Michael's View: January 2009

How Do You Like Your Marshmallows Toasted?

remodeled kitchen

There is nothing better than an open fire, friends and a bag of marshmallows. Some folks like to take their time and get them a golden brown, while others like to torch them to a crisp. Kinda fun to blow the fire out and eat the hot gooey mess... So what do rehabbed properties and marshmallows have in common? Read on...

Rehabs generally pose challenging situations for home inspectors as they are a blend of old and new constructions methodologies. I totally understand that neat stuff like granite counter tops, new hardwood floors, fresh paint and the like create an ambiance and eye candy that make the house more appealing to the buyer. This is great, and will certainly entice people to put a contract on a house, but is all this money wisely invested?

Granted, granite countertops are vogue and sexy - whereas a new electric panel is not. Get Real!!! Folks just don't oh and ah and rub their hands over a sleek new electric panel. No, we don't design our decor around the beauty of the grey cover. At best, we find a picture to cover the thing up! Both cost about the same amount of money, but a new counter top will not burnoverloaded fuse panel your new home down - a poorly wired and overloaded electric panel will.

Such is the case of this fused panel. Most all the circuits were overloaded. Years ago, when a fuse blew, it was replaced it with the same size fuse. If the fuse kept blowing, it was not uncommon to see folks install a size larger. If that didn't work, the size was increased until the demand on the circuit was satisfied. So what if, the wiring was glowing cherry red and you could toast your marshmallows? The fuse didn't blow!

I pointed out to the rehabber that the panel was badly overloaded and needed to be reviewed by an electrician - possibly replaced. After some discussion, his reply was that replacement would cost him about $800.00 - the same price as the granite counter top! C'est la vie, a bag of marshmallows costs about $2. Come to think of it, it has been awhile since I have toasted some...

Wishing all my fellow drips and tweeps a great day... 8-)


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© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. - your building consultants for life | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
46 comments • Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector • January 30 2009 05:55AM

Loose Something?

I have heard of builders and construction workers loosing their shirt, pants, or drawers as we call them down south, but never their coveralls... Lucky for this fortunate person though, I found them. I wouldn't want them to be running around feeling a draft...


Wishing all my fellow drips and tweeps a great day... 8-)


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17 comments • Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector • January 29 2009 07:33AM

non compos mentis...

As many of you may or may not know, the term non compos mentis comes is a latin term non meaning "not," compos meaning "in control," and mentis, mind, and means not having a sound mind; not sane. Generally, used in the legal arena, this term can be used metaphorically or figuratively as well - i.e. when one is in a confused state or state lacking rational thinking.

When I saw the installation of this venting system for the furnace and water heater in a basement of a property I was inspecting in the Nashville, TN area, the only thought that came to mind was "non compos mentis"!



Acceptable trade practices calls for flue vents for gas appliances to be a minimum of "type B" vent or double wall vent material. The vent material shown is single wall material generally used for ductwork in most HVAC systems. One of the issues with single wall pipe used for gas appliances, is that the temperature of the metal can easily approach 200+ degrees - a burn hazard or potential fire condition. As one can easily see, the expanding foam, another no no, is getting scorched and is melting. The plastic electricians tape used to seal the joint coming from the water heater really had me scratching my head.

To add insult to injury, these unsuspecting folks spent good money to have a "professional" installer deliver less than professional results. We as laymen, trust and expect that the service providers working for us, will deliver top notch and services that meet all applicable trade standards for the municipality in which we live. However; many home owners do not know what inspectors know, and get taken to the cleaners by slipshod workmanship. Since the installation warranty for the furnace had expired, the home owners will now have to pay another company to correct this installation. The water heater was just installed and will be covered under warranty.

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20 comments • Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector • January 22 2009 06:09AM

A Fire Waiting for a Place to Happen...

Having been a building consultant for over 8 years, I find it so very interesting how negligent home owners can be. Outta sight, outta mind seems to be the norm. But, just because something is out of sight, doesn't mean that potential dangers are not lurking just around the corner, or behind your dryer. More often than not, most of the fire hazards that I see in homes are directly related to improper dryer venting practices or materials. The plastic accordion dryer vent material as pictured below, has been banned for use by most all municipalities for use with clothes dryers for years because it is a fire hazard. However, I do continue to see this vent material in homes on quite a regular basis.


