Arizona Home Inspection & Construction Blog ACSI

Why Does My Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs?

Lately I have been performing home inspections on more vacant homes than occupied ones, one of the issues that I am finding is smelly water. I have found this issue while performing home inspections in Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and Tempe, but I am sure this is an issue that turns up in home inspections across Arizona.

Most of the time I can flush the system and the smell goes away but if the home sits vacant for a few more months the odor returns.
That is when I get the call asking Why Does My Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs?

The answer is simple, there is hydrogen sulfide and/or sulfur bacteria in the water.
Where is it coming from?
It could be in the water heater, the water softener, the system itself or from a well.
Hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) can occur in wells anywhere, and gives the water a characteristic “rotten egg” taste or odor.
How is hydrogen sulfide gas produced in a water heater?
A water heater can provide an ideal environment for the conversion of sulfate to hydrogen sulfide gas. The water heater can produce hydrogen sulfide gas in two ways – creating a warm environment where sulfur bacteria can live, and sustaining a reaction between sulfate in the water and the water heater anode. A water heater usually contains a metal rod called an “anode,” which is installed to reduce corrosion of the water heater tank. The anode is usually made of magnesium metal, which can supply electrons that aid in the conversion of sulfate to hydrogen sulfide gas. The anode is 1/2 to 3/4 inches in diameter and 30 to 40 inches long.
What causes hydrogen sulfide gas to form in groundwater?
Decay of organic matter such as vegetation, or chemical reactions with some sulfur-containing minerals in the soil and rock, may naturally create hydrogen sulfide in gas in groundwater. As groundwater moves through soil and rock formations containing minerals of sulfate, some of these minerals dissolve in the water. A unique group of bacteria, called “sulfur bacteria” or “sulfate-reducing bacteria” can change sulfate and other sulfur containing compounds, including natural organic materials, to hydrogen sulfide gas.
What are the sources of hydrogen sulfide in well water and the water distribution system?
Hydrogen sulfide gas can result from a number of different sources. It can occur naturally in groundwater. It can be produced by certain “sulfur bacteria” in the groundwater, in the well, or in the water distribution system. It can be produced also by sulfur bacteria or chemical reactions inside water heaters. In rare instances, it can result from pollution. The source of the gas is important when considering treatment options.
Are sulfur bacteria or hydrogen sulfide harmful?
In most cases, the rotten egg smell does not relate to the sanitary quality of the water. However, in rare instances the gas may result from sewage or other pollution. It is a good idea to have the well tested for the standard sanitary tests of coliform bacteria and nitrate. Sulfur bacteria are not harmful, but hydrogen sulfide gas in the air can be hazardous at high levels. It is important to take steps to remove the gas from the water, or vent the gas to the atmosphere so that it will not collect in low-lying spaces, such as well pits, basements, or enclosed spaces, such as well houses. Only qualified people who have received special training and use proper safety procedures should enter a well pit or other enclosed space where hydrogen sulfide gas may be present.
Are there other problems associated with sulfur bacteria or hydrogen sulfide?
Yes. Sulfur bacteria produce a slime and can promote the growth of other bacteria, such as iron bacteria. The slime can clog wells, plumbing, and irrigation systems. Bacterial slime may be white, grey, black or reddish brown if associated with iron bacteria. Hydrogen sulfide gas in water can cause black stains on silverware and plumbing fixtures. It can also corrode pipes and other metal components of the water distribution system.
How can I find the source of a hydrogen sulfide problem, and what can I do to eliminate it?
The odor of hydrogen sulfide gas can be detected in water at a very low level. Smell the water coming out of the hot and cold water faucets. Determine which faucets have the odor. The “rotten egg” smell will often be more noticeable from the hot water because more of the gas is vaporized. Your sense of smell becomes dulled quickly, so the best time to check is after you have been away from your home for a few hours. You can also have the water tested for hydrogen sulfide, sulfate, sulfur bacteria, and iron bacteria at an environmental testing laboratory. The cost of testing for hydrogen sulfide ranges from $40 to $100 depending on the type of test.
• If the smell is only from the hot water faucet the problem is likely to be in the water heater.
• If the smell is in both the hot and cold faucets, but only from the water treated by a water softener and not in the untreated water the problem is likely to be sulfur bacteria in the water softener.
• If the smell is strong when the water in both the hot and cold faucets is first turned on, and it diminishes or goes away after the water has run, or if the smell varies through time the problems is likely to be sulfur bacteria in the well or distribution system.
• If the smell is strong when the water in both the hot and cold faucets is first turned on and is more or less constant and persists with use the problem is likely to be hydrogen sulfide gas in the groundwater.
What can I do about a problem water heater?
Unless you are very familiar with the operation and maintenance of the water heater, you should contact a water system professional, such as a plumber, to do the work.
• Replace or remove the magnesium anode. Many water heaters have a magnesium anode, which is attached to a plug located on top of the water heater. It can be removed by turning off the water, releasing the pressure from the water heater, and unscrewing the plug. Be sure to plug the hole. Removal of the anode, however, may significantly decrease the life of the water heater. You may wish to consult with a reputable water heater dealer to determine if a replacement anode made of a different material, such as aluminum, can be installed. A replacement anode may provide corrosion protection without contributing to the production of hydrogen sulfide gas.
• Disinfect and flush the water heater with a chlorine bleach solution. Chlorination can kill sulfur bacteria, if done properly. If all bacteria are not destroyed by chlorination, the problem may return within a few weeks.
• Increase the water heater temperature to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius) for several hours. This will destroy the sulfur bacteria. Flushing to remove the dead bacteria after treatment should control the odor problem.
CAUTION: Increasing the water heater temperature can be dangerous. Before proceeding, consult with the manufacturer or dealer regarding an operable pressure relief valve, and for other recommendations. Be sure to lower the thermostat setting and make certain the water temperature is reduced following treatment to prevent injury from scalding hot water and to avoid high energy costs.
What if sulfur bacteria are present in the well, the water distribution system, or the water softener?
• Have the well and distribution system disinfected by flushing with a strong chlorine solution (shock chlorination) as indicated in the “Well Disinfection” fact sheet from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Sulfur bacteria can be difficult to remove once established in a well. Physical scrubbing of the well casing, use of special treatment chemicals, and agitation of the water may be necessary prior to chlorination to remove the bacteria, particularly if they are associated with another type of bacteria known as “iron bacteria”. Contact a licensed well contractor or a Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) well specialist for details.
• If the bacteria are in water treatment devices, such as a water softener, contact the manufacturer, the installer, or the MDH for information on the procedure for disinfecting the treatment devices.
What if hydrogen sulfide gas is in the groundwater?
The problem may only be eliminated by drilling a well into different formation capable of producing water that is free of hydrogen sulfide gas or connecting to an alternate water source, if available. However, there are several options available for treatment of water with hydrogen sulfide gas.
• Install an activated carbon filter. This option is only effective for low hydrogen sulfide levels, usually less than 1 milligram per liter (mg/L).* The gas is trapped by the carbon filter is saturated. Since the carbon filter can remove substances in addition to hydrogen sulfide gas, it is difficult to predict its service life. Some large carbon filters have been known to last for years, while some small filters may last for only weeks or even days.
• Install an oxidizing filter, such as a “manganese greensand” filter. This option is effective for hydrogen sulfide levels up to about 6 mg/L. Manganese greensand filters are often used to treat iron problems in water. The device consists of manganese greensand media, which is sand coated with manganese dioxide. The hydrogen sulfide gas in the water is changed to tiny particles of sulfur as it passes through the filter. The filter must be periodically regenerated, using potassium permanganate, before the capacity of the greensand is exhausted.
• Install an oxidation-filtration system. This option is effective for hydrogen sulfide levels up to and exceeding 6 mg/L. These systems utilize a chemical feed pump to inject an oxidizing chemical, such as chlorine, into the water supply line prior to a storage or mixing tank. When sufficient contact time is allowed, the oxidizing chemical changes the hydrogen sulfide to sulfur, which is then removed by a particulate filter, such as a manganese greensand filter. Excess chlorine can be removed by activated carbon filtration.

