric furnaces.

And we begin to sneeze and think we have a mold problem.

Solution?

Call your favorite HVAC contractor and ask them to clean your coils. While they are there, they can also clean the inside of the case, the fan, and any other parts that may have collected debris. Then next year, do this before you turn on the heat for the first time.

By the way, you might think your ductwork needs cleaning. Especially if you got a coupon in the mail for a deep discount. Check out what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says about duct cleaning (link posted below). They are not in favor of cleaning the ducts. It causes too many other problems. Unless there is a obvious build-up of debris, steer clear of this marketing ploy.

Not sure what to have cleaned and when? Need a referral for a reliable HVAC contractor? Give me a call. That's why I'm here.

EPA Link: www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html

Tom Sinclair
About the House – Home Inspections
(251) 990-3169
www.InspectTestAnalyze.com

Lions and Tigers and Chinese Drywall! Oh My!

2010-01-21T11:44:00.007-06:00

Do We Really Need To Worry?

Bob and Sue had found the house of their dreams, a spacious almost-new home in a great location in Baldwin County, Alabama. The kitchen was fabulous, just what Sue had always dreamed of. And Bob's media room was perfect. They were ready to move in!

Then a friend asked if they had checked the house for Chinese Drywall.

Bob remembered reading a few online articles about drywall, but didn't recall what the problem was. “How could drywall be a problem?” he thought. But, he'd better find out. Sue really wanted this house and it better be okay.

But, how could he tell? He needed expert advice. He called me.

Over the phone, I brought Bob up-to-date on the problem.

Chinese Drywall was installed in homes in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana mostly between 2004 and 2007. During this time hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Katrina (2005) devastated the Gulf Coast. A drywall shortage after these storms opened the door for foreign made drywall to be imported to the U.S.

The Problem

A sulfur compound found in the drywall off-gases and has a corrosive effect on any copper in the house like plumbing and wiring. In some cases, parts of air conditioner systems fail within a year of installation and replacement units fail a year later. Some homeowners have reported that appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers, dryers, washing machines and microwaves are breaking down prematurely.

While not yet proven, there is anecdotal evidence from home owners living in homes with Chinese Drywall who complain of respiratory problems and other allergy-like symptoms.

Most of the Chinese Drywall ended up in Florida and Louisiana, with Mississippi getting a lesser share. Alabama seems to have fared the best with the least amount of Chinese Drywall report so far. But, there have been reports of a large home building company that used Chinese Drywall in its new homes in Mobile and Baldwin County and of flood damaged coastal homes that were repaired using Chinese Drywall. Other reports indicate that Chinese Drywall may have been used in the Birmingham and Huntsville areas as well.

So, Bob and Sue decided to have a home inspection done and to pay a little extra to have me look for signs of Chinese Drywall in the house. The inspection was done and they got the report later that same day. They were pleased that there was no evidence of Chinese Drywall, though I did find a roof leak they didn't know about and some other minor problems.

Now, Bob and Sue can enjoy their new home with the knowledge that they don't have to worry about Chinese Drywall.

For news articles about Chinese Drywall, visit these links:

www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/18/chinese.drywall/index.html
www.wkrg.com/alabama/article/lawsuits-over-chinese-drywall-filed-in-prichard/172312/Jul-08-2009_7-34-pm/
www.blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/11/us_agency_says_its_found_link.html
www.miamiherald.com/101/story/1347888.html

Curious if you have Chinese Drywall? Call me for a consultation.

Tom Sinclair
About the House - Home Inspectors
(251) 990-3169
http://www.inspecttestanalyze.com/

The Tipping Point for Mold

2009-09-30T08:58:00.011-06:00

I have a nice client who had a very nice house built by a reputable builder in an exclusive subdivision in Baldwin County. A cute young couple with three children living happily ever after. Right?

Nope.

