Residential Inspection Services

Residential Inspection Services updated their address.

A pet peeve of mine, and one I come across all too often is an unsafe clothes dryer duct. So often I find foil colored flexible plastic exhaust duct installed for a clothes dryer. While these are both readily available and easily installed, as well as being found in virtually all home stores with an ambiguous or mis-leading description label, they are considered a fire hazard and are not suited for ducting a heat producing appliance - including clothes dryers. They are intended to duct things such as bathroom exhaust fans.
Clothes dryer manufacturers prohibit their use as do many local fire codes. All codes prohibit their use with gas clothes dryers. Homeowners and many contractors unknowingly install them, however an appliance delivery or repair technician will never install them because they are prohibited. Only rigid or semi-rigid material (metal) is permitted. Semi-rigid duct is made form aluminum and will hold its shape when bent. These are usually displayed right next to the plastic ones.

Inspection today was on a flipped house. All flippers are definitely not created equal. Almost all flippers will make the interior areas nice and new to look at. The quality of the flipper really becomes obvious when looking at the guts of the home such as supporting structure and systems (HVAC, electrical, drainage, etc.).
Todays home had great looks upstairs, but there was widespread mold in the attic, lots of Termite damage and sub-standard repairs, and sub-standard materials used for floor joists and support columns in many areas. Dipping and sagging floors throughout. Someone did not do their homework before attempting this rehab.

Happy New Year. We wish everyone safety and happiness in the coming 2019.

Hoping turkey day was good for everyone. A little different subject matter in this post from past posts.
This time of year typically brings volatility to the housing market and this year is no diiferent. What seems different now is that this past year has been somewhat volatile as a whole compared to the last few years, reportedly due to rising home prices and low inventories of homes on the market combining with higher borrowing costs to make homes more difficult to afford.
The largest generation in American history is now reaching typical home buying age and you would think that the level of homebuying activity would be consistently higher than it is, however even though borrowing costs are low by historical standards, they are high to a generation that has grown into adulthood with mortgage rates in the 2 to 3 percent range. My first mortgage was in 1989 and I felt fortunate to get a rate of 10.5 percent with 2 points on a 30 year loan. In 1993 I managed to re-finance to a 15 year fixed rate with 2 points at 6.75 percent. At the time, this was an extremely good deal and stayed that way for over a decade. Rates did not drop significantly until 2008 - 2010 as the fed dropped the associated benchmark rate to near zero as a stimulus to try and help re-start an almost completely stalled economy.
The general prediction among the dozen or so economy / market analysts that I follow is that housing prices will stabilize and begin to recede over the next year as the economy slows to recession levels by the end of 2019. I guess we'll see what happens.

The pic is of a church in our area in 2007. Taken around Christmas time.

Mold continues to be the hot button issue for the time being. Bringing up the 'M' word at a home inspection frequently causes facial expressions to change instantly.
Have to remember - just because it looks like mold doesn't necessarily mean it is. Sometimes mold is obvious and sometimes a test is needed to determine.
With 300,000 variants (and counting) of mold, testing normally classifies them into more generalized categories / species. Some of these species are harmless or even edible, a few are universally toxic (some attack the immune system without showing symptoms), and the vast majority are allergens much like other seasonal allergens. Most of the species found in a home fall into this last category. Also keep in mind that when large areas of growth are present, they are usually located in basements and attics. Mold in a basement is generally more of a health issue to occupants than mold in an attic. This is due to 'stack effect' where air tends to move from bottom to top in a home in this part of the country.

NYS enacted new mold laws this past January, turning the mold remediation indistry in NY into licensed profession. This was long past due as I have personally been witness to several fraudulent activities concerning mold remediation over the last few years. Up to now there have been no rules at all for the industry meanig that anyone with a bottle of bleach (NOT a good disinfectant for mold) could call themselves a mold remediator. This resulted in what I saw as widestpread scare tactics that usually ended up with peaple spending much more money than they shopuld have and sometimes unnecessaruly disposing of valuable possessions.
It was not unusual to have price quotes for a remeiation job vary by 300 to 400 percent, with some quotes given over the phone with no visual inspection first. Rediculous.
Starting this past January, no one can perform mold remediation for a fee without being licensed by the NYS Labor Department. Also, no remediation can take place without the mold issue first being evaluated by a separate, licensed mold assessor. The mold assessor cannot be the same person or from the same company performing the remediation.
Of course, a homeowner can still do whatever he or she wants with their own property. The law applies only to persons or companies that charge a fee, and only applies to projects where the total area to be remediated is 10 square feet or more. Landlords can also use their own full time employees to perform the remediation work.
I received my Mold Assessors license last December.