I sometimes write about people failing to meet the standard of care. It may be a builder that performed in a unworkmanlike manner, how building inspectors fly through a home and miss many defects or how a home inspector failed to identify issues. Today is different, today I want to praise someone for taking pride in their work and doing the job right.

I am frequently retained by home buyers to perform construction phase inspections. The builders all walk the home as well as the subcontractors and the municipal building inspectors looking for defects. However, I have yet to inspect a home where I did not find several issues that needed to be corrected even after all of the other inspections are complete. I recognize that we are all human and we all make mistakes, but if we are tasked with the job of finding others mistakes and looking out for the well being of the workers and end users of a building, I believe that is exactly what we should do.

Today I looked at an Ashton Woods home that is under construction. I must first say that while I perform expert witness work on a regular basis, I have never had a case against Ashton Woods. I have made several trips to this property and found that the work performed on this home is generally better than others I have inspected. Today is the first time I met the superintendent and the first time he became aware that I was performing random inspections on this property. This leads me to believe that this superintendent actually takes some pride in his work and has the knowledge to back it up. I pointed out a few issues and he addressed them appropriately. I am frequently asked who the best builder is and my normal response is; “Most of the builders use the same subcontractors so their quality is the same, the difference is who your superintendent is”. What I am about to say should not be construed as an insult to Aston Woods, in fact after seeing their work I would feel more comfortable recommending them than many other production home builders.

While we were at the site the Town of Gilbert building inspector arrived. I have been in the construction industry for years and have seen more inspections than I care to recall. Some inspectors will perform a framing inspection in a few minutes others will take a little longer. Some inspectors pay attention to the details on the plans, however I have seen as a rule, many just walk through and look for common construction practices. I had never met this inspector before and he introduced himself as Erik Zavala. He took the plans and went to work. He was at the site for well over an hour and he paid attention to the details. He was through, he found several issues that need to be corrected however he was also polite and professional. If more municipal inspectors performed their duties the way Erik did, it would no longer be a question of who is the best builder or superintendent, but who was the building inspector on this project. After seeing him work I would feel more comfortable purchasing a home in Gilbert than most other jurisdictions.

For the record, I have not always felt this way about The Town of Gilbert. I have fought with their permitting process a few times. I have had good inspectors and some that were not so good. I have seen building inspectors assigned over 30 inspections in a day. Yes I said 30, that means in an 8 hour day they need to perform one inspection every 16 minutes and that doesn’t include drive time or time to do the paperwork. That was not the case today. It has been 10 years since I have seen an inspector that paid this much attention to detail.

I commend The Town of Gilbert for having a person like this perform building inspections. The people of Gilbert can sleep better knowing a person of Erik’s caliber is inspecting their homes.
I know this is not my typical post, however I feel if you are going to criticize people for not doing their job, you must also compliment those that meet or exceed your expectations. Today Erik and therefore the Town of Gilbert did just that.

For most of us, our home represents the largest investment we’ll make in our lifetimes. It’ll also be one of the most complex transactions for most of us.

In the center of it all – is the property we’re attempting to buy. Homes are made up of major systems such as plumbing, electrical, refrigeration or heating to name just a few. The home itself is a complex combination of systems and subsystems. Literally hundreds of defects can exist which wouldn’t be obvious to the naked eye. A professional home inspector will inspect the entire structure from roof to foundation, interior and exterior and all electric and mechanical parts of the home.

“Buyer Beware” at one time was the mantra. That’s no longer the case in Arizona. The Arizona Association of Realtors Residential Purchase Agreement provides two significant protections for buyers: First, there is a period of time during which the Buyer can have the property inspected by a professional Home Inspector. Secondly, there is a mechanism in the process that provides for the Seller to disclose all known defects to the Buyer. The Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS) is a form that asks every conceivable question related to the property. Unless a Buyer waives the requirement in the original offer, the seller is required to complete the form and provide it to the buyer within 5 days of the contract. Buyers comparing the sellers responses with the Inspection Report have intimate knowledge of the property before the escrow closes. After the inspection, the provision in the agreement allows the Buyer to request the Seller to repair the major systems before the escrow closes.

Arizona Home Inspectors are required to be registered and certified with the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration. This Board is also the regulatory agency for Architects, Assayers, Clandestine Drug Laboratory Site Remediation On-Site Workers and On-Site Supervisors, Engineers, Geologists, Home Inspectors, Landscape Architects, Surveyors and Remediation Specialists.

Certification by the State of Arizona requires a minimum of 80 hours of classroom education, successful completion of the National Home Inspection Examination, and 30 parallel inspections in the presence of a certified home inspector. (THATS RIGHT A WHOPPING 30 INSPECTIONS WITH SOMEONE ELSE)

So the question is: “How does a Buyer choose a home inspector?”

First be sure they licensed by the state then ask the following questions:
Are they members of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)? ASHI Certified Members have performed over 250 fee paid inspections.

Be aware of the distinction between membership and doing the inspection to ASHI standards or the NACHI Code of Ethics. The State of Arizona Requires inspections be done to the AZ-ASHI Standards of Practice. These are more stringent than just the ASHI Standards.

Are they bonded, insured and do they carry Errors & Omissions insurance? The State of AZ requires they be Bonded OR Insured, not both.

What is their past experience? You want someone that has been in the area for years and is knows about local construction, Our climate is different than other places and therefore we build things differently. If you want to know about common defects found by Phoenix Home Inspectors

What are their rates? Cheaper is not the best route to go when your basing a huge investment on it.

Additional testing or inspections that a Buyer may want to consider include those for wood destroying organisms, Thermal Imaging, mold, radon gas, etc. Not all home inspectors are qualified to do these inspections or tests. There would probably be an additionally charge as well since these are above and beyond the inspectors normal qualifications.

It’s important to remember the home inspector is a generalist. As a Buyer, you may also want to consider additional inspections on major systems such as the roof, refrigeration, plumbing and electrical by contractors licensed within those specialties.

While there are no guarantees that all defects will be found and all future problems prevented, the process in place today in Arizona allows home buyers to have confidence in their decisions.

More Information about selecting an Arizona Home Inspector

What You Should Know About Arizona Home Inspections

A home inspection is one of the most important parts of the home buying process, as it goes beyond aesthetic appeal, location, and price — the reasons why most people decide to buy a home — to ensure that the house is structurally sound. Think of it as a way to protect yourself: A house may look inviting on the outside, may even seem like a good deal, but it could still have unseen problems that would cost you a lot of money in the long run.

With so much riding on the home inspection, there are a few things you need to know in order to better protect yourself.

