A modern, rectangular architectural design home with boxed hedges and a flat patio.

Integrity.
Honesty.
Objectivity.

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Whether you are a home buyer or a home seller, real estate transactions can be stressful and overwhelming. Wise participants in this process utilize the services of a qualified home inspector to identify any potential concerns with a home's function and/or safety prior to closing. At Vigilant Inspection, our commitment to you is to make the home inspection process efficient, seamless, and timely while simultaneously offering the highest level of professional communication and courtesy.

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It's time for the defect of the day!! Woot!!

Today's defect is the result of a remodel. We are looking at the main water pipe entry into the home and the water shut off valve. Do you see the solid copper wire coming out of the house, just above the water pipe? That is a bonding wire that is "functioning" as a grounding conductor for the home's electrical system. It is common for the electrical ground to be bonded to the water piping, which presumably is made of copper and goes more than 10' underground. But, there is a very subtle problem here. What do you notice about that copper water pipe? Isn't copper supposed to be.... copper colored? This one ain't. It's got gobs of white stuff all over it. Do you see the clamp that the copper wire is going through that is also clamped to the copper water pipe? That sucker is clean as a whistle. What do you think happened here? Obviously, the bonding clamp was added (to pass electrical inspection) during the sign-offs for the remodel. But, the copper water pipe was not cleaned off prior to adding the bonding clamp. So, the condition we have here is a high electrical resistance pathway to ground. Not good.... In the case of a ground fault in any equipment, we want that stray electricity to go to ground as easily as possible so the over-current protection device (the circuit breaker) will have a chance to trip.

The recommendation is "further evaluation by a licensed electrician." They will clean the copper pipe with an abrasive and reapply the clamp in a way so as to ensure a low resistance pathway to ground.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day! Go check your water shut off, and if there is a bonding clamp, make sure it's not clamped on to gobs of crap. 😁

It's time for the defect of the day, broker's tour edition! Woot!!!

Disclaimer: This is not a defect that I reported. I did not inspect this home.

Today's defect is on a very nice Jenn-air induction cooktop. I absolutely love induction cooktops! LOVE THEM!! If you haven't tried induction, you are really missing out. You can instantly control the heating level, just like with a gas burner, however there is no open flame, nor are there any greenhouse gas emissions. Also, it is super fast to heat up water to boil - WAAAY faster than any gas range. I've been using induction for about 5 years or so now.

On this cooktop, circled in the corner is a nasty chip out of the glass top. This is not only a cosmetic eyesore, but it is also a safety issue. Broken glass is sharp, and nothing has been done here to cover up the sharp glass edge that could easily cut someone. This defect could also propagate into a worse break and could potentially compromise the entire cooktop. The recommendation would be "further evaluation by an appliance repair specialist."

If it were mine, I would clean the area with degreaser, dry thoroughly, mask off a small area with clean lines, and apply a small amount of epoxy to cover up the sharp edge. Once smoothed, I'd remove the tape and allow to cure for 24 hours.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day, Broker's Tour edition! If you ever want to experience induction cooking, consider this post an open invitation to come over for dinner, and I'll show you all about how it works. 😁

It's time for the defect of the day! Woot!!!

Today's defect is another garage door defect. You know those little sensors at the bottom of the track that look for obstructions in the path of a closing door? Well, they are supposed to be installed 4 to 6 inches from the floor. These were closer to 10". The implication here is damage to person or property that may be avoiding the path of the sensor beam. The recommendation is immediate correction by a handyman or DIY. While some garage door openers have a force sensor and auto-reverse safety mechanism, not all do, and the ones that do are often improperly calibrated due to Jabroni-type installations. Fortunately, this force sensor was well-adjusted.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day. Now, go check your garage door obstruction sensors and make sure they are 4-6" off the ground.

It's time for the defect of the day! Woot!!!