One day, after they had lived in the house for a year and a half, they smelled a musty, dusty odor on the stairs leading to the bonus room above the garage. This room was the children's playroom and the grown-ups workout room. The odor gradually intensified as the rainy season progressed. Family members began to comment on the smell. It got so bad that they could smell it just about anywhere in the house.

And, it seemed like the A/C unit for the bonus room wasn't able to keep up with the summer heat.

So, they called in the A/C repairs guys. Unit was cooling, they said, but the unit is also too large (clue #1). The A/C guys tested the humidity in the bonus room and in a downstairs room. They found 68% in the bonus room and 60% in the living room. The 68% was a little high in the bonus room (clue #2), so the homeowners added a dehumidifier to help the A/C system.

But the smell continued. And they weren't sure what to do next.

So they called me.

A cursory inspection of this less-than-two-year-old house revealed...

1. A roof leak at a poorly installed plumbing vent stack cover (roof jack);
2. Two uninsulated walls in the closets of the bonus room,
3. No attic ventilation above the bonus room,
4. A disconnected bathroom vent fan flue in the attic adjacent the bonus room,
5. The A/C unit was more than twice the size needed for that space.

Wind-driven rain was leaking in around the roof jack and down inside a wall shared with the bonus room bathroom and the staircase, so said the moisture meter. Nails were beginning to pop through the sheetrock walls on the staircase.

The over-sized A/C only ran long enough to reduce the temperature, but not long enough to dehumidify the area. And the uninsulated walls and unvented attic added more heat to the bonus room.

Add to all this... the homeowners were using the bonus room shower regularly because they were doing a small project in the master bath. And all of the humid bath air was being piped into the adjacent attic.

And so... they had a growing mold problem. And they nipped it in the bud. Before anyone got sick. Before their house got a reputation as a "mold house."

Five small problems combined forces to create an environment that any self-respecting mold would love to grow in.

And our smart homeowner knew when to call in an expert.

Morals of this story...

1. Have your brand new home inspected before you move in.
2. Trust your instincts when you think you have a problem.
3. Be willing to get outside help.

Call me if you have a home problem you can't figure out. I'm here to help.

Tom Sinclair
About the House - Home Inspections
(251) 990-3169
www.InspectTestAnalyze.com

Coyotes in the Attic: A Case Study in Disclosure

2009-09-01T14:36:00.012-06:00

You never know how people are going to take the news of a home inspection. Sometimes folks surprise me. For example, several years ago I was inspecting a house in a rural section of Baldwin County. The buyer was with me and the inspection was going along well. We had finished with the house and it came time to inspect the barn.

The barn was partially finished with a guest suite on one side and regular barn stuff (hay bales, horse stalls, etc.) on the other. We noticed yellow stains on the sheetrock ceiling of the guest suite. It’s not uncommon to see ceiling stains, but yellow ones are a bit out of the ordinary.

I scratched on and sniffed. The smell was familiar and I was unsure how to share it with my client. It smelled like “pee.” So, I said, “It smells like pee.” (I have a real way with words sometimes!) We agreed this was unusual and off I went to the attic to find the cause.

The attic was open on one end into the barn proper. I could easily climb into the attic on the hay bales stacked neatly against the wall. I carry a rechargeable flashlight. It was Friday. The battery was beginning to need a charge. But, I thought, it will be enough light for one last attic. As I moved from the hay bales into the attic I noticed what appeared to be dog droppings. Unusual for an attic.

I had the feeling I was not alone...

I moved deeper into the darker part of the attic. What I saw at the far end of the attic made me curious, then apprehensive. The attic insulation had been pushed together to form a mound about four feet high. I had the feeling I was not alone in the attic.

My flashlight grew dimmer. I carefully approached the mound stepping from rafter to rafter. Not the sort of flooring material that makes for an easy get-a-way. As I leaned over the top of the mound to see what was inside, my flashlight battery died leaving me in the dark. But in the instant it died, I saw a pressed-down area in the mound where creatures had been. It was empty. Thank goodness!

Just then, my client calls out, “Tom, what do you see?"

