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Written by Glenn Stewart
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Saturday, 04 September 2010 00:24 |
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While Pacific Coast Inspections was looking under a Cupertino house, the home inspector observed several support posts in the crawlspace, which were out of plumb (not straight up and down). 
The structural engineer said it was probably due to the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. Mother Nature can be gentle, or She can be a little rough at times.
In years past, support posts were toe-nailed to the wood block in the concrete pier and to the beam above being supported. Take a closer look at the photo... It appears that no nails were used.
Today's building requirements call for steel brackets to secure the post in position, so when the earth shakes, the support system under houses remains intact.
When buying a house, use a certified, experienced and insured inspector. |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 04 September 2010 00:29 |
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Written by Glenn Stewart
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Wednesday, 18 August 2010 17:05 |
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Most people open their closets, flip on a light switch, select their clothes and don't think about the closet light. 
Folded clothes, cardboard boxes, photo albums and paper wrappings are stacked and stuffed onto closet shelves... Not a bad thing unless it's within inches of an unprotected incandescent light bulb.
Googling 'surface temperature light bulb'... suggests temperatures can be around 285F degrees for a 60 watt light bulb. Flammable items that are too close to a hot bare bulb light could ignite and burn your house down.
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Written by Glenn Stewart
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Friday, 30 July 2010 03:54 |
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Home inspectors at Pacific Coast Inspections get excited when they open a cabinet door below a sink and see a drain pipe plumbing maze. Not only is it a photo op, but you have to say to yourself... "Are you kidding me?" 
This unusual plumbing configuration was spotted at a recent Walnut Creek home inspection.
If you follow the water path from the sink drain... it drops 18" into a water trap which is okay... Then the water from the lowest trap is pushed up 8" into a second water trap... From this trap, water must flow straight up another 10" into the trap arm (the pipe that goes into the wall).
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Written by Glenn Stewart
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Sunday, 18 July 2010 23:05 |
When is the last time you looked under your kitchen exhaust hood or under the microwave oven above the cooking range? A greasy filter is a fire hazard. 
Failing to change a grease filter subjects you to a number of potential hazards including increased greasy buildup on the interior of your exhaust hoods, on exterior surfaces of your kitchen cabinets and walls, countertops and floors.
In addition, leaving used grease filters in place too long dramatically increases your risk of fire entering your duct work and spreading through your house.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 18 July 2010 23:08 |
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Written by Glenn Stewart
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Sunday, 04 July 2010 20:07 |
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During a recent San Jose home inspection, this is what greeted my eyes in an old one car garage wall. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words... the discolored wall is a sign of an electrical overload... over-heating. 
Electrical circuit overloads happen when more amperage (a measurement of how much electricity is flowing) is put across an electrical wire than it can handle. Electrical wires come in different sizes and can only handle so much electricity.
Electrical overload can occur for a number of reasons: loose connections, too many lights and appliances being used on a single circuit, or water getting into the electrical panel.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 04 July 2010 20:11 |
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