GEM Home Inspections

This GORGEOUS OUTDOOR POST n BEAM project is underway! 🔥

So excited for Mike & Janine for the opportunity to design, oversee and run with this project. ❤️

The masonary crew he knew, is doing great work and a true pleasure to work with. They listen to me well, understand my expectations and I look forward to working with them on future projects. 😉

The demo work and prepping for the use of that sexy brick is well underway! The bricks natural patina mother nature created for each individual piece, is a lifetime of evolving into a true masterpiece!

Enjoy these pictures and more phases will be posted soon.

STAY TUNED…
❤️❤️
# outdoorlivingspace

To ALL you Mother’s who will be asked, “what do you want for Mother’s Day?”

It’s the perfect time to say that you would truly LOVE to have your backyard turned into a gorgeous Oasis for your family to enjoy everyday!

… Your welcome 😉

Happy Mother’s Day!
❤️❤️

Let’s talk about SPRAY FOAM ATTICS;

To prevent moisture problems in a attic that has been spray foamed you need to think about temperature and dew point.

Leaving insulation in an attic floor after insulating the roofline with spray foam, the attic temperature will be cooler during the winter than if you removed the insulation.

Many spray foam the roofline to make attic more airtight and heat efficient. Doing this actually makes the attic a conditioned space, much like the rest of your house.

By conditioning the attic, the air in the attic combined with the air in the house now have the potential to create levels of humidity that are greater than the outdoors, as well as a vented attic.

🟩 SOLUTION
Removing any insulation in the attic floor will help solve this problem, but it’s not the only solution.

Whether or not the insulation remains in the attic floor, spray foamed attics need to treated as conditioned spaces. The air in the attic needs to be addressed and the problem will go away.

Depending on the age of the insulation, but old insulation is often full of dust, debris, mouse droppings, bat guano and the remains of a dead rodents. Rodent bait and other scents create a potential odor problem from the LACK of VENTILATION!

⚠️ It is recommend to remove the old insulation, vacuum in between ceiling joists, cleaning up all rodent and bat guano.

So if you apply spray foam insulation on your roof deck:

🔻Remove ALL insulation in between ceiling joists

🔺Be sure to install a whole-house ventilation and condition the air in the attic.

❤️❤️

⚠️ ATTENTION ⚠️

Important things to look for on Electric Panels, including specific name brands that are known to be high risk due to being potential SAFETY/FIRE HAZARDS!

❌ STAB-LOK
This brand must be replaced. Any breaker box installed from 1950 to the 1980’s may be one of these Federal Pacific panels.

ISSUE: Stab-Lok’s are known for defective circuit breakers that do not trip properly. Fire Hazard!

❌ SPLIT BUS PANELS

ISSUE: This is dangerous because the double block main breaks are traded out for individual circuits. This causes overloading and leads to excessive heating of the panel's internal components. Potential fire hazard.

❌ ZINSCO ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

ISSUE: This brand is known to have problems with the bus bar and breaker contact points arcing and overheating. Overheating the electrical contacts on breakers can destroy the integrity of the panel.

❌ FUSE PANELS

ISSUE: Small fuses may blow, but putting in bigger fuse is a potential fire hazard. The circuit itself isn't rated for more power, so if there's a 20-amp fuse on a 15-amp rate circuit, it can be dangerous and becomes fire hazard.

⚠️ Stab-Lok, Split Bus Panels, Zinsco and Fuse Boxes should all be evaluated by a licensed Electrician and updated as needed.

⚠️SAFETY HAZARDS IN THE PANEL ⚠️

❌ DOUBLE TAPS on breakers and under lugs of grounds and neutrals.

❌ CORROSION AND RUSTING to panel components. This compromises connections and the function of the panels.

❌ SERVICE DROPS that are worn out or damaged.

❌ IMPROPERLY GROUNDED or bonded panels.

⚠️ It’s important to do a full evaluation of an electrical panel and make any repairs/replacement as needed. Its better to be SAFE then SORRY!

Like this post if you learned something! 💎

CHECK YOUR GUTTERS ⚠️

🔹Gutter Attachments
🔹Proper Gutter Installation
🔹Gutter Maintenance

These three steps are ALL necessary to keep the other components of your home from potential leaks, moisture intrusion and eventual wood rot and mold.

Be sure to have gutters properly installed, well maintained and cleaned yearly.

Do NOT forget to extend gutter discharges, MINIMUM 6’ away from foundation.

❤️❤️

IMPORTANT ⚠️

RADON MITIGATION FANS can NOT be below living space! This places the living space at a higher risk of having increased levels of Radon.

Pressurized pipes MUST be above or outside of livable space.

If your system was set up this way, you need to make FULL repairs. I recommend hiring a professional mitigation company to do ALL repairs/relocation as needed with the proper pipe discharge above the roof line.

The radon level should be retested then there after and every few years.

⚠️💎

Like this post if you learned something!

Plumbing vent boots need replacement more often than asphalt roofs. Don’t let them end up like the first two images, and do NOT install new ones like the third image🤦‍♂️ Worn out boots leak!

Swipe to the end for an example of proper replacement/ installation ⏭

DECK ATTACHMENTS to a cantilever

When dealing with a cantilever the deck attachment of the ledger board is often improper.

For proper deck securement to a cantilever, the correct answer is you just DO NOT do it.

For areas with a small cantilever from a bump out, box the deck out with framing.

When the cantilever extends much of the house, build the deck independent of the house, supported with proper footings, support columns and girders.

❤️❤️

Like this post if you found it valuable!

We love hearing your thoughts on our inspections! Thank you for all the kind reviews ❤️ You can find more reviews on google or through our website if you would like to hear more!

Interested in hiring GEM for a home inspection and/or a swimming pool + landscape design? Call 845-772-3175 for more information or visit our website ❤️