Plastic dryer venting starting to collapse due to excessive heat

Dryer vents are probably one of the most neglected maintenance issues in the home. You throw your clothes in, push the start button and walk away. According to most dryer manufactures, dryer vents need to be cleaned on a regular basis to keep lint from building up on the insides of the discharge vent. As lint builds up, the discharge air begins to get restricted causing the dryer to work harder to accomplish its task. This adds to longer drying times and wasted energy. Restricted vents also have the potential to burn out dryer elements, and the excessive heat can ignite the highly flammable dryer lint. As in the picture above, the heat from the dryer is melting the plastic causing more restriction. The result is a fire waiting to happen.

If it has been more than three years since you have had your dryer vents serviced it just might be time to call someone to clean your vents. If you can't remember the last time you looked behind your dryer, take a minute to do so. You may just catch a potential fire hazard and find that missing sock you've been looking for...

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22 comments • Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector • January 20 2009 05:47AM

Photo of the Day . . .

I know that I am not the brightest bulb in the string, but I often wonder what goes through workmen's minds when they are building a house. Although, the wiring is up to "codes", why would anyone string the power wires for the disposal across the middle of the cabinet so that there is little or no room on the cabinet floor to store items? The mentality of today's workmen leaves a lot to be desired...


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10 comments • Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector • January 17 2009 03:58PM

My Floors Must Be a "Queen For a Day" - They're Crowned...

Taking a spin off an old '50's day-time game show, "Queen for a Day", (I'm really telling my age now), I ran across an unusual phenomenon while doing a home inspection on a new property in a high end neighborhood in Spring Hill, TN. The unusual situation was excessive crowning in sections of the hardwood flooring while the majority of the flooring was laying flat. Simply put, "cupping" the normal problem with hardwoods, will come from one condition or reason and one only - from gaining or losing moisture on one side faster than on the other.

As stated earlier, "Cupping" is generally the most common issue with hardwood flooring. That means that the surface of boards will curl upwards - the edges higher than the center of the boards. In layman's terms, this means that the backs of the boards are absorbing water or vapor to an extent expansion has begun. This can be caused by damp or wet crawl spaces, subfloor, or other issues which are causing the backside of the wood to absorb water or moisture and be wetter than the topside. If left unchecked or if excessive, severe damaged can occur to the floor or the wood molding, resulting in replacement of the floor and molding.

"Crowning" can be caused by excessive moisture but typically on the top side of the wood. In other words, the top side of the wood surface has more moisture than the underside. However; the main cause of "crowning" is can be traced back to improper installation. The most common cause is as follows: When the floors are be sanded to be finished, the boards are cupped (edges high) and the high edges of boards are cut flat by the sanding machine. After sanding, the cupped boards will then have abnormally thin edges. So when the boards dry and lay flat, the thin edges will recede leaving the floors permanently crowned.

This is not the only cause for "crowning". "Crowning" can be caused by improper application of adhesives or nail fasteners. But generally speaking, one can trace "crowning" of any type down to improper installation techniques.


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6 comments • Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector • January 17 2009 05:48AM

The Future Belongs to the Efficient - Hybrid HVAC Sytems...

As the cost of fuel continues to rise, so goes the cost of heating and cooling our homes. Last year, TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) and NES (Nashville Electric Service) hit many Middle Tennesseans with rate hikes of 20% or more and another rate hike looms on the horizon. Couple that with the cost of the clean-up that utility users will have to pay for the Kingston debacle, and our rates will most likely go up another 20%. In the meantime, the fat cats at the top of NES bring home bonus checks of $1M or more while many Middle Tennesseans struggle to pay their electric bills this month... So much to be said for the fairness of the system, but then we all know that life is not fair...

Enter the age of the hybrids...

