Why Can’t The Gas Company Find These Gas Leaks?

As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I find a lot of gas leaks, and I always try to make it easy for a repair technician to find the leaks.  I take a photo of the leak with a bunch of soapy bubbles coming out of it, I mark the exact location of the leak with orange tape, and I write “Gas Leak” on it.  You can't miss it.




So why is it so difficult for the GAS COMPANY to find these leaks?
Ironically, I’ve found that almost every time Centerpoint Energy comes out to repair a gas leak that I've found during a home inspection, they end up leaving the house without fixing the leak.  I’m not alone in my findings – I’ve heard this same sentiment expressed by many other Minnesota home inspectors, and this last month has been particularly frustrating.

Example #1: I inspected a home that had already been ‘pre-inspected’ by another home inspector.  The other home inspector had identified a gas leak and marked it with masking tape.  The photo below shows what the gas valve looked like at the time that I did my inspection.




After the first home inspector identified this leak, Centerpoint Energy came out and said there was no gas leak, and went on their way without fixing it.  I knew exactly what happened, because it happens to me all the time.  The photo below shows the same gas fitting with my gas leak solution bubbling.  Granted, it’s a very small leak, but who cares?  Fix it!




Example #2: At another home inspection I did last month in Bloomington, I could clearly smell gas while standing at the water heater.  I bent down and smelled a significant leak at the union.  I put some leak solution on the union, and it quickly blew a bubble about the size of a quarter.  This was so obvious that I didn’t even bother marking the location of the leak… but I’ll never make that mistake again.  The seller called Centerpoint Energy, who came out and said there was no leak.  We then called Centerpoint Energy, talked to the technician that went out the first time, told him exactly where to find the leak, and he still couldn’t find it the second time he was out.  Unbelievable.

These experiences drive me crazy.

My advice: If your home inspector tells you that you have a gas leak, hire a private contractor to fix it if you want it fixed.  I’ve never had experiences like these with a plumber, only the gas company.


Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minnesota Home Inspector



    

Is Legal Trouble Worse Than Death?

I might start red-tagging furnaces.  If Centerpoint Energy can do it, why can’t I?  People take these red tags very seriously.

The gas company will red-tag a furnace if they deem it unsafe for use – this could be because of a high carbon monoxide reading in the flue gas, backdrafting, a cracked heat exchanger, or many other things.  Do you know what happens after a furnace gets red-tagged?

Nothing.

The gas company won’t lock the gas off at the meter, they won’t notify the gas gods, and no demerits are handed out.

So what’s the point of the gas company ‘red-tagging’ a furnace?  Their tags look official, and people make the assumption that they’ll get in some type of legal trouble if they turn on a furnace that has been red tagged.  The thought of legal trouble seems to be a much bigger motivator than the possibility of injury or death, by say, carbon monoxide poisoning.

As a perfect example, I once did a Saint Paul Truth in Housing evaluation for a family that was selling their house.  It was a cold January day, the entire family was home during the middle of the day, and they had the oven running with the door wide open.  They were using the oven to heat their house. I told them that this was a serious safety hazard, and I distinctly remember the mother telling me with a chuckle:

“We appreciate your concern, hon, but we ain’t goin' anywhere.”

The woman obviously cared about following the law because she hired me to perform the city inspection, but she didn’t have much concern for her families’ safety.  That would have been a great time to pull out a red tag.

I have to get some.




Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minnesota Home Inspector
    

Nine Common Myths About The Minnesota State Building Code

Myth: The owner occupant doesn’t need to pull permits – permits are only for contractors.
Truth: If you’re the owner occupant, you have the...ahem,  privilege of pulling a permit without having to be a licensed contractor.  It doesn’t mean you can skip pulling a permit.

Myth: Kitchen remodels don’t need permits because the code specifically says that cabinets, countertops, and floor coverings don’t require permits.
Truth: While cabinets, countertops, and flooring don’t require permits, just about any plumbing or electrical work does.  Most kitchen remodels will include both.

Myth: Decks that are less than thirty inches high don’t need a permit.
Truth: A permit is not required if the deck is less than thirty inches high, not attached to the house, AND it’s not part of an accessible route. (MN Rules 1300.0120, subp. 4, A (7))

Myth: Building permit fees are just another way for the government to get more taxes.
Truth: Building permit fees are supposed to cover the administrative costs involved with enforcement of the code – these fees should not support other government functions.  I’d like to say they don’t, but I can’t prove that.  “Fees established by the municipality must be by legal means and must be fair, reasonable, and proportionate to the actual cost of the service for which the fee is imposed.” (MN Rules 1300.0160, subp 2)

Myth: Building officials don’t have any liability.
Truth: They’re not liable as long as they are “acting for the jurisdiction in good faith and without malice in the discharge of the duties required by the code.”  (MN Rules 1300.0110, subp. 9)  This doesn’t mean they’re untouchable.