What do I say, was the real question. But being a speaker of truth, I had no choice but to call out to her, “I think you’ve had coyotes in your attic.”

There was a long pause. Then she called back, “Thank goodness. I was afraid you were going to say ‘Rats.’”

Again, I concluded that truthful disclosure was the best policy. Better to know the truth. We can all make better decisions when we know what’s really going on.

Think you may have coyotes in your attic? Call a trapper!

Need a truthful, thorough home inspection? Call me.

Tom

___________________________________________

Tom Sinclair

About the House - Home Inspections

Fairhope, Alabama

(251) 990-3169

http://www.inspecttestanalyze.com/

Some Thoughts on a Pre-Listing Home Inspection

2007-09-18T21:52:00.001-06:00

I am receiving more calls than ever before from home sellers wanting home inspections before they put their home on the market. Actually, even if I were not a home inspector I’d think that was a good idea.

Benefits
1. Full disclosure to the new homeowner. “We wanted to make sure everything was okay so we hired an independent third party professional to evaluate the condition of the home.”
2. Avoid surprises right before closing: A last minute buyer’s home inspection can uncover problems that can delay closing or even cause buyers to change their mind on a home purchase.
3. Avoid costly last minute repairs: If repairs are needed, the seller has time to get the best contractor for the job and maybe even get a lower price for the needed repair. Last minute repairs are a repair contractor’s dream since he has the homeowner over a barrel time-wise.
4. Avoid substandard last minute repairs: See #3. Sometimes the right contractor is worth waiting for.
5. Clear conscience: The home seller can sell the house knowing that they did everything within reason to provide the new homeowner with a quality home.

So, whether you call em or a different home inspector, as a home seller it’s a really good idea to get a pre-listing inspection.

Not sure? Ask your real estate agent. I’ll bet he or she has an opinion.

Tom Sinclair
About the House – Home Inspections
Fairhope, Alabama
(251) 990-3169
www.InspectTestAnalyze.com

Why Have a New House Inspected?

2007-03-27T22:01:00.001-06:00

It’s brand spanking new! It still has that “new home” smell (really just paint, carpets and cabinets off gassing). The builder offers a full year warranty. Why bother having the house inspected? Right?

Well, maybe.

Hear the stories:

Story #1: New house. Pretty house. Big house. Reputable builder. Local municipal inspector signed off on several in-process inspections. A final CO (Certificate of Occupancy) was issued. Apparently no one noticed the large red sticker glued to the front of the natural gas furnace in the attic.

The sticker that said, “DO NOT INSTALL THIS FURNACE ON ITS BACK.”

Yep, you guessed it. It was installed on its back.

“But, what’s the fuss,” you say. “It’s under warranty and all I have to do is make a phone call to the builder.”

But, it was winter. It’s a gas furnace. If it had been turned on the first night the new owners were in the house, it could have also filled the house with carbon monoxide (a colorless, odorless poison gas). Not a good thing.

Fortunately, it was seen by the new owner’s home inspector (yours truly) and remedied before occupancy.

Oh, and there were no carbon monoxide detectors in the house. Close call? Maybe. Who wants to find out?

Story #2: New house. Pretty house. Reputable builder. Reputable builder. Local municipal inspector signed off on several in-process inspections. A final CO (Certificate of Occupancy) was issued. (Sound familiar?)

Who noticed that there was no roofing paper (sometimes called tar paper or felt) under some of the shingles?

Maybe the framing crew knew (they’re the ones that put the roofing paper on after the plywood roof decking was installed).

Probably the roofing guys knew (they put the shingles on over the roofing paper, or, in this case, over no roofing paper).

Did the municipal inspector know? Probably not. He didn’t watch the roof go on. He certainly didn’t lift any shingles to check.

Did the builder know? Probably not. He didn’t watch the roof go on. He probably didn’t lift any shingles to check. He relied on his sub contractor, the roofer, to do the job “right.”