* Only do business with well-known, well-respected home inspection companies. There are a lot of fly-by-night home inspection companies out there and others that used to be in business but they did not maintain their state requirements and therefore are operating illegally , so be sure to do your research and only do business with the respectable ones! You can check the Better Business Bureau, RipOffReport.com, and other online review sites in order to verify a company’s reputation.
* Look for good credentials. Before hiring a home inspection company, find out their credentials and Google them to make sure they are valid. Make sure their credentials are well respected in the industry (for example are they a member of ASHI or NAHI).
* Spring for additional tests. There are several tests that the home inspector can do that will cost you extra, but that may prove to be a good investment. For instance, you can have the home tested for radon, mold, termites, or have thermal imaging performed to locate insulation issues or moisture issues. Although these tests cost more than just the standard home inspection, they are a good idea as they offer additional protection.
* Accompany the home inspector. Even if the home inspector doesn’t find anything wrong with the house, there is a lot to be learned by tagging along during his inspection. He can give you tips such as where more insulation may be needed, how long you have until the roof will need to be replaced, and whether there are signs of repairs or additions that have been made over the years. These may not be deal-breaking structural issues, but they are still good to know.
*

Follow up on any problems the home inspector identifies

. As already mentioned, the home inspection is for your protection. If any problems are found, you will have the opportunity to either back out of the sale OR make the sale contingent on the repair (i.e., the seller fixing the problem will be part of the revised sale contract). You may also want to renegotiate a lower price based on the home inspector’s findings, so that you will have the money to do the repairs yourself (instead of having the seller do them). Even if you are only flipping houses and don’t plan on spending much time in the home yourself, you have to assume that your buyer’s home inspector will find the same problems that yours just did, and you don’t want to find yourself stuck with a home you can’t sell without doing major renovations first.

Don’t underestimate the value of a home inspection. The average buyer or seller often does not recognize the signs of a serious problem, so a home inspector’s expertise is needed to help you steer clear of financial black holes and properties you won’t be able to resell when the time comes.

Source:Go Homing Blog
For more information about home inspections in phoenix Arizona and the surrounding areas please see the following links.
How long is a home inspection?
How to hire a home inspector video
The hard truth about infrared (Real Estate Agents Read This)
General home inspection information

Lately my job stinks.

I am not talking about the economy (however that may that is part of it) I am not talking about my boss (I’m self employed) I am talking about odors. The kind of smells that make your nose hair curl.

I have been called out on several cases lately that have to do with odor, here are some examples.

1. Moisture causes mold and mildew in a custom home and it stinks. They hired someone to remove the damaged material and perform repairs but they forgot to stop the moisture. Now the smell is back (so is the mold)

2. Office space that has moisture coming up through the slab, they have plastic chair mats at the desks that prevent the carpet from drying and the mildew smell will turn your stomach, for some reason people don’t want to work in this environment.

3. A preschool that has sewer odor entering the building to the point that the City actually closed the place one day this year due to hydrogen sulfide levels. The owner of the building keeps applying band-aids to the problem instead of identifying and fixing the issues.

4. A Arizona Home Inspection where the 4 year old water heater has been sitting and the sulfur smell (rotten eggs) is so bad that when I turned on the hot water the agent ran out the door and refused to come back in.

What do all four of these places have in common? (No I don’t mean the fact that they stink)

All of these issues could have been addressed with proper planning, all can be repaired easily with a simple process, Identify the source , (Mold, bacteria, etc) Identify the cause, (Moisture, sewer vents, anode rod in a water heater) plan repairs that address the cause and the source.

This is where most people fail, they treat the symptom and not the cause of the problem, then the problems come back. Honestly, many times the reason they take this short cut is to save a few dollars. I need to tell you that doesn’t work. Not when you figure that the problem will return, you will be paying to fix it again, these issues tend to get worse with time and you lose valuable time dealing with the issue over and over.

Many time the problem comes down to building science, how do the different building components work with each other. For more information on that see our blog on Building science.

Over the years I have learned lots about building science as well as home and building construction and inspections but this is the first time I can remember where I can honestly say my job stinks.

Over the years people have broken a home into the different components and/or systems. It’s only natural, we tend to do it all the time. In medicine doctors used to ask lots of questions and then base their diagnosis on the answers along with the symptoms, but now if you neck or back hurt you go to a chiropractor, if you feel ill you take a pill, we just don’t seem to focus on cause and effect any more. The neck ache or upset stomach could both be symptoms of something else, the same is true with buildings.

Think of a building like a body, it has different systems just like your body, For example:

The Electrical system is the nervous system
The Plumbing is the circulatory system
The HVAC is the respiratory system
The Framing is the skeleton
The Exterior cladding is the skin

When something penetrates the skin it can attack the other systems, you can get a virus that grows inside you.
When moisture penetrates a building you can have mold. Simply treating the symptom without identifying how the problem entered will not solve the problem.

So how does this relate to buildings?

When you turn your clothes dryer on you are drawing 400-600 cubic feet per minute (CFM) out of your home, heating it and blowing it out of your home through the dryer vent. Your bathroom fan, stove hood, and central vacuum systems all take inside air and blow it outside. The problem is that while you are operating those appliances the air has to be replaced inside the home, otherwise your home would deflate and crush like a little kids juice box that is sucked dry.

Professional competent home inspectors do more than just look at the different systems in the house, they look at how the systems work with each other.

When the fans are on, does the gas water heater back draft and pull carbon monoxide into the home, does the air come down the chimney? These negative pressures can pull hot, cold, wet, dry and or polluted air into your home. That’s right, moisture, odors, radon, pesticides and more can enter your home because of the negative pressures caused by the home owner.

These are things that are considered by the best home inspectors but overlooked by many. These issues are more than just energy saving issues, they can create life safety issues.

You don’t have to wait until you buy a home to get it inspected. If you are having comfort issues or notice that you feel better outside of your home than inside, you may want to consult a professional home inspector that has had some building science training.  They may suggest thermal imaging or blower door testing and these items typically cost more than a normal home inspection but you may want to consider them. It could bring a whole new meaning to having a healthy home.

For more information about home inspections or thermal imaging visit http://acsillc.com

Most people only think of getting a home inspection when they purchase a home. Locally someone may hire an Arizona Home Inspector to check out their home before it is one or two years old.

I want you to understand that Home Inspectors don’t just work for buyers or new home owners.

This is going to sound like a shameless plug but it’s being sent across the web and I obviously can do all the work so bear with me for a moment.

Lately the country has been hammered with wet and or cold weather, a professional Home inspector can check out all the systems in your hose and tell you what needs maintenance or repair before the component completely fails.

Home inspectors can provide tips on how to make your home more energy efficient. Do you know anyone that would like to save some money on energy costs.

A professional home inspector is a generalist, they look at all of the different systems in the home and evaluate there performance, It is possible your roof leaks and the moisture is not visible on the interior of the home yet, or maybe your vents are causing a problem in the attic. Are your water heater and furnace functioning properly? Do you have leaks in the walls, basement, windows or other areas?

Many professional home inspectors now have thermal imaging cameras. These infrared tools assist an inspector in finding problem areas before they turn into nightmares. You also must be aware that these thermal imaging cameras only detect temperature differences. When your wall, ceiling or floor is wet they will show up with the camera before you can visibly see the problem. Check out some of the images at my Home Inspection web site

Visable image of wet ceiling

Thermal Image of wet ceiling

Thermal imaging in the hands of a professional home inspector can identify areas you didn’t know were problems or help you understand just how big a problem is.

Hiring a professional home inspector may cost you a few hundred dollars now but this investment may save you thousands of dollars in the future.

Click here For more information on how to select a professional  home inspector

If your looking for a Phoenix Home Inspector, contact us, if your home is in a different part of north America contact ASHI

In today’s market there are lots of bank owned homes on the market. Several people have decided to purchase some of these homes and fix them then flip them. Most of these people  are not licensed contractors and are just people with little to no experience or they hire people with little to no experience to do whatever work need to be performed to make the home look good, not necessarily function well.

Many Arizona Home Inspectors are performing home inspections for people purchasing these homes and finding significant issues with these homes. The Arizona state law says people do not have to be licensed to work on their own homes however there are exceptions.

