The Home Inspectors. Specialists In Residential Inspections Coleman Rd. #3201 San Jose, CA (408) PROPERTY INSPECTED:

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1 The Home Inspectors Specialists In Residential Inspections 1051 Coleman Rd. #3201 San Jose, CA (408) PROPERTY INSPECTED: Sample Report INSPECTED FOR: Joe Buyer INSPECTED BY: Gary Dulleck INSPECTION DATE: Jan 1, 2010

2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION BUILDING EXTERIOR CURBS & GUTTERS SIDEWALKS DRIVEWAY SURFACE DRAINAGE SIDING WINDOWS ROOF GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS BUILDING INTERIOR CEILINGS/WALLS FLOORS EXIT DOORS BUILT-IN KITCHEN APPLIANCES CHIMNEY/FIREPLACE HEATING SYSTEM ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PLUMBING SYSTEM WATER HEATER GARAGE ATTIC FOUNDATION & CRAWLSPACE GENERAL COMMENTS CONDITIONS & LIMITATIONS Inspected for: Joe Buyer 2

3 INTRODUCTION This property was inspected by an inspector with many years experience in the construction trades. The following report is based on the inspector's findings at the time of the inspection with regards to the observed conditions of the major structural, mechanical & electrical components of the property. The following terms are sometimes used in this report to describe system components and their conditions at the time of the subject inspection: GOOD/SOUND: These terms are used to describe a system or component that is capable of providing its intended function and is considered by the inspector to be in average or above condition for its age. MINOR: This term is usually used to define an amount of wear and tear which does not significantly limit the use of the component or system. A system may show minor wear or deterioration and still be considered in good/sound condition. Also used to denote a relatively small amount or less than moderate. Often an item that should be corrected as part of routine maintenance. MODERATE: To a greater degree than minor, or a system or component that may still be able to perform its intended function in full or part, however, should in our opinion, receive some specific maintenance or repair in the near future. ATTENTION NEEDED: This term is used to define a system or component that, in our opinion, should have immediate attention; either a more detailed analysis and/or corrective action. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE: Those items which should be incorporated into the buyers regular property maintenance program. This report is for the use of the original client only. Any other interested parties should obtain their own inspection. The fee for this report is non-transferable and not contingent upon the successful close of escrow. This report is not intended as a substitute for a seller disclosure statement or structural pest (termite) report. Inspected for: Joe Buyer 3

4 A home inspection is a limited time, visual inspection of a home... usually a home that is being purchased. The purpose of the inspection is to determine the condition of various systems of the home at the time of inspection and report on significant visible defects regarding portions of the site, structure, interior, heating, electrical and plumbing as per accepted standards in the home inspection industry. No inspection will pick up every latent defect. The inspection is not intended to be technically exhaustive. There will quite likely be items of possible concern to the client which are not addressed in the report. The inspector's ability to find defects is limited by access to various parts of the property, lack of information about the property and many other factors. The report that is issued is a compilation of observations and an opinion as to the condition of portions of the home/systems. It is not a "code compliance" report. The service that The Home Inspectors has provided you is an inspection, not a warranty. We make no warranty of this property. If you desire warranty coverage please see your real estate agent for details about any warranty plan that their firm may have access to. Thank you for giving The Home Inspectors the opportunity to provide you with our inspection service. Please feel free to call if you have any questions concerning this report or if we can be of any further assistance. Respectfully submitted, The Home Inspectors Gary Dulleck, President Residential Inspection Specialists Inspected for: Joe Buyer 4

