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Bellingham Technical College, part of the state college system, offers the only fast-track college level home inspection training program in the state of Washington. Many of the top inspectors in the state, east and west of the mountains, have graduated from this rigorous program. The four week, 40 hour per week program, educates and prepares students to work in the field, pass the state's new and more difficult structural pest inspector exam and to pass any test required for membership by the leading home inspection associations or societies. Class study, with five field inspections supervised by a professional, includes courses in inspecting structure, roofs, interior, attics, electrical, plumbing, furnaces, air conditioners, wood stoves, wood destroying…

Asbestos in homes is found in many locations. One place that often surprises people, and one of the lesser known locations, is vermiculite attic insulation installed prior to 1991. Prior to that year, the vermiculite in the USA came from a mine near Libby, Montana. That mine, and they did not know it at the time, had a natural deposit of asbestos which tainted some of the vermiculite. While not all of this insulation had asbestos fibers, it is likely that it will. The EPA suggests that, if you have older vermiculite, leave it alone and do not disturb it. Vermiculite, installed since 1991,  comes from three other US facilities and is considered to be safer. The problem with this attic insulation comes in when you want to remodel. Moving it around stirs it…

It is a common belief, among do it yourself plumbers, that as long as the pipes connect together and do not leak, then all is well with the system. That is not always the case -- especially with drains. For example, take the S-trap under the sink. As a home inspector I see these traps over and over again, instead of the proper P-trap. To understand the problem, first, one needs to realize that the purpose of the trap is to keep water at the bottom of the trap, which then blocks or stops sewer gas in the system from entering the home. While the S-trap looks much like the proper P-trap, it is by design a siphoning trap and can end up dry -- hence sewer gas has an entry point into the home. While the differences in design are subtle, you will see that the…

The Temperature pressure relief (TPR)  valve, and the drain line, are among the most misunderstood safety devices in all of plumbing. Why is a missing or incorrectly plumbed TPR a critical safety issue?  The simple answer is that it is the primary defense between residents of the home and an exploding tank. As a Bellingham home inspector, in my area at least, I would say that about 30 percent of the time, the drain line is defective -- installed wrong. Usually it is routed up. But sometimes it is the wrong material, like PVC (only acceptable for cold water) or a coiled up garden hose serving the hot water. Other times there is no drain line at all so a discharge of hot water would be directed into a room or straight out. People, who know no better, will…

Here in the northwest, clients are always asking if I will check the crawl space for powderpost beetles. Well, I do look for the nasty powderpost beetles, but they (the lyctid) tend to be in hardwoods and inside: floors, picture frames, furniture. Now the anobiid, the critter that kills probably more deals than any other insect pest in this region, is what we are really looking for in the crawl space. I would hardly consider ourselves lucky for having this distinction, but the Pacific Northwest is one of the few regions that has such severe problems with this insect. It thrives on moist wood (13% and higher moisture content) and our coastal conditions, west side of the mountains, make our homes prime bargain buffet for the anobiid. The picture, from…

I overheard two people speaking the other day. One was explaining to the other that the air-gap on the sink was an overflow for the dishwasher. She commented that, at her house, it always dribbles water back into the sink. This is the second or third time I have heard that conversation. I have come to the realization that  people do not know what the air-gap does. It looks like a metal mushroom attached to the sink. Let me explain: They are required, by most codes, for dishwashers and water softeners. The device has no moving parts and works in part based on gravity. It is designed to eliminate a possible cross-connection between the potable water system and the sewage system. While not considered to be a large risk, without the air-gap, there is always…

A Bellingham home inspector sees some amazing chimneys when inspecting wood stoves or fireplaces. I believe that just about anyone, even those who know nothing about home inspection, will realize that this chimney shown below is a fire waiting to happen. The creosote was about an inch thick and caked from the top clear down to the homemade, and terribly inefficient, wood stove. Since creosote is flammable, it is important to have wood stoves and fireplaces regularly cleaned. And I can tell you, as a professional home inspector, that most people with wood stoves, fireplaces and pellet stoves do not have them cleaned nearly often enough. Lots of people make it worse by burning green wood that is not seasoned. Please be very careful with your wood burning…

A Bellingham home inspector, working in the wet Pacific Northwest, sees lots of moisture issues. There is a misconception regarding mold in the home. That revolves around the belief that, if mold is found in the home, a sample should be taken and it should be sent to the lab for tests to determine if it is "good" or "bad." Part of this trend is the result of marketing by labs and  mold remediation operators who are making money from the high publicity and fear that surrounds mold. While I am not downplaying mold, this strategy is backwards. Here is the most accurate general approach to mold: Mold outside okay, mold inside bad!  Inside a home mold is caused by excess moisture. As a Bellingham, Washington home inspector, I sometimes see mold the result of…