§32-1121 Persons not required to be licensed;

A. This chapter shall not be construed to apply to:

5. Owners of property who improve such property or who build or improve structures or appurtenances on such property and who do the work themselves, with their own employees or with duly licensed contractors, if the structure, group of structures or appurtenances, including the improvements thereto, are intended for occupancy solely by the owner and are not intended for occupancy by members of the public as the owner’s employees or business visitors and the structures or appurtenances are not intended for sale or for rent. In all actions brought under this chapter, except an action against an owner-occupant as defined in section 33-1002, proof of the sale or rent or the offering for sale or rent of any such structure by the owner-builder within one year after completion or issuance of a certificate of occupancy is prima facie evidence that such project was undertaken for the purpose of sale or rent. For the purposes of this paragraph, “sale” or “rent” includes any arrangement by which the owner receives compensation in money, provisions, chattels or labor from the occupancy or the transfer of the property or the structures on the property.

(emphasis added)

This means that if the person is planning on living in the home for 12 months or more, then they can do the work themselves or hire handymen to do the work (as long as the total construction cost labor and material is under $1000)

Otherwise all work would need to be performed by a licensed contractor.

Since many of these homes have been stripped by the previous owners, it is very doubtful that cabinets, counter tops, flooring and painting can be performed for under $1000. It is even more unlikely that these people are going to be occupying the home for 12 months.

They even took the kitchen sink

If you are purchasing a home that has been recently flipped, I recommend asking the seller for copies of all receipts from licensed contractors and receipts for all materials.

I am currently working on several cases where a home was flipped and they concealed damage, some of these items were missed by home inspectors and some were not able to be identified until the home was occupied again.

This is definitely a buyer beware issue.

Home Buying tips:

Hire a licensed Realtor, not just a real estate agent

Hire an ASHI Certified home inspector. This person will have passed a written exam, performed over 250 home inspections, has a code of ethics they must adhere too and they are required to get a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education every year.

If there are items that need to be repaired after the inspection make sure the work is performed by licensed contractors.

Scott Warga, is the Qualifying party for ACSI American Construction Specialists and Investigations LLC,(ROC216772) a dual licensed residential and small commercial contractor. He is also a qualified Phoenix home inspector certified by the Arizona Board of Technical Registration (#38062) and was appointed to the Arizona Board of Technical Registration’s Enforcement Advisory Committee. He has 9 years construction experience and has performed residential and commercial property inspections for over 8 years. He has specialized in forensic inspections, investigating failed, damaged and defective construction for over 4 years. He is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors, (#205826) and currently sits on their board of directors. He has been an instructor of home inspection at Mesa Community College, for Inspection Training Associates, a Kaplan Professional School and Arizona Sun-Tech Home Inspection School. He has served as District Chairman & Vice President for the Arizona chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors and an approved instructor for both them and the Arizona Department of Real Estate. If you need an Arizona Home Inspector, he is your guy.

Lately I have been getting lots of calls about moisture issues. Everybody seems to have different issues and they all want to know how to handle them. The funny thing is most of the people are more worried about repairing the damage than actually fixing the problem. Lets face it there are several ways moisture enters your home. Every plumbing fixture is a potential leak. Other potential sources are the roof, condensation, vapor, cooking, breathing, showering, leaks at walls or windows, water heater leaks, and the list goes on and on.

I suggest if you are serious about addressing the moisture in your home, start by hiring an experienced home inspector. They should be able to identify most if not all the areas where problems exist. If the inspector has a thermal imaging (infrared) camera that could be even more beneficial. Thermal imaging (if done properly) can identify insulation issues, moisture and more. I recently inspected a home with 3 leaking windows and 5 leaks in the attic, however the home owners were not aware of any of the leaks as they had caused only minor damage so far. You may be in a similar situation.

A professional home inspection should identify the issues and give you guidance on how to properly address the issues. (Hint, caulking window and roof leaks is a band-aid, not a repair)

Patch vs. Repair
They are different terms because they mean different things. There are many products on the market that are designed to be a patch, until you can get the item repaired. Understand the difference. If you had a garden hose that had a leak, you might wrap some tape around it until you can get to the store and either buy the parts to repair it or replace it. I don’t think you would consider the hose repaired, since the next time you used the hose the tape would likely fail and you would have another leak. The same philosophy applies to your home.

Roofing
There are scores of so called roofers out there that will gladly charge you $200 to put a bucket of mucket on your roof and claim to have fixed the leak. Don’t believe them. Most roof repairs will require something more than a little plastic roof cement to repair the roof. You see plastic roof cement is a great product to patch a leak but to repair a leak the damaged materials need to be replaced.

Windows
Windows are a frequent area where leaks occur. Make sure the bottom of the window frame drains properly. Maintain the sealant around the window frame. If you have stained window sills or bulging baseboards under a window, you likely have an issues that caulk is not going to repair. You likely have a siding issue or a window flashing leak. These issues will require a qualified contractor to perform repairs.

Water Heaters
The water heater is probably the most neglected appliance in your home. Almost all of the new water heaters now require a pan be installed under them, however many people do not install pans. The strange thing is some people wont install a pan even after the unit leaked and caused damage. I suggest you inspect the fittings and valves on the unit and look for leaks and/or corrosion. If there is corrosion present, I suggest contacting a plumber to perform repairs before the situation gets worse.

Moisture Vapor
Understand as long as people are breathing in a home there will be moisture vapor in the home, however steps can be taken to reduce the amount of vapor. Open a window or turn on the exhaust fan when bathing. That is what the fan is there for. Yes it does help remove odor when that certain someone uses the bathroom, but its real purpose is to help control moisture. The same is true when you are cooking. Turn on the exhaust fan. Unfortunately, not all stove fans vent to the exterior. if this is the case in your home try cooking with a lid on the pan for as much as possible, the moisture condenses on the lid and drops back into the pan instead of adding more moisture to your air.

Basements
The best way to keep your basement dry is to prevent the water from getting to the outside of it. Gutters, and downspouts that drain at least five feet from the home are recommended. Check the grading around the home and make sure it drains away from the home. Don’t plant items that require a lot of water next to the home. I honestly can not count the number of times I have seen foundation damage caused by watering plants next to the home.

There are many other items I could discuss however I think the best recommendation I can give you is to simply hire a experienced professional home inspector. They can provide you with the information you need to make the corrections on your home.
To find a professional home inspector in your area go to www.ashi.org

MOISTURE IN CONCRETE SLABS POURED ON GRADE IN ARIZONA

You bought a new home, ordered your options and moved in. A year or two go by and you start rearranging the furniture. That’s when you noticed the odor. You lifted the protective mat under your desk chair and the smell made your eyes water or maybe you smelled it when you opened a closet door or an unvented room. Did you order a light colored vinyl flooring for your kitchen but now the floor has a darker color coming through? Maybe it has a gray or green tint, maybe it has a purple or orange hue or maybe it has bubbled or lifted off of the floor. Did your Arizona Home inspector miss something? Did you have an Arizona Home Inspection? Is this something a phoenix home inspector even looks for? NO.

These problems and many others are caused by moisture vapor coming up through the concrete slab. This condition is occurring more frequently here in the Phoenix area and there are a few factors that contribute to the problem. Before we cover those factors, let’s look at the problem a little closer.

The Issues

Moisture vapor coming up through a slab can cause wood floors to warp, delaminate swell and promotes mold growth. The moisture can cause the mastic that holds tile to the floor to fail, this leads to the floor tiles sounding hollow and lifting off the floor. The vapor frequently passes through carpet and other floorings unless there is some type of vapor barrier. Vinyl flooring creates a barrier by itself; other examples of barriers could be a chair mat, floor runners with a non-slip backing or anything else that prevents the moisture from escaping. The bottom line is, if moisture can’t pass through the flooring, then it is trapped under the flooring. That leads to the next question, where does the moisture come from?