5 ! BUILDING EXTERIOR!! CURBS & GUTTERS The conventional concrete curb and gutter was in good condition. No significant restriction to surface drainage or structural failure was noted.! SIDEWALKS The concrete sidewalk was in good condition.! DRIVEWAY The asphalt driveway was in generally good condition. There is minor cracking.! SURFACE DRAINAGE The drainage adjacent to the structure appeared generally correct at this time. There is some minor improper slope and some downspout extensions appeared insufficient to fully carry water away from the house. The slope under the decks was not determined. Recommendation: Use of extensions at the base of the downspouts should direct rain water away from the building. Routine maintenance would require that the area adjacent to the foundation be maintained with a slope of one-half inch per foot away from the foundation for a distance of five feet where possible.! SIDING The exterior walls are covered with wood which is in generally good condition with the following exception(s): There is some minor splitting and weathering and deterioration of wood (check your Structural Pest report regarding wood condition). There are also some unsealed joint gaps and some rusting at nails.! WINDOWS Based on our standard spot check, the windows are in generally sound condition with the following exception(s): Windows at the front left and left front did not stay open/did not operate properly. There were stains visible on siding below the upstairs right front window. Inspected for: Joe Buyer 5

6 The cause appeared to be from improper track drainage related to the fact that someone has sealed weep holes at the upstairs windows with spray foam (weep holes are intended to drain rain water from the window tracks, attention needed). NOTE: Windows are spot checked only and are usually not all accessed or test operated.! ROOF The roof is covered with composition shingle. There are deteriorated ridge and edge shingles, some torn shingles and a vent pipe/roof jack gap. NOTE: We do not probe eaves, rafters, fascia, etc. to determine condition. Check your structural pest report regarding wood condition. Recommendation: Attention needed: For further evaluation and repairs contact a licensed roofing contractor.! GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS The purpose of rain gutters is to help to control surface water drainage. There is evidence of joint leakage. The gutters are filled with a minor to moderate amount of debris. There is minor to moderate rusting of the gutters as visible (with some corroded through/cracked open spots). Routine maintenance should include the annual inspection, cleaning, spot painting and joint sealing of all gutters and downspouts. Inspected for: Joe Buyer 6

7 ! BUILDING INTERIOR!! CEILINGS/WALLS The ceilings and walls as visible to inspection are in generally good condition with the following exception(s): There were some minor cracks and patched cracks noted, indicating that some settling or movement has occurred. Smoke detectors were found but not at all hallways adjacent to bedrooms (none upstairs rear) or in all bedrooms. Minimally, smoke detectors should be present in hall ways adjacent to bedrooms. In new construction (and as usually enforced when making improvements/adding on), detectors are also required inside bedrooms. Detectors must be maintained in working condition at all times. No returns were noted at the stair rails to prevent catching a sleeve as would normally be required (attention needed).! FLOORS The floors as visible to inspection appear to be in sound condition. Some minor humps/sloping were noted. Some stair risers were a bit steep. NOTE: A Structural Pest report includes checking wood condition for fungus damage (dry rot) and/or pest damage, and therefore, is not specifically addressed in this report. We do not probe flooring to determine its condition (e.g. at bathrooms). We do not normally comment upon floor coverings (e.g. some buckled/slightly uplifted laminate flooring noted), underlayment, etc. and are only inspecting for signs of significant movement/structural failure.! EXIT DOORS The exterior exit doors were in good operating condition. The screen door at the left rear slider was bent.! BUILT-IN KITCHEN APPLIANCES The dishwasher appears to be working properly, although not tested full cycle. The dishwasher drain line is equipped with an air gap to prevent accidental back-up and contamination of water. The garbage disposer, cooktop and oven were in good condition at the time of inspection (however see Electrical System regarding cooktop). The trash compactor was not tested. The free-standing oven/range at the upstairs kitchen was given a cursory test only and appears to be in good condition with the following exception(s): The broiler glow plug ignition was found to crackle and spark when coming on (attention needed). Inspected for: Joe Buyer 7

