Vishey Consulting & Inspection / A1-HomeInspection.com (R) LLC

01/02/2021

12/15/2018

I've been using an Infrared (IR) camera for 35 years and purchased one ~6 years ago. I use these 100% in all inspections because they often find defects such as bat activity in a wall cavity...

08/05/2018

Makes me wonder if this took a life...
The 2002/2003 furnace in this inspected home has an exhaust vent was never, properly attached to the furnace and has likely operated in this deadly mode for all16 years of life (a sticker claims it was inspected in 2009).
This dust deposits and rust patterns indicate this condition was long term and the furnace was operated this way.
While Carbon Monoxide is extremely deadly, the Carbon Dioxide from a furnace is also deadly since the furnace can deplete the home’s oxygen and create a deadly environment in less than a day...wow...

01/17/2018

GOT FROST ???

01/17/2018

GOT FROST ??? - In sub-zero weather, a small amount of frost accumulation is normal. If the color of the roof decking is clean and “bright” then that means the house is surviving that without mold growth. At least one type of mold (Cladosporium) typically affects attics because it does grow well( in cold temperatures (more than other competing molds). If the wood in the attic has a gray or black cast to it (or blotches), then the frost/moisture may have spawned mold cultures. In these cases, the mold is the symptom and the cause of the moisture needs correction. Light mold is generally easy to remediate.

In most cases, condensation is a function of low ventilation. It can be aggravated by an ineffective moisture barrier against the living space (I see this frequently when a moisture barrier is missing as with blown insulation over a drywall ceiling) or if it is performing poorly (roll insulation with craft/tar paper barrier loosely installed). Newer homes with plastic sheet or spray foam are usually moisture-tight and the insulation and roof decking remains dry all winter long. For other constructions, keep in mind that the building codes used for your home were minimum standards designed to reduce damage from moisture…not to guarantee against it. Having better ventilation is always a good plan.

As a sanity check, make sure your humidifier on the furnace is not set too high. As the exterior temperatures drop, you are supposed to reduce the humidifier settings in order to reduce the moisture content of the inside air. This will cause static and more discomfort, but cold air cannot hold water well and any moisture in air will start to condense out as soon as it hits any surface at or below the dew point of that air.

If your home is normal, you likely have 35 degree dew point interior air. As this air finds its way to lower temperature surfaces (windows, ceiling areas, roof decking). The interior moisture will form water or frost. Ceiling lights and bathroom vent fans are small but efficient air leaks to the attic that will cause frost and water dripping. Moisture that penetrates the moisture barrier of your ceiling will also cause attic frost.

If you have questions, please ask.
-Greg

05/13/2016

Don't forget to periodically check for mold under your basement shelves...This is a lot!

03/02/2016

Knowing how to look at something often reveals a significant detail one would normally miss. This is mold...lots of it!

02/10/2016

When water enters a main panel, it does terrible things...including put you at risk of fire. These main lugs are literally falling apart.

07/10/2015

If this looks like a terrible roof job...you are right. Half-million dollar home. Wow. (Owner is a contractor)

06/09/2015

Got Lint? Check your dryer vents and pipes. When this much lint accumulates, it fills your dryer burner assembly and starts house fires. Use smooth-wall aluminum tubing (not flex tubing).

03/04/2015

While investigating a crawl space today, I stabbed at the lumber with a screw driver to assess its integrity. When the entire screw driver blew through a 2x10, that's an indication the structure is failing due to rot. As the wood is being digested by the mold, it is prone to sudden failure from the weight of the house.