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Engineered wood I-beam joists were first introduced in the late 1960s and were used mainly in high-end home building. However, today up to half the homes built in the United States now use engineered wooden I-beams. They are considered an excellent alternative to sawn lumber for floor joists due to their strength and overall stability.
Wood I-beams consist of a center section constructed out of a layer of Oriented Strand Board (OSB) material that is sandwiched on top and bottom by two wide flange sections made out of finger jointed sawn lumber.
There are cut-out or knock-out holes in the OSB material that can be easily removed for running electrical wires and/or heating ducts. These knock-outs make it convienent for contractors to work with, eliminating excessive drilling/or cutting of holes.
Engineered Wood I-beams have several major advantages. First of all, they usually are much stronger, straighter and stiffer than conventional sawn lumber. Data indicates that they are 50% stiffer than sawn lumber. And what I like is that they shrink less. Consequently with less deflection and less shrinkage, this translates into better floor construction.
Of particular importance, while the house is under construction, is to Not cut or notch the top and bottom flanges. These flanges are what gives these joists their strength. When a contractor cuts or damages this component part of the I-beam, they may have critically damaged this structural component. To instigate a proper repair procedure, the manufacturer needs to be contacted. Since these are engineered wood components, only the manufacturer can tell you how to correct a defect.
As you see when you enlarge the photo, the plumbing contractor has notched below the bath tub drain which weaken the joist dramatically. Large holes can be made in the plywood web to a certain extent and the I-beam is not affected. But stay away from the flanges, as it is taboo to cut or alter them in any way.
For several years plastic dryer venting has been banned from use with clothes dryer appliances. However I still see this material being used in some newer but in mostly older homes. This product is considered a fire safety hazard and should be replaced if you have this material installed in your home.
Today, most households use flexible metal foil ducting as the connector between the dryer and the exterior discharge. Much better than it’s plastic counterpart, it has been approved for residential use by fire code officials in most municipalities.
Optimally, the best product is smooth wall aluminum ducting using rigid metal adapters connected to the dryer discharge and the vent. The cost and effort installing is well worth it in the long run.
If it has been more than 3 years since you cleaned your vents, we recommend doing so. Dryer lint can build up on the sides of the duct, and will greatly reduce the efficiency of your appliance. If the build-up is extreme, your dryer appliance could burn out, or perhaps, even start a fire.
While conducting my normal home inspection of the kitchen, the sink and faucet area is always of outmost importance. I routinely check all kitchen appliances for water leaks, proper water pressure, adequate drainage and any loose or improperly installed electrical wires. The garbage disposal is operated and I peek below the sink to see that it is firmly mounted in place, as there is a possibility for these disposers to loosen over time. While operating the garbage disposal I will check the hot and cold water controls at the same time.
A question sometimes arises, while doing my home inspection, as to if there are any benefits to running either hot or cold water into the operated garbage disposal; and what the proper procedures are for proper maintenance.
Here’s my ”to do and what not to do list”:
- During the operation of disposing most food waste always use a strong flow of cold water to flush all food debris down the drain. This helps any grease or oils to solidify, making them more easily chopped up/and cut up before reaching the P-trap located within the drain line under the sink. Putting chicken bones down the drain is acceptable
- NEVER use hot water when disposing normal food waste. Hot water can cause grease or oils to build up excessively on the blades, and may eventually cause your drain to clog.
- However, when cleaning time arrives for the disposer, now it’s ok to use the hot water. Using equal parts of white vinegar and baking soda, then flushing with very hot or boiling water usually does the trick. Afterwards put ice cubes in to help clean the blades.
- Don’t forget to scrub under the rubber flapper, something that many people have no idea about. This is an area that may not be affected by the liquid cleaners because the under part of the rubber flappers remains hidden. Use a glove and a sponge soaked with a strong liquid cleaner that contains bleach. This will stop the bacteria in it’s tracks and odors coming up from the drain.
- I also like to fill the sink part way up with some hot soapy water and drain the sink while operating the disposer. You can see that this does a really good job of getting rid of the debris that may still be left inside the disposal unit.
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The common situation that sometimes abruptly surfaces: after doing a Central New Jersey home inspection and returning to the house to pick up a radon canister only to be confronted by a disgruntled homeowner telling you that you had made life very difficult for them. All too often I hear, ”that it wasn’t required when the house was first built so why even mention it during the home inspection.” Or the realtor may say that there is no need to recommend future changes, that no more is needed.
When I go out to do a home inspection I need to do the job as I see fit. I will report things as I see them but will also mention and include in the report findings “safety upgrades” as they come up, especially in older homes. When talking with other home inspectors I find they are faced with the same sense of ingratitude coming from the selling realtor and/or the homeowner. Even though something wasn’t required when the older home was first built, I feel the home inspection “ is the perfect time to educate people” in regard to how to improve the condition of their Central New Jersey home.