8 There was no adjacent window or exhaust hood/fan as would normally be required at the upstairs kitchen (left over duct from former exhaust fan noted in cabinet). NOTE: Our limited appliance inspections do not include most free standing appliances, oven clocks and timers, self cleaning devices, or all appliance functions or settings.! CHIMNEY/FIREPLACE! The fireplace chimney visually appeared to be in sound condition. There is a spark arrestor at the top of the chimney. NOTE: It is beyond our expertise to fully determine the condition of the chimney(s), flue(s), or inspect internally etc. The fireplace, constructed of brick and mortar, appears to be in good condition. The damper operated properly.! HEATING SYSTEM! Heat is provided by a forced-air furnace which is located in the attic. There is no unobstructed pathway or access platform to the extent normally required at the furnace. The attic light switch is also not near the attic access. There were ducts found torn apart and open in the attic (attention needed). The furnace test operated although cycled on & off when it should remain on (attention needed). NOTE: Registers were not necessarily all located and were not checked for workability or air flow (some added areas may be without registers). While we visually inspect furnace combustion areas as accessible, we cannot verify the absence of cracking at the combustion area/heat exchanger or predict future cracking. No specialized testing for carbon monoxide was performed. Heat for the upstairs addition is provided by a wall furnace. The furnace pilot was not lit and the furnace was thus not tested. Gas flex connector is improperly run through the wall from the adjacent water heater closet (attention needed). Inspected for: Joe Buyer 8

9 Miscellaneous electrical bathroom wall heaters were test operated properly however, it was noted that there was a towel bar improperly over the hall bathroom heater where flammable towels could be hung against the heater (attention needed).! ELECTRICAL SYSTEM! The electrical service to the building is by overhead wire which enters via a weatherproof head. The service box is located at the front exterior. The electrical service is 240 volt protected by a 200amp main breaker. As visible at the panel there is mainly copper branch circuit wiring. No oxidationinhibiting compound was noted at the aluminum wire at the 60amp breaker. The terminations of aluminum wire are better protected from faulty connections if treated with an oxidation-inhibiting compound. Subpanels were found at an upstairs closet and at the master bedroom closet (not a modern approved location). No AFCI (arc fault circuit interrupter) breakers were noted. AFCIs are newly-developed electrical devices designed to help protect against fires caused by arcing faults in the home electrical wiring. Although the requirement is limited to only certain circuits/bedroom outlets in newer residential construction, AFCIs could be considered as an upgrade if desired for added protection in existing homes as well. The following was noted where attention is needed: 1. There are two wires to one 20amp breaker (not an approved splicing device) at the main panel. 2. There is no connecting bar at the 50amp 240V paired breakers at the main panel. 3. The interior dead front cover at the main panel did not fit well due to excess protruding wiring and was not secured in place. 4. Most of the outlets spot checked at the downstairs bedrooms, living room and dining room tested as either open grounded or grounded but with reversed polarity. 5. Missing coverplates were noted at miscellaneous outlets. 6. The upstairs bathroom fan was not operating at the time of the inspection (may be unplugged). 7. There is unprotected Romex cable in the cabinet below the cooktop. Inspected for: Joe Buyer 9

10 8. At the added subpanel in the upstairs closet, there is excess Romex sheathing and no separation of grounds and neutrals /no separate ground path to the main. The master bedroom closet subpanel has excess Romex sheathing, Romex exiting unprotected at open knockouts and also does not have a separate ground path back to the main (but does have a separate ground busbar). 9. In the attic, there are miscellaneous unprotected electrical cables, missing clamps at junction boxes and open junction boxes etc. 10. A cut Romex cable terminated on the ground was noted in the master bedroom crawlspace. Minor unsecured/unprotected Romex was also noted in the crawlspace. There was a broken weather cover noted at a non-gfi protected left exterior outlet. This house employs a 3-hole grounded outlet system. A representative number of electrical outlets were tested and were found to be working properly except as noted. Light and switch operation was also only spot checked. Inspected for: Joe Buyer 10