The Source

The moisture typically comes from two sources. The water in the concrete mix slowly dries by traveling to the top of the slab and evaporating. This process can take six months to completely dry a properly placed slab. The other source of moisture is from the soil beneath the slab. Moisture evaporates and once concrete is placed on the ground,
the evaporation of moisture in the soil is severely restricted. The moisture in the ground is rarely viewed, discussed or even considered an issue during construction since the slab is still in the drying process and there is not a large temperature difference above and below the concrete. However, this changes once the home is completed. Now the air inside the home is conditioned and the temperature change and pressure change along with the difference in relative humidity between the air above the slab and the soil beneath the slab causes a vapor pressure difference. Simply put, moisture travels from heat to cool. The moisture under the slab is drawn to the cool, dry, air conditioned concrete slab. Concrete is porous, it is not water proof and the moisture vapor rises to and passes through the slab by capillary action and vapor diffusion.

The Cause

Moisture under a slab wasn’t an issue in the desert a few years ago, but today is a different story. Today’s construction techniques are a little different, contractors are flooding building pads to address issues with the soil like compaction and expansiveness. Homes are also being constructed on properties that used to be agricultural land.
This land may have been a dairy or a farm field that used to be irrigated frequently. Soils tests are commonly performed before the land is developed. Recently these soils tests results indicate moisture levels of 20% to 50% in the soil anywhere from two to 10 feet down. (It is rare that soil samples are taken below 10 feet deep)
It takes a long time for moisture to rise to the top of a concrete slab from 10 feet down, maybe even years.

Sometimes the grading and drainage of the property directs moisture into the soil below the foundation. (This is something an Arizona home inspector looks for)
This, in effect, can recharge the moisture source under the slab. There is also the possibility of an underground plumbing leak or the landscape system adding moisture to the soil under the slab. However, homes are built on moist soils all over the world, why do we have a moisture problem in the desert?

Construction Issues

The moisture is drawn up to and through the slab by capillary action, vapor diffusion and evaporation. The quickest way to prevent the moisture from migrating through the slab is to stop these actions from occurring.

One of the things that need to change is the aggregate base course (ABC) that is being used in the desert. Currently the ABC is a sand/stone mixture, however sand promotes the capillary action and therefore makes a poor choice as ABC in an area where there is elevated moisture content in the subsoils. Using a stone as ABC would help eliminate the capillary action.

Another way to reduce the moisture is to provide adequate grading and drainage. This should include controlling roof drainage and diverting it at least 8 feet away from the foundation. The landscaping plumbing and control valves should also be located several feet away from the foundation as the control valves have a tendency to leak and the further away that moisture is from the foundation, the less likely it it is that it will have an impact on the foundation.

The most effective way to control the moisture is with a vapor barrier. This is a thin plastic sheet placed on top of the ABC before the concrete is poured. Previous construction practices would place the vapor barrier below the ABC or place a thin layer of sand on top of the vapor barrier so that moisture could escape through the top and bottom of the slab, however the moisture still migrates up through the slab. Placing the barrier below the sand or ABC creates a reservoir for the water that drains from the wet concrete and capillary action prevents moisture from draining by gravity through the sand.

It may interest you to know that a vapor retarder is required by the International Residential Code (IRC) in section 506.2.3, however, it may be omitted if the local building official approves the omission due to local site conditions.

So how is the issue corrected?

Correcting the Issue

The best way to get rid of the moisture in the slab is to prevent it from getting there in the first place. Check the moisture content of the soil, use ABC that is ½ inch or larger and install a vapor barrier above the ABC and below the concrete If the home is already built and you own it then you need the help of professionals.

Have a calcium chloride test performed on the floor slab to determine the rate of vapor transmission through the slab. If floor coverings are present they will need to be removed before and during the testing. Testing commonly takes 24 to 60 hours. There are many different flooring companies that can perform this test for you, or contact the engineer you want to assist you with this project.

Check for moisture sources around the home including grading, drainage, irrigation, roof downspouts, and swimming pools. Have the supply and the waste plumbing checked for leaks. If you still have not corrected the issue, then consult with professionals. Expect them to core through the slab and determine if a vapor barrier is present and investigate the conditions of the soil and ABC under the slab.

Methods of repair are limited and should be considered fully before proceeding. The slab surface can be sealed. This will reduce or even stop the vapor transmission temporarily. A good sealer may last ten years, inexpensive sealers may not last a year. Before sealing, all floor coverings and furnishings will need to be removed from the slab.
There are other methods of venting or draining the slab that are available, some involve forcing air under the slab or drawing air from under the slab. Another method is to install a drainage system that gets the moisture away from the slab.
All of these repairs should be reviewed by an engineer before they are implemented, and the work should be performed by a contractor experienced in this area.

Scott Warga, is the Qualifying party for ACSI American Construction Specialists and Investigations LLC,(ROC216772) a
dual licensed residential and small commercial contractor. He is also a qualified Gilbert home inspector certified by the Arizona Board of Technical Registration (#38062) and was appointed to the Arizona Board of Technical Registration’s Enforcement Advisory Committee. He has 9 years construction experience and has performed residential and commercial property inspections for over 8 years. He has specialized in forensic inspections, investigating failed, damaged and defective construction for over 4 years. He is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors, (#205826) and currently sits on their board of directors. He has been an instructor of home inspection at Mesa Community College, for Inspection Training Associates, a Kaplan Professional School and Arizona Sun-Tech Home Inspection School. He has served as District Chairman & Vice President for the Arizona chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors and an approved instructor for
both them and the Arizona Department of Real Estate.

How to hire a home inspector Video

I have been asked a few times lately what should someone should look for in an home inspector, I was also asked if a buyer can trust the home inspector recommendation they got from their real estate agent.

I made the following video with that in mind

Feel free to leave a comment

FHA May Require a Home Inspection on Flipped houses

You read that right.

Its all over the web that the FHA has waived the 90 rule they recently implmented, however when they made the waiver, they threw in a few items to make sure they didn’t finance a big pile of rubble.

One of those provisions is that if the home sells for 20% more than the seller paid for it, THE LENDER HAS TO ORDER A HOME INSPECTION. Now the lender can charge the borrower for the inspection but that does not change the lender is the one the home inspector is hired by.

Don’t take my word for it, go to HUD’s website and see for your self.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/waivpropflip2010.pdf

This could open a big can of worms, now an agent may have to disclose that the seller just purchased the home and what it was purchased for. Was it less than 90 days ago? if so you want to be familiar with the document on the HUD site.

I recently read the Active Rain blog “Do All People Suck?” and it got me thinking, what separates you from the others in your industry?

Some people teach others, some people are great with communication, some take continuing education classes that they can actually benefit from, however there are way too many people that simply do what they have to in order to get by, they take classes they are not interested in simply to meet the requirements. I recently heard a broker telling agents how to take a two hour on line class in 15 minutes. I was appalled.

I have a lock box key that requires a CBS code to access the property. I can not count the number of times I call the listing agent for a CBS code and they don’t even know what it is. They don’t take the time to learn how to save themselves time in the future.

I am on the AZ board of Technical Registrations (AZ BTR) Enforcement advisory committee. I see complaints on home inspectors that are stupid simply because the inspector didn’t want to take the time to write a coherent report. They fail to address the items the Standards of Practice require them to report on.

So I pose the question, What do you do?

