When you open your electrical panel, does it have a Zinsco label? Hopefully not. When I come across a Zinsco panel, such as this one the other day, I have no choice but to recommend a full analysis by a licensed electrician. The reason?... "Problems with certain Zinsco panels cannot be seen by the naked eye. Even after the cover of Zinsco panels has been removed, everything can seem to be in fine working order. Upon exploring its components, electricians find that breakers cannot be removed from the bus bar. They’ve welded together, which indicates that the breakers have melted. In that condition, a breaker would be unable to trip and may be allowing an unsafe amount of electricity into the home! This could lead to a potential fire." (ref: http://www.ismypanelsafe.com/zinsco_damage.aspx)

Dryer vent covers

The Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates there are 15,500 clothes dryer fires each year in the United States, amounting to $84 million in estimated property damage annually. Lack of maintenance is the leading cause of dryer fires, and lint is the leading material to ignite. These fires can be caused by insufficient airflow as a result of improper installation.

In this picture, you see a "grate" style vent cover. DO NOT USE THIS. I see this far too often. Yes it keeps the pests out, but it also keeps the lint in. Use a "louver" style vent cover that flaps open and closed.

Stair and stair railing safety

These stairs have obviously been neglected for way too long. On top of that, they never were built right in the first place. The codes for stairs are a mile long, and for good reason....
Did you know that:
 Over 1 Million accidents resulting in injury happen every year on stairs?
 Stair accidents are the second leading cause of unintended injury, second only to car accidents?
 There are 12,000 stair deaths per year?
 Half of these deaths occur in the home?
*Statistics from the National Safety Council.

At 'My San Diego Home Inspector', we inspect not only how sound your stairs are, but will inform you of the safety issues at hand. We do special individual special inspections. If it is just one particular item you want inspected (eg: plumbing, electrical, attic, crawlspace...) we can do that for a fraction of a whole home inspection price.

Do Your Gutters Work Effectively?

It amazes me how many gutters are installed improperly. The gutter system is vital to the health of your home. In this case, the gutter was installed very low. During a rainstorm, the water is probably flowing right over the gutter and onto the sidewalk, or worst yet onto your head. This is just one of the many failures which may be occurring in your gutter system. This system not only includes your gutters, but the roof system, the flashing, downspouts, splash guards, underground drainage systems....all of which can affect your homes foundation system below.

How does your door swing?

Here's a perfect example of a door that was installed without knowledge of codes or personal safety. There are many codes in the code book to protect you. In this picture, we see that the door swings out over a set of stairs. Basically, the door is inviting you to fall forward. This is why the door should either swing inward, or if it is to swing out, there must be a landing.

Mold and wood decay

This is what happens when deck and waterproofing maintenance is ignored. Upon inspecting this deck, it turned out the damage was much greater than expected. Because of not paying attention to early signs of water proofing failure, this deck continued to leak over a good period of time, leading to not only mold, but structural failure. I was able to stick my hand through the garage beam that supports the second floor and the deck above. The only thing holding the framing together was the stucco. The owner was very lucky to only get away with paying out thousands of dollars for the repair. If this had waited any longer, there could have been more serious problems. Did you know there are stricter codes to build decks than for the subfloors inside your house? It's because local authorities know that is where the party is. You put 30 people on a deck, your talking over 2 tons of weight! Have an inspector check your deck out.

Wire sizes and breakers

There have been times I have inspected the service panel and the wire gauge is too small for the size of the breaker. Usually, it is when someone has added a breaker to the panel because he/she wanted a wire added to their home for some reason or another and thought 'I don't need an electrician to do this' without knowing their are designated breakers for all sizes of wire. When this happens, you could have a potential fire hazard. When buying a home, be sure your electric service panel and the wires and breakers inside are in good, safe working order.

Check your vents and screens

If a mouse can fit through a hole the size of a dime, think what kind of animal could fit through here! I love animals, but they need to stay in the wild, not under your house. I've seen wires chewed on (fire hazard), ducts filled with rodent nests (definite health hazard), and various bones from who knows what decided to eat what. I have not encountered any large animals yet, while in crawlspaces, and hopefully never will. If you love your house like I do and want to make your home inspector happy, please check all your crawlspace vents and screens. Thank you!!!!

Check your gas meter

Just because SDG&E comes by your meter periodically to read and (hopefully) be sure it's in good working order, it may not be safe. If there is a rotten smell around the pipes, it could be a leak. Also, look for excess corrosion. The pipe near these meters were so bad (probably from the sprinklers hitting them continuously), the walls of the pipes were almost eaten through.

Insulate your ducts

Are your air ducts insulated properly? If not, your energy bills could be going though the roof, literally. It is wise to have your attic inspected. Not just for efficiency, but safety as well.

Chimney spark arrestors

Here in San Diego, we have been through 2 major fires within the last decade and I still run into this all the time...a chimney with no spark arrestor. This particular house was inspected in a rural community and it gets bone dry in the summer. Stay safe and keep your community safe. Be sure a spark arrestor is in place.

Attic ladders

Pull Down Ladders.

So you're going to put a pull down ladder in your garage attic...Is the garage connected to your house? Does the ceiling/ladder need to be fire rated? Be sure to ask yourself these questions before you start. There are fire codes in place to keep your home safe if a fire should start in your garage (which is where most fires start). Be sure your home is safe!

Monitor your eaves.

Your eaves are very prone to moisture and termite damage. This is the last place water runs off your roof, and if the water is not running off correctly, it may be collecting water and damaging your home, like in this picture.

