Westinspect Website: http://www.westinspect.us Email: james@westinspect.us Phone: (719) 568-5854 FAX: (866) 695-8296 Inspector: James Eubank InterNACHI 04101795 ASTM 1116424

 

Standard Home Inspection Report
Client(s):	Sample Report
Property address:	Westinspect Eubank Inspections Accurate Independent Inspections Home - Commercial - Environmental
Inspection date:	2010

This report published on Monday, May 17, 2010 3:06:05 PM MDT

Property ownership is both a privilege and a responsibility. Take time to read the entire report. Westinspect Eubank Inspections will be glad to answer your questions after you have read the whole report, from beginning to end.

What is the purpose of this property inspection?

• Repair any health and safety concerns before you move in.
  
• Not all items listed in this report are material defects. You should reasonably determine which items are most significant.
  
• Plan your property's maintenance and upgrades. Make a list of your priorities.
  
• Understand the property's overall condition before your closing (buying or selling) date.

How to Read this Report
This report is organized by the property's functional areas.  Within each functional area, descriptive information is listed first and is shown in bold type.  Items of concern follow descriptive information. Concerns are shown and sorted according to these types:

	REPAIR or REPLACE	Recommend repairing or replacing
	REPAIR or MAINTAIN	Recommend repair and/or maintenance
	MINOR DEFECT or FUTURE REPAIR	Recommend correction, but not urgent
	MAINTAIN	Recommend ongoing maintenance
	EVALUATE	Recommend evaluation by a specialist
	SERVICEABLE	Item or component is in serviceable condition
	COMMENT	For your information

Click here for a glossary of building construction terms.

1) The driveway had significant cracks and/or deterioration in the southeast corner. Recommend repairing or replacing this section of driveway. Other minor cracks were noted, and many had been repaired with caulk. Recommend repairing all minor cracks with concrete caulk or similar product.

2) The downspout extension at the southeast corner of the house was ineffective, due to being located between two confining fence sections. This will prevent water from flowing freely away from the house, and can result in water accumulating around the structure's foundation. Accumulated water is a conducive condition to wood destroying insects and organisms, and may also cause the foundation to settle and possibly fail over time. Repairs should be made as necessary, such as installing or repositioning splash blocks, or installing and/or repairing tie-ins to underground drain lines, so rain water is carried at least several feet away from the structure to soil that slopes down and away from the structure.

3) Three window wells below ground level did not have covers. This can allow water to penetrate to the foundation or basement. Recommend installing window well covers on all window wells. If window is located at a room that will be used as a bedroom, then also recommend installing hinges and a standard window well ladder, so that the window well can be used as a fire escape.

4) This home was clad with composition wood fiber siding. Some areas of siding on this structure showed symptoms of swelling, cracking, or delamination, but it appeared that the siding had not deteriorated to the point of needing replacement. Some manufacturers (Louisiana Pacific) recommend a repair process for this siding where affected areas are sealed with "Permanizer Plus", a flexible primer made by Pittsburgh Paint, followed by two coats of 100% acrylic latex paint. This sealant must be applied to the bottom edges using a brush. The face of the siding can be sprayed. The "Permanizer Plus" sealer isn't required for edges that aren't swollen, cracked or deteriorated, but the acrylic latex should still be brushed on these edges. At a minimum, recommend having a qualified contractor seal and repaint as described above, or by other methods specified by the siding's manufacturer.

5) Random gaps were found between sections of siding. Gaps should be sealed or caulked as necessary to prevent moisture intrusion and entry by vermin.

6) One downspout terminated above roof surfaces rather than being routed to gutters below or to the ground level. This is very common, but it can reduce the life of roof surface materials below due to large amounts of water frequently flowing over the roof surface. Granules typically are washed off of composition shingles as a result, and leaks may occur. Recommend considering having a qualified contractor install extensions as necessary so downspouts don't terminate above roof surfaces.

7) A plastic bag was wrapped around the driveway light. The seller reported that the bag keeps barn swallows from nesting in that fixture.

8) Debris had accumulated in one or more gutters. This is a conducive condition for wood destroying insects since gutters may overflow and cause water to come in contact with the structure's exterior or make water accumulate around the foundation. Gutters should be cleaned now and as necessary in the future.

9) Recommend resealing around all four skylights with roofing caulk, as a standard precaution to avoid water intrusion. See line 25 below.

10) A small area of deterioration was found on the soffit of the upper level on the west side. This appeared to be from a previous roof leak, and was not a current concern. The current roof had no leak evidence at the time of this inspection. No action is recommended at this time.

11) The automatic door closing device (sprung hinges, etc.) on the garage-house door needs adjustment, repair or replacing. The door did not close and latch easily and/or completely via the force of the automatic closing device. This door is intended to prevent vehicle fumes from entering living spaces and to slow the spread of fire from the garage to living spaces. A qualified contractor should evaluate and make repairs as necessary.

12) The vehicle door had an electric opener installed, and the manual lock mechanism on the door had not been disabled. Damage or injury may occur if the vehicle door opener is operated with the manual lock engaged. A qualified contractor should disable or remove the lock mechanism. For more information on garage door safety issues, visit: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/523.html or http://www.ohdstl.com/safety.html

13) Much of the garage, include areas around the interior perimeter and in the center are excluded from this inspection due to lack of access from stored items.

14) The ceiling insulation's R rating was slightly less than R-30 which is recommended for this area. Recommend having a qualified contractor install additional insulation as per standard building practices for better energy efficiency.