I am an Arizona home inspector and a residential and commercial general contractor. In my business communication is the key. If my Phoenix home inspection clients cant understand my report, then what did they pay for?

If I find one electrical issue and tell them to have the entire electrical system evaluated and have repairs performed by a licensed electrician and then follow that by saying there is a broken tile on the roof, have the entire roof evaluated and repairs performed by a licensed roofing contractor, am I really serving my clients?

I try to put the issues in perspective. I separate the major issues from the minor ones and I make sure my client gets my agreement before the inspection so they know what to expect from me.

I make my living off of referrals from real estate agents and attorneys. It only takes a few problems to stop those referrals, so I do my best to make sure there are no issues and if I make a mistake, as we all do sometimes, I do my best to resolve the issue to exceed my clients expectations.

So again I ask you, What separates you from others in your industry?

Certified, What does that word really mean anymore? Websters says it is 1 : having earned certification 2: Genuine, Authentic.

“Well I believe my home inspector is genuine, they seem authentic.”

The question is who says they are certified? Did they take a quick online test and send a check. Did they sit through a 6 hour program that magically immersed them in the knowledge they needed to do their job? Do they belong to a national home inspection association. Does that association really enforce its rules? Do they get continuing education?

The fact is almost anyone can call themselves certified these days. It only means something if the person hearing it understands the meaning.

The following information may upset some of my fellow home inspectors but it is true and sometimes the truth can be painful.

The truth is there is currently only one organization that can “Certify Home inspectors” ASHI. Read on to understand why.

WHERE OR WHO do you earn the certification from? That is the real question. The answer is it depends.

First we need to discuss the difference between a certificate program vs. a certification program.

The National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) has published a new standard for the development and delivery of “assessment-based certificate programs.” Standard 1100, published in September 2008 and recently submitted for ANSI accreditation, carefully distinguishes these programs from professional certifications and explains key differences between the two.

The standard clarifies an important point of confusion that has plagued the industry for years, causing considerable friction between competing industry certification programs

What’s the Difference?

According to the NOCA standard, an “assessment-based certificate program” is a non-degree granting program that does three things:

1. Provides a course of instruction with intended learning outcomes

2. Evaluates participants’ achievement of these learning outcomes via an examination

3. Awards a certificate ONLY to those who have taken the course and passed the examination

A professional certification program, on the other hand, is a non-governmental program that does two things:

1. Delivers an assessment based on industry knowledge, independent from training courses or course providers.

2. Grants a time-limited credential to anyone who meet the assessment standards.

As the standard explains, it is the role of TRAINING and its relationship to credentialing that sets these two types of credentials apart. On the one hand, assessment-based certificate programs exist to deliver education and training. Each credential is linked to a training course by necessity – the credential is proof that its holder took the course. The purpose of a certificate program is to educate participants, and the examination is used as a mirror to show students their progress toward the learning outcomes.

Professional certifications, on the other hand, are independent of training courses. In the words of the standard, “Whereas the primary focus of a … certificate program is on the provision of education/training, … the primary focus of professional or personnel certification is on assessment. Moreover, the assessment conducted by a certification program is independent of a specific class, course or other education/training program and also independent of any provider of classes, course or programs.”

In layman’s terms this means a third party can get approved to truly “Certify” someone. They may require the person have several certificates before they get certified. This is where The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) set themselves apart from the rest of the home inspection community. They worked to create the only real certification program for home inspectors.

ASHI’s members are proud of their association and for what it stands. Proud to know that their association has done what no other could. Proud of their own individual accomplishment and the process of becoming a professional home inspector and full member of ASHI. Proud to finally be able to use the term ASHI Certified Home Inspector and have the solid backing of the NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies) to support it.

ASHI Certified Inspectors have passed a national exam, had their reports verified for compliance, performed over 250 different fee paid inspections and are required to get a minimum of 20 hours of approved continuing education every year. ASHI also confirms that their inspectors meet the requirements annually and I have seen them remove members that did not meet the requirements.

ASHI has ethical requirements that while they are not part of the certification are required for membership.

If you’re looking for a home inspector and want someone experience (at least 250 inspections) educated (passed a national exam and required to get at least 20 hours of continuing education every year) and ethical (ASHI wrote the standards of practice that most other home inspection associations patterned theirs after) go to ASHI.org

Scott Warga, is the Qualifying party for ACSI American Construction Specialists and Investigations LLC,(ROC216772) a dual licensed residential and small commercial contractor. He is also a qualified Arizona home inspector certified by the Arizona Board of Technical Registration (#38062) and was appointed to the Arizona Board of Technical Registration’s Enforcement Advisory Committee. He has 9 years construction experience and has performed residential and commercial property inspections for over 10 years. He has specialized in forensic inspections, investigating failed, damaged and defective construction for over 4 years. He is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors, (#205826) and currently sits on their board of directors. Scott is also a member of the International Code Council (#5095644). He has been an instructor of home inspection at Mesa Community College, Arizona Sun-Tech Home Inspection School and for Inspection Training Associates, a Kaplan Professional School. He has served as District Chairman & Vice President for the Arizona chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors and an approved instructor for both them and the Arizona Department of Real Estate.

I have found that people love to hear about others being put in uncomfortable situations, In my years as a home Inspector I have had a few of those. I decided to share the three most popular with you.

COME ON IN

I showed up for an home inspection of a condo in a college area. When I knocked on the door a 20 something female answered the door soaking wet and wearing nothing but a white satin robe. Have you ever seen wet white satin? It is almost transparent!!!
I quickly looked away and informed her I was here for a professional home inspection and would be outside for the next 30-45 minutes and then I would need to come inside.
She told me she had worked all night and I could come in and do whatever I wanted.
I called the buyer’s agent (nice lady from India) I informed her what had just happened and told her there was no way I was going into that condo alone. She arrived about a half hour later and knocked on the door. The same female came to the door, she was now dry but still wearing the wet (semi-transparent) robe. I thought the agent was going to faint. The occupant went into the master bedroom and I performed the inspection on the rest of the home. There were several suggestive pictures on the walls of the place, You know the type, girl in thong covering breasts with her hands, girls in underwear in a paint fight etc. Some of them were of the occupant and others were of her roommate (I learned this later).

When it came time to inspect the master bedroom, the buyer’s agent knocked on the door and was told to come in. The occupant was laying on top of the covers naked. The agent covered her so I could finish my inspection. As I was inspecting the room I reached above the bed to operate the window and the girl said here let me get out of the way, then started to get out of bed. The agent pounced on her and kept her covered. I wanted to laugh but didn’t dare.

DIVORCE

I arrived to perform a Chandler Home Inspection and the male owner of the home let me in. He was a nice guy, well groomed and very polite, he offered me something to drink and then said he was fixing himself lunch and asked if I wanted any. (I declined) About an hour later he tells me he will be leaving as his soon to be ex-wife is coming home and they can’t be in the same room with each other. He shakes my hand and off he goes. 15 minutes later this lovely lady arrives, she is dressed in a business suit, introduces herself and asks if I would like anything to eat or drink as she was going to fix herself something. (again I decline) I was thinking what a nice couple, both attractive, both very polite and both want to serve, I wonder why they are getting divorced.
About an hour after that I set up a ladder to go in the attic. When I entered the attic I was a little surprised to find a “Billy the blow up doll”, a bondage harness and several other toys, gay magazines and videos. When I climbed out of the attic the wife greeted me at the bottom of the ladder. He had her arms crossed looked me straight in the eye and stated:
“So, what did you think of the stuff stored in the attic?”
Err, I don’t really have a comment, I am there to look at insulation, framing ductwork and stuff like that. “But you did see the stuff stored up there didn’t you?”
Yes, I was a little surprised to find all that in the attic.
“Not as surprised as I was when I decided to store our Christmas decorations up there last year. My husband tried to tell me they were not his and they must be from the previous owner of the home. The problem is we had the house built for us.”