Also, have you ever noticed when it starts to heat up, termites grow their wings and start flying around? Guess where they go? The eave is usually the easiest access and they love pine, which is typically the wood that your eave boards are made of. So the next time it heats up, pay close attention to those things flying around that look like ants with wings. If they are searching around under your eaves, chances are, they're not flying ants!

What's your water pressure?

Do you know what the water pressure to your home is? Too much and you can cause damage to your fixtures in your home. Too little and your standing under the shower waiting. The latter is obvious. The former can be damaging. According to the literature I have read, you need to keep it under 85 psi. 70 psi should be a comfortable pressure.

Monitor Wood Structures

Fortunately, this wood band was the only part rotten. Should it have traveled into the post, this person would have a structural problem, not just an aesthetic one

Reseal your deck

Throw a bucket of water on your decking to see if you need to reseal. If the water beads up, then your sealant is still working. If the water is absorbed by the decking, then it's time to get some sealant. A deck that isn't sealed properly is vulnerable to the elements and may experience rotting, warping and splitting. Performing routine maintenance is far cheaper than replacing the deck so make sure you keep your decking in tip-top shape.

--LIterature by Kudzu
--Photo by My San Diego Home Inspector

Inspect your roof (or contact an inspector)

After a long, harsh winter, your roof may be in need of a little TLC. Common problems include chipped, curling or missing shingles... and each should be identified and corrected as soon as possible. Damaged shingles can lead to serious leaks which can cause thousands of dollars in damage to the interior of your home. Getting on your roof to perform an inspection can be dangerous, so contact a professional roofer (or inspector) or use binoculars to conduct a visual inspection from the ground.

--from Kudzu website

Clean gutters and downspouts

Your home's gutters play an important role in directing water away from your house, but they are highly ineffective when clogged with leaves and other debris. Clogged gutters and downspouts can lead to foundation problems and cause water damage...both could cost you thousands of dollars to repair. The standing water left in your gutters can also serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

--Kudzu website

Consider a programmable thermostat

You're wasting "boo coos" bucks (not to mention energy) if you don't have a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats allow you to set varying temperature settings throughout the day so you don't unnecessarily heat and cool the home when you're not there or are asleep. Programmable thermostats are relatively inexpensive, and they will quickly pay for themselves with the energy you'll save.

-Kudzu website

Should you use an agent's recommended home inspector?

Should You Use an Agent's Recommended Home Inspector?
By Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com Guide

Whether buyers should hire the agent's home inspector depends on the agent.

Question: Should You Use an Agent's Recommended Home Inspector?
A reader asks: "We are first-time home buyers. After we got our offer accepted on a bank-owned home, our agent sent us a list of home inspectors to call. We think the agent might have a reason to refer people who won't tell us if something is wrong. After all, she doesn't get paid if we don't buy the home. Should we use our agent's home inspector or should we find our own inspector? Help! We're stuck."
Answer: Are you suggesting that your agent is less than honest with you and you don't trust your agent? I ask because it happens. Also, in an industry where 10% of the agents sell about 90% of the homes, the remaining agents may not have enough first-hand experience to know which home inspectors are thorough and qualified.
I've never met an agent who didn't want his or her buyers to have full disclosure, but that's not to say every agent puts the buyer's interests first. However, I can assure you it would be extreme for an agent to pressure a home inspector to provide a faulty report. It's simply not standard practice.

You imply that a home inspector and a real estate agent may be in collusion with each other, and that's such a rarity. You'll find dishonest people in every business, but the numbers are much smaller than you may imagine.

No reputable real estate agent will withhold information from a buyer or induce a third-party vendor to withhold information.

If you choose your buyer's agent wisely, the home inspectors your agent recommends are most likely of the same caliber as the agent.

Do Agents Shun Home Inspectors Who are Deal Killers?

Yes, they do. Surprised? But my definition of a deal killer is probably different from yours. A deal killer is not a home inspector who discloses. A deal killer is a home inspector who makes mountains out of molehills and doesn't know how to properly communicate with a buyer.

Here is how a good home inspector would disclose, say, a problem with the HVAC system:

The differential readings are low. This could mean the unit is low on refrigerant or it could be something more serious, such as a cracked heat exchanger.
I suggest you hire a licensed HVAC contractor to inspect the furnace and A/C.
The HVAC system is near its economic end of life, and you may want to gather bids to replace the system.
A deal killer home inspector, on the other hand, may approach the same situations like this:

I'm worried that the furnace is going to explode at any minute. Stand back.
This will cost $20,000 to replace.
Man, I would not buy this deathtrap of a house.
See the difference?

What Kind of Home Inspectors do Agents Recommend?

Honest and ethical real estate agents recommend only the most qualified home inspectors. An agent with many years in the business most likely maintains a list of home inspectors who are reputable.

Word gets around about bad home inspectors, and agents don't recommend those inspectors. Your home inspection should be exhaustive and complete, consisting of 20 pages or more.

Agents want buyers to be fully informed because those who aren't will come back to haunt their agents after closing.
Agents who stay in the business and are successful year after year do so because their clients refer more business to them. Duped clients don't refer.
Agents can negotiate repairs or cash credits, or advise the buyer to walk away if the home inspection reflects too many problems.
Agents work with many of the same home inspectors over and over and witness first-hand the effectiveness and thoroughness of an inspector.
Agents don't want a finger pointed at them if the home inspector misses a serious defect, which is why a qualified home inspector is important to an agent's business.
If you don't trust your agent to refer a competent home inspector, then you may want to consider hiring a different buyer's agent whom you do trust. That's better than plucking a home inspector out of the phone book or online directory and hoping the inspector is competent.