Myth: Carbon monoxide alarms are required just like smoke detectors are.
Truth:  The requirement for smoke detectors is a Minnesota Statute (299F.362), and is enforced by Minnesota Statute 326B.106 (subp. 4 (b)).  CO alarms are required by Minnesota Statute (299F.51), but there is no requirement for the building inspections department to enforce them.  Nevertheless, I’ve heard that most do.  One could certainly challenge a building official on this requirement, but why?  They're life safety devices.

Myth: Double cylinder (aka – double keyed) deadbolts are not allowed by code.
Truth: They’re not allowed on new construction, but they can be used on existing buildings.  That means you can legally install a double cylinder deadbolt lock on your home after you have your certificate of occupancy.  “No provision of the code or appendix chapter of the code may prohibit double cylinder dead bolt locks in existing single-family homes, townhouses, and first floor duplexes used exclusively as a residential dwelling.”  (MN Statute 326B.106 (g)).  Keyword – existing.

Myth: That room in the basement with a low ceiling can be finished off and made in to a bedroom.
Truth: The Minnesota State Building Code defines that room as a crawl space.  “CRAWL SPACE. Areas or rooms with less than 7 feet ceiling height measured to the finished floor or grade below.” (MN Rules 1309.0202)



Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minnesota Home Inspector
    

Radon Testing - What The Results Mean

You’re buying a home and you just received the results of your short term electronic radon gas test results.  Your probably have a lot of questions, so here are the answers.

What type of test did you perform?

We use a continuous electronic monitor.  The test gets placed in the lowest livable space in the home, and stays there for a minimum of 48 hours.  The test results give a breakdown of the average radon concentration by the hour.

The difference between the overall average and the EPA average

The overall average is measured from the time the machine was set until the time the machine was picked up. The EPA protocol average does not factor in the first four hours of the test.  The official number to go with is the EPA protocol average.

What the numbers mean

Radon is measured in Pico curies per liter (PCi/L).

• Under 2.0 – Good news.  It’s difficult to get radon levels lower than this.

• 2.0 to 3.9 – This is a marginal test.  The EPA recommends having a long term test performed to get a better sense of the overall seasonal average of radon in the home.  There are typically no negotiations that take place at this point in the home purchase.   If a long term test is performed and the results are still between 2.0 and 3.9, the EPA says you should considering fixing.

• 4.0 or Higher – This is considered a high test, and steps should be taken to lower the radon level in the home.  The most common way of lowering the radon level is to have a radon mitigation system installed.  Many home buyers will ask the sellers to address this.  Your next step should be to contact a qualified radon mitigation specialist.

What a mitigation system costs

On average, $1500.  You can read about radon mitigation methods here http://www.fixradon.com/techniques.html

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minnesota Radon Testing

    

Two Ways To Correct An Improper Faucet On An Old Clawfoot Bathtub

If you have an old clawfoot bath tub with a standard faucet that’s located inside the bath tub, such as the one pictured at right, you have a potential cross connection.  If the tub were to fill up with sewage or something even worse, the household water could come in contact with it, because the spill line of the bath tub is actually higher than the bath tub faucet.  If you live in Minneapolis or Bloomington, this is also a required repair for Truth-In-Housing Evaluations.

There are two common ways to correct this issue – replace the faucet or install check valves on the water supply pipes.

A proper faucet for a clawfoot tub will have the opening of the faucet spout located well above the spill line of the fixture, as shown below.  I found a small selection of replacement faucets at http://www.plumbingsupply.com/clawfoot.html .   The proper faucets are the ones that have the words “Code Style”.



If you like the faucet you have or you just don’t want to change out the faucet, another option is to have check valves installed in the water supply pipes.  If you choose this method, make sure the check valves are accessible – when the next home inspector comes through, they’ll probably be looking for them.

Note:  If you live in Minneapolis and you choose to undertake either one of these projects, you're supposed to pull a plumbing permit.  The TISH handout from the City of Minneapolis specifically says that a faucet replacement does not require a permit, but if you talk to any of their plumbing inspectors or you call 311, they'll tell you otherwise.  If you're looking for a better handout, click here Most Common Repairs For Minneapolis

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minneapolis Truth in Sale of Housing




    

Don't Get Locked Out Of Your Garage

Check out the photo below.  Can you guess what's missing?  Here's a hint: this garage doesn't have a service door, but it does have a automatic garage door opener installed.