I guess I know why they are getting divorced.

FACE POWDER

I was performing a home inspection a vacant Chandler home that a friend of mine was buying. Most of the furnishings were gone but there was a lot of stuff still stored in the garage. Most of it was Coca-Cola memorabilia, a nice bench, the white polar bears, lots of Christmas Stuff etc. I thought wao, these people like Coke.

As part if a home inspection I inspect the attic. In the attic I saw bare foot prints in the cellulose insulation, (Weird) as I was exiting the attic the flashlight on my tool belt caught in the handle of a plastic grocery bag and knocked it to the floor. I climbed down the ladder and picked it up. There were little pieces of wax paper folded up that had spilled out of the bag. When I was putting them back in the bag I realized that it was likely cocaine and now my fingerprints are on it. (in AZ all home inspectors are fingerprinted) Now what do I do? I don’t want to take it or flush it and have someone think I took it. I don’t want to leave it now that my finger prints are all over the stuff.
I called the police department and they sent over a couple of detectives to test the white powder I found. Sure enough it was cocaine. They then wanted to search the whole house, they waited for a warrant while I finished my inspection. I gave my friend (the buyer) the report and told him what happened. The next week my friend called me and asked if I could stop by the home. Someone had loaded all the stuff in the garage into a truck then backed into the wall of the home instead of pulling out of the garage. The inside wall of the garage was now six inches from where it should have been.
The police had contacted the owner of the home (she was renting it to her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend) and told her they found cocaine at the property. The daughter told her mom the cops were lying, it was just some face powder her boyfriend had bought for her. Face powder, hmm, I never heard it called that before.
My friend decided not to purchase the home. He was concerned that someone might stop by some night in need of some face powder.

Defective Construction Dispute Resolution

Your new home has cracks in the walls, the roof leaks and the doors and windows don’t close. You call the builder and they rush out only to look at the property and say, “Well your landscaping caused the problem. We will fix the cracks even though we don’t have too because we pride ourselves on customer service.” They perform repairs to the walls and adjust the window and leave. You call your landscaper and he tells you that there is no way the landscaping could have caused the issues since it is just colored rock. Then 6 months later the cracks start showing up again. You think the sky is falling and the builder says it’s not our fault and the battle begins.

In my line of work I see problems with homes on a daily basis. Some are easy to fix and only on rare occasions is it cheaper to tear down and start over than to repair.

There are hundreds if not thousands of attorneys that practice construction law and there are almost as many (so called) experts. These attorneys and experts are able to point out what’s wrong with the home (so are you, that is why you called them) however, many of these self proclaimed professionals are inexperienced when it comes to determining the cause of the damage and what needs to be done to repair the home.

There are some builders that will take the initiative and try to find the problem but with the residential construction market crashing, many simply don’t have the money for repairs. So your home doesn’t get fixed or only gets patched and the contractor goes away. When the problem returns you look for professional help. You hire an attorney and/or a construction expert. The attorney sends a letter to the builder spelling out all the defects. The builder turns the case over to their insurance company and the insurance company contacts their attorneys. Then after a few letters are exchanged the builder’s inspections are performed by their team of experts. The battle turns into what law is applied and how that law is interpreted instead of what is wrong, how do we fix it, who is responsible and how much will it cost.

Have a plan

At this point I feel I should point out that the only people that make money in lawsuits are the attorneys and the experts. Typically both sides end up paying for these services out of pocket and while you can always ask for attorney and expert fees and costs in a lawsuit, my experience is you rarely recoup 100% of those costs even if you win.

The truth about the attorneys and experts is many of them help each other make money. Since the attorney typically recommends the expert, some of the experts attempt to, shall we say, view things differently. The plaintiff’s expert must have scratched glasses because everywhere he looks he sees cracks while the defense expert looks at the ceiling and then states he didn’t see any evidence that the foundation has moved and he saw no cracked floor tiles. Usually the truth is somewhere in the middle. (Recently a local engineer stated that even though the floor in a building had sunk 7 inches, it wasn’t moving when he looked at it so it is no longer a problem.)

The fact is these types of experts don’t help the case they slow it down and that, along with the attorneys bickering, results in increased costs. The builder’s insurance company pays then increases their fees the following year and the builder has even less money. This is one of the many problems with builders using the insurance company is their own persona warranty company

Good News: Not all builders, attorneys or experts behave that way. I have had the pleasure of working on the opposite side of some experts that actually know what is wrong and want to see the home repaired properly. This really is a win win. The home owner gets the home fixed, and the builder is able to salvage their reputation. (Not to mention the attorneys and/or experts get paid.)

Both sides can and should do several things to help control costs.

Photo document everything. I don’t care if it is the foundation steel or the cracks in the walls. Use a measure of some kind. If you don’t have a tape measure simply place a dollar bill net to the defect you are photographing for a size reference. Take several photos of everything from different angles and document the day the photo was taken and by whom. These photos can reduce the number of trips to the property and if taken during construction or repairs, may prevent, or reduce the amount of destructive testing that needs to be performed.

Interview your team. Find out what their experience is and what type of success they have resolving the issues. (This is different than settling the case). What other experts do they know and work with? Have they worked on other cases like yours? What are their fees and how do they bill?

Try to find a construction expert that will work with both parties to resolve the issue before you hire the attorney. If you are going to hire an expert anyway, why not give them the chance to work with both parties to resolve the issue first. If they are successful, you saved the attorneys fees, if they are not, you will already have the information needed so it can expedite the process.

Inspecting the property and putting the pieces together

Find someone that can put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Have the home professionally inspected before you purchase it. Take photos of the entire home interior and exterior and save the photos with your inspection report. If the damage existed when you bought the home, it will be documented, if it occurs after the purchase, that will be documented s well. Gathering evidence is one of the most expensive costs in a case. Taking photos or video of the entire home during construction, at the time of purchase, at the time of any repairs, and any other time can help your case and help keeps costs low.

For more information feel free to contact us.

Scott Warga, is the Qualifying party for ACSI American Construction Specialists and Investigations LLC,(ROC216772) a dual licensed residential and small commercial contractor. He is also a qualified home inspector certified by the Arizona Board of Technical Registration (#38062) and was appointed to the Arizona Board of Technical Registration’s Enforcement Advisory Committee. He has 9 years construction experience and has performed residential and commercial property inspections for over six years. He has specialized in forensic inspections, investigating failed, damaged and defective construction for over 4 years. He is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors, (#205826) and currently sits on their board of directors. Scott is also a member of the International Code Council (#5095644). He has been an instructor of home inspection at Mesa Community College and Arizona Sun-Tech Home Inspection School. He is an instructor for Inspection Training Associates, a Kaplan Professional School. He has served an District Chairman & Vice President for the Arizona chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors and an approved instructor for both them and the Arizona Department of Real Estate.

With all the rains we have been having across the country, roof leaks are not hard to find.
But how should a roof really be repaired. To you simply run to the local hardware store and buy some roof patch? Do you call a roofer and pay them to go on the roof and apply a bucket of mucket? What should a real repair entail?

To answer this question we need to look at what issues are caused by roof leaks.

1. It leaks. Duh, there is water dripping from the ceiling creating a slippery surface below. So a repair must stop the moisture from getting in. But is that all?

2. Insulation looses its R-Value when it is wet. That’s right, if the roof leak soaked the insulation before it made it to the ceiling to drip on the heads of unsuspecting people, the insulation might as well not be there at all, in fact, no insulation would be better than wet insulation.

