Atlanta Home Inspection-certified member ICC,

DID YOU KNOW?

Settlement happens when parts of a house drop from dead loads and live load from the original construction. There are numerous reasons why this may happen. The soil beneath the foundation or beneath column supports may shrink due to moisture loss. The soil may not have been compacted properly before the foundation was installed. Large pieces of organic material may have been included in the soil under the house. When it decays, the soil above it collapses to fill the void. The list of possibilities is nearly endless.

Cracks happen for all sorts of reasons. Different construction materials have different expansion and contraction coefficients, some materials change shape and size as they absorb water and water vapor while materials immediately adjacent to them do not budge.Understanding House Settling Cracks

 There are some cracks that can't be easily repaired. What's more, it is hard to totally disguise some cracks. Large houses have joints within them. These are places where the house relieves movement, just like the joints in our fingers, arms and legs. I often see cracks in modern homes where columns support beams. You can see cracks right where the contact point between these two structural members meet.

 Hardwood floor often develop cracks. The most common reasons for that to happen, and almost always they can be traced to a humidity or moisture problem.If you are getting ready to build a home, you need to realize that certain subdivisions are cut and fill operations. In other words, the developer takes dirt from one place and uses it for fill in other parts of the subdivision. If this soil is not placed with great care, it can settle! If you think that you are building on fill dirt, by all means spend the extra money to get it tested by a soil engineering firm. If you don't and you end up with problems.
Shallow Foundations

Many houses are built on slabs or have crawlspaces. The footers for these structures need to be placed just below the frost limit in the local area. The closer the frost line is to the surface (warmer climates) the greater chance you might have for droughts that cause your foundation to move. If you have expansive clay soils in your area. Not only do these soils shrink in a side ways direction sidewaysat surface level, but they also shrink down in volume. The shrinkage can be dramatic and can cause all sorts of cracking, door and window fit problems, etc.

The way you trick the soil is to install a four inch perforated pipe along the side or on top of the footer of the shallow foundation. You install one or two tee fittings in the piping so that you can extend a vertical riser pipe up to the surface. Install a loose fitting cap over this riser. When the drought hits, you simply let a garden hose run very slowly in the riser pipe for 24 hours or so. The pipe will evenly distribute the water around the footer if you have installed the footer fairly level. This system is simple and inexpensive to install and will save you hundreds of dollars in repairs and lots of headaches as well! If you try to fix a house that has cracks, talk with a structural engineer.

 

DECKS-Today’s standards require decks to be bolted rather than merely nailed to the house, as they used to be. Nails pull out easily: bolts do not. And metal hangars nailed at all holes are required for each deck floor joist rather than a single supporting 1x2 “wood ledger”. Support columns now must be heavy wood or metal columns and they must be set on concrete footings to prevent settlement and ensuing collapse. In addition, there must be flashing between the house and deck, to protect the against water intrusions and damage and deterioration of the house exterior siding and interior components. The railings must support a 200 pound lateral force and the balusters must not allow a 4” wide object to pass through, so little kids don’t fall through or get their heads stuck.

BRICK VENEER WALLS-WEEP-HOLES: BRICK EXTERIOR VENEER SIDING
In Georgia you may have noticed recently there now are holes and little plastic pipettes and perhaps black tar paper “flashing” sticking out of the brick mortar in new homes. That’s because brick siding, counter to popular belief, is NOT impervious to water. The holes, pipettes and flashing function to channel this water to the exterior rather than it settling and rotting the wood support structure and walls. Unfortunately, many of the workers who build the brick walls do not know where the weep holes and flashing are required to be installed, and in some cases, don’t install any!

The building shell -that part of the building that serves as an interface between the interor and exterior environments-includes the foundation(vertical wall and the horizontal slab),the above-grade wall,and the roof assembly.It Plays a critical role in solar gain management,thermal load control,air infiltration and exfiltration,ventilation,moisture management,fenestration support,impact and diaster resisitance, noise control,air quality,design value.

To Protect public health and safety,building regulations establish minimum guided lines for building designs and construction.Regulations are base on the model building codes developed by three reginal organization:Building Officals and Code Administrators(BOCA);the Internaional Conference of Building Officals(ICBO);and the Southern Building Code Congress International,Inc.(SBCCI).The International Code Council(ICC),made up of the previous three was established in 1994.It will become the single Nationwide Building code,replacing the three reginal model codes.The ICC governs the standard building codes in the residential sector up to 3 stories in height.

