Gifford Home Inspection

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Defect of the Month, 2006

December, 2006

This is a handy use for an old bicycle inner tube.  Unfortunately the sink drain trap was missing in this home in Holyoke, Massachusetts.  Besides being prone to clogging, the lack of a trap under this bathroom sink will allow sewer odors and sewer gasses up out of this pipe and into the bathroom.  It is also worth mentioning that bicycle inner tubes are not rated for use as plumbing drain lines.

November, 2006

The cap on top of this private well was loose.  The gasket was out of place and insects were able to get down into the well pipe, as evidenced by the spider webs in the pipe.  Any insects or other organic matter getting into a well can result in bacterial contamination.  The existing owners had not had the well water tested in over 10 years.

October, 2006

This leak was through the ridge vent on a nice two story, two family duplex in Greenfield.  Everything looked fine on the roof but it was a different story in the attic.  The plywood roof sheathing was moldy and rotting where this water was seeping in.  The leak never dripped through the ceiling and so the owners were not aware of any problem.

September, 2006

This is a patch on the bottom of a 275 gallon steel fuel oil tank in a basement in Northampton.  This patch, and a pan full of oil under it, indicates that the oil tank should be replaced IMMEDIATELY.  If this patch blows out after the closing, the new homeowners will be looking at a cleanup bill which could easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

August, 2006

This opening in a boiler flue pipe was in an 1870 home in Brattleboro, Vermont.  It could prove fatal to the occupants under certain conditions.  This was only visible after unscrewing a crawlspace access panel and crawling across a dirt floor with only an 18" floor to ceiling clearance in the crawlspace.

July, 2006

This open end of this old gas valve is located on a basement ceiling in a Greenfield Massachusetts home.  If the valve handle were to be accidentally bumped, it would allow natural gas to flow out into the basement.  And yes, the gas service was on and there was gas in this pipe during the inspection.

June, 2006

Old New England ingenuity?  This was the sewer drain system for a basement shower and sink.  Because the basement floor was lower than the sewer pipe outlet from the house the owner was draining waste water into this trash barrel and then using the sump pump in the barrel to pump the waste water up into the washing machine standpipe.  The smell coming from this barrel in the closet made it easy to find.

May, 2006

Train Whistle?  No, this is a chimney coming from a wood stove.  It is coming out the side of the first floor of a three story bed and breakfast in Shelburne Falls, MA.  Not only was the vinyl siding around this pipe starting to melt, but if a window is left partially open it could draw smoke and carbon monoxide back into the house.  There is a reason that chimneys are required to terminate above the roof line.

April, 2006

This chimney in Chicopee looked fine from the ground.  Once on the roof however, it was obvious that the top cement block was disintegrated and almost completely gone.  Gaps between the flue liner and the cement blocks were letting rain and snow get between the cement and the liner.  During the winter this moisture would freeze and expand, destroying the top cement block.

March, 2006

This main beam under the front of a house in Orange, MA, is in danger of collapsing.  It is rolling over due to ground pressure from the rocks and soil pressed up against it.  The floor joists (to the left) have very little bearing area resting on this beam. The floor and walls above these floor joists will collapse into this crawlspace as soon as the beam rolls any further.