House Inspection Report by Sig Tom McSwiggan

April 21, 2014 · Tom McSwiggan

House CorporationHouse Renovations

Structural Condition

Built in approx. 1960, the foundation slab & supporting walls are made of poured concrete and cement cinder block. They appear to be in great condition with no major signs of weakness or structural flaws.

Framing – Floors & Roofs

The framing of the wood floor joists and roof rafters is in acceptable condition but has evidence of past termite infestation, which appears to have been properly treated and is no longer an issue. If a new roof is added to the north & south wing, replacement of some roof rafters and sheathing will be necessary at that time. At this time, the termite damage is a non-issue.

Roofing

The main roof has a flat portion which appears relatively new and a sloped portion of 3-tab shingles. Although older, it's in acceptable condition.

Roofing – The Wings

Both the north & south wings have 3-tab shingles that will need replacement in 7-10 years. The top ridge cap shingles & ridge vents need immediate replacement.

Roof-Attic Ventilation

The main roof has less-than-adequate ventilation: a thermostatically controlled electric attic fan (inoperative) and soffit vents. The thermostat operation & startup temperature need to be checked. Both attic fans in the north and south wings are also inoperative. As mentioned above, the ridge venting on the north and south wings is crushed, blocking hot moist air from escaping the attic — this must be addressed by replacing the ridge vents.

Electrical System

Overall condition is good; the majority of the system has been updated, with no signs of rodents chewing wiring. The biggest problem was layer upon layer of new wiring done with old wires abandoned in place, making it a pain to service any circuit — I've spent a lot of time removing abandoned wiring (sometimes live) from the house, pump room, and under the deck, and identifying/labeling circuits for future work.

Lighting, Interior & Exterior

Interior: All interior lighting is working except one light in the library, to be fixed when I renovate that room for the new air handler. Bulbs and exit signs should be replaced with LEDs as practicable going forward.

Exterior: All circuits identified and lights running except the rear parking lot lights — their housings are broken and fill with water, shorting the units. I need time to find LED-style replacements. All other bulbs are LEDs (3-8W, 25,000hr life), except the large area lights, which require sodium bulbs. Requesting funds for 6 new lights for the rear parking area.

Plumbing

The plumbing has been upgraded over the years — mostly copper tube (great), with a mix of galvanized (not so good) and some PVC. Waste lines are cast iron with some PVC upgrades, in good repair.

Needs attention: the main water line needs replacement (rerouted more directly), removing the old galvanized pipe, rerouting the hot water heater pipes (removing galvanized pipe at the same time), and replacing the hot water heater with a newer system. Galvanized pipe closes down over time and breaks down from minerals, causing leaks without notice and flaking that clogs fixtures.

The hot water heater is a commercial Rheem model G-65-360A in the laundry room — a 65-gallon natural gas unit, 20 years old, against a 7-8 year average lifespan (3x its expected life), showing burn marks turning to rust on the case. Beyond age, its placement in the laundry room means a long travel distance for hot water, losing heat along the way — two on-demand units or rerouted piping might serve better. Current heater replacement cost (no labor) is approx. $8,200; efficiency has dropped from 80% new to around 60% now, versus 97% for new units.

Masonry

I'll be doing some masonry to frame out a proper doorway for the pump room and laundry room.

Exterior Stucco, Paint & Anti-Rodent Modifications

The rat problem traces back to a 1980s/early-90s contractor who built 3 chases up the side of the house to hide refrigerant lines and conduit, creating a rat superhighway from ground level to all three attics. I've removed 2 chases and modified a third. HVAC companies had also put aluminum gutters over refrigerant lines without properly sealing them, creating another entry point. Future HVAC work needs to be done properly to keep the rat problem from returning.

Windows

Aluminum frames with clear glass; some need new tilt hinges and latches (checking availability). Changing the rear windows to "low-E" panes would reflect out heat-gaining rays — whether we replace full windows or just panes depends on hinge/latch availability. Panes run about $95 each.

HVAC System

On arrival, it was clear something was wrong with the whole system — 4 condensers/compressors and 4 air handlers, with no airflow from the ducts and all 4 filters completely plugged (causing ice blocks and equipment failure risk).

The second-floor unit may have been damaged by constant freezing, which breaks the coils — not worth repairing given its age, repair cost, and R-22 being phased out. Its closet installation has also caused mold/mildew that needs fixing; a proper conditioned-air room needs to be built for the new unit, ASAP.

Asbestos Survey & Abatement

Asbestos pipe wrapping was found in the north and south wing attics. Whether the house is renovated or sold, it will eventually need to be identified and addressed — starting with a licensed asbestos survey (samples with results in 3 days), which doesn't obligate us to remove anything, just tells us where it is. The survey costs approximately $2,000.

The Pool

An old in-ground cement pool with direct suction line skimmers (not the trap-door style), modified over the years for the current suction/return lines. This skimmer type is more prone to leaking at the skimmers and underground lines. The pool company suspects the skimmers, but undergrad brothers report the skimmer line pulling a lot of sand when running, which suggests a broken underground pipe to me. The health/pool inspector has closed the pool until the leak is fixed and chemicals stabilize — Blue Ribbon Pools has repeatedly missed appointments this week.

Bedroom & Bathroom Conditions

Overall very good. Room 1 has a broken exterior door jamb.

Oil Tank

The old oil tank under the north deck needs to be removed at some point.

Fencing and Gates

Worth considering a wrought iron gate at the front pass-through from the front yard to the rear deck. Looking into replacing the rear fence gate with a locking, punch-code entry to take pressure off the front parking area.

Projects That Need Attention Soon

Asbestos survey & estimates; build a new room for the air handler and install new 2nd-floor A/C with aluminum capping on the line and rear soffits; ridge vents on the wings; repair pool skimmer lines; replace the rear fence gate with a punch-code lock; masonry & doors on laundry/pump room; replace rear windows with low-E; new water main; new door jamb in Room 1; straighten