11 GFIs were located at the rear exterior (not at all outlets and some outlets did not test as powered at the deck area), bathrooms, laundry and kitchen. Modern construction now requires that outlets located in the bathrooms, outdoors, garage, and kitchen counter receptacles within 6 feet of the sink be protected by a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (spa motors, pool lights and other such devices around water should also be GFI protected if present). A GFCI (or GFI) monitors the equal current in both the black and white wires. If there is any change in this balance the GFI shuts off current on the protected outlet(s). This reduces the chance of a serious shock. GFIs should be tested periodically by pushing the test button. Recommendation: For further evaluation of the electrical system and repairs as needed contact a licensed electrician.! PLUMBING SYSTEM! NOTE: The water source/supply to the house (tanks/well) and drain terminations (septic) and gas supply (propane tank), etc. are beyond the scope of this report. There appeared to be mainly copper and some steel service lines and steel, cast iron and plastic drain lines as visible/spot checked. The water flow drops some when multiple fixtures are in use, however, it appears sufficient. Note: The extent of scaling (i.e. mineral deposits), corrosion or deterioration common inside steel pipe, is beyond the scope of this report. While installation specifics are generally beyond our scope to verify, it was noted that there were some in-line vents in use (at kitchen sinks), an open vent terminated in the attic, no vent for the garage washer standpipe, and improperly configured drain piping in the crawlspace (attention needed). Inspected for: Joe Buyer 11

12 The plumbing fixtures and faucets were checked and found to operate satisfactorily with the following exception(s): The kitchen sink faucet handle was loose. There were missing or not operative sink and tub stoppers noted at the upstairs bathroom and the bathtub overflow cover was loose. Recommendation: For further evaluation and repairs contact a licensed plumbing contractor.! WATER HEATER There is an electric 40 gallon water heater located in a downstairs hall closet which appeared to be operating properly. There is a pressure/temperature relief valve with discharge pipe which terminates at a drip pan with drain line which appears to terminate in the crawlspace. Seismic strapping was noted to help restrain the water heater during an earthquake (appeared secure, however, how it may perform is beyond our scope to verify). There is also a gas-fired water heater located in an upstairs closet. The water heater was operating properly. The flue connectors are not screwed together as would normally be required. There is a pressure/temperature relief valve with discharge pipe which terminates at a drip pan with no drain and a hole in side of the pan which would cause leaking should the valve discharge (attention needed). Seismic strapping was noted to help restrain the water heater during an earthquake, however, the water heater is not strapped per recommended specifications (attention needed). NOTE: We recommend strapping per the booklet by the Office of State Architect entitled Earthquake Bracing of Water Heaters for Single-Family Home. There is minor cracking of the slab floor as visible.! GARAGE! The roll-up garage doors were working properly. The garage door openers (located at 3 of the 4 doors) appear to be operating properly. To avoid possible damage, the auto reverse mechanisms were not tested at two doors without sensor activated reverses. The wall between the garage and house is sheetrocked for fire protection. Standards require the garage be completely separated from the residence and its attic by means of sheetrock or other fire resistive material applied to the garage side with no holes and/or combustible penetrations. The fire wall/ceiling sheetrock was in generally good condition as visible however, there were some small holes and plastic pipe penetrations at the ceiling (attention needed). The door between the garage and the interior did not appear to be an approved fire-door as it has a window in it and also had no self-closing device (attention needed). Inspected for: Joe Buyer 12

13 Note: This door also opens into the adjacent rollup door which is scratched apparently from opening while scraping along the door.! ATTIC! The main attic area was entered via an access cover located in the hall closet. The attic was viewed from the area near the access hole only. The main attic space is insulated with loose fill mineral wool insulation to an estimated value of R-11 and with fiberglass batt insulation as visible elsewhere (probably R-19). There was an exhaust fan improperly venting into the attic and the dyer flex duct terminated in the attic (attention needed). There is also a floored off storage attic area and an upper attic area (with fiberglass batt insulation/inspected from the access hole only). The structural members (2x6 rafters) in the attics appear to be in good condition as visible with no evidence of excessive deterioration observed. The ventilation in the attic space appeared to be normal for this type of construction.! FOUNDATION & CRAWLSPACE! The access to the crawlspace is at the hall and master bedroom closets. The concrete perimeter foundation walls had the following noted: There are some significant cracks (approx. 1/2" in width) in the older foundation walls as visible. Inspected for: Joe Buyer 13

