Show and Tell: Things I have seen at Home Inspections!
Professional Home Inspections 480-390-9970
I love what I do! Every day is a new adventure and I never know what I may run into at that day’s inspection! The following are a few of the more “interesting” finds I have seen during my inspections. Enjoy!
The laundry room exhaust vent was installed backwards so no need to hook up that silly exhaust vent.Charred main feed feed wires at main electric panel. The owners of the home had no idea this had happened.Charred main feed feed wires at main electric panel. The owners of the home had no idea this had happened.Have you ever notice those rust streaks on the exterior walls of some homes? This is where it starts.Shifted roof tiles, exposed underlayment. Have your roof inspected every few years.Double double taps! Breakers are made for one conductor each, not two.If you see this at your water heater, get a new one soon!Loose, improperly installed flashing = water damage to patio roof sheathing.Burned relay inside a 1980’s vintage “Energy Savor” device.Missing tile? No problem! That’s what that expanding spray foam is for! (No, it’s not.)Common find – No discharge pipe installed at TPR valve on water heater. There needs to be a solid copper pipe installed that terminates within 6′ of the ground at an exterior location.Is it a problem if the washing machine is draining out the sewer cleanout location on the back of the house? Yes. Yes it is.Gutters are typically supposed to drain. This one did not.Debris buildup on a roof = potential for leaks. If you have trees around your home you need to get the roof checked/cleaned annually.Who needs to clean gutters? apparently not this guy!These are termite tubes coming up out of the ground under a manufactured home.There are bolts that hold the toilet tank to the stool. FYI – They can rust and cause a leak.CLEAN YOUR DRYER LINT VENT ANNUALLY – This is a major fire hazard!Damaged mortar pack on a roof.Loose flashing on a roof.CLEAN YOUR DRYER LINT VENT ANNUALLY – This is a major fire hazard!Spaghetti! Gas water heater vent pipe disconnected at elbow INSIDE A LAUNDRY ROOM.Welcome to my world.Um, no.Rust/corrosion is a common find under sinks. Typically, not this bad however.Another one of those pesky TPR valves not connected to a discharge pipe at a water heater. Yep, we’re going to write this up.There is a chance this pipe has been leaking for a minute.Remember that leaking pipe? Here is the other side of the wall.This was at a patio at the back of a house. I got nuthin’…I always look up at the bottom of kitchen and bath counters. No reason.Nice looking fireplace at at flipped house.Inside of that nice looking fireplace at the flipped home. This was a house fire waiting to happen. Some Flippers are better than others.Loose flashing.If you look close, you might spot the patched shingle.Water is supposed to flow down the sides of most of our homes and out the front here in Arizona. Don’t stack that extra gravel up at the drain block at the front of your house.Exposed live wires inside of an attic.No insulation over a remodeled (flipped) kitchen.Exposed wires in an attic.Exposed live wiring in an attic.Don’t use these accordion traps – they can trap food and other junk and create a smell. And this guy should have Home Inspection Reported a plumber for a proper installation.Open grounds at electrical outlets are common finds at older homes. A qualified electrician can help resolve this.Drywall screws used to hold a kitchen cabinet to a wall. This is a no-no as drywall screws are not made for this purpose. Get proper cabinet fasteners when installing cabinets.It’s amazing to me how often I find bathroom counters not attached to cabinets.So this is actually an air conditioning return duct that should A) have clips to open it and B) have a filter installed!Another burned wire inside an electric panel.More “Double Taps” breakers in an electric panel.Beer gut(ter)Hey Mr. Flipper – You really need to install a proper boot and sealant at that plumbing vent. Maybe no one will notice.Hey Mr. Flipper – You really need to install a proper boot and sealant at that plumbing vent. Maybe no one will notice. Oh wait, I did!Missing vent cap.Missing vent cap. Rain was going directly through the attic and had damaged a ceiling.Remember when I mentioned that the TPR discharge pipe for the water heater needs to terminate within 6″ of the ground at an exterior location? This one doesn’t.A/C electrical conduit that was help on with putty and duct tape. Nope!Another double tap.Someone should probably connect that loose ground wire.It’s common to find missing insulation inside of attics. (I’m talking to you, Mr. Flipper)Once that wood shake roof rots and needs replacing, lets just dump the old shakes in the attic. Saves cleanup time!Yes, that is a weed growing behind a baseboard inside of a bedroom.FYI – Your tile roof gets kind of warm – The roof temp was 180 degrees the day I inspected this roof.This is a text message I received from the listing agent letiing me know the timeframe would work that Friday for the inspection. Oh, and also about the monkeys.One of the 5 Monkeys.A very large (fortunately) dead scorpion. EWWWW!??Actual live wiring outside of a barn in Apache Junction.Actual live wiring outside of a barn in Apache Junction.Actual live wiring outside of a barn in Apache Junction.Back patio roof view. A.K.A. Bottle storage.Found this inside a garage. It apparently worked – I didn’t see any snakes!Termite mud tube on a master bedroom wall by the light switch. The owner “didn’t know he had termites”.Rocket launcher hanging on a garage wall. Probably for the gophers.If you are putting your house on the market, take the time to clean under your kitchen sink.If your water heater plumbing connection is rusted AND leaking, I suggest you call a plumbing contractor.If your water heater plumbing connection is rusted AND leaking, I suggest you call a plumbing contractor.What could possibly go wrong with this kitchen sink?I did a 1 year warranty inspection and found a gas furnace inside an attic that had no flue pipe installed. No vent was cut through the roof.I did a 1 year warranty inspection and found a gas furnace inside an attic that had no flue pipe installed. No vent was cut through the roof.Livingroom décor.Um, whoops!I’m beginning to think this was on purpose!