Crazy busy Summer season. Just getting sane now and more posts are coming.

The vast majority of issues we find when inspecting a home are due to one or more of three causes. Age related wear, deferred repairs, and repairs or modifications performed by unqualified persons. Of these, the last two usually carry the highest potential cost and/or safety risk, and are also the most preventable.
Deferred repairs may be anything from a loose or leaky gutter to deteriorated masonry mortar to a roof flashing leak to damaged siding or trim. Most deferred repairs will result in added expense as they are delayed, especially when moisture plays a role.
Then there are the sub-standard repairs, usually performed by one or more past homeowners. Many persons, particularly guys in their 30's or later, have a high level of confidence in their knowledge base and abilities when it comes to home repairs and modifications. While it is usually obvious whether work was performed by a professional or not, in many cases the work is adequate. Sometimes however, the work is inadequate or just plain dangerous, the most common of which is electrical.
People tend to thing of electrical circuits like plumbing and that is not always the case. I see many mistakes made including undersized wire, improper connections, unsafe grounding and bonding, incompatible components, and more.

Actually, the reason I write on this subject today is because of an issue I found during a recent inspection for a two family home in Albany.
When checking the two old heating system boilers, I discovered that one boiler was missing its TPR (Temperature, Pressure, Relief) valve, and the other boiler had its TPR valve made inoperable - on purpose. Someone, possibly the landlord or handyman hired by him, had left the TPR valve out when repairing some piping on one boiler, and had fabricated a contraption for the other TPR valve to plug it. Apparently the TPR valve was leaking and the person decided that it was too much trouble to replace the 20 dollar valve and just plugged the leak.
I usually do not like to use such terms, but this was a stupid move and could easily result in an explosion under the right conditions.

Its about time the weather turned for the better. Pretty soon we'll all be talking about how hot it is. In my travels I am seeing a lot of roofing companies at work. More that the usual at this time of year. In talking with some clients, it seems that many people with older but still functioning roof surfaces are opting for a roof replacement earlier rather than later - this after a harsh winter that saw a lot of ice damming and damage. Many people, including myself, had damming and leaks for the first time this past February and March.
Of course, having an ice damming and leak problem does not in itself mean you need a new roof, but it may be worth considering if your roof is older. Older roofs (20 or more years) generally do not have the same level of ice and water barrier protection that is required of new modern installations. This barrier consist of a waterproof adhesive membrane that is installed under the shingles in locations subject to ice damming and prevents water pe*******on.

Everyone hears about Termites and the damage they can do if left un-checked. Most people don't know much about Powder Post Beetles however, and that's a shame because they can be just as destructive as Termites and are more common in this area. Found primarily in basements, crawlspaces, and detached garages, they, like most wood destroying insects, like damp conditions and wood products. Like Termites, they consume the wood as food. Unlike Termites in this area, they live and breed in the wood structure of a home. Evidence of an infestation includes small holes in wood structural members such as floor joists, studs, etc. (about 1/16" dia. or so) sometimes with frass (wood powder) surrounding the hole or in a vertical streak below it. As the infestation advances, areas of the wood appear to be disintegrating from the inside out where you will start to see hollowed out streaks on the surface of the wood, usually in clusters. Once this has appeared, the strength of the wood may have been compromised and need repair.
Treatment can include 'bombing' an area with chemical treatment or spaying affected locations. Prevention includes spraying the wood surfaces with a repellant or painting the wood, and reducing humidity in the affected space.

This weather is relentless. We have been fairly busy through it so far, which is notable because when weather is this difficult, like last year at this time, there is a huge reduction in the real estate activity overall, and home buying in particular. While I cannot speak for other inspectors and have no idea if they are busy or not, it appears that we are in for a busy year ahead if this 'slow' period is any indication.

No home is perfect, including brand new ones. We will typically find around a half dozen defects in a new construction (vs. 4 time as many in an existing home). Builders are only as good as their sub-contractors and even though most builders (but not all) will carefully screen and monitor contractors new to them, sometimes contractors change staffing, equipment, or procedures to reduce costs and/or increase profits. Sometimes these changes result in less consistent quality of workmanship. Like the rest of us, workers can have a bad day. Things can be overlooked and mistakes can be made.
Some of the new construction defects I have seen this past year include exposed wiring, buckled roof sheathing, damaged roof trusses, disconnected HVAC ducts, buckled hardwood and laminate flooring, incorrectly installed recessed lighting, binding doors and windows due to installation, incorrect basement windows, damaged siding and/or exterior doors, appliances not completely installed, etc.
We hold a new home to higher standards than a used home, much like you would when buying a car. We will include cosmetic / aesthetic items as well as functional items in our inspection. After all, the home is supposed to be the most perfect it will ever be.
Most (but not all) builders seem genuinely embarrassed when issues are pointed out. Their houses are supposed to be perfect and they don't like it when it's pointed out that they are not.

