Stephen,  who has been inspecting homes in Central New Jersey since 1998, says he often goes the extra mile when inspecting attics. When necessary, I have taken clothes out of the closet myself or with the help of the home owner or real estate agent.  I usually put an old sheet or towel over the clothes and try to position my step ladder as best as possible so as to gain access thru the scuttle hole.  If there are two access points, I can climb over to the other side and get in that part of the attic anyway.

Gaining access into the attic is always an important  part of the home inspection process. There are many areas of concern, such as, plumbing venting pipes used in conjunction with bathroom exhaust and clothes dryer ducting, flue pipes that are connected to the homes heating system, fire separation walls, type and condition of installed insulation, possible animal infestation, possible mold and mildew, deficient structural conditions, attic ventilation and the possiblity roof leaks.

The most difficult problem I sometimes face is actually squeezing through the scuttle access hole itself, that can be severely undersized especially in older homes.  If I didn’t go in the attic or any other space for that matter, the lack of access is documented in the report . “Photos are always a plus.”

During a recent home inspection in Somerset, New Jersey, I noticed that a temporary hollow post was installed beneath and supporting a Steel I-beam located in the basement. As standard procedure, whenever a large beam is installed whether it be a built up wooden beam or steel I-beam, a solid steel concrete filled post is placed as support for the structural beam.

If you ask me, I think the hollow steel post had been put in temporarily and forgotten about; the hollow post is not rated to for such a heavy load as a house structure.  These steel I-beams were not connected together in anyway. Luckily it appears that the existing concrete posts were installed over solid concrete footings. Since the only thing that is needed is an additional post, the existing footing will be sufficient.  I always advise to install (4) four inch solid steel concrete posts under all types of beams.

I’m wondering how the Somerset County, NJ municipal code official missed this? Quite obvious during the rough framing inspection I would imagine. The house has been like this for quite some time. Luckily there was no structural damage, only the lack of a proper structure support.

Is something missing from this picture, of the roof overhang? While everything looks in good order at the soffit area of this home located in Middlesex County, NJ  there is one element that is missing and should be a concern to every homeowner. The rain water gutter system .

The gutter system’s main purpose is to divert water away from the house.  And having a proper gutter drainage system installed and maintained will also keep water from entering a basement as well as from running down the walls of the house and penetrating  the exterior walls and windows.

While inspecting this home in Middlesex County, New Jersey,  I noticed the water drained down from the roof and spilled directly on the ground at the rear, uphill elevation of the house.  When water is allowed to spill directly on the ground, and it is on the uphill side of the house, it has no where else to go but under the floor slab, continuing it’s down ward path dictated by gravity to the other side of the house.

Water traveling under a house can eventually cause settlement and cracking of a concrete floor slab. Any cracks that may develop can be the source of future insect infestation, as well as an area for dampness to enter, create uneven floors and possible damage to the walls of the home if left unattended.

When water travels up against a house or sideways, it can have a devastating effect too. One of the most common areas of concern that I find regularly is where water splashes against an exterior door. This will almost always rot the door trim and frame and the wall around it.  When gutters are installed and maintained, this doesn’t happen.

A disconnected/and damaged gas dryer duct was found while inspecting a house the other day. The clothes washing appliances were located in  utilty room connected to the main house.  At first, it was a little difficult to see the damage because the duct was pushed behind the dryer appliance.  As soon as I started the gas dryer appliance did the extent of the defect become noticeable.  Lint debris was blowing into the air. 

Since this was a gas dryer, fossil fuel must be combusted along with deadly oderless carbon monoxide gas. And expelled, in this case, into the living space of the home causing a very hazardous condition. The house had only been vacant for a month. The service person that did the installation just didn’t do  a good job. Luckily the duct ruptured when I started the appliance.  Even a small hole in the duct would be very dangerous to anyone living in the house that could cause headaches and also be life threatening. Carbon monoxide is colorless and oderless and it doesn’t take very much to harm an individual. The hole is located where the gas pipe and shut-off valve are situated.

For the last fifteen years one of the easiest ways  of insulating attics in Central,  New Jersey  was to  use loose-fill blown insulation – either cellulose or fiberglass.  An improvement over traditional  fiberglass  batt insulation because  batts tend to loosen up from the ceiling joist cavities (after being pushed into place when first installed) developing air spaces . Plus batts cost more to install.  For insulation to be effective, it needs to be installed in a “closed air space”.  Even though fiberglass batts in attics are less easier to install, I still find the installation. What most people do, later on, is to add more insulation going the opposite direction, that makes a big improvement.

But what to do above the the attic access panel, where  about 75 % of the homes that I inspect lack proper insulation. This is one of the most important areas to provide adequate insulation because it can serve as the weakest link in you ceiling insulation system.  That’s an insulation fact.

When using a fiberglass batts to insulate the scuttle hole, it needs to fill the entire space and be in contact with all four sides of the wood frame. When the insulation piece is too small, it doesn’t touch all four sides and allows for heat loss because insulation must be installed in a “closed air space” to be effective.  When I enter the attic during an inspection, either the batts loose inside the frames, they’re too large, too small or missing.

When the fiberglass insulation above the attic access panel doesn’t get installed properly, the home experiences unnecessary heat loss here.  There are a few solutions:  One is to have the panel re-insulated with rigid foam boards that fit the attic scuttle hole snugly.  Another solution I’ve found is to use a fiberglass batt that’s slightly too large glued to multiple pieces of scuttle board. This makes the panel fall down in to place, pulling the insulation down . Using a blue/or grey not so sticky tape where the panel makes contact with the finished opening frame can be done right before it get cold to make sure there is no air escaping upwards, along with the heat in your room.  Don’t forget heat rises.

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.