14 No foundation bolts were noted in the sillplate where accessed and spot checked at the original foundation. Insulation at the addition crawlspaces inhibited inspection along the sillplate at the newer foundations however bolting was noted. Note: Portions of the original crawlspace were inaccessible due to low clearance and piping etc.. The added crawlspace adjacent to the garage and one at the master bedroom were accessed. There also appeared to be an added crawlspace at the extended kitchen and possibly another area at the center front without any access as would normally be required. Access should be provided for inspection and maintenance. The underfloor area was found to be insulated at the added crawlspaces only. Miscellaneous loose and out of place insulation was noted. The ground underfloor was dry at the time of inspection although it does appear to get wet at times. The cause of any dampness (or its possible extent during the winter) is beyond the scope of this report. There are miscellaneous shimmed and makeshift supports, earth to wood contact, some shimmed and cut joists, and some deteriorated wood (check your Structural Pest report regarding wood condition). Recommendation: Attention needed: Provide access as needed. For further evaluation and correction as needed, contact a foundation specialist/engineer. Inspected for: Joe Buyer 14

15 ! GENERAL COMMENTS! There is additional construction to the original building at the master bedroom, area adjacent to garage, kitchen, garage/upstairs. This construction would require building permits. It would be prudent to check with the building department to confirm that permits were obtained and the work and material passed all required inspections. The wood decks were not inspected although some obvious damage and loose boards were noted at the front deck. Check your Structural Pest report regarding wood condition. The gas meter is located at the front right exterior. A wrench should be kept near the meter in case emergency shut off is required. No automatic seismic shutoff valve was noted. Inspected for: Joe Buyer 15

16 CONDITIONS & LIMITATIONS The building interior is inspected for evidence of structural failure only, therefore, there are no comments made concerning the cosmetic condition of the paint, wall coverings, carpeting, drapes, etc. Recommendations are sometimes given as a possible course of action and are not necessarily the only or best solution. The absence of a recommendation does not necessarily mean no action is required. It is advisable that any and all corrective work suggested in this report be done by a licensed contractor, licensed in the trade involved, to insure that the work is done in a good workmanlike manner, in accordance with applicable building codes, and with proper permits. The following are specifically excluded from the scope of this inspection and report: Items concerning soils, geology and engineering of the site or structure, shower pans, swimming pools, spas, saunas and their related equipment; electric, water, sewage, and gas lines outside the building or underground; septic tanks; solar water systems, water softeners or purifiers, window or wall mounted air conditioner units and furnace heat exchangers. How the structure or any component may perform during an earthquake is beyond our ability to determine. This report does not address structural items or home systems/components inaccessible at the time of the subject inspection (ie under insulation, behind furniture, within walls, etc.). We do not determine whether any appliances, components or materials used have any known defects or are on any published recall list. No water, air, soil or material analysis, including those for health or environmental considerations (e.g. lead, formaldehyde, radon, asbestos, tainted drywall etc.), were performed as part of this inspection. This inspection does not include mold or any possible related health issues. No evaluation or representations are made regarding encroachments, easements, property lines, building setbacks or site stability. We do not calculate correct sizing or adequacy of water and gas piping or drain lines and vents, nor the adequacy of the electrical circuit layout or amperage draw/load calculations. We do not test operate any gas or water shut-off valves or any electrical disconnects or breakers (except GFIs). This inspection does not cover items checked for in a normal structural pest/termite report (fungus, water damage, pest infestation, etc.) nor preclude the need for one. While industry accepted standard care has been employed, no guarantees are expressed or implied. This report is not intended to cover all aspects or components of the property or all possible defects. This report does not provide a warranty for the continued use of the systems or components within the property, or does it specify what should or should not be included in the property. Items not specifically referred to in this report are excluded from this report. Receipt of this report shall constitute acknowledgment of the foregoing conditions and limitations. If you do not agree with the above, promptly return all copies of the report. If you have any questions regarding this report and its recommendations, please call us. Thank you for using The Home Inspectors. Inspected for: Joe Buyer 16