Happy new year. Had a very busy end of year. Looking forward to a productive year ahead. Seems like all the signs of an active market are looking better. As always, we will continue to strive to be the best in the business. Our reputation is our most valuable possession.

There has been a lot of hype about mold over the last few years. Bringing awareness to people is good, however when fear accompanies the information, there always seems to be someone waiting to cash in on it. Kind of like politics. This has resulted in some pretty nasty price gouging for remediation services by companies and/or individuals, and like politics, the fear factor is frequently exaggerated, misrepresented, or just made up out of thin air.
I have had countless situations where I was called for a second or third opinion for a mold issue after the client had gotten a severe case of sticker shock from contractor's quotations for mold remediation. In (almost) every case, the price was significantly inflated and did not justify the situation. In virtually every case, I have been able to, after testing the mold, prescribe a solution that is 5 to 30 percent of their original quotes. In many cases, the bulk of the cost is finding and fixing the source of moisture that caused the mold in the first place. Of course, there are always exceptions, and I have seen about a half dozen or so situations that truly required professional remediation services and equipment because the mold was so severe.

Lets talk mold for a minute. I've been getting a lot of inquiries about mold testing lately. Sometimes people are seeing mold (or what they think is mold), sometimes a smell, and sometimes there are suspected health issues. Sometimes there is a combination of these, and most of the time the basement is the primary location of the problem.
Mold is everywhere, and you are most likely breathing mold spores right now. It becomes a problem if the concentration of mold spores becomes higher than your immune system can handle, or if a particularly toxic mold species is present. Some molds are completely harmless, even edible, while a few species are particularly toxic such as the dreaded 'black mold' that you hear about. Most molds are mild-to-moderately toxic and will affect persons differently depending on their sensitivity to that mold species - pretty much like any other airborne allergen. You can't judge a mold by its color. This includes black mold of which many species exist including edible varieties. The dreaded 'black mold' that is referred to is called Stachybotrys and can by highly toxic, however it is also a very fragile species and does not survive well in exposed locations such as wall surfaces, attics, basement walls and ceilings etc. It is usually found in a protected location that has been constantly subjected to moisture, such as inside a bathroom wall where an ongoing plumbing leak exists.
Mold can be a problem, especially when a large amount is present or if a person lives in the house that has immune or respiratory problems. Children and the elder-elderly are generally more sensitive to mold as well.
Mold is not the plague, and removing yourself from the affected area will frequently result in the health effects disappearing. However, long term exposure can cause more serious and long term, primarily respiratory health issues.
If you suspect mold issues, get it tested. More on mold later.

Well, its the beginning of August. The temp is about 83 degrees and humid. Hazy sky with T-storms expected later.
Time to think about Winter.
Seriously, this is the best time for having your furnace / boiler serviced, having your septic tank pumped, getting firewood if you use it, and making any weatherization / insulation improvements that you have been planning. The reason that this is a good time is that in about a month or so, as the weather starts to turn cooler, there will begin a rush by homeowners to do these things and more before the real cold weather sets in. Contractors will be busier, prices will be higher (except for sales), and supplies will be less. I was a little surprised the other day to hear from a septic service owner that Fall is the busiest time of year by far due to homeowners wanting their system pumped out before the freezing weather.
About the time the leaves change, we'll all start running around, like squirrels gather nuts, getting our Winter preparations done. While I know better, I will probably wait until the middle of Fall like I always do and hope I can do it all. Nothing gives me the ambition to tackle cold weather preparations like cold weather does.

After an extended slow period this winter and spring, things are pretty darn busy right now. I have been getting a sense of cautious optimism in the overall market, at least around here. I hope it continues to grow, although because market activity is based in emotion, it can be affected by everything from the weather to political bickering. Bottom line is people need to feel good about their financial future in order to take on the burden of a mortgage. This is something that has been painfully slow in returning since the bubble of 2001 - 2007 burst.
Actually, I am a bit amazed that there is any optimism at all considering the millions of dollars that are being spent to tell us how bad things are.

