Seattle Home Inspection Photo: Flood Evidence

Check out water mark on the door.  This home was flooded a couple of years prior to our inspection.  The owners replaced the drywall and other components but the evidence remains.

AMS Inspection is a home inspection company based out of Leavenworth with inspectors in Seattle, Wenatchee, Methow Valley, Chelan and surrounding areas.

Leavenworth Home Inspection Photo: Stick a cork in it!

I never know what I’m going to come across.  Check out this photo from a recent Leavenworth home inspection.  It’s an interesting way to fill a hole.  Now you know what to do with all those corks you get from wine tasting in Leavenworth!

Lake Chelan Home Inspection Photo

Here is an opportunity to learn from someone else’s mistake.  Check out the photo below taken at a recent Chelan home inspection.  You should never cut a main support beam so that plumbing pipes have an easier route.  Pipes have curved elbows and connections for a reason!  Don’t compromise the overall integrity of your structure.  Use proper plumbing installation practices.

2011 Tour of Homes : Wenatchee, Chelan, Malaga & Peshastin

credit: http://www.nchba.cc

The North Central Home Builders Association’s annual Tour Of Homes is coming up on Sept. 22-25th.  Most homes are in the Wenatchee area but you’ll find one in Lake Chelan, Malaga and Peshastin.  For complete details about the tour, directions, coupons and more visit their website.  As members of NCHBA we are proud to be a part of this great event!  In Leavenworth pick up coupons at Marson & Marson Lumber or Dan’s Food Market.

Leavenworth’s 16th Annual Home & Garden Tour

Photo credit: http://www.cascademedicalcenter.org

Don’t miss Leavenworth’s 16th Annual Home & Garden Tour on Sunday, Sept. 11th.  You can begin at any of the homes starting at noon and it ends at 5:00 p.m.  The cost is $20 per person and the proceeds benefit the Cascade Medical Center Foundation and their purchase of a new Automated Medication Dispensing System. 

TOUR HOMES INCLUDE: 

9343 Lone Pine Orchard

Road  10741 Titus Road

11630 Alpenview Estates

11650 Alpenview Estates

12661 Shore Street

12659 Shore Street

506 Orchard Street

Tickets are available beginning September 1 at Cascade Medical Center’s Admitting Office at 817 Commercial Street.  Tickets will also be on sale at the individual homes on September 11th.  For more information call (509) 860-1963 or email imbikin@gmail.com or visit http://www.cascademedicalcenter.org.

Winthrop Home Inspection Photo: Rattlesnakes!

Check out this recent photo from a home inspection in Methow Valley.  I came across a dead rattlesnake in the crawl space.  This deadly guy may have entered through the ventilation while chasing dinner.  Make sure your crawl spaces are adequately sealed!

Winthrop home inspection in Methow Valley

Improper aluminum wiring ‘sparks’ interest in a hot water heater repair.

How hot is too hot?  We recently observed this hot water heater on a Leavenworth home inspection in the upper Wenatchee Valley.  Aluminum branch circuit wiring was used to supply the hot water heater’s energy.  Improper installation caused a potential dangerous situation.  The unions between the aluminum and copper wire created galvanic corrosion which can weaken the terminal at the switch, receptacle or union.  As the branch circuit is energized the aluminum and copper wires expand and contract at different rates causing the terminal termination at the switch, receptacle or union to loosen.  The loose connections can allow arcing and pitting, creating a hazard for shock or fire, and eventually causing the circuit to fail.  To learn more information about aluminum wiring read my earlier blog entry.

And the hot water heater was still being used, but not anymore!  Based on our inspection they hired a professional electrician to fix the improper installation.  Do you want to know how your home is performing?  An AMS Home Inspection can indentify potentially dangerous conditions.  Call today for more information on home inspections in Leavenworth, Chelan, Seattle, Wenatchee and surrounding areas.

Do you have aluminum wiring in your home? Is it safe?

At a recent Leavenworth home inspection we noticed aluminum wiring to the water heater and oven.  The home owner had some questions so we answered them.

Aluminum wiring became a popular alternative for use in residential construction during the 1960’s when the price for copper sky rocketed.  Underwriter Laboratories had previously approved aluminum wiring for interior branch circuitry as early as 1945.  Contractors searched for relief from the high copper prices and found aluminum to be an acceptable substitute.  The key to this conversion from copper to aluminum was in the installation.

