Sump Pump Selection: What Size, Type & Backup System Do You Need?

Every year many injuries, and even deaths, are reported as the result of failing decks. In most cases, these tragedies occur with higher decks that are elevated quite a ways off the ground and from excessive weight (load) being placed on the deck at one time. Higher decks obviously require more care in the design and building phases than decks that sit close to ground level. In this post, I will review some of the main safety and structural requirements for elevated decks so you can be sure your deck is safe and sound for your next family gathering.

First of all, your deck should be made of either treated lumber of composite decking. If you have hired a professional to construct your deck this point should not be an issue at all, but homeowners attempting to build their own deck as a DIY project may use dimensional lumber without knowing this information. Untreated dimensional lumber is not rated for exposure to the elements and will fail before long if used.

If the deck is 6 feet or higher off the ground, 6×6 posts should be used for support rather than 4x4s, and cross bracing (angled bracing) should be used to increase lateral stability and prevent sway. The posts should rest on or be imbedded in concrete piers that extend below the frost line, and this depth varies depending on your region and climate zone. This will ensure that the deck is not affected by frost heave as the ground freezes and thaws with seasonal weather changes. Ideally, the concrete piers will extend several inches above ground so the wood posts are not in direct contact with soil.

A deck can either be attached to the house as part of the structure, or unattached, in which case it is referred to as a “floating” deck because it stands on its own. In my personal opinion, floating decks are the better option because they prevent several common issues associated with attached decks; but since attached decks are still more common I will focus on them here.

Decks attached to the house are attached by what’s called a ledger board. Unfortunately, ledger boards are hardly ever installed properly, and defects with ledger boards are a main cause of deck failures. First, the ledger board should be at least a 2×8 and should be attached with appropriate weather-rated fasteners (such as 1/2” or larger thru bolts) that extend fully through the board and rim joist. Proper location and spacing of bolts is essential to provide adequate support of the ledger board and prevent it from pulling away from the structure. Z flashing should be installed at the ledger board to direct water away from the structure and prevent rot of the wood. In my experience, it is unfortunately not too common to see all of these requirements in place and done properly.

Deck joists, like traditional floor joists, should be hung on the ends with joist hangers, and they should typically be spaced 16 inches on-center (O.C.) just like regular joists. The actual deck boards should span far distances as solid pieces, and short pieces of board should not be used. Installing deck boards perpendicular to joists is the easiest method, but installing them at a diagonal increases stability and adds visual appeal. In addition, a small gap should exist between the deck boards to allow for expansion and contraction and adequate drainage of water from the deck’s surface.

If the deck is intended to support large groups of people or heavy objects like a hot tub, extra support will likely be needed to support the additional load. Joists may need to be doubled and/or additional posts may be needed under the area where a hot tub will be, for example. A structural engineer should be consulted to ensure the deck design is suitable for supporting the intended load requirements.

Deck stairs often have many problems as well, but two of the most common are open risers and improper handrails. Risers that are greater than 4 inches high (and they almost always are) should not be open. They should have a board in place, just like an interior stairway. Likewise, a 2×6 handrail is not safe as it is too wide to be easily grasped if someone were to fall and needed to grab the railing quickly. The spindles, or balusters, of the railings should be no more than about 4 inches apart, which is yet another safety measure. Railings should be at least 36 inches high as a general rule, and if the deck is especially high, 42 inches (6” higher than the normal minimum) is preferred as a means of extra safety.

As you can see, deck construction comes with many stringent requirements, but they exist for good reason and help ensure safety. Given the many injuries and deaths that result from insecure, poorly built decks each year, it is a good idea to look over your deck (or better yet, have it professionally inspected) so you can rest at ease knowing it is stable and your family and friends will be safe.

*To visit our main website, go to http://www.hillinspections.com

Believe it or not, the standards of practice for home inspectors only require that we inspect roofs from the ground with binoculars. Several realtors have expressed to me their frustration when they discuss the importance of a roof being inspected to a client only to receive an inspection report that states the roof was either too high and steep to be inspected or inspected from a distance at ground level, which (of course) means defects may easily be missed.

It goes without saying, but inspecting a roof from the ground with binoculars is practically worthless. Ideally, every roof would be physically walked on and inspected up close and personal, as it is such a vital component of a home and the first line of defense against water intrusion that can cause so much damage. Still, some roofs are simply too high and/or steep to safely be walked on for a thorough inspection.

Fortunately, these hindrances have become a thing of the past for we inspectors who use drones for inspecting roofs. Drones allow us to get “up close and personal” with any roof, no matter how high, steep or complex, and they allow us to take high-definition photos, and even videos, of the roof from angles we wouldn’t otherwise be able to achieve. I love seeing many of my clients’ reactions when I show them drone photos of the roof near the end of the inspection and they comment on “cool” the aerial shots taken by the drone are. The pictures are so neat that they seem to momentarily care more about the pictures than the actual condition of the roof!

Here at HPI we still walk every roof we can, but by using drone technology we are able to thoroughly inspect any roof, in detail, and never have to do our clients the disservice of providing a report that doesn’t include a thorough inspection of one of the most crucial components of the home they are hoping to buy.

Before hiring a home inspector, be sure to ask about their procedures for inspecting roofs and if they use a drone for inspecting roofs that are unsafe to walk on. Many inspectors (especially older ones who have been around a while) are very experienced and knowledgeable, but they often do not use newer technology for assisting with inspections. From an inspection standpoint, technology is definitely “the future” and a great asset for inspectors who wisely choose to use it.

