Less fluff, more home inspection report please

I've always been proud of the home inspection reports that I produce, but a recent peer review of my reports turned my pride to embarrassment.  I swapped home inspection reports with a couple of home inspectors in different parts of the country for a brutal review of each others reports, and had my inspection report torn to shreds.

These home inspectors spent several hours going over every line and every sentence in my inspection report, and I did the same for them.  They pointed out awkward sentences in my reports, photos that weren't clear, opinions on how much info was being conveyed, and so on.  The most pervasive issue with my inspection reports was too much useless information... or fluff.

What is a home inspection report?

After this review, I decided to re-think the entire purpose of a home inspection report: the main purpose of a home inspection is to educate a potential buyer on the condition of a home.  A home inspection report documents the findings of the home inspection; in other words, a home inspection report documents the condition of the house. The key word here is condition(not components).

Maintenance manuals?

Over the years, many home inspection reports, including my own, have morphed in to a homeowner's maintenance manual that waters down the condition of the house by including oodles and oodles of maintenance information that may or may not be of any use to the new homeowner.  A lot of page space also gets dedicated to documenting the components of a building; the condition of these components isn't always easy to determine.  I once attended a week-long home inspection 'school', and was shocked at how little time was spent teaching new home inspectors how to identify defects with houses.  The majority of the class was spent teaching new home inspectors how to fill out a home inspection report, and how to properly document the components of a home, rather than the conditions.

With all of the extra homeowner maintenance information and documention about whatcomponents exist at a home, the most important part of the home inspection report can be tougher and tougher to find.  Why am I including the brand of air conditioner in my inspection reports?  Why does the beginning of my inspection report have a warning about lead paint in old buildings?  Why do I have so much fluff?

I've decided to get rid of all the fluff, and I've also decided that my home inspection reports are not going to imitate a homeowner's maintenance manual.  I still discuss homeowner maintenance during the inspection, and I still include items in my report that are in need of maintenance, but that's all.  If a new home buyer wants a homeowner's maintenance manual, they can buy Home Maintenance for Dummies for ten bucks on Amazon.  I'm sure there will be much more useful information there than I could ever try to cram in to one of my home inspection reports.

My new home inspection reports

From now on, my home inspection reports are packed with photos and comments that explain the photos, as well as recommendations that tell my client what to do.  As an ASHI Certified Home Inspector I follow the ASHI Standards of Practice, so I'm required to document severalcomponents in a house, such as the type of foundation, the type of siding, the size of the electric service, etc.  This documentation is now going to be pushed to the very end of my inspection reports; I think this is the least important stuff that I report on, so it belongs at the end.

I've always included a summary for my inspection reports, but my summaries have always beenway too long.  My new summary lists the items that, in my opinion, are most likely to affect someone's decision to purchase a property.  That's it, that's all.  Here's a sample.

I'm sure in five years I'll look back on this report with disgust, as I do now with the reports I was writing five years ago... but hey, change is good.

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



 

Water Heater Maintenance

I’ve read a lot of water heater installation manuals, and they all give the same advice on water heater maintenance, but most people don’t do any type of maintenance on their water heaters, period.  Today I’m going to go over the routine maintenance that water heater manufacturers recommend, and I’ll throw in my two cents.  My take on water heater maintenance should be much more interesting than reading the installation manual.

Drain Flush the water heater

Every month (yes, every month) you’re supposed to flush some water out of the bottom of your tank.  There’s a drain valve at the bottom of the water heater tank that can be opened to allow water to drain out.   You don’t need to literally drain the water out of the water heater, just open the valve and let some water come out; Rheem says a few quarts is fine.

If you want to really flush out the bottom of the water heater tank, you could attach a garden hose and let a bunch of water flow through.  This water is constantly being replaced by the cold water coming in to the water heater, so you don’t even need to have a floor drain close by if you have a long enough garden hose.