If you said "pizazz" you would be correct, and you might also make a good home stager, but that's not what I'm talking about today.  This door is missing an emergency release.

If the power went out, the GFCI outlet inside the garage tripped, or the garage door opener failed, the owner would be locked out of this garage.  The fix for this is quite simple - install an emergency release kit.



These kits cost about $15, and they take about ten minutes to install, if you really take your sweet time.  This is a very DIY project.  The only tools you'll need are a drill, drill bits, and a wrench.

These emergency release kits are very simple devices - they connect to the pull-cord on the garage door opener, allowing you to disconnect your overhead door from the opener, as shown in the photos below.

 

When I inspect old houses in Minneapolis and Saint Paul and I find garages without a service door, I always tell my clients to install an emergency release kit.  It could save a lot of hassle in the future.




Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minneapolis Home Inspector

    

Don’t Poke Holes In Your Pipes

Most ice makers and whole house humidifiers that I see have a saddle valve supplying the water. These are devices that allow for a very fast, cheap, do-it-yourself installation of a ¼” water supply line.

Saddle valves are installed by tightening a metal clamp on to a water pipe, then tightening down a needle valve until it pierces the water pipe.  No cutting of pipes is required, no soldering, no special tools… simple.  Very DIY.  The needle just pokes a hole in the pipe, and it can even be done without even turning off the water (but I sure wouldn't recommend it).  There has to be a catch, right?


There is.  They leak, and saddle valves are prohibited by the Minnesota State Plumbing Code.

 

Most of them don’t leak, but they have a much higher chance of leaking than a properly installed water valve.  If they do end up leaking, the repair will involve doing all the stuff that you’re supposed to be able to avoid – cutting, soldering, etc.

My advice is to not use saddle valves.  If you’re installing an appliance that needs a ¼” water pipe, have a proper shutoff valve installed.  It will certainly take more time, but you'll dramatically lower the chances of it leaking.

Proper Valve

If you already have one in your house, try to leave it alone.  Every time you operate the valve, you’re increasing your chances of creating a leak.


Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minneapolis Home Inspector

    

Peeling Paint On Redwood Siding: What To Do?

I've seen it happen at countless houses, and now it's happened to me... my paint is peeling (again).  I have a Minneapolis home that was built in 1939 with redwood siding, and I can't get the paint to stay on.  I've tried almost everything and nothing has worked so far.  The photo below shows what my siding looks like today.



I'm not a paint expert, but I think I've figured out why my paint keeps peeling.

I first painted my house during the summer of 2004, and the paint began to crack the very next year.  By 2007 it was peeling so much that I had to re-paint.  I had a good friend help me with the project, and we felt like we pulled out all the stops and spared no expense to make sure the paint wouldn't peel again.  This project consumed a huge portion of our summer - we spent so much time working on my house that summer that the 'Google Streets' view of my house even caught us in action.



Here's what we did during the summer of 2007:

• Scraped with carbide paint scrapers.  We scraped the existing paint all the way down to the wood in many areas.
• Sanded a good portion of the siding, especially at the front.
• Washed the siding with Trisodium Phosphate (TSP).
• Tested the siding in many areas with a moisture meter to verify that the wood was bone-dry before proceeding.
•  Primed the siding with Peel Bond, an expensive primer that has the consistency of runny glue.  This stuff was supposed to be the greatest primer ever... maybe it is, but it still wasn't enough.
• Painted with Hirschfield's Platinum Exterior paint.  My friend assured me that it's top-of-the-line stuff.

So here I am, not even three years later, and the paint is cracking and peeling all over again.  It's worst at the east side, but it's still peeling everywhere else.  Some rooms in my house have vapor barriers on the inside walls and some don't, but it doesn't make a bit of difference to the paint.  It peels off the same.  Both the original paint is peeling, and the new paint as well.


So what now?


My suspicion is that with so many layers of paint, the house walls have basically become 'sealed'.  Instead of the siding being able to 'breath', where moisture can escape between the laps of the siding, the laps have been completely sealed shut with layer after layer of paint.  In the areas where there is still a gap between the layers of siding, the paint still looks perfect - not even a hint of a crack or a flake.



I've been told that the fix for this is to install siding shims - small wedges that would ensure a small air gap at every lap.  I would need to install these every sixteen inches at every piece of siding.  This should fix the peeling paint, but it might also allow bugs to use my siding as their home.

Bad times.

If you're having problems similar to mine, check for an air space between the laps of siding.  Let me know what you find.


Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minneapolis Home Inspector