One of the most annoying things I get to do as a home inspector is turn on the home heating during the peak of summer. If the resident is present during the inspection, I will usually excuse myself by saying, "Hi, excuse me? I am going to test the heating now. It will only be on for a few minutes until I can verify normal operation. Sorry!"

This furnace was 30+ years old. I cranked up the thermostat, and initially nothing was happening. Then, the blower finally came on, but no flames. Then the burner tubes fired up and went out, over and over and over again. This can happen for several reasons, but my suspicion here was a faulty flame sensor. The only way to know for sure is to have a qualified HVAC contractor come and check it out, which was the recommendation in this case. The obvious implication is, no heating during the winter.

This furnace was a double write up, because not only was it not working, it was also WELL past its expected lifetime, which is a reportable condition.

So, as crazy as it seems, it's worthwhile to check the heating even in the hottest part of summertime.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day. Now, make yourself a calendar reminder to check your home heating operation sometime around November 1 so you'll be ready for the cold part of winter in case there are any issues. Or better yet, schedule a full home maintenance inspection now, and I'll give you a comprehensive "bill of health" for your home and help you prioritize maintenance items and repairs going into the rainy and cold season. For a limited time, I'm offering 20% off! Act now before the deal expires!

Very thankful for another 5-star review! Thank you for choosing Vigilant Inspection for your pre-listing inspection @jennybarron

Vielen Dank für die Empfehlung! 😉

It's time for the defect of the day!! Woot!!

Today's defect is a departure from the ASHI Standard of Practice, which excludes inspection of low voltage wiring systems (doorbells, TV, cable, security systems, cat-5, etc). It is permissible to exceed the standard of practice, but it is not required. When I make a choice to exceed the standard, it is usually based on the following factors: 1) Is it something that is going to be majorly annoying to most homeowners 2.) Is it going to cost more than about $200 for a professional repair or 3) is it any form of safety issue?

Here, we have a loose doorbell that is also missing the button on the front. So, we check boxes 1 and 2 above. The implication is annoyance and potential future failure of functionality. Also, if we end up replacing it with one of those doorbell cameras (Ring, Nest, etc) those are pricey, and many will opt to have a pro install that ($$). So, I reported this condition. I would want to know if it was my home, or the one I was considering purchasing.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day!

It's time for the defect of the day! Woot!!

In my mind, there really is no excuse for this defect to exist in any home... but it actually happens A LOT! The defect is: dirty HVAC filter. The implication is low HVAC efficiency and greater wear and tear on a very expensive system of the home. The recommendation is "Replace filter as a DIY project" in most cases.

I could imagine that this happens because folks don't know what size to buy, but if you just look at the dirty one, IT WILL TELL YOU WHAT SIZE TO BUY. It does require the effort to actually find your filter register, open it, and read. I also couldn't remember the size of my filter, but a long time ago, I just put it in a note in my phone for future reference. Later on, I discovered the internet and learned that you could have 2 years supply of these things show up at your front door without even having to go to a physical store. Miraculous!

I hope you enjoyed the defect of the day. Now, on this very hot day, go check your HVAC filter. I hope it's still clean from the last time I reminded you to check it, but if not, time to get a new one!

Hot deal alert!! For a limited time, get 20% off an annual home maintenance inspection.

With the changing of the seasons upon us, it's time to ensure that your home is ready for what's to come. Let's check that roof and your drainage systems! Let's check all your exterior seals around your trim and windows. Oh, and don't forget about your HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and many important home safety features while we are there.

At Vigilant Inspection, we offer same-day reporting, flexible scheduling, and the most courteous inspections in the Bay Area.

Please contact us for more details on how to claim your discount and to get peace of mind going into fall and winter.

It's time for the defect of the day! Woot!!!

Today's defect comes to us courtesy of the giant ball of fire in the sky better known as the sun. We are looking at a sliding glass door that opens to the back patio of a home in Hercules. This side of the house gets a heavy dose of sun exposure. This door is approximately 20 years old.