Sometimes when inspecting a home, particularly an older one, I am struck by how building standards and materials have evolved over the years. Many times in older homes you can see this because of the various upgrades, repairs, and improvements the have been performed - each time to the current standards at the time.
Sometimes these changes were because better and easier to work with materials were discovered, such as plumbing materials evolving from iron to copper to plastic, or aluminum and vinyl siding replacing wood and brick. Sometimes it was because cheaper materials or methods were tried, such as aluminum electrical wire, going from plaster to sheetrock wall surfaces, and laminate floors.
Sometimes the changes resulted in inferior results or even safety hazards. Examples include solid strand aluminum electrical wire, composition wood clapboard siding, and polybutylene piping.
Also, many times changes were due to building materials that over time were determined to be or contain a health hazard. These include lead pipe solder and pipes, asbestos insulation, siding, roofing, and tiles, and lead based paint.
Materials are always evolving as builders and Engineers look for more cost effective methods of construction. Technology keeps giving us new materials faster than they can adequately be tested and as always, the true test is time. Even now, potential problems are being discovered with new materials already in use such as PEX plumbing pipe being deteriorated by UV light and a fire/explosion hazard with stainless steel flexible gas piping during a thunderstorm.
It pays to keep vigilant, and if there is a question, drop me a line.

I went through a round of continuing education recently. In these settings I get to have conversations with many other home inspectors in the region. Some conversations can be quite enlightening and/or informative, such as new sources for laboratories and more efficient methods for reporting and scheduling. Information on new and better testing products are always welcome, and hearing about unusual experiences are always entertaining.
A disturbing trend I have begun encountering however, is the number of inspectors that do not inspect certain areas or items that could have an impact on the home's condition or safety.
One of the most common is the main electrical service panel. While I understand the safety concerns surrounding the removal of a panel cover(s) and getting up close to the live conductors within, many of the more immediate and potential serious safety concerns can exist within the panel. These include burned wires, undersized breakers (or fuses), unsafe wire material, circuits that are un-protected, bare conductors, improperly grounded circuits or panels, excessive condensation, dead rodents, and much more.
For me, there are too many potential issues to ignore. If an inspector does not feel comfortable opening a panel, he or she should educate themselves and/or obtain necessary experience until they feel competent enough to do it.
Of course, unsafe conditions can exist that can prevent safe removal of the panel cover and subsequent inspection. These include hearing arcing noises from within the panel or water on the floor below the panel where an inspector would have to stand. These are fairly rare but can occur from time to time.

I get a serious amount of questions during and after an inspection. 99.9% of the time I have the answer. The other 0.1% of the time I can find the answer. Lately, I have been getting frequent requests by my client and/or their agents to 'teach' them how systems or component work. Some examples include 'how does a water heater or air conditioner work, how does a furnace or boiler work, or how does a septic system work. Many times I am asked to compare the advantages and disadvantages (and potential problems) of various building materials and/or components. Examples such as fuses vs breakers in an electrical panel, galvanized vs copper vs plastic for plumbing supply and drains, natural gas vs oil vs electric for heat, hot air vs hot water vs steam for heat, On demand boilers or hot water heaters, types of foundation and roof materials, and the list goes on and on.
Because of the number of questions I receive, I am considering creating a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter targeted to past clients that would address a home's systems and materials, and potential problems and safety issues that might arise over time.

Been away from my posts for a time. Had yet another bad experience with a web host / developer. The host, Townsquare Interactive, became unresponsive shortly after taking my subscription and payments and my half finished site went live in a half finished state. For two months I tried to get them to correct issues and mistakes and include missing pages and info to no avail. But they continued to take payments automatically, even after i told them to stop based on non-performance.
Finding consistently good hosts / developers seems to be much harder than it should be. These guys were not cheap and I thought I was getting the Cadillac of hosts when I joined them. Live and learn - again.
Once I decided to cut the company off, I had to go into emergency mode to create a new website since they were going to shut my two month old one down. I also decided to do it myself and with help from a friend have been getting familiar with doing my own developing. You can check out the initial results at my again new website at http://risnewyork.com.
(risnewyork.net works as well)
This is truly a work in progress both for my site and my learning process.

Manufactured and Modular homes are not the same thing. Modular homes are partially built in a factory setting and are built to local building codes. They can be multiple stories and pretty much any design. Typically, a modular home will be shipped to its site in several sections primarily consisting of the raw framing and wall. floor, and roof sheathing installed. Cabinets, appliances, carpeting, most sheetrock, stairs, wood flooring, heating / cooling systems, electrical and plumbing systems etc. are usually not installed until the delivered sections have been assembled on the previously installed foundation.
A manufactured home is the proper name for what was previously called a mobile home. The name change was made official some years ago due to the large number of mobile homes that were being built without the ability to be mobile - that is, without wheels, axles, or hitches. These homes are designed to be delivered to a location on a trailer and either craned or rolled into place atop a previously installed foundation. (Foundation Ready Mobile Homes). In some cases they are even built without a steel undercarriage and instead with one made from conventional wood like a conventional home. They will be single story and may have additions that were put in place after the home was installed.
Instead of local building codes, these homes are built to HUD specifications for manufactured homes. Construction materials and methods are different from conventional or modular homes and the homes are delivered to a site mostly complete with heating / cooling, electrical systems, plumbing and ductwork, insulation, cabinets and fixtures all installed.
Working on a manufactured home can be quite different and require different techniques than working on a modular or conventional home. In many cases, the value of the home for mortgage purposes is less due to a shorter expected lifespan.