FACT:
*Approximately one million low-income renters and owners spent at least half of their monthly income on housing in the late 90's.
*In 1994-1996,the average total annual expenditures for major replacements/maintenance related to the building envelope included $7.0 Billion for roofing and $1.7 Billion for siding.
*The U.S. residential sector consumed 18.79 quadrillion BTU ($131.1 Billion) in 1998.Over half of this energy was used in space heating and cooling,which are directy impacted by the building envelope,followed by appliance,lighting,and heating water.
Currently,construction and demolition waste accounts for 24% to 28% of waste in the U.S.landfills.Construction materials use 70% total material consumption in the U.S...

Prior to its close in 1990, much of the world’s supply of vermiculite came from a mine near Libby, Montana.  This mine had a natural deposit of asbestos which resulted in the vermiculite being contaminated with asbestos.  Attic insulation produced using vermiculite ore, particularly are that originated from the Libby mine, may contain asbestos fibers.  Today, vermiculite is mined at three US Facilities and in other countries which have low levels of contamination in the finished material.

Vermiculite can be purchased in various forms for various uses. Sizes of vermiculite products range from very fine particles to large (coarse) pieces nearly an inch long. Vermiculite attic insulation is a pebble-like, pour-in product and is usually light-brown or gold in color

Asbestos can cause health problems when inhaled into the lungs.  If products containing asbestos are disturbed, thin, lightweight asbestos fibers are released into the air. Persons breathing the air may breathe in asbestos fibers. Continued exposure increases the amount of fibers that remain in the lung.  Fibers embedded in lung tissue over time may result in lung diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma.  Smoking increases your risk of developing illness from asbestos exposure.

Asthma is a serious disease that affects millions of Americans, particularly children. Asthma is also increasing at an alarming rate. Many air pollutants are found at higher levels indoors than
outdoors. Among them are the most common asthma triggers: particles from molds, dust mites, mice, rats, roaches and pets. Indoor air contains other pollutants such as carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (chemicals released from materials), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, radon and other particles that can make people sick or make asthma worse. Some indoor air pollutants come from outside. These include ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, pollens and other particles that can also make people sick or make asthma worse. What you bring into your home, how you live in your home and how you clean and maintain your home affect the quality of air in your home. You can control many of these sources of pollution that otherwise can make you sick or make your asthma worse.

How you live in your home affects each of the seven steps. Water, clutter and dust provide the conditions and ingredients for mold, insects, mice, rats, roaches and dust mites to make their home in your home. Pests inside your home can lead to allergic reactions; pests lead to the use of pesticides that are not good for people to breathe or ingest (eat). Food and water are an invitation for pests to live in your home. If you keep your home clean and dry you will have a home that is healthy and comfortable for you at the same time that it is not a friendly place for these unwelcome pests. Ventilation removes stale air from your home and brings fresh air inside. This helps to remove some of the pollution that builds up inside your home. But you have to use the fans or ventilation system to keep your home from becoming stale and unhealthy. If ventilation is inadequate, moisture can build up increasing the humidity in your home. High humidity levels make the air feel sticky and uncomfortable for most people. Mold and dust mites, however, love high humidity. So comfort, no pests and good indoor air quality go hand in hand. Burning gas or oil produces combustion products such as carbon monoxide — these should never be present in a healthy home. Smoking is a form of combustion; so don’t let anyone smoke inside your home. Keep your home a healthy home. What people bring into homes and store inside can often lead to problems. The containers that store toxic chemical cleaning compounds, solvents and oil-based paints slowly release the chemicals into the indoor air. Don’t bring these products into your home. When in doubt, get them out by disposing of them properly. Sealed dry combustion.

Too much water in your home is bad. Too much water results in mold, insects, rodents and mites. Remember that a healthy home is a dry home.

One of the worst things you can do is use a humidifier. Humidifiers add uncontrolled amounts of water to indoor air. They also have to be cleaned each week. If you must use a humidifier – don’t – use a vaporizer. If you must use a vaporizer, if we can’t convince you not to use one, keep the interior relative humidity below 30 percent in the winter. To monitor humidity you need a measuring device called a hygrometer. Clean the vaporizer regularly if you use it. If you have bathroom fans use them when you are in the bathroom, especially when showering. They remove water from bathrooms. If you have a kitchen fan use the fan when you are cooking. Especially when you are cooking
with water. Boiling water is a humidifier. And you already know how we feel about humidifiers.