 At the time very little stress was put on the aluminum wiring creep rating (rate of expansion and contraction) and not much information was provided on the proper installation of aluminum wiring.  Some things to consider when working with aluminum wiring is that it is much softer than copper and can’t withstand as much stress when pulled.  Therefore, aluminum wiring can become damaged if nicked or bent at extreme angles.  It also has at least one wire gauge larger than its copper counterpart for each current rating.  All terminations such as switches and receptacles must be properly rated Al or Cu/Al for the use of aluminum branch circuitry wiring.

 Due to limited code enforcement and the lack of information provided to home builders several homes built within the mid 1960-70’s were not outfitted with the proper type of receptacles, switches and other required devices.  Oxide inhibitors are successful in sealing out moisture and air while preventing oxidation but, unfortunately, were not widely used at this time.

 The misunderstanding of aluminum wiring installation methods enabled the theory of aluminum being an unsafe material.  What happened?  When dissimilar metals come in contact it causes galvanic corrosion and oxidation occurs at the screw head terminals.  The process weakens the terminal at the switch or receptacle.  As the branch circuit is energized the aluminum and copper wires expand and contract at different rates causing the terminal at the switch or receptacle to loosen.  The loose connections can allow arcing and pitting, creating a hazard for shock or fire, and eventually causing the circuit to fail.

 Is aluminum wiring safe?  The surprising answer is yes!  We inspect several older homes every year that still contain aluminum branch circuitry wiring and it is in serviceable condition.  Aluminum wiring has never been the problem.  The installation can dictate the longevity or security of any material.  The science behind the reaction and expansion rates of different materials has allowed us to understand mistakes made with aluminum branch circuitry wiring.  Aluminum wiring is still commonly used in new construction, particularly on larger circuits that do not require multiple terminations to various devices.

 Is your home is outfitted with aluminum branch circuitry wiring?  Identify your concerns with an AMS Home Inspection.  A thorough evaluation of each of the branch circuitry wiring must be performed to ensure your home and family’s safety.

Washington State building permits increase: A positive sign.

Now that our Seattle and Wenatchee home inspection company offers HVAC testing (duct blaster) for new construction homes we like to keep an eye on the new construction permits.  The 2009 Energy Code for HVAC Sealing requires a third-party verifier to make sure the HVAC system complies with the minimum performance requirement, therefore, we are hired to conduct the HVAC duct testing.

In the May/June issue of the BIAW’s Building Insight Newsletter the chart below displayed a positive sign of recovery in the building industry since 2010.  Spokane, Pierce, King, Franklin and Benton Counties helped to push the May 2011 building permits over the May 2010 totals.  The overall improvement for 2011 shows a 38% increase in building permits year-to-date in May.  Chelan, Mason, Kittatas, Cowlitz, Island and Jefferson Counties didn’t have much change from May 2010 to May 2011.  Let’s hope the trend keeps improving for Washington’s building and real estate industries.

Source: BIAW Building Insight, Residential Building Permits Issued May 2011

Wenatchee Realtor Is Assaulted At Open House

Realtors have many open houses per month.  The weekends are sprinkled with corner signs advertising open houses.  It’s a great opportunity to show off homes and allow potential buyers a preview, but you hardly ever consider the dangers of allowing strangers into your space.  Last weekend a Wenatchee realtor was assaulted at an open house.  Thankfully she was not harmed and made wise decisions to protect herself.  This is a a great time to review the safety guidelines realtors should follow when exposing themselves to unfamiliar people and environments.  Take a look at these Open House Safety Tips from the National Association of REALTORS®.

“A real estate agent was assaulted during an open house Sunday afternoon at a home for sale in the 700 block of Cascade Street in Wenatchee. Police Sgt. John Kruse said the local woman called police after incident about 1:30pm. Kruse said she told authorities a husband and wife had toured the home together but the suspect returned alone and asked to see the home’s basement.  Kruse says the intoxicated man allegedly tried to grab the female real estate agent.  Officers contacted the man who claimed they were just having a “consensual hug”.  Kruse says the woman was not injured.”

Source:  KPQ.com