New Build Inspections
New Build Inspections. Why are they so important to do? The main reason I find, is that the builder has contracted with many different subcontractors to build the house. They are not monitoring every subcontractor for quality assurance and things get missed. Here’s a few examples of some common items that we find doing new build inspections. Check out the sample report at detailshomeinspection.com it’s an actual New Build Inspection that was preformed this year.
Check out this damaged truss in the attic of a new build found this week. People think they don’t need an inspection on a NEW BUILD. Well imagine selling this a few years later and having the inspector find it. Then it’s on you to repair this instead of the builder. We also found moisture stains and mildew in the attic.
Here’s a new build I did this week. Went in the attic and boom, no insulation. They already had the certificate of occupancy, so they were done. Which means the city code inspector already did their work and signed off on the property.
The attic of this new build had a loose lateral brace. These are used to help hold up the trusses when they are constructing the roof framing. We find this all the time. Recommend repair.
Here’s a photo of the sewer line on a new build sewer scope recently done. You can see there’s a rod/stake going through the main line. This would have caused some big problems once the occupants moved in. New build sewer scopes are a great way to find issues like this for peace of mind and not having it become a bigger issue down the road.
If you are purchasing a new build, let us help with the inspection process. You can schedule now with current online availability and pricing.
Well Flow Testing
Water flow testing is done prior to home purchases. If you are considering purchasing a property that has a private well, you should have a flow test done to make sure the water supply can handle your family's water consumption needs. Keep in mind that the average person uses 80-100 gallons of water daily, so you would need to multiply that by the number of people in your household. Usually Lenders require minimum 3 gallons per minute.
Most lenders will require a 2+ hour well flow test and water quality test on home purchases with a private well. Well water quality testing, tests for Ecoli, Total Coliform, Arsenic, and Nitrates are done via a local lab.
Details Home Inspections offers both services that can be added to a Home Inspection or a standalone service.
Common Defects with a Water Heater Found during a Home Inspection
This is the pipe connection to a water heater. Pipes are corroded and appears to have a leak for quite sometime. The drywall is stained and deteriorating. This is a common problem when two different metals (pipes) are used together without a dielectric union. #hireahomeinspector #detailshomeinspections
This is a hot water temperature relief valve. It’s used to expel excess pressure in the form of steam. It should have an attachment that’s run 4-6 inches off the ground. So it doesn’t harm anyone. Safety hazard, recommend repair.
This water heater temperature relief valve has galvanized pipe that needs to extend down to above the floor 4-6” to prevent steam burns. Also, it has threads on the end which is another safety hazard. The threads allow you to cap it. There’s a great “MythBusters” episode on it.
This is an older water heater missing seismic straps. They are recommended for top and bottom. This is a possible safety concern and usually gets called out by the appraiser as well. It’s also installed in a conditioned area which requires a drip pan. These are common issues that are found during a home inspection that should be addressed to prevent safety issues.
Contact us today to schedule a home inspection. Schedule online at detailshomeinspections.com
Radon Mitigation Defects Found during a Home Inspection
Here’s a one year old builders warranty inspection. This is the passive radon pipe that’s not installed correctly. You can see that the pipe terminates at the vapor barrier. It should be below the vapor barrier. We see this often. Here’s a link for the proper installation. https://www.epa.gov/.../files/2014-08/documents/archdraw.pdf
This one is a little better with the EPA installation instructions. Still needs to be under the vapor barrier. This is doing nothing for radon mitigation.
This one is taped up with a vapor barrier, but its above the other vapor barrier. The lower vapor barrier is what’s used to funnel any radon gas to the passive system like a chimney to the pipe, and out to the exterior. Recommend repair.
This image is of the upper part of the passive radon mitigation on a new build in the crawlspace. They had the lower part installed correctly per EPA installation instructions. Except they terminated it in the crawlspace just below the sheathing, instead of routing it to the roof and exterior. Recommend repair.
HVAC Defects Found during Home Inspections
Here’s a damaged HVAC duct in a crawlspace. It appeared that a rodent damaged these ducts. The seller didn’t know these were damaged. This one had big holes in it that were blowing into the crawlspace wasting energy. Recommend repair.
This duct had a big hole and rodent droppings. It also, was hanging on the ground and was wicking up moisture damaging the insulation. The duct was in need of replacement. Recommend licensed HVAC contractor repair.
This duct was disconnected and laying on the ground for some time. It was still pumping out heat. Owners were wondering why that room was always colder.
Unfortunately this is a common find. Here’s a homeowner repair. I was in the crawlspace running the furnace and could feel the heat coming out of the damaged area. Recommend licensed contractor repair. It will pay for it’s self in the energy savings.
