It’s time to start getting your home ready for spring.
Most roof leaks are caused by roof slope or metal flashing. As a MN home inspector for the past 27 years, I have found these conditions are seldom addressed until becoming a problem. What I mean is until a homeowner sees interior water stains they assume nothing is wrong. This is seldom true. Small amounts of invisible roof moisture can be more destructive than large water events, such as storm damage. Why, because as water is absorbed into the wood cells, decay and fungal growth begins to take hold. The longer this condition exists the more apt it is to develop into something substantial
Roof shingles are designed to shed water. This means if there are obstructions in the free flow of water off the roof, it will most likely develop into a leak. This is a design issue and many times the homeowner does not have a choice about the proper slope of their roof. But they do have a choice about the type of material to install on the roof. There are low slope and flat roof materials that are designed to be waterproofing membranes. And when there is a design problem with the roof, the proper and more expensive materials should be used. A good inspector can advise you on this matter.
Roof flashings are the most overlooked key component to keeping water out of the attic. When re-roofing, contractors are not required to replace the metal flashings on the roof. This is a poor choice. Additionally, many low budget roofers are not qualified to install new flashings correctly. As an inspector this is one of the biggest problems I see day in and day out. When you see black tar on the roof, you know you have a problem.
Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor
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It’s time to start getting your home ready for spring.
Most basement water problems are caused by exterior landscaping and hardscaping. As a MN home inspector for the past 27 years, I have found this condition is seldom repaired until it becomes a problem. What I mean is until a homeowner sees water they assume nothing is wrong. This is not true. Actually, small amounts of basement moisture can be more destructive than large water events, such as flooding. Why, because as water sits on the walls it deteriorates the concrete, fungal growth begins to take hold, and a force, hydrostatic pressure, begins to push the foundation in. The longer these conditions exist the more apt they are to develop into something substantial.
When I inspect a home for a client, I always ask them, at the beginning of the inspection, what type of concerns they may have in purchasing this home. Almost always in the top 3 is that they do not want moisture in the basement. After inspecting over 19,000 homes, I would estimate over 85% have some sign of moisture in the basement. That is such a high percentage, that prior to inspecting the basement, I can almost answer their initial concern. Yes, this home has basement dampness.
9 out of 10 times the cause of a wet basement is poor slope around the foundation. Typically, this is corrected by raising the grade and hard surfaces so they slope away from the basement. It’s so simple.
Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor
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In a real estate transaction most radon tests are performed by the home inspector. There is nothing wrong with that, but there is the assumption that they are doing it ‘right’. This may or may not be true. The proper testing protocol you should expect is the following:
Unless you are certain about who is doing your radon test, you should ask for a copy of their certification and a document verifying the monitor has been calibrated within the last year. An electronic tamper-proof monitor is the best way to assure accurate test results.
A faulty test puts the home’s occupants at high risk.
Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor
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After testing for radon and if the level exceeds 4.0 picocuries, the next step is to begin mitigation. You should look for a ‘certified mitigation contractor’. They will have completed the EPA required training and testing. In a nutshell mitigation for an existing home includes the following:
There is no preliminary testing. The state requires either a passive or active system that consists of the following construction requirements:
Below the floor slab a minimum of 4” of gas –permeable aggregate or sand.
Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor
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What does it mean when the MN State Building Code is modified to include radon mitigation methods as a requirement to build a house? Building codes are ‘minimum’ safety standards for construction. This says a lot about how dangerous radon gas is. It is no longer a scientific theory, it is a reality. Most of MN is designated as having radon amount levels greater than the EPA standard 4.0 picocuries. And did you know the EPA standard may soon be lowered to 2.0 picocuries.
There is misinformation about how radon gas travels. Too many people think that if their neighbor has a low radon level in their home it means they must too. It doesn’t work that way. Radon concentrations are a combination of soil decay, construction methods and materials used in building each home, and the occupant’s use of the house. Together these factors contribute to elevated radon levels. For these reasons and more, MN now requires disclosure of any radon testing that has occurred in a home being offered for sale. Unfortunately, there are no rules regulating radon testers; that part is still buyer beware.
Make sure your test is performed by a nationally ‘certified’ technician using the highest quality, calibrated, and tamper-proof electronic monitor.
Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor
Radon gas and real estate don’t mix well. The more energy efficient we make our houses the greater the risk of developing radon induced lung cancer. The radon gas health concern is no longer debatable; it is the #1 cause of lung cancer for non-smokers and the #2 cause for smokers. MN homeowners, real estate agents, builders, and home inspectors should do all they can to identify, assess, and resolve this ever present threat to our families.