If the drain valve leaks when you’re done, don’t worry.  The cheap, easy, and effective repair is to screw a garden hose cap on to the end of the drain valve.  This is a perfectly safe and perfectly acceptable repair.

The reason for flushing the water heater is to help prevent the accumulation of sediment on the bottom of the tank.  As sediment collects in the bottom of the water heater tank over the years, it will begin to surround and insulate the thermostat, which can lead to the water heater running for longer and longer periods of time, which will decrease the life of the water heater and lead to eratic water temperatures.  I’m pretty sure this is why most water heater manufacturers don’t actually publish the water temperature on their control valves.

So there’s the what and the why… and now my two cents.  I don’t drain my own water heater.  It seems like a pain in the butt, and I’m not convinced that doing this will actually help to extend the life of my water heater.  I know it’s anecdotal evidence, but just last year I came across a used water heater sitting out in someone’s garage for disposal while doing a home inspection in Champlin.  The water heater was installed in 1998 and failed approximately 12 years later.  For the record, water heaters typically come with 6, 9, or 12 year warranties.  What made this so juicy was that there was a chart on the water heater that the owner had diligently filled out every time he drained the water heater… but the water heater still failed after 12 years.  Even though the owner hadn’t drained the water heater every month I would have thought this would have helped out at least a little more.

Just for this blog, I hooked up a garden hose to the drain valve on my water heater and flushed some water out.  After about three seconds, the valve itself started leaking extremely hot water out all over me.  I quickly closed the valve and decided not to flush the water heater again.

If you have a new water heater and you’re a diligent homeowner, go ahead and flush your tank every month.  If you have a water heater that’s several years old and has never been flushed, I’ve heard it’s better to just leave it alone.

Test the pressure relief valve

Every year, the temperature and pressure relief valve is supposed to be opened to allow several gallons of water to drain out.  Doing this will help to clear out sediment accumulation, and will let you know that the valve still operates freely.

The problem with this test is that the valve may not close properly after it gets opened.  The older the water heater, the greater potential you have for a leaking valve.  If the valve leaks after this test, it can be replaced.  Temperature and pressure relief valves sell for about $10 – $15, and they’re fairly easy to replace.

Check the Anode Rod

Every year, the sacrificial anode rod is supposed to be checked for deterioration and replaced if neccessary.   The purpose of the anode rod is to save the rest of the water heater from destruction by sacrificing itself.  Hey, maybe they should call it a Jesus rod  .  I don’t remember much from chemistry, but I found this text at by doing a quick google search:

Cathodic protection is a scheme in which a piece of reactive metal, typically magnesium, is connected to the steel to form an electrochemical cell. Magnesium ions (Mg2+) form more easily than iron ions and enough electrons are given up by the magnesium atoms as they become positive ions to completely dominate the hydroxide ion formation process. With nowhere for their electrons to go, the iron atoms can’t become iron ions and rusting can’t proceed. As long as the magnesium metal, often called the “sacrificial anode”, remains intact and connected to the steel, the steel won’t rust significantly.

Wonderful.  I don’t quite follow, but the bottom line is that once the anode rod is badly deteriorated, the rest of the water heater will follow.  Replacing the anode rod when needed is supposed to go a long way toward extending the life of the water heater.

To check the anode rod, you’ll need to start by turning off the water supply to the water heater, and draining a few inches of water out of the tank.   Now you just need to locate the thing on the top of the water heater that looks like a hex head plug – see the photo at right; that’s the top of the anode rod.  Get a 1 1/16″ socket wrench (yes, this is a standard size), unscrew the anode rod, and pull it out of the water heater to inspect it.   Once there is more than six inches of core showing at the anode rod, it’s time to replace it.