If you have a clothes dryer, make sure it is vented to the outside. If you vent it inside it is a humidifier…and you already know how we feel… Plumbing leaks need to be fixed – right away. Find out how to shut off your water if you have a leak. Report the leak and insist that it get fixed. Be a pest. It’s important. Leaking clothes washers and leaking hot water tanks can be a major problem and need to be fixed right away.

Basements are often damp. Don’t store anything in a damp basement. Mold will probably grow on what you store in a damp basement. If your basement is damp run a
dehumidifier. Don’t open your basement windows in the summertime, the basement will only get wetter. Outside air in the summertime is humid and the moisture in it will condense on cold basement walls the same way water condenses on the outside of a cold glass.

If you have a dry basement and you want to store stuff in it – don’t. But if you must, use wire or plastic racks or shelving that elevates things above basement floor slabs and allows lots of air
circulation. Don’t let any paper or cardboard touch the floor or a wall. Better still, don’t store any paper products or fabrics in your basement. Use sealable plastic containers.

While we are talking about storage, don’t store things in attics either. This advice only applies to attics without floors. It’s important that attics are well ventilated and storing things in attics
interferes with air flow and also probably causes problems with attic insulation. The only thing that should be in your attic is air – and insulation.

If you have gutters or downspouts, keep them clean. Don’t disconnect gutters and downspouts. Keeping water away from the walls helps keep
your basement dry.

And finally don’t install wallpaper in your home. Why? Wallpaper keeps walls from drying if they get wet – especially vinyl wallpaper. Trapped moisture allows mold to grow.

Clean

Dust is bad; it contains asthma triggers. Over two thirds of dust in homes originates outdoors, and is tracked in on feet. House dust is known to contain many hazardous materials. Stop the dust at the door. Take off you shoes and provide a space for your shoes at the door. Provide a welcome mat and keep it clean. Vacuum and filter the rest away. And make the home easy to clean. Don’t clutter your home. A good trick is to have a pair of inside shoes and a pair of outside shoes. Use a vacuum regularly. If you can afford one, get a vacuum with high efficiency filtration and an embedded dirt detector (it indicates when the floor is clean). Check the bag regularly. Replace the bag when necessary. When you use cleaners use mild cleaners and soaps. Don’t turn the area under your sink into a toxic chemical dump by storing powerful chemical cleaners. Don’t store pesticides there. Change your furnace filter regularly – or insist that it be changed. Filters should be rated at MERV 6-8 (35 percent or better dust spot efficiency). High efficiency  furnace filter  Well Ventilated

Don’t use or purchase an ozone air cleaner. Ozone is a respiratory irritant and can trigger asthma attacks. And while we are at it, don’t use air fresheners or room air deodorants. They are indoor air pollutants that mask problems and deaden the senses if they are not causing respiratory problems on their own.Dilution is the solution to indoor pollution that cannot otherwise be prevented or removed. Almost everything in your home gives off chemicals or moisture. If there are too many pollutants in the air that you breathe you have a problem. Since people love their possessions and we can’t get rid of their possessions or find possessions that don’t give off pollutants we have to ventilate the pollutants in the indoor air out.

Oh by the way, people also give off stuff – moisture, odors, carbon dioxide….we’ll stop the list here because it can get pretty ugly. So even in a house without stuff, the people in the house need ventilation air to dilute the “bio- effluent” they themselves generate. People also cook – well some of them do – and generate more stuff. You get the picture. Use your bathroom fans, when you are in the bathroom and after showering. Use your kitchen fan when cooking. Open your windows when it is not too cold (or when it is not too hot or humid if you have air conditioning). When you are cleaning, especially with powerful cleaning agents (the stuff we told you not to store under your sink), open your windows and turn on an exhaust fan. If you can, ventilate your dry cleaning before you hang it in your closet. Air it out outside if you can. Or on a porch, or in your garage. Or in a room with an open window. Better still buy clothes that don’t need to be dry cleaned. Some “dry clean only” clothes can be washed – but be careful.

