Gifford Home Inspection

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Defect of the Month from 2006

Defect of the Month from 2007

For both education and entertainment, I have added the following sample of photos of a variety of items which I have come across during my Home Inspections.  Enjoy!

March, 2008

This wood floor joist was completely cut through under the kitchen floor of a house in Shelburne MA.  This resulted in a sagging and springy floor in front of the kitchen sink.  The plumber who sliced away should have had more concern for the structural integrity of the house during this remodeling job.

February, 2008

This wood rot and mold damage was in an attic in a 7 year old ranch house in Amherst Massachusetts.  The chimney is directly outside of the wall on the left.  The water was leaking in through defective metal chimney flashing.  There was no evidence of any problem in the living room below this area of the attic.  Make sure you home inspector walks or crawls through the entire attic.  This area of the attic was at least 40 feet from the attic entrance hatch which was located in a closet ceiling.  Some overweight inspectors will not go through (or fit through) attic ceiling scuttle openings.  They will report the entire attic as an inaccessible space.

January, 2008

These are 7 foot tall double pane glass windows or panels on a sun porch in Brattleboro Vermont.  Two of the windows on this sun porch have moisture between the double panes of glass.  The seal around the edges of the glass panes is leaking.  Unfortunately, once moisture gets between the glass panes there is no way to get it out.  This glass will get more and more hazy and streaked from the moisture.  The only solution is to have the glass replaced.  A glass panel of this size will cost a significant amount of money to replace.