There are four problems you might run in to if you want to check on / replace your anode rod:

1. Most homeowners in Minneapolis and Saint Paul don’t have enough ceiling height in the basement to pull the anode rod out.  If that’s the case, they’d actually need to completely drain and un-install the water heater and lay it on it’s side to check on the anode rod.
2. Most homeowners don’t own a 1-1/16″ socket wrench.
3. It will probably require an impact wrench to get this thing out.  I tried getting mine out, but it’s in there so tight that the water heater actually started to turn, and I didn’t have a second person to help me hold the water heater steady.  If you want to see just how tough it is, check out this video - changing a water heater anode rod.
4. Water heater anode rods aren’t readily available at local home improvement stores – the Menards and Home Depot by my house don’t sell them, but the Hardware Hank in Maple Grove does.  They had two in stock – one long one, and one short one.

Sorry to be cynical, but checking on and replacing an anode rod is too difficult.  When the manufacturers make it just about impossible to do this step that’s supposed to dramatically increase the life of your appliance… of course nodody is going to do it.  What incentive does the manufacturer have in making this step easy?

By the way, if you do happen to replace your anode rod, I’ve heard you’re supposed to save the old magnesium rod for Independance Day.  That’s just what I’ve heard.  Good times.

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

    

Carbon monoxide alarm requirements for Minnesota, including the little details

Carbon monoxide alarms are required in just about every type of dwelling in Minnesota, and it’s been this way for several years now, but there is still a lot of confusion about this requirement.

General Requirement - This text comes directly from Minnesota Statute 299F.50:

Every single family dwelling and every dwelling unit in a multifamily dwelling must have an approved and operational carbon monoxide alarm installed within ten feet of each room lawfully used for sleeping purposes.

One and one half story houses: a carbon monoxide alarm installed on the first floor within ten feet of the stairway to the second floor does not count as being installed within ten feet of the second floor bedroom.  The second floor bedroom will generally begin at the top of the stairway, not the bottom.

What constitutes ten feet: Measure from the door of the sleeping room to the carbon monoxide alarm.  If you have to pass through a wall, floor, ceiling, or doorway with a door that can be closed, it doesn’t count.

How this law gets enforced: For the most part, it doesn’t.  Building inspection departments may notify homeowners that carbon monoxide alarms are required, but the intent of this law wasn’t to make building inspection departments enforce carbon monoxide alarms (although many still do).   The exception to this is Minneapolis and South Saint Paul; both of those cities require carbon monoxide alarms for their Truth-in-Sale of Housing programs.

Definition of “installed”: this text comes directly from the Minnesota statute:

“Installed” means that an approved carbon monoxide alarm is hard-wired into the electrical wiring, directly plugged into an electrical outlet without a switch, or, if the alarm is battery powered, attached to the wall of the dwelling.

While the official definition doesn’t mention mounting the detector on the ceiling, that’s ok too. If a carbon monoxide alarm is sitting on someone’s desk, it’s not installed.  I’ve actually had several homeowners try to convince me otherwise.

When to replace: Approximately 99.3% of the CO alarms that I come across are made by Kidde or First Alert.  Kidde CO alarms last seven years, while First Alert CO alarms last five years.  You won’t find that information published on either of their web sites though; you actually need to call them to get that info.

Where to mount carbon monoxide alarms: follow the installation instructions from the manufacturer.  In general, carbon monoxide alarms can be mounted high or low on the walls, as long as children can’t mess with them.

The CO alarm pictured above was actually hanging from a cable jack on the wall of a kid’s toy room; I’d consider that a poor location.

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

    

Inspecting Your Own Deck

As I'm sure you already know, May is Deck Safety Month, so it's a good time to talk about deck inspections.  Is your own deck safe?  Now is the time to check.  If you're going to have a party or a large gathering, you better be sure.  The best way to be sure is to pack as many people on to your deck at one time as you possibly can, and have them bounce up and down all at once.  If your deck doesn't collapse, it's safe.



Ok, that's a joke.  Seriously, the best way to know about your deck is to have it professionally inspected. As I've said before, building a deck and replacing a water heater are two of the most common projects that get royally screwed up by DIYers on a regular basis.  If you're not keen on hiring a home inspector or carpenter to check out your deck, there are still a few basic things that you can look for yourself.