Combustion Free

When something is burned it produces products of combustion, particularly carbon monoxide and particles that are unhealthy. Products of combustion should never be found in the indoor air of a healthy home.

Bathroom  exhaust fan
When you cook use the kitchen fan. Don’t ever use a gas oven or the stove top to heat your home. Don’t purchase or use ventless kerosene or gas space heaters. If you have a garage don’t operate your car in the garage (except to get it in or out). Certainly don’t warm it up in the garage. And never run your car in the garage with the door to the house open.

 Keep bushes and trees at least 3 feet from homes. Bushes and trees near a home provide food, a living place and sheltered passage for pests such as rats, mice, birds, roaches and ants.
Block pest entries. Seal utility openings and joints between materials. Use corrosion proof materials such as copper or stainless steel mesh. Rodents can chew through many materials.

If you are uncomfortably dry in the winter and you decide to use a humidifier, do not over humidify your home. Limit interior relative humidities to less than 30 percent in the winter. To
measure the relative humidity you need a measuring device called a hygrometer.
 
If you have air conditioning do not over-cool your home. Temperatures below 75 degrees Fahrenheit can cause problems with summer sweating within walls (where you can’t see it) and the
condensation can promote mold growth.
1. Keep your home dry
a. Avoid humidifiers
b. Run exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchen
c. Fix water leaks quickly and dry out what got wet
d. Beware storing “things” in damp basements
e. Drain rain water away from the building
f. Beware wallpaper especially vinyl
2. Keep your home clean
a. Stop outside dirt at the door
b. Vacuum and clean thoroughly at least weekly
c. Avoid toxic cleaning compounds
d. Replace furnace filter regularly
e. Don’t use ozone air cleaners
f. Don’t use air fresheners and room air deodorants
3. Keep your home well ventilated
a. Run exhaust fans or ventilation system
b. Air out dry cleaned clothing
4. Keep your home free of combustion products
a. Don’t smoke inside
b. Don’t burn candles
c. Don’t heat with a gas oven or stove
d. Don’t heat with a ventless (unvented) kerosene or propane heater
e. Don’t warm up an automobile in an attached garage
5. Keep your home pest free
a. No plants or litter within 3 feet of the building
b. Block up pest entry holes in outside walls
6. Keep your home free of toxic chemicals
a. Don’t use or store toxic chemicals or pesticides inside
7. Keep your home comfortable
a. In the winter keep your blinds open or shades up to capture heat from the sun
b. In the summer shade your windows or lower blinds
c. Remember to install your storm windows for the winter months
8. Know how to shut off the water supply, gas supply and electrical power
9. Know who to contact for plumbing leaks and flooding
10. Occasionally check for water leaks in the following places:
a. Under sinks
b.Around washing machines
c. Under the hot water heater

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STRUCTURE
Structural integrity is often the issue of most interest to home-buying clients.  Face facts--if the home is structurally unsound, not much else matters.