15) One screw was missing from the cover of the electric service panel. Recommend replacing this screw so that panel cover completely protects the enclosed wiring. Stock screws from the panel manufacturer should be used, or their equivalent.

16) No concerns were found with the overall electrical system at the time of this inspection.

17) The estimated useful life for most water heaters is 8 to 12 years. This water heater appeared to be approaching this age and may need replacing at any time. Recommend budgeting for a replacement in the future.

18) The filters for the heating systems should be checked monthly and replaced or washed as necessary.

19) The last service date of these systems appeared to be more than one year ago, or the inspector was unable to determine the last service date. The clients should ask the property owner when they were last serviced. If unable to determine the last service date, or if these systems were serviced more than one year ago, a qualified heating and cooling contractor should inspect, clean, and service these systems, and make repairs if necessary. For safety reasons, and because these systems are fueled by gas or oil, this servicing should be performed annually in the future. The brief visual observation by the home inspector is NOT a substitute for the complete servicing that is recommended here. For more information visit: http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml05/05017.html

20) No concerns were found with the heating and cooling systems at the time of this inspection.

21) No concerns were found with the overall plumbing system at the time of this inspection.

22) This gas-log fireplace was operated by a remote control, and was working properly at the time of this inspection.

23) Upstairs bathroom with a shower did not have an exhaust fan installed. Moisture accumulation will occur and may damage the structure. Even if the bathroom has a window that opens, it likely does not provide adequate ventilation, especially during cold weather when the window is closed. A qualified contractor should install exhaust fans as per standard building practices where missing in bathrooms with showers.

24) Basement shower handle was difficult to operate, requiring a lot of force to turn on and off. Recommend replacing this shower handle.

25) The skylight in the small front bathroom (near the front entry) showed evidence of past leaking. Paint was bubbled and soft in two small areas, and a thicker layer of caulk was noted around the interior edges of the skylight. Recommend sealing around the exterior of this skylight. See line 9 above. Recommend occasional monitoring to make sure skylight does not leak during heavy rain or snow.

26) This structure was built in 1979 and may contain lead paint. Laws were enacted in 1978 in the US preventing the use of lead paint in residential structures. Lead is a known safety hazard, especially to children but also to adults. The paint found in and around this structure appeared to be intact and may be encapsulated by more recent layers of paint that are not lead-based. Regardless, recommend following precautions as described in the following links to Consumer Products Safety Commission website articles regarding possible lead paint.

What You Should Know About Lead Based Paint in Your Home: Safety Alert - CPSC Document #5054

CPSC Warns About Hazards of "Do lt Yourself" Removal of Lead Based Paint: Safety Alert - CPSC Document #5055

27) This house meets the following requirements as required in HUD Handbooks 4905.1 and 4150.2: The house can be used and maintained individually without trespass on adjoining properties. It has independent utilities. It has safe and potable water. It has sanitary facilities with a safe method of sewage disposal. The heating is adequate for healthful and comfortable living conditions. The house has domestic hot water. It has electricity for lighting and for equipment used in the living unit. The property has vehicular or pedestrian access from a public or private street. Access to the house is provided without passing through any other living unit. There is no evidence of continuing settlement, leakage, termites, excessive dampness, decay, or other conditions impairing safety or sanitation of the dwelling.

28) OLDER HOME: We expect homes to be built according to the standard practices and building codes, if any, that were in use at the date of construction. Older homes often have areas or systems that do not comply with current building codes. While this Inspection makes every effort to point out safety concerns, it does not inspect for building code compliance.

It is common for homes of any age to have had repairs done, and some repairs may appear less than standard. This Inspection looks for items that are not functioning as intended. It does not grade the quality of the repairs.

In older homes, the Inspector reviewed the structure from the standpoint of how it has fared through the years with the materials that were used. You can expect problems to become apparent as time passes. The Inspector will not be able to find all deficiencies in and around a property, especially concerning construction techniques of the past.

29) PUEBLO: For Pueblo City and County map information, see the Pueblo County Geographic Information System (GIS) at http://www.gis.co.pueblo.co.us/.

For contractor searches, building codes, permits, and building reports, see the Pueblo Regional Building Department at http://www.prbd.com/.

For Pueblo City government, see http://www.pueblo.us/.

For local health and environmental issues, see the Pueblo City-County Health Department at http://www.co.pueblo.co.us/pcchd/.

For septic system information in Pueblo County, see http://www.co.pueblo.co.us/pcchd/environmental/isds/index.php

30) Photos are included to help you better understand the condition of the property at the time of the inspection. Photos are intended to show an example of a concern, but they may not show every occurence and may not accurately show its severity. Not every concern will have a photo. Do not rely on photos alone.

31) Material defect is a condition with a real property or any portion of it that would have a significant adverse impact on the value of the real property or that involves an unreasonable risk to people on the property. The fact that a structural element, system or subsystem is near, at or beyond the end of the normal useful life of such a structural element, system or subsystem is not by itself a material defect.

Photo 1   Eubank Inspections Sample Report 2008	Photo 2   driveway deterioration
Photo 3   downspout between two fence sections	Photo 4   window wells
Photo 5   deterioration at lower edge of siding	Photo 6   gaps between siding pieces
Photo 7   plastic wrap at driveway light	Photo 8   downspout above roof
Photo 9   front skylight	Photo 10   back skylight
Photo 11   minor deterioration of soffit on back side	Photo 12   rooftop evaporative cooler
Photo 13   lock not disabled on garage door