Improper attachment to the house

The most common reason for deck collapses is improper attachment at the house.  That's what happened with the deck pictured above.  If the deck is supported by the house, it should be attached with bolts, lag screws, SDS screws, or some other similar method.  The photo below shows proper attachment with lag screws, which I've circled in black.  This is the most common deck ledgerboard attachment method.  If you look at the deck attachment to your house and all you see are nails or small screws, you have a problem.

Improper flashing at the house

There should always be flashing installed above the top of the ledgerboard - that piece of wood that attaches the deck to the house.  The purpose of the flashing is to keep water from leaking in behind the deck at the house and causing rot.  Here in Minnesota, painted galvanized steel is pretty much the standard way to flash the ledgerboard.

To determine if the ledgerboard is flashed, just take a peek underneath the deck.  If you can see a piece of metal sticking out over the edge of the ledgerboard from underneath, you know that flashing is present.  This doesn't mean it was installed properly, but you should at least feel a little bit better knowing it's there. If installed properly, this flashing will extend up underneath the siding.  The photo below shows what you should see if the flashing is properly installed; I drew a black rectangle around it.



If there is no flashing present, there will be a much higher chance for water instrusion and rotting.

Improper joist hanger installation

Joist hangers are those metal brackets that attach the deck joists to the house and beams.  The manufacturers of joist hangers are very specific about how joist hangers should be installed; they specify exactly which nails should be installed, and exactly how much weight the joist hangers will support when installed properly.   Here are a few defects that I regularly find with joist hangers:

• Missing nails.  Nails are supposed to be installed in every hole.
• Improper joist hanger nails.  I find improper joist hanger nails on almost every deck.  If you can see a little "10" on the head of the nail, it's probably the wrong nail.  Click the link above for more details on this defect.
• Screws used instead of nails.  Screws don't have nearly the shear strength of nails, and they're not an acceptable substitute.  Well, there's one screw I know of that's an acceptable substitute, but I've never actually see it installed.  Joist hanger screw
• Altered joist hangers.  Joist hangers shouldn't be bent or cut.

Rot

Get a screwdriver and poke around your deck looking for rot.  The area that usually rots first is the place where two deck boards butt up against each other over a joist.  Pay special attention to that location.  If your deck doesn't have the aforementioned ledgerboard flashing, you should also pay special attention to the place where the deck connects to the house.  The video below shows me inspecting a rotted deck in Minnesota last year.

Improper stairway attachment

The best way to attach a stairway stringer to a deck is to use a metal bracket that's designed just for this purpose.  The photo below left shows a proper bracket for a stairway stringer.  This bracket isn't the only way to properly attach a stairway stringer, but it's probably the best way.  The photo below right shows an improper installation; they used a joist hanger bracket, and only managed to get a couple nails in the entire bracket.  Not cool, and not uncommon.

Guardrail problems

Guardrails should be strong.  If you can push on the top of your guardrail and it moves a couple inches, it's not strong enough; guardrails should be able to withstand 200 lbs of pressure along the top rail in any direction.  While this may seem like a lot, just think about a group of people leaning against a guardrail while heavyset guy who's had three too many mint juleps falls against the guardrail.  If a guardrail is supported only with 2x2 balusters, it's probably way too weak and should be reinforced.  You can read more about this topic at my blog about guardrail requirements.

Also, the current requirement for guardrails is that the balusters be spaced so that a 4" sphere can't pass through.  This is a requirement so little kids don't get their heads stuck.  Common sense also tells you that you don't want horizontal balusters that little kids can climb like a ladder, but there's nothing in the building code that prohibits this design.

That makes up my list of the most common deck defects that you can look for yourself.  This isn't a comprehensive list, but it's a great starting point.  If you'd like a comprehensive but much less user-friendly list of things to look for while conducting your own deck inspection, you can download a deck inspection checklist from the North American Deck and Railing Association.

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