Bearing Wall
A bearing wall, or load bearing wall, is designed to carry the weight of structural components above through to the supporting components below. Removal of or modification to bearing walls without serious design considerations can lead to the demise of the structural integrity of the dwelling. Sometimes, the structural weakness is seen almost immediately, while in other cases the weakness is only discovered over time.
Beam
This is a horizontally placed wooden, steel, or engineered member which supports floor framing members. It is a primary support member, and is often supported by wooden or steel columns (or posts), exterior walls, or foundational elements.
Corner Post
This describes an assembly of perhaps three or even four vertical studs nailed together tightly to make up a corner framing element in a dwelling.
(Cripple stud)
This describes a grouping of short studs commonly found over, or perhaps below, openings (such as for windows and doors) where a full length stud could not fit.
(Footing)
Typically seen at the bottom of the foundation or stem walls, the footing is generally made of poured, reinforced concrete. Often wider than the foundation wall, the footing bears the full weight of the dwelling. In some instances, when the soil is not completely compacted or is wet, a spread footing is designed and installed. This is a footing which is wider than normal. Footings can be affected by soil conditions, water intrusion, and soil erosion. Improperly supported footings can crack and cause a host of structural problems, starting at the foundation wall and extending throughout the dwelling. Remember that in some newer foundation configurations, footings are not required. Only time will tell how well these homes will fair. A no-footing installation is most typically seen with pre-cast concrete foundation assemblies, where tamped gravel supports the load transferred through the foundation walls.
(Header)
Typically a horizontally placed wooden framing member that is made to support the load when an opening is made in a load bearing wall. Headers are typically installed above windows and exterior doors, or wherever an opening is made in an interior load bearing partition.
(Jack Stud)
Typically a wooden member or stud placed at the sides of an opening in a load bearing partition, and designed to support a header assembly above.
(Joist)
These members are typically made of dimensional lumber, though some products (sometimes called TJIs) are also used. The purpose of the joist is to provide a nailing and support system for the floor sheathing, and for the floor itself. The joist supports the live and dead loads placed on the floor assembly. TJIs (or equivalent), are like mini wooden I-beams, with 2"x2" square stock on the top and bottom (chords), and plywood or oriented strand board between the two. Attic or ceiling joists are used to provide floor support in attic spaces, and also help to prevent the roof rafters from collapsing downward and pushing outward.
(Pier)
A sturdy point, typically at or below ground-level and generally constructed of concrete or similar material, which supports a point load transferred from above. An example of this would be a pier, installed below grade, and covered by a concrete basement slab, on top of which rests a steel lally column supporting a wooden girder assembly.
Post
A vertical member which may be made of steel, concrete, wood, or masonry materials. It is designed to carry a point load vertically downward onto a pier or block.
Rafter
Typically, this is a wooden framing member, extending from the ridge to beyond the top plate of an exterior wall, or serving as a connecting point between two sloping sections of roof structure. Though this is the most common description, there are other named rafters which are installed in a slightly different manner. For instance, a jack rafter (short), may not extend to the top plate but may connect a variety of structural roofing components.
Ridge
Simply put, the ridge (or ridge beam) is installed at the intersection of roof rafters, at their uppermost point. Ridge beams are typically made of wooden components. Be advised that not all roof structures require a ridge beam. On high sloping roofs, the ridge beam may be comprised of thin materials, used only as a nailing point or spacer. This may be seen where no horizontal support is needed. On lower sloping roofs, the ridge actually carries a load, and should be comprised of properly sized materials suitable for the purpose.
Roof Truss
An assembly of smaller individual framing components, attached together, and in a design suited to provide greater support, economy, pre-engineered, and speedier installation time. They take the place of rafters, attic (or ceiling) joists, and ridge beams, and are hoisted and nailed in place, forming the entire roof and attic structure. They span the distance between exterior walls, and require no additional support. They are designed to take the guesswork from field-framers as to connecting points for intricate multiple rooflines, tray or cathedral ceilings, roof penetrations, etc.
Sheathing
Simply speaking, this describes the outer skin of the dwelling. Sheathing is attached to the outside of walls and roof assemblies. It can be comprised of fibrous materials (such as Celotex, backer board, or other materials in older homes), plywood, particleboard, planking, or oriented strand board (OSB), among other materials. Sheathing on roofs may also be referred to as roof decking.
Sill Plate
The first course of horizontal lumber placed on top of and attached to the foundation wall.

Slope
Typically referring to roof slope, this is the ratio of rise to run in a roof configuration. Many refer to slope as pitch. It's typically given as the number of inches of rise for every foot of run. A roof with a 4/12 slope (or pitch) indicates 4" inches or rise per 12" of run.

In platform framing, this is the first course of horizontally placed lumber placed on top of the subflooring material. It comprises the bottom of exterior walls and interior partitions, where vertically positioned studs are attached.
Subfloor

Slab-on-grade

A slab-on-grade is a type of foundation consisting of a structural concrete slab poured directly on the grade. No accessible space exists in slab-on-grade construction. Slab-on-grade foundations are popular in areas where there is a high water table.

Crawlspace

A crawlspace is an accessible space, typically between the ground and the bottom of the first floor of a home.

Full Basement

A full basement creates an accessible space between the ground and the bottom of the first floor of a home. Full basements are popular predominantly in cold climates where the footer needs to be below the frost. 
Pier 

Pier foundations, like slab-on-grade foundations, are commonly utilized in areas that do not have the proper types of soil to support a full basement foundation.  

Precast

 Precast wall sections are cast in a factory and shipped to the construction site.  Sections are then lifted into place on a simple gravel footing and bolted together.  The wall sections are then sealed.