New Tempstar HybridHybrids are not just for cars you know. With the latest buzz words "Going Green", "Green Technology" dotting the virtual landscape like the giant Sequoia Cactus in the Arizona desert, the age of green Hybrid technology is now at hand. As my aging system was gasping it's last breaths with no signs of recovery, the decision was made to pull the life support systems and start looking for a newer system. After much research, I decided on the hybrid systems as they bring together two fuel sources to heat and cool your home. Through the use of "Smart" thermostats and electronics, the system is able to toggle between the heat pump setting and the auxiliary gas heat source to bring about energy savings.

How do they work...

The heart and soul of the system is the 2 stage heat pump and compressor system. The thermostat is set to run on the heat pump cycle until a pre-determined outside temperature is reached. Depending upon demand, most of the time, the heat pump will run on the first stage or low energy use cycle which is about 67% of capacity. When the temperature drops below the outside temperature set point, the gas or electric "auxiliary" heat will kick in and lock out the heat pump until outside temperatures reach the preset again.

Not your typical "chill pump"...

Old Comfort Control SystemThe main complaint of the older heat heat pumps was the output temperature at the system registers. Although the house temperature might be 70 degrees, the heat at the coming out of the registers was cool - hence the chill pump label. Not so with the hybrid systems. With the advance in "greener" refrigerants, the temperature output at the system registers is comparable to the auxiliary heat settings. Yes, you can stand on the registers and warm your toes while slurping your morning coffee. Vast improvement over the older systems.

The advantage...

Properly installed systems can result in a 60-68% energy savings over comparable 10 year old units like the one that I just replaced. Because of the "shared" use of the components, the internal components will last longer saving you money in the long run. One of the keys to energy savings is not to "chase" temperatures. Find your comfort level and leave the thermostat alone. Let the electronics do the rest. The unit will continue to monitor itself and "learn" resulting in more energy savings which will make it easier on your pocket book and make you home more comfortable. Check with your local HVAC dealer as many of the hybrid systems now qualify for Federal tax credits for the 2009 tax year. 

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14 comments • Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector • January 13 2009 06:25AM

The Tuesday Trip...

Today's Tuesday Tip is a real trip - a picture of beautiful downtown Ketchikan, AK.
Ketchikan is known as the salmon capitol of the world.
It has the highest zip code awarded by our postal service (99950).
And, has the largest collection of standing totem poles. I will post some of the totem pictures at a later date.

 

Downtown Ketchikan

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13 comments • Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector • January 06 2009 08:15AM

Monday Morning Motivator...

Monday Morning Motivator...

I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life.

I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself.

~~ Walt Anderson

honey suckle in my back yard...

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12 comments • Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector • January 05 2009 03:43AM

What Do Your Services Cost?

I really find in interesting when home buyers call up for an inspection and the first thing that they ask is how much do you charge for a home inspection? I ask them, are you making your decision solely on price or quality of the inspection? Rarely, do I get the truthful answer, price only. Typically, I get the answer both.

Are we living in a McInspecton mentality where you can "Have it your way?" Can you have cheap and quality? Those are two words that are not synonymous with each other. Statistically, most quality inspections provided by a certified inspector take an average of 1 hour per 1,000 square feet of property, with minimum of 2 - 2.5 hours for most smaller older homes. Add in the time to do the report, and you are up to about 4 - 5 hours to do an inspection. The better companies charge upwards of $350 for their services.

Invaribably, at least once a week, someone asks me, "Well so and so will inspect my home for $225.00. Will you match his price?" No I won't. If so and so wants to take on all that liability, and give his time and effort away, why should I? Time is money, if a good inspection cost about $75 per hour, how good of an inspection will you get for $45 an hour? What will not be inspected or how many issues will you have to contend with having a "cheap" inspection. In this day and age, you will certainly get what you pay for. So instead of asking how much is the inspection, you should be asking how many inspections have you done, how long have you been in business? The guys that have been in business for years can catch more and give a better report v/s one that just started inspecting last month.

Something to ponder when you hire your next inspector...

michael thornton | complete home inspections inc.| brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
13 comments • Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector • January 02 2009 07:01PM