Does anyone know that in 3-5 years the plywood decking will rot. In humid parts of the country like the Deep South, water tends to condense on the bottoms of shingles. The roofing paper protects the plywood from this condensation. No roofing paper? No protection.

What good is a one-year warranty 3-5 years from now?

Fortunately, the new owners’ inspector checked. And there is roofing paper on the roof now.

Story #3: Let’s talk flashing. Do you know what flashing is, where it goes and what it does? If you do, you’re in the top 10%!

Flashing prevents water from entering an intersection of two parts of the house, like a wall and a roof. Flashing is generally installed around the base of a chimney, at the roof, to keep the water out. Flashing is generally installed between the wall of a two-story house and the roof of the adjacent master suite (single story)

Leave out the flashing and you have a leak. Not a big leak. But enough to cause mold in a week or two, and rot in a few years.

I have inspected 14 brand new houses in the last 12 months that had missing or improperly installed flashings. A one-year warranty offers no protection for rotted studs and mold a couple of years down the road.

So, does a brand new home need an inspection? You decide.

Questions? Concerns? Call or send me an email. There’s no charge for a telephone chat or an exchange of emails.

Tom Sinclair
About the House – Home Inspections
Fairhope, Alabama
(251) 990-3169
http://www.inspecttestanalyze.com/

Fight Summer Heat with Good Attic Ventilation

2007-03-27T11:09:00.001-06:00

Well-ventilated attics are like a good pair of walking shoes, you don’t often think about them, but they affect your life everyday.

Poorly ventilated attics do several bad things.

Bad Thing #1: They allow heat to build up over the course of the day. That heat radiates downwards through the insulation and is transferred to the top-side of the ceiling. As the ceiling heats up, the AC must work harder to cool. Utility bills go up. AC life expectancy goes down. No good!

Bad Thing #2: If your heating & cooling system is actually located in the attic, then it’s fighting the heat to produce cool air. See Thing #1

Bad Thing #3: The built-up heat in the attic can exceed 150° F. If this were water, it would be scalding hot! This heat can actually cook the shingles on the roof and significantly reduce their life expectancy.

How do you know if you have a well-ventilated attic or a poorly ventilated one?

Easy. Take its temperature. The interior temperature of a well-ventilated attic should not be more than 20° hotter than the outside air. If it’s hotter, then it’s too hot.

How do you fix a hot attic?

Add ventilation, of course. That can mean adding a ridge vent at the peak of the roof (a job for a qualified roofing contractor). Or, you can add a electric fan controlled by a thermostat (again, installation is the job for a professional).

Sometimes, the ventilation under the eaves of the house (soffits) has become blocked with insulation. That will restrict the inflow of cooler air into the attic, as the hotter air exits the ridge or the fan. Try pulling the insulation off of the tops of the eaves from the attic by using a plastic toy rake and duct-taping it to a long broom handle.

Sometimes there is not enough soffit ventilation and more must be added. At least 50% of the total ventilation should be in the soffits.

Good luck and happy venting!

Tom Sinclair
About the House - Home Inspections
Fairhope, Alabama
(251) 990-3169
http://www.inspecttestanalyze.com/

For more information and a longer discussion of this subject try these links:

http://www.askthebuilder.com/Ventilation.shtml
http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/ventilation.htm
http://oikos.com/esb/30/atticvent.html

MOLD: Should I worry?

2007-03-27T10:52:00.001-06:00

Humans have lived with MOLD since the beginning of time. BUT...

It's different today. Houses are built tighter with as little natural ventilation as possible to reduce heating & cooling costs. New and sometimes untested building products can be used, sometimes with disastrous results. Look at the recent STUCCO scare.

Water can get into a wall cavity from a leaking window, improperly sloped brick window ledge, uncaulked stucco joint, improper roof/wall flashing. When water gets in and can't get out, then Mr. Mold moves in. Folks with compromised respiratory systems are particularly at risk.

Need more info? Call me for a no-charge telephone consult.

Tom Sinclair
About the House
(251) 990-3169
http://www.inspecttestanalyze.com/