Back when I was a materials engineer and polymer scientist, I used to read journal articles from "Polymer Degradation and Stability." I learned all about how polymeric materials can fail with age, oxygen, UV exposure, and other stresses. There are all kinds of pigments, HALS (hindered amine light stabilizers), and UV blockers that are added to plastics to preserve them while in harsh conditions. But, no plastic is really impervious.

At the bottom of this door, you will see a small track, and in that track there are several sections of broken track where the sun has beat down on this track for years and years. The sliding screen is supposed to slide in this track, however, due to the damage, the screen will only slide about halfway open now. Annoying right?

This is a functional and material defect, and the recommendation is further evaluation by a licensed door installation contractor. I'm guessing we will need a new slider here, and that's probably going to run $2,500 or more.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day. Now, remember what happened here next time you go outside without sunscreen. The sun is good and bad, so don't let the bad ruin your good life. Protect yourself!

#homeinspection #homeinspector #ashi

It's time for the defect of the day! Woot!!

Today's defect comes to us from an HVAC installer. What we have here is the discharge tube from an air conditioner condensate pump dumping water right at the edge of this slab foundation. When an air conditioner (or heat pump) runs in cooling mode, moisture in the air condenses on the "coil" (or more specifically, the "evaporator coil" inside the air handler and drips into a catch basin that is usually plumbed for gravity drainage. In some cases, this is not possible, so a condensate pump pumps the condensate through a tube to somewhere outside the house. In this installation, the tube ran from a closet inside the house, through the attic, through a wall panel in the attic, down the side of the house (bundled with the HVAC line set), and discharged right behind the outdoor condenser unit and right beside the foundation.

The implication of this is that water accumulation near the foundation can cause damage to the foundation and/or walls or flooring attached to the slab nearby. The recommendation is "further evaluation by a licensed HVAC contractor" who will likely extend the discharge tube 6 or 7 feet away from the foundation, alleviating the concern.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day. Now, go check your air conditioner condensate discharge and make sure it's not soaking your foundation.!

It's time for the defect of the day!! Woot!

I got tired of electrical defects, so here's a plumbing defect for y'all!

Today's defect is a broken lavatory sink stopper. How annoying! This is a fairly common defect that I find in all kinds of homes. They can break for a variety of reasons, but one common mode of failure is due to corrosion whereby part of the apparatus just breaks. The implication is that the user can't stop up the sink to collect water, or to prevent other items from going down the sink. Imagine trying to clean an engagement ring or an earring, and not being able to stop up the sink? Too risky!!!

The recommendation is further evaluation by a handyman, who can probably have this issue resolved in under an hour.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day! Now go enjoy the rest of your Labor Day Holiday!

It's time for the defect of the day!!! Woot!!!

Can you all tell just how excited I get for the defect of the day?!? Literally, it's probably the pinnacle of all things internet that I do every day.

Today's defect is.... yes, you guessed it... ANOTHER friggin' electrical defect. But, I wanted to try something new today. I've been dropping all kinds of knowledge on you all out there for weeks. At this point, many of you could be a home inspector. So, in an effort to see who is paying attention, I am going to let one of you all describe the defect, tell me what the implication is, and who you would recommend for further evaluation.

Context: this is an outdoor receptacle on the front porch.

Hint: there are actually two defects in one photo here.

On your mark, get set, go!!

😁

Need an inspection this Labor Day Weekend? I'm your guy! Call, text, or email anytime. My phone is always on!

Vigilant Inspection: "Engineered perfection for your property inspection! "

It's time for the defect of the day! Woot!!

Today's defect may come to us courtesy of the dog. Not sure, but this drain extension does look chewed up to me. There were others in a similar state. This one isn't going to effectively move water away from the house's foundation. I typically recommend that all downspouts should have an extension that takes water at least 6 feet away from the foundation to help prevent moisture intrusion into the crawlspace and/or settlement or cracking of the foundation.