3. Wet insulation deteriorates materials it is in contact with. If your roof is wood or metal,the wet insulation will cause decay and or rust, effectively reducing the life of the entire roof.

4. Moisture trapped under the roofing can and will turn to moisture vapor and find a way back out of the roof, often causing additional areas for moisture to enter at a later date.

So what should a roof repair entail? In my opinion the repair should include removal and replacement of wet insulation and any damaged building materials.

To often, the entry point of the moisture is not even located. Someone makes a guess where the moisture is coming in and spreads some stuff on the roof, collects a check and leaves.
Wow, no leaks, (until it rains again)

Thermal imaging can be performed on many roofs to locate areas of moisture under the roofing. The wet areas change temperature at a different speed than the dry areas making it possible to locate problem areas and mark them for repair.
Here are a few examples:

What you see on the roof

What the Thermal Imager sees

The the top photo is what a roofer or inspector sees simply looking at the roof. Notice that there are several patches visible, but was the roof actually repaired?

Thenext image is what the thermal imaging camera sees using infrared technology. The red and yellow areas indicate a difference in the temperature, This area is then scanned with a moisture meter to determine if this a moisture issue.
Moisture is trapped under the surface and is holding the heat, thereby making it visible to the thermal imaging camera.

Here is another example:

Evidence of patches on the roof

Wet area under roof shown with Infrared camera

The top photo shows that someone has tried to patch this area of the roof before.
The image on the bottom shows the temperature difference caused by the moisture trapped under the roofing. This moisture can turn to vapor when heated by the sun in the summer or your furnace in the winter. The vapor will dry to rise up and can cause blisters on the rood surface as well as weaken or even separate seams of the roofing materiel.

The moisture trapped under the roofing will also damage the building materials it is in contact with.

Think of this the insulation is like a sponge, it absorbs moisture until it can not hold any more, then the moisture drips down. If you had a leak under your sink would you dry out the area under the sink? I would hope so. As an inspector I have seen lots of shelves under sinks that are damaged or have been replaced due to leaks.

I have also seen lots of roof sheathing that has been damaged from roof leaks that someone simply patched. If there is no insulation against the roof deck then most of the time the deck can dry. If the insulation is against the roof deck and gets soaked, damage can and will occur.

If your building has a flat roof that is fairly new, I suggest finding someone experienced to perform a thermal roof scan. If the roof is older and has a history of leaks, I strongly suggest having the roof scanned and making the needed repairs now before more damage occurs from the moisture trapped under the roofing material.

If your in AZ, contact us to perform your roof scan. If your in a different part of the country, you can still contact us and we may be able to assist you in finding someone in your area.

We can be reached at www.acsillc.com or 480-283-3392
Scott is an AZ Home inspector with years of experience in the Arizona Home Inspections industry. He has taught Phoenix Home Inspectors, Gilbert home inspectors and professional home inspectors across the country.

The hard truth about infrared (Real Estate Agents Read This)

I recently had a real estate agent ask me if infrared was a good thing and should she recommend it to her clients, my answer was a definite maybe, here is why.

Every few years a new trend comes along that affects the home industry. These trends include mold, lead, radon, asbestos, moisture meters, microwave leak detectors and now infrared or thermal imaging. These trends come with the homeowners protection in mind, however there are always people there trying to make a quick profit from the latest trend.

Allow me to start by saying I am a home inspector and many of the home inspectors that read this will be very upset with me because they feel that the proper training and programs are not necessary, I will let you decide. I will also state that I believe mold, lead, radon, and asbestos are all items that may need to be checked, however any testing needs to be performed by a trained professional and not someone that bought a sampler and attended a eight hour class and now calls themselves “certified”.

Anyone in the US can purchase a thermal imaging device for a price starting around $3,000 but most quality units start in the $7,000 range. These units are incredible; however, just because you can buy a camera, does not make you a thermographer. Real training is needed to properly operate the thermal imager and to interpret the images. (this is why inspectors charge more for this service.)

Limitations

Like any tool these units have their limitations: They only measure surface temperature. (They can’t see through walls) There may be issues in a wall like moisture or missing insulation that effect the surface temperature of the wall and the thermal imaging device may detect those differences but infrared is not an X-Ray.

Missing or disturbed insulation viewed with infrared

Insulation is missing. 10 degree difference in an 18 inch span

Many surfaces are reflective and if not properly addressed can provide false readings. For example the heat from ceiling lights can be viewed on a wood laminate floor, Glass and ceramic tiles have a mirror effect when scanned with a thermal imaging device.

The units are so sensitive that they can measure 1/10 of a degree F. This leads the inexperienced operator to spot items that appear to be major issues, only to discover later that there was a temperature difference of <1°F. I have been called to many projects where someone had an infrared camera and called out issues. When a contractor is hired to address the issue they are told “everything is fine, I couldn’t find a problem.” That is when I get called in. I will look at the pictures from the first person and try to recreate the conditions preset when they did their work, then determine if there is a real problem. Most f the time the problem is the previous operator.

Training

Here is the short version. Most people with infrared cameras have had some training and many will call themselves “Level One thermographers”, however even they don’t understand what that term means. A true “Level one certification is a single component of a Thermography program Standard that follows the American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) guidelines for certification. That program needs to be overseen by a Level three thermographer. If someone tells you they are “Level One Thermographer” simply ask them who the level 3 thermographer is in their program; If they don’t have an answer than they are not meeting the ASNT standards. You also need to be aware of the certification stamping companies. Some are no more that a pay and be certified, some provide minimal training but there is no one there to verify who took the training or if the student can field demonstrate how to use the thermal imaging device.

There are also ASTM standards on how to use thermal imaging to perform different inspections, for example, there is a standard for an insulation inspection on wood framed buildings. That standard requires several things like recording the interior and exterior temperatures and making sure the difference between those temperatures meets the standard. The inspector needs to measure the wind speed and direction, the solar conditions, The building construction, levels, orientation, surroundings etc. If your inspector is not recording this data then they are not meeting the standard of care set up by ASTM.

A qualified and ethical inspector will also understand building science and apply that knowledge while performing the thermal imaging. Simply put the infrared unit will not see moisture if it is not there so if it hasn’t rained in two weeks, it may not find the leaks. If the interior and exterior temperature are the same (very common in the spring and fall) then it is likely the camera will not be able to identify insulation issues.

Now I return to the agents question: should she recommend it to her clients?

Yes if the person performing the thermal imaging is properly trained to do so and you are aware of the conditions needed to properly conduct a thermal imaging inspection.

If If your inspector is charging extra for scanning walls with infrared and it has not rained for a month and all of the windows of the home are open, then it is time to find someone else..

Scott Warga, is the Qualifying party for ACSI American Construction Specialists and Investigations LLC,(ROC216772) a dual licensed residential and small commercial contractor. He is also a qualified home inspector certified by the Arizona Board of Technical Registration (#38062) and was appointed to the Arizona Board of Technical Registration’s Enforcement Advisory Committee. He has 9 years construction experience and has performed residential and commercial property inspections for over six years. He has specialized in forensic inspections, investigating failed, damaged and defective construction for over 4 years. He is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors, (#205826) and currently sits on their board of directors. Scott is also a member of the International Code Council (#5095644). He has been an instructor of home inspection at Mesa Community College and Arizona Sun-Tech Home Inspection School. He is an instructor for Inspection Training Associates, a Kaplan Professional School. He has served an District Chairman & Vice President for the Arizona chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors and an approved instructor for both them and the Arizona Department of Real Estate.