Nothing can replace the experience of a skilled inspector, but even the most knowledgeable inspector is limited at times and can benefit and provide far better service by mastering the new technologies that are now available. Drones are only one of many new and valuable technologies, but they are one of the most valuable for home inspections.

*To visit our main website, go to http://www.hillinspections.com

A defect most commonly found in older homes is too short of a height at stairways. Occasionally, the distance between the stair treads and ceiling above is less than the minimum standard of 6 feet, 8 inches. Most often, this occurs at the base or top of the stairway.

The 6’8” requirement exists for obvious reasons – to provide plenty of clearance so people don’t hit their heads on the ceiling. If you’re curious how high a height of 6 feet, 8 inches is, just picture a standard interior door. It, too, is a standard 6’8” high (and for the same reason of ensuring safety).

If you live in or are buying a home that happens to have ceilings too low above stairs, you are obviously not going to tear apart the house and do extensive and very costly remodeling to meet the modern height standard. What you can do though, is take measures to ensure safety as much as possible. If the staircase is in an unfinished basement and you don’t care much about how the space looks, you may want to consider hanging a caution sign as a reminder or warning to others.

There are several things you can do to promote safety in spite of the otherwise unsafe condition, and you should prioritize safety if your staircase height is less than the modern standard. At the very least, you should be sure that staircases with low ceilings have lighting, solid treads with no trip hazards, and graspable handrails. A height less than 6’8” should not be a deal breaker, but you should take measures to ensure safety any time conditions exist that have been proven over time to not be safe.

*To visit our main website, go to http://www.hillinspections.com

The electrical panel is a vital component of a home inspection, but I have come across several panels that I could not inspect due to obstructions blocking access to the panel. It goes without saying that nothing should be obstructing an electrical panel to the point where it can’t even be accessed, but I’d like to take a moment to go over the minimum required clearances for panels so you know how much space you should have, at a minimum, in case you need to access yours.

The height between the floor and ceiling where the panel is located should be at least 6-1/2 feet. This height is perfectly comfortable for most people and requires even very tall people to crouch just a bit. There should be at least 3 feet of open space directly in front of the panel so that even a larger than average person has enough room to stand. Lastly, the horizontal width at the panel should be a minimum of 30 inches to accommodate space for observing or working at the panel.

Keep in mind that these clearances are minimum requirements and not a goal. Ideally, the height, depth and width would be more than these minimums to ensure a comfortable amount of working space. You should measure the clearances around your electrical panel to be sure they are compliant and avoid placing any obstructions near the panel that would violate these minimum requirements. Doing so may prove very valuable if there’s ever an emergency and you need quick access to your panel.

*To visit our main website, go to http://www.hillinspections.com

In addition to chimneys, ventilation is needed for kitchens and bathrooms to remove and/or filter exhaust from within your home. Ideally, ventilation would always be to the exterior so that exhaust gases and moisture could be removed from the house entirely. However, this is often not the case. In this post, we’ll look at a common but prohibited method for ventilation that should be corrected if it exists in your home.

Kitchen ranges are often vented with recirculating ventilation from an above-range microwave or vent hood. These systems are very common and do a decent job, but as mentioned previously, venting to the exterior is always preferred when possible. Bathroom ventilation is where the defect typically comes into play, and that’s the focus of this article.

Unlike kitchen ventilation, which exists to remove and filter cooking gases, moisture and residue, bathroom ventilation serves the primary purpose of removing moisture. The exhaust piping for bathroom vent fans (mechanical ventilation) is routed into the attic space. Unfortunately, many contractors become lazy and stop there. The vent piping should extend through the roof and to the exterior so that the moisture is removed from the home entirely.

Of course, continuing the vent piping through the roof adds a whole new set of unwanted challenges for the contractor. It requires him or her to cut a hole through the roof decking, run the extra piping, and then seal and reshingle around the penetration. Not only that, but the duct should also be insulated to prevent condensation from forming and causing moisture problems. As you can imagine, this extra work is not exactly a dream job for contractors, and many simply leave the vent piping open in the attic if the attic isn’t finished. They assume that homeowners are too ignorant to know that this is improper and that it will really be fine (and go unnoticed).

As you can imagine, though, this simpler method is anything but “fine.” Rather than moisture exhausting outdoors as it should, it exhausts directly into the attic space where it contributes to high humidity, moisture buildup, and eventually mold or even rotten wood framing members. In addition, the indoor air quality inside the home will often be diminished without the homeowner even realizing it. It can also saturate insulation making it less effective at performing its job of preventing air movement to reduce the transfer of heat. Granted, it may take a while for these problems to become significant and noticeable, but they will eventually become worse and worse over time if the ventilation is not fixed.

If you have an unfinished attic and a vent fan in your bathroom(s), you should check your attic to make sure the vent ducts are all exiting through the roof. If you notice any that are terminating directly into the attic space, you should contact a qualified contractor to correct the problem by properly extending the vent piping through the roof, insulating it, and sealing the penetration(s) well. This will improve your indoor air quality, the performance of your insulation and energy efficiency, and prevent unwanted mold and other moisture related problems.

*To visit our main website, go to http://www.hillinspections.com