Home inspectors aren't required to inspect underground drainage systems. However, this portion is very much above ground and is in need of repair. The recommendation is "further evaluation and repair by a handyman." It's going to be a bit of a nuisance to repair, likely with some digging, but hopefully not too terribly expensive.

Hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day. Now, go check all your downspouts and make sure that they don't drain right next to your home's foundation!

It's time for the defect of the day!! Woot!!

*Disclaimer - I did not inspect this home. However, I pretty much inspect all homes that I enter at this point. 😁 Love you all 😜*

Today's defect is yet another electrical defect. Let me describe what we have here. On the wall is some EMT conduit running to a disconnect box. Then we have some gray flexible conduit just flopping around on the ground where apparently something used to be. I didn't touch any of this, but I'm suspecting this was either an AC condenser compressor or perhaps a hot tub, either one at 240V. Well, aside from the unsightly trip hazard we have here, we also have loose wires that are just electrical taped at the end. Excellent solution! Not.

It would only take one curious kid to flip open the disconnect box, flip a switch, and then we have live exposed wires on the end of the flex conduit. Bad idea...

The recommendation is immediate correction by a licensed electrical contractor to remove the flex conduit and seal up the disconnect box.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day! Remember, just electrical taping over loose wiring is never an acceptable solution.

It's time for the defect of the day! Woot!

Today's defect comes to us quite possibly from a DIY-er. There's never any way to know for sure.... certainly not gonna ask. But, that's my hunch. Let's just call it that.

We are looking at the side of a 40 gallon water heater that has been wrapped in insulation. Love it. Save those joules of energy from leaking out. But, where the extra effort was applied on insulation, much less effort was applied to safe installation.

On the side of the water heater is a "TPR valve." That stands for temperature pressure relief. The function of this (safety) valve is to let boiling hot water literally blow out the side of the water heater in the event that the thermostat fails to turn off heating once the setpoint is reached. Proper installation would have a copper or CPVC pipe diverting this blow off water through the garage wall to the outside. Instead, this valve is right at eye level with no plumbing at all. So, when she blows, she blows right in your friggin' face!!! Boiling, lava hot water at just about 210 deg. F. Lovely right?!?

The recommendation is "immediate correction by a licensed plumber." Not much else to say here.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day. Now, go check your TPR valves and make sure that junk isn't going to melt someone's face off!!

It's time for the defect of the day!!! Woot!!

But first, a side commentary:

When contemplating any modification to your home, I always recommend working with licensed (when applicable) professionals that are referred to you by people you can trust. This will help ensure that you get a great result at the conclusion of your project, not a result with gross (literally and figuratively) oversights...

Today's defect is a missing door. I find these periodically in homes that I go through. Oftentimes, it's a missing closet door (bypass, or folding), or sometimes a door to a room that may be used for an office or library. Today, it's a missing bathroom door!

Now, I'm sure you all can come up with your own lovely scenarios where two partners are in the bedroom, then nature calls. Defect of the Day is a PG-rated series, and we won't be going there to spell it out. But, the implication here is that the future homeowner may be in a position to need to consult with a contractor on how to add a door here, then face the expense of implementation.

There should be no surprises in real estate transactions, and that's the job of the home inspector - we find things that are concerning and report them. It's up to the buyer and/or seller to take action, if any. This is a detail that could be overlooked. After all, it was already overlooked at least once.

The recommendation is, "recommend further evaluation by a LICENSED interior designer to determine functional solutions for privacy in this space and further evaluation by a general contractor to determine cost estimates."

I hope you enjoyed today's gross edition of defect of the day! You may never look at your bathroom door with such appreciation ever again. 😁

It's time for the defect of the day!!! Woot!!

Today's defect is best experienced with your volume turned ALL THE WAY UP! What we have here is a garage door with "Excessive noise" during operation. Every inspection includes inspection of the garage door and the opener (but not the remote controls, which are typically nowhere to be found). This one was ear-splitting!