My area of expertise is home construction and design in New Jersey. I have spent many years educating myself in this field of endeavor. I consider myself a generalist. but also a house expert who understands how the structural, mechanical and electrical systems should work together in a house. Many homes, old and new, were built with minimum standards. The average person may not understand how& when a house is supposed to be maintained. They are not house experts. That’s where I come in.
I don’t see why anyone would have a problem with a home inspector “recommending” safety upgrades? If an older home doesn’t have GFCI protection, I always recommend them. I also ask my clients if they actually know what GFCI’s are used for. If they don’t, it’s “time for me to educate” them about the importance of these modern safety devices.
I always check to see if handrails are up to today’s current safety standards here in New Jersey because- this is always a big safety issue. Or egress windows that meet minimum requirements- providing an escape-way in case of a fire. Of course garage doors need to be installed correctly and openers need to have proper auto-reversing function fully operational. And the garage floor and living space floor should not be at the same height- that could allow gasoline fumes to enter into the house during an accidental spill and cause a fire or explosion. And any access hatches into the attic that would affect the integrity of the firewall.
Many times I see that in older homes that there is no division/or fire safety wall that separates the attic area between the living space of the house and the garage. The installation of an attic fire wall between the garage and the home’s living space is an important concern. I know of a whole block of older townhouses that recently burned down in New Brunswick, NJ because there were no fire walls. Installing a firewall could save the rest of the house or buildings from going up in flames. It could help provide needed time for the fire department to respond to the emergency and save the home or buildings and it’s inhabitants from disaster.
It may sound like a cliche to talk about fire safety tips in the central New Jersey area
during the holiday season, but if there’s one statistic that bears
repeating, it’s this: Even with adequate smoke alarms, a house fire today can
become uncontrollable in less than(3) three minutes.
That’s down from an average 17 minutes in 1975 — a whopping 82 percent
difference. And the reason for the drastic change, according to a report by the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, isn’t just the type of house you live in, but what you put inside.
“It’s not how old the home is, but it’s the furnishings,” Jack Watts,
Director of the Fire Safety Institute, told AOL Real Estate.
A spokesperson for the National Association of State Fire Marshals told AOL
Real Estate that the worst culprit in home fires is upholstered
furniture, because it often contains highly flammable polyurethane foam. These
all-too-common materials provide the fuel for what fire experts call the
flashover — the point at which everything in the room simultaneously bursts
into flames. It doesn’t help that many of today’s homes are built with more
open floor plans and modern building materials like wallboard that can lead to
faster fires, according to the Wichita Eagle.
The numbers show an alarming trend. In 1977, the first year when data was
available, there were 750,000 residential fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
In 2010, there were roughly half that many, thanks in large part to widespread use of smoke detectors. But the incredible speed with which home fires can spread in today’s homes represents a major step backward in fire
safety.
beam that was damaged
Why not just change your mind set about cutting the beam. Cutting any beam is a Bad idea. What about just trimming the hollow core folding doors to fit into the opening. Obviously a very bad choice had been made here by an inexperienced handyman. This photo was taken by me during one of my home inspections this past week.
When adding enhancements to a basement, such as door to close off storage, the installer should never, ever cut the supportive, structural beam. Sometimes just drilling into the beam may be frowned upon by the manufacturer. The system installed in this house consisted of I-Beam joist with parallel strand lumber used for the beams. In this case a repair had been prescribed by the manufacturer for the damaged component that had been sistered over the beam. The wolmanized verticle 2x8s are not structural but were merely placed there to fill the gaps on the either side of the doors.
Mold on wall
Here is a basement with excessive dampness and mold that was noted during a recent home inspection. In the areas where the walls and ceilings are finished. The problem was caused by the sump pumps- that were no long working. The landlord wasn’t interested in rectifing the situation. There was one inch of standing water in almost half the basement. Extensive areas of mold were noted on these wall surfaces. Exposure to mold is not healthy for anyone. Our home inspection company did not test for what type of molds were present unless written in the contract. We always recommend a visit by a health professional.
There are many types of flashings that can be used on a New Jersey roof but today I’d like to talk about those flashings that seal the plumbing pipes at the roof elevation. You may wonder why I even mention this type of flashing because it is way up on the roof and probably will never become a concern. But, yes, some day these flashing might fail and it would be helpful for you to understand what these roof compnents do.
Roof Jack
Roof surface flashings that go around a plumbing vent pipe are what we are concerned with. These pipes are usually encased with a rubber material that is stretched around the pipe. The rest of the flashing body is usually aluminum that is hidden under the roof shingles. Normal roof shingle life in Somerset, New Jersey is about 25 years and the normal- no maintenace life of this type of roof flashing is 15 years. Hence there is a discrepancy. What happens here is the rubber flange holding the venting pipe starts to crack. Even a small crack can let a large amount of rain water inside. This leakage will be promeniently displayed by a water stain on the ceiling that you will notice when casually walking into the area of concern. No need for alarm, yet.
