TERMITE SHELTER TUBES

Otherwise known as "mud tubes," these tubes were discovered coming out of the main support girder in the basement of an older home. Termites make these tubes to protect themselves.

RADON REMEDIATION SYSTEM?

The radon remediation fan in this picture is connected to this home's plumbing vent stack pipe. Unfortunately, it was blowing radon gas downward into the house's plumbing system. It was also hanging by a dog's leash which had been nailed to the wood framing in the attic. Of course, the radon test came back HIGH!

HOUSE JACK

This very old model house jack was in a crawl space underneath the fireplace hearth in this home I inspected.

KNOB AND TUBE ELECTRICAL WIRING

This 1930s electrical type of wiring called "knob and tube" was partially buried by insulation in this home's attic. This is a potential fire hazard.

OIL TANK LINES

The owner's disclosure form said there was no underground oil tank, however, these copper pipes coming through the foundation indicate that there was and could still be an underground oil storage tank.

"DOLL HOUSE" BATHROOM?

This is a picture of a bathroom on the third floor of a home. This bathroom was functional but probably not legal since its ceiling was less than 5 feet high at the peak.

FLAT ROOF WITH A WADING POOL

This is a picture of a flat roof that was installed approximately 6 months before I inspected it. Water was not draining off of this roof and mildew and fungus were accumulating on the surface.

PLUMBER'S CRACK

This is a cast iron plumbing waste pipe taken in the basement of a house I was inspecting. It has a large crack that leaks water and (smelly) fumes into the basement.

AMATEUR ROOFING

This is a wood shingle roof which, according to the owner, was very expensive and was recently installed. In my opinion, not by a professional roofing contractor.

TWIN PEAKS

The second decorative portion of the roof.

LARGE OPEN ELECTRICAL JUNCTION BOX

All of the wires in this picture were "live." Some do not have caps on the ends. This is a potential fire hazard and very dangerous, improper wiring. I saw this in an attic storage area.

SNAKE!!!

I was greeted by this snake (which I think was a Cotton Mouth) during the exterior part of a home inspection near wetlands.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BASEMENT?

I discovered this fellow just hanging around during an inspection of a basement. There were signs that he had many friends in the same area.

THE BLACK HOLE

This hole was discovered underneath discarded cardboard boxes in a crawl space below a house. It turned out to be the top of an old oil tank that was partially buried in the dirt. The current owners had no idea that it was there.

ELECTRICAL SERVICE

Old electrical service with fuses and circuit breakers. The electric meter was still located inside the house. I recommended upgrading the service to a higher amperage with all circuit breakers and relocating the meter to the exterior of the house.

NO IT'S NOT FROST!

This picture shows a set of thermal pane glass doors where the vacuum seals have failed and the glass is no longer thermal pane and has lost its insulating properties. The doors should be replaced.

WHAT'S HIDING UNDER YOUR BATHROOM?

This is moisture damage to the subflooring underneath the tile flooring in a bathroom of a house. This area was only visible in the crawl space below the bathroom. "Crawl" spaces are usually only accessible by crawling into them (they are usually no more than 3-4 feet high).

The entire bathroom floor had to be removed and replaced.

INCORRECTLY INSTALLED CHIMNEY FLASHING

This situation may lead to water penetration and damage to the roofing shingles and sheathing. The chimney flashing was not replaced at the same time as the roofing shingles were and the homeowner thought the flashing was replaced.

CHIMNEY FLASHING AGAIN!

This picture shows the side view of a chimney where the flashing was only partially replaced.

CORRODED PIPE FITTING

This fitting was visible behind the boiler. The corrosion is a potential dangerous leak waiting to happen.

LEAKING AND CORRODED BOILER

This boiler needed to be replaced. It was leaking and has corrosion on the piping and boiler itself.

MORE CORRODED PIPE FITTINGS

This was observed during my inspection. The corroded pipe fitting is located behind the boiler and could leak at any time.

CRACKED ASPHALT ROOFING SHINGLES

This picture shows cracked asphalt roofing shingles I discovered while on the roof of a set of condominiums. Of course, these shingles should be promptly replaced.

PIPE CORROSION

This pipe corrosion was caused by the unbalanced PH in the well water. This is why well water testing is very important if you are buying a home on well water. This corrosion happens over a period of years. The PH can be easily corrected by installing the proper well treatment system.

WET BASEMENT

This picture shows moisture/water penetration on the cinderblocks of a home's basement. This water penetration was caused by clogged gutters on this home. This is why I highly recommend cleaning your gutters regularly.

WHAT'S BACK HERE?

This is the view of the back of a boiler with water stains running down and burn marks around the exhaust smoke pipe. This is a dangerous condition and this boiler should be replaced.

ONE OF THE OLDEST BOILERS

I discovered this old boiler in the basement of a home. It was no longer in use, but was left there instead of being removed because it was so large.

30 AMP SERVICE

This electrical service is in need of updating to at least 100 amps with circuit breakers.

DANGEROUS SITUATION

I discovered that this pipe which vents exhaust gases from the heating system to the exterior had a hole in it allowing dangerous carbon monixide fumes to enter the home. I prove that there is carbon monixide fumes by testing the air arround the pipe with my carbon monixide tester.

SOMEONE WAS STILL USING THIS SHOWER!

I photographed this during a home inspection. The shower had moisture damaged from leaking pipes above and mold growing inside the walls. Carpenter ants and termites were also found in this area. Immediate repairs were necessary.

PROPANE GAS TANK BELOW A WINDOW

I discovered this propane tank improperly installed outside of a living room window of a home I was inspecting. A dangerous situation since the propane gas can go directly in the window if the tank or valves develop a leak. The tank itself is too close to the window and should be moved.

CRACKS IN A HOME'S FOUNDATION

This picture shows a large crack in a home's foundation in the crawl space area. It has been previously patched, but was opening (moving) again. Foundation cracks should be repaired and then monitored for any further movement. Some foundation cracks indicate further structural damage and some don't move at all after they're repaired. Most homes do settle after being built and will have some minor foundation cracks.

TWO-CAR GARAGE?

This photo was taken during one of my inspections. The garage is falling apart and is dangerous in its current state. The structure should be taken down completely.

BLACK MOLD

This is what black mold looks like. I discovered this in a basement area of a home. Molds can be tested to find out what type of mold(s) they are. Also, mold should always be removed from a home.

MORE MOLD...

This area of mold should be removed from the home. This area can be cut out (removed) and re-sheet rocked. While making these repairs, be sure to check and see if there is a condition behind the walls causing the dampness. Dehumidifiers help by keeping the area dryer and less conducive to mold growth.

WHY IS THE FLOOR SINKING?

I discovered this floor joist being suppored by these cracking bricks in the crawl space of a home. Over time, the bricks will crack more and the floor above will sink and damage will occur to the home's structure.

FOUNDATION PROBLEMS

This masonary block foundation wall was being pushed inward due to improper drainage around the exterior. The horizontal crack in the mortar was about 12 feet long.