What causes this? Well, wear and tear is a part of it, but deferred maintenance of proper lubrication is likely the biggest factor at play. There are lots of moving and rubbing and turning parts in garage door assemblies. They need proper lubrication in order to be quiet.

Silicone spray lube is good for the track, rollers, hinge pins, and brackets. For the chain, I like to use a white lithium grease, applied fairly liberally with a gloved hand.

The recommendation here is to get further evaluation by a garage door installation contractor, who can examine the door with expert eyes and determine if parts need to be replaced, or can simply be lubricated.

I hope you enjoyed today's ear splitting defect of the day! Now, go lube your garage door!

It's time for the defect of the day!!! Woot!!!

Today's defect may be characterized as "improper electrical installation practices." The first thing you may notice are the two missing screws from the cover plate. If you look from the side, the next thing you would notice is that this plate was bent, pretty severely actually.... Likely to the point that whoever did this was unable to get the other two screws in, so they just said, "Well, screw it!"

The light switches worked. So, is this one of those cosmetic things that I shouldn't really be reporting according to the ASHI standard of practice? I say, emphatically, "No!"

Why is this two-gang switch in the condition that it's in? What's going on behind the cover plate? How many wires are nutted together in this junction box? What else may be wrong in there? I have no way of knowing, because the inspector doesn't take stuff like this apart. It's not our job to diagnose or fix. We just find the defects, then recommend further evaluation by the appropriate professional, in this case, a licensed electrician.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day! Are you tired of electrical defects yet?!?

It's time for the defect of the day!! Woot!!!

Today's defect is a kitchen sink faucet installed in a double-basin sink. It's stuck! It only dispenses water on the left side. How annoying.

The reason for this condition was not apparent. But, it is not the role of the home inspector to determine the reason for the defect. We simply report the condition, explain the implications of the defect, and recommend further evaluation by the appropriate professional. In this case, that would be a plumber. It is then up to the client to determine what action, if any, will be taken.

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day! I needed to keep it light and straightforward after yesterday's rant. 😁

It's time for the defect of the day!!! Woot!!!

Today's defect really, REALLY pisses me off. It's a missing receptacle cover. There really is no excuse for this condition to exist in any home. EV-ERRRR!!! (queue Napoleon Dynamite voice) "GOSHHHH!!!"

Ok, so technically, there's nothing on the front of this that can hurt anyone. No live terminals. You could lick it all day long if you wanted to (not recommended).

But, on the right side of this receptacle are two "hot" terminal screws. You can see at least one of them in the photo. "Hot" means AC voltage of 120V relative to ground is present ALWAYS. That means if you (or some unsupervised, mischievous or curious kid) contacts that terminal with a conductor that is your body or in contact with your body, and you are grounded (meaning touching the ground in a conductive manner), electricity will flow through your body. That's called a shock or electrocution. Bad!!!!

I don't trust children AT ALL. I have 5 of them here. They are good (great actually) kids. But kids are all apt to do things that are not in their own best interests. It happens. It's common.

Why does this defect piss me off so much? It's because it screams ineptitude and/or laziness. All one needs to do to fix it is to go to Home Depot with a photo of the defect on their phone and one of the sales associates in electrical will put the part you need in your basket. All you have to do is get it home, unwrap it, and screw one screw in. Then it's done, and nobody will get electrocuted. You're going to pay a whopping $1 or something, but nobody is going to die.

Deep breaths..... Whew..... Where is my cocktail?

I hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day! If you did, please comment for engagement!!! Don't be lazy like folks that have missing electrical receptacle covers!

It's time for the defect of the day!!! Woot!!

As a native of Dalton, GA, "The Carpet Capital of the World," and as a graduate of Georgia Tech's School of Textile and Fiber Engineering, this defect fills me with sheer delight to report...