What is normally a typical repair is to seal the pipe and rubber bushing with roofing tar. No need to replace the enitre roof flashing. As was stated before in this article, even a small crack can let in a lot of water. These small holes/or cracks are also an easy access for flying insects to enter the house.
Here in Somerset New Jersey, stinging insects such as wasps and hornets are prone to fly around at roof elevations for the purpose of finding a safe, dry nesting area. These flying insects are out and about everyday. A vacant attic space would make for an ideal home for them but on the other hand, may create a very undesireable situation for yourself and your family as they eventually will find a way from the attic into your living space. Yikes!
What should I know about the condition of a masonry chimney? What is a mortar wash? What are chimney caps used for? These are all good questions that deserve a valid answer.
- Chimney Components
The proper functioning of the masonry chimney that is usually located at the top of the house roof is crucial to the operation of the combustion appliances connected to it. Normally connected to the home’s heating unit and domestic water heater. Sometimes, if there are two separate chimney flues, one can be used with a fireplace and the other with a furnace or boiler.
- Masonry Chimney
Most masonry chimneys are made with concrete or cinder block and than covered with brick. At the top of the chimney, a concrete flashing is used to cap the masonry unit’s structure and keep rain water out and penetrating inside the chimney. These cement washes, however should not be considered by themselves a long term solution to guard against moisture penetration. All cement washes should be covered with a metal chimney cap to keep the rain water out.
Cement Wash
Over time the chimney can develop severe damage and deterioration due to water seepage inside the masonry structure. A white powdery substance can develop on the outside surface of the chimney indicating that moisture has penetrated the chimney and is evaporating from inside the brick, hence the term given is efflorescence.
- Chimney Deterioration
However there may be other internal forces at hand that can lead to additional deterioration of the masonry chimney’s internal components. Most modern home heating appliances use either gas or oil. During normal operation of the house’s heating appliance, a natural by product of combustion is the creation of water vapor. If the chimney is not properly sized or lined for the combustion to properly take place while discharging the water vapor out of the chimney, a lot of deterioration will develop over time due to excessive condensation water left inside the chimney. The result will be damage to the inside of the masonry chimney.
- Chimney Rebuild
So in conclusion, to adequately check a masonry chimney first look on the exterior for any obvious damage. Than if possible go on the roof and check the chimney top. It is highly recommended to hire a chimney sweep to clean and than inspect the interior of the chimney for loose or broken components.
Today, Tub and Shower enclosures can be wonderfully decorated with all sorts of attractive wall tiles. Although a large variety of coverings can be easily purchased such as fiberglass and acrylic panels, ceramic tiles and natural stone tiles are most used today. Most enclosures that I normally inspect make use of either ceramic tiles or a plastic/acrylic wall coverings.
Bath shower
During normal showering, water is sprayed on the ceramic tiles or some other water-proofed material. If the shower wall is well maintained, the water is directed down the wall and into the drain. Typical maintenance consists of routine grouting and caulking and sealing the inside enclosure corners with a waterproof caulking. The exterior areas where the tub connects to the tiles will also need to be sealed or caulked.
Bath shower stall enclosure
However when small cracks or unsealed grout joints in the ceramic tile surfaces develop, usually with the passage of time, water may have a tendency to penetrate behind the tiles through deficient grout joints and cracks. Leaks that are allowed to persist without repair can often lead to deterioration of the wall under the tiles and also permit damp areas where mold will grow. I have seen, much to my amazement, drywall that has been painted over, but would consider this to be inadequate and an installation defect.
Caulking maintenance needed
That’s why it’s so important to have an approved substrate material installed under the tiles. If a small leak is unnoticed or left unrepaired, the wall behind the tiles can become rotted and will have to be replaced. Than double the work. And the leak may extend to a ceiling of another room.
Wonderboard
Contractors in the past have installed waterproof drywall or green board in the bathroom areas and in the showering enclosure which was considered adequate. Today construction procedures mandate the use of a much better material: a concrete substrate panel that can easily withstand water penetration, called “wonderboard” or similar product. This cement panel board is usually screwed into place and than tapped at the joints where the panels meet together, providing a water tight surface. Water cannot penetrate or deteriorate this panel, because it’s made of concrete.
Of particular importance, while the house is under construction, is to Not cut or notch the top and bottom flanges. These flanges are what gives these joists their strength. When a contractor cuts or damages this component part of the I-beam, they may have critically damaged this structural component. To instigate a proper repair procedure, the manufacturer needs to be contacted. Since these are engineered wood components, only the manufacturer can tell you how to correct a defect.