Most people know that radon gas is a colorless, odorless gas that occurs naturally in the decay of soil below all houses throughout the U.S. What most people don’t know is the southern and central portion of MN is designated by the national building code as Zone 1 having the highest potential for elevated radon levels in the basement, main and upper levels of our homes. Because our senses are not aware of its presence, this danger has long been overlooked and ignored.
Some have argued the rapid increase in radon awareness is attributable to the “me” generations X and Y concern for themselves and their children. Maybe so, but there is a huge increase in ‘boomers and grey’s’ having their homes tested too. A possible reason could be their concern for children and grandchildren. Or maybe everyone just wants to live a longer and healthier life. For little money and inconvenience everyone can have their homes tested for radon. It takes only 2 days and all you have to do is keep your windows closed. That’s why January through March, the heating season, is the best months to perform a test.
Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor
Problem: The window is wet on the room side of the glass for a few weeks in fall.
Solution: Moisture has accumulated, over summer, in the structure of the house from cooking, showering, and even the family breathing. This can be overcome by having fans exhausting to the outside in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry.
Problem: The window is wet or has frost on the room side of the glass in the winter.
Step 1: Keep window drapes up 2-3” above the window sill to allow for air circulation.
Step 2: Install bath and kitchen exhaust fans that vent directly to the outside of the home. Turn on the fan when room is in use.
Step 3: Put timer switches on all exhaust fans; keep the fan running for a half hour after the user leaves the room.
Step 4: Install a continuous rated exhaust fan in the highest level hallway or bath. This fan should be variable speed from 30 to 110 cubic feet per minute (CFM). Be sure there is an outside air supply into the furnace room in the basement. Leave fan running 24/7.
Solution: Take this slowly, one step at a time. You may not need to do all 4 steps.
Problem: The window glass is wet or fogged in between 2 glass panes all year round, but most noticeable in the winter.
Solution:
Insulated glass: The air seal is leaking and glass must be replaced.
Storm windows: Glass putty must be in place and sealed tight to wood sash. Wood sash must be sealed tight to the window frame.
Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor
‘Pops’ Rob Leslie
Kaplan Professionals, Retired
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If you give a lonely mouse the opportunity, through breeding, you will very soon have 100 mice. Controlling this problem begins with recognizing how you discovered this furry creature.
Did you see it? Then place a peanut butter baited trap alongside the wall where you saw the mouse. Alongside the wall is important, because mice do not voluntarily come out into open spaces. Another more aggressive food is poison bait. These baits are very effective because mice usually carry them back to the colony. You must however be very careful and certain that you are placing the baits in a place where they will not be picked up by humans or animal pets. If you have children or pets, you would be well advised not to use poison baits.
Did you hear it scratching in the walls? If you heard scratching in the wall, remove the base trim at the point of the scratching, drill a hole just above the base plate (that is the horizontal board on which the wall is built) and pour poison bait, containing warfarin, into the cavity. Using warfarin based bait is important; otherwise you will have the smell of decomposition after the mice have died. Close the hole with a rubber stopper, don’t use cork, because mice consider cork a tasty meal. Replace the base trim and the mice will soon be gone.
Did it chew through a food package in the pantry? Do not remove damaged food packages immediately. Place a trap, baited with peanut butter, right alongside the hole in the package. You may not like leaving the damaged food package in place because of the hygienic implications. But think about it for a moment; if the package is moved mice will be scampering over all your other food while they are looking for their supper. Leave the trap for two days and then cleanup and sterilize the area.
Did you see droppings? Mouse droppings are a sign of a social meeting place. So, set a peanut butter baited trap in among the droppings and you will catch you a mouse. Don’t bother setting another trap in the same place because mice are smart, they will get the message.
It is no accident when a mouse gets into the house! To keep mice out of your house, you must seal up every possible entry point. These may be hard to find because they can be as small as a ¼” crack or a hole in the wall the size of a dime. Sometimes missing window and door weather-stripping or caulking is the culprit. More often, look where air conditioner, clothes dryer, plumbing and electrical pipes come through the wall.
Doug Hastings
MN Home Inspector, Minneapolis & St. Paul
ASHI Certified Inspector, ACI
Kaplan University, Home Inspection Lead Instructor
‘Pops’ Rob Leslie
Kaplan Professionals, Retired
Follow Cities Inspection’s on Facebook for additional homeowner tips.
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