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ASHI
Certified Inspection for
Client: Tony Garrett
Inspection Address: 902 Sleepy Hollow Dr Golden, CO 80401
Date:
Thursday, March 19, 2007
At least 20 color photos are included
with every inspection report!
INSPECTOR’S OVERALL
RATING:
This 1960’s
home appears to have been adequately constructed. The basic components: lot, roof, foundation, structure, boiler,
electrical and plumbing appear to be old but still in acceptable condition. The
water heater and furnace appear to be near the end of their life. This home is 40 plus years old and should
be expected to display the wear and tear of an older house. Most older houses require an above average
amount of work to keep them well maintained.
Recent on-going maintenance on this house has been above average;
however, several deficiencies were observed.
SIGNIFICANT FAULTS:
Lot located on major highway –
significant road noise
Debris/trash storied against
house is a fire hazard
Asphalt shingle roof has moderate wind damage – immediate
repair
Minor sag in garage roof
overhang, probably caused by snow load – garage roof structure looks OK
Weather stripping on bottom of
garage door needs to be replaced
North fence gate needs repair
Few broken/cracked bricks
around lower windows
Front bay window exterior
siding is in contact with the soil – move soil away from siding
Front door is hollow core, not
suitable for exterior use – replace in 1 year plan
Wood trim around windows shows some dry rot and needs
immediate painting/repair
Garage door springs are weak making the door difficult to open – adjust
springs
Furnace and water heater show signs significant of deterioration – replace in
one year
North kitchen door knob plunger
and strike need adjusting
Several windows have single
pane glass and are difficult to open
Several ceramic tile window
sills cracked
All plumbing pipes appear to be
galvanized steel – will have significant effect on resale value
Hard water stain on bathroom
fixtures – recommend installing a water softener
Main floor tub drain plug needs
adjusting
Pocket door to bathroom is not
plumb and does not latch – needs to be re-installed
Furnace room floor drain needs
repair
Fire brick in both fireplace
has some cracking
No fan in laundry room
SAFETY ITEMS:
Carbon monoxide concentration is greater than 35 PPM(parts per million) in
furnace room.
Do not occupy house
until furnace burner is adjusted by a gas furnace repair service.
An Infrared scan of main electrical panel identified a hot main terminal
(109F) at the top left of
the panel. Have electrician tighten all terminals in
the panel.
The bottom of the stairway leading to the basement needs to be enclosed with
fire resistant sheetrock to protect the stairs for exit during a fire.
COMPONENTS
NEAR THE END OF THEIR SERVICE LIFE
Furnace has less than 3 years of service life left
Water heater has less than 1 years of service life left
Roof has less than 8 years of service life left
SUGGESTED ITEMS TO ASK CURRENT OWNER TO FIX
Furnace repair to reduce carbon monoxide level
Remove debris from
yard
Replace damaged roof shingles
Replace front door with a solid core, weather proof door
Adjust garage door springs
Replace weather
stripping on bottom of garage door
Adjust main bath tub
drain
Repair bathroom pocket
door
ROOF
The 3-tab asphalt shingle roof appears to be in adequate condition except for
moderate wind damage and nail penetration on the southeast side that appears
to be causing water to leak into the attic structure.. You can expect about 8
more years before replacing the roof. The flashing, drainage and gutters
appear to be functional with no visual defects. Furnace vent and waste vent
penetrations appear to be adequate. Attic vents penetrating the roof appear
properly installed and in satisfactory condition. Rain gutters surround the
entire house are in satisfactory condition.
STRUCTURAL
SYSTEM
The 8" thick concrete foundation walls show no cracks or signs of
movement and appear to be in good condition. Accessible wood 2x8"
structural framing in the attic areas show no sign of degradation and appears
solid when probed. Roof trusses appear to be in good condition, with no sign
of water damage or sagging. Standing in the driveway, you can see a slight sag in the
garage roof. No structural damage was obvious in the garage attic. Floor
joist and studs visible in the basement storage appear sound. Concrete floor
in basement appears to be level and without visual cracks.
EXTERIOR
Exterior walls are in below average condition and will need painting soon.
Soffits and window trim show signs of significant dry rot. Several windows are the single pane type.
Front porch, walkways and driveway seem to be in good condition. Lawn and bushes appear healthy. Back patio is constructed with 2x4 wood
decking and feels solid when walked on. The west side of the patio in contact
with the earth. I suggest that some soil be moved back from the patio. Garage
door safety switch works OK. Storm drainage appears OK.
INTERIOR
Ceiling and walls are finished with sheetrock and recently painted. The older
sheetrock shows signs of slight taping separation at a few joints. Floors
appear sound and level. Interior doors are
functional. The stairs
and railing appear OK. Underside of the stairs needs fire
proofing. Cabinets and
counters are well mounted and secure. Closet space is adequate. The basement
bedrooms do not have adequate ways to exit during a fire.
ELECTRICAL
SYSTEM
The electrical service is located in the garage. A 125 amp service is
slightly small for this size house. No future capacity is available. All
visible wiring is copper. An infrared scan of the panel revealed
hot spot in the phase B (leftside) main terminal. I suggest having an electrician
tighten the phase B lug. The grounding system is grounded to
the hot and cold water pipes and to a ground rod. There are no GFI
receptacles in the kitchen, bathrooms or garage. Older houses were wired with
two wires instead of the currently used 3-wire system; so most of the
receptacles in this house are the two-prong type. Many appliances will not
plug into two prong receptacles without an adapter. The three-way light
switches in the stairway need to be wired correctly. Generally older houses
have fewer receptacles than modern houses. Smoke detector in the hallway
functioned normally when tested. I suggest adding smoke detectors in the
basement.
PLUMBING
SYSTEM
The main water pipe into the house is 3/4" galvanized steel and the
feeder lines within the house are ½" and ¾" galvanized steel. Hot
water is provided by a 40 gal, gas, Bradford White water heater. Lavatories
and toilets function normally. Accessible waste piping is cast-iron pipe and
appears to function adequately. Sewage is handled by the city and was not
inspected. In general the plumbing system is quiet with no unusually loud
water or sewer noises. The clothes dryer is electric only.
HEATING
AND COOLING SYSTEM
Heating is provided by an older Foster Johnston forced air, gas furnace
located in the basement bathroom area. A
carbon monoxide test found a 35 ppm CO level in the furnace room. I suggest having a furnace repairman
adjust the gas/air ratio for the burner. No combustible gas was detected. The
system is moderately noisy. Cooling is provided by an evaporative cooler on
the roof. The ductwork appear to be adequate. A programmable, setback thermostat
located in the dining room provides controls. The duct appears to cover each
room and is in adequate condition.
VENTING
AND INSULATION
The attic is insulated with cellulose. The cellulose has settled quite a bit
over the years. I recommend blowing in fiberglass insulation on top of the
cellulose. Exterior wall insulation was not visible. There is no insulation
in the garage ceiling. The attic vents appear to be properly sized and
functional. Bathroom fans worked OK. The exhaust fan above the kitchen range
appears weak. A vapor barrier was not apparent in the ceiling or walls.
FIREPLACES
AND STOVES
One wood burning fireplace was observed. The fire box and fire brick have
some cracking. The damper chain is missing or broken leaving
the damper in a constant open position.
Attaching a new chains
appears to be a simple undertaking. Clearances around the fireplace appear to
be adequate.
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