The defect here is carpet buckling. The carpet has formed ridges that are elevated above the padding underneath the carpet. These form over time as unequal tensions in the carpet are relieved as the carpet is naturally worn from use. What causes the "unequal tensions"??? Well, that's most likely due to poor installation techniques. A lot of times, carpet installers use knee kickers to anchor the carpet to tack strips placed around the perimeter of the room. It stretches the carpet so that it lays smooth. But, if the installers aren't working together, someone is working harder than the other, and unequal tensions are applied. Bad, bad, bad.

There are also power stretchers that can be used. I believe they apply a more pre-defined tension using a force gauge of some sort. But, I am not a carpet installer....

Carpet buckles are unsightly, but they are also a trip hazard. The buckles wear unevenly from the rest of the carpet. The recommendation is to consult with a flooring installation contractor to consider whether restretching makes sense, or if replacement is needed.

I hope you enjoyed this defect of the day!

Fun fact: I worked in a carpet factory for 3 months in a shade matching lab. I am colorblind!!!!

It's time for the defect of the day!!! Woot!!!

I have no explanation for today's defect, so I'll just describe it. I was inspecting the furnace at this property, and I always check the filter. Usually, it's just a matter of reporting the filter size, whether it's disposable or reusable/washable, and whether the filter is dirty or clean. You can infer some things about the maintenance of the HVAC by inspecting the filter....

But here, the filter was COMPLETELY the wrong size/type. The filter should have been like 4" thick and wider than the one shown. In essence, the filter should take up the whole space here in this filter compartment, but this one is grossly undersized. So, all the dirt and grease in the air in the home simply goes into the return, around this filter, and all over the internal workings of the HVAC (blower, coil, ductwork).

The recommendation is to consult with an HVAC technician on the appropriate filter to use for this unit and get the HVAC serviced/cleaned to address the neglect. Furnace filters can help remove particulates in the air that cause symptoms of allergies. Keeping dirt out of the system maintains efficiency of the system.

Hope you enjoyed today's defect of the day! Now, go check your HVAC filter and change it if it's dirty! Also put that junk on a monthly reminder on your phone to check and replace periodically! 😉

It's time for the defect of the day!! Woot!!!

Today's defect is another electrical issue, but one that is primarily a safety concern, not so much an actual problem with the hardware. Here, a little box was built around the electrical meter and main disconnect panel. This little box conceals it so the home looks pretty. Great, I appreciate aesthetics. However, the individual that built the little box did not allow sufficient clearance for the swing-out panel that enclosed the main disconnect breakers. If you need to get to these breakers, all the space you get is what you can see here.

A home's main disconnect is not only a service feature, but it is a safety feature that the owner may need to get to in a hurry to kill the power to the home. Imagine the case of an electrocution or an electrical fire. In either situation, seconds likely matter, and you don't want to be fumbling around in this small clearance to figure out what's what.

The recommendation is to remove the clearance issue by reconfiguring the wooden enclosure or removing it altogether. This would be best handled by a carpenter.

Hope you enjoyed the defect of the day!

Just finished this sweet custom Tele build for a client. It features Lollar Vintage T pickups in the 4-way configuration. I'm using the 4th (atypical, series) config here, and I think it captures the tone and twang perfectly!

@danottsguitar

It's time for the defect of the day! Woot!!!

Today's defect is a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok subpanel. These panels were installed in the mid-1900's, and they are a known fire hazard. Over 75% of the double throw breakers in these installed panels won't trip in the case of an overloaded circuit, which means BIG fire risk. One subject matter expert in the world attributes over 2,800 fires per year to these panels. Also, the individual circuit breakers are known to fall out. The panels are known to be difficult to open. Google "Federal Pacific" to learn all about the badness that these panels represent!

These panels are super easy to inspect. Simply open the panel, read "Federal Pacific" then recommend "further evaluation by a licensed electrician." There is nothing more to do. The follow-up conversation may be a bit harder...

Hopefully the decision is made to replace the panel and update wiring, if applicable.

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