I have inspected several homes in this area where the buyers were not aware that the home was in fact a manufactured (mobile) home. These homes all had significant additions that drew attention away from their normally uniform shape and the tax roles listed them as "Ranch" style homes. (Tax authorities do not generally care what the correct type is and will list the home in whatever category that will produce the highest tax rate. This is usually done by a 'drive by' evaluation.)
If the home has a basement or crawlspace where the floor structure above is covered with plastic and insulation, it may be a mobile home. The furnace and hot water heater will likely be located on the main floor, possibly in a bathroom or hall closet. Interior walls will be thinner than a conventional home and the main electrical panel may be located in a bedroom or equivalent location and may have the word 'manufactured' or 'mobile' on a sticker attached. Most of the time there is no attic access although a homeowner may install one if the roof has been modified. When in doubt, call an inspector.

New website is live! We are working to make this site more user friendly and a prime source for information about your home. We will also be implementing a newsletter for distribution to past clients and geared to first time and/or less than expert home owners. The site is still under construction as we are tweaking and adding to it every day. Suggestions are welcome.

When purchasing a home with a private well for its water supply, testing the water is always recommended, and for some obvious reasons. Drinking water is the lifeblood of all of us and we want to be assured that the water we are putting into our bodies does not contain substances that could harm us.
I have seen a trend lately where many inspectors, particularly newer and relatively inexperienced inspectors will advertise and quote prices for a water analysis that include testing only for bacteria. In many cases this is the result of banks that only require this analysis. The quote is low in price and attractive to a buyer unfamiliar with drinking (potable) water borne hazards.
The problem is that the test does not include much or the potentially harmful substances that well water in this area can contain.
The test I use most often, and recommend in most cases, is an 'FHA Short' test. This tests for both Coliform and E coli bacteria, and also lead, nitrates, and nitrites. These latter two are markers for pesticides and fertilizers and should be of obvious interest to anyone planning on drinking the water. I am baffled at how anyone would put their health at risk based on saving 80 bucks or on what a mortgage underwriter would say. I am also more than a bit disturbed at how an inspector would only recommend the bacteria test when their client is looking to them for guidance. (Just because it looks better on a price quote.)
FHA requires the short test mentioned above as a minimum. HUD requires a more extensive test that includes non-hazardous substances as well including color, clarity, hardness, and more.
From what information I have been able to obtain, it appears that the reason that banks care mostly about only bacteria is that the presence of bacteria can indicate a problem with the well equipment which in turn can impact the value of the property they are making the loan against.
This is not a good guideline for what to test for in your drinking water.

One of the things that they stress in BPI's (Building Performance Institute) classes for home energy contractors is that one of the most popular improvements that homeowners have done on their houses is also one of the most ineffective for return on investment. I'm talking about new windows.
Installing new windows can be a necessary and/or good idea if the window is already in need of replacement, such as if it is broken, leaks significantly, doesn't operate properly, or rattles around in its track or won't close completely.
If the window is in generally good shape however, replacing it with a 'higher efficiency' window is a bad idea from an investment perspective because the cost is relatively expensive and the savings on energy, if any, are in reality very small. This is because the windows in an average home make up a small percentage of the exterior wall surfaces and this small percentage is the only portion you are improving. Also, even the best windows are terrible insulators compared to even a marginally insulated wall and the overall improvement is generally minor after replacement.
In most cases, a homeowner will never get his or her money back on the energy cost savings from new windows and the average time it takes to break even - where you have saved enough money to cover the cost of the windows, is around 50 years, sometimes more.
One extreme example (and I mean extreme), a friend of mine succumbed to a salesman from Barrier Windows a couple of years ago and purchased 12 of their top efficiency triple pane krypton gas filled vinyl windows at about 1,000.00 each installed. The windows he replaced were original with his house which was built in the mid 50's. He recently estimated that he has saved about 10% on his overall natural gas used for heating over the last 2 years - about 120.00 per year.
At this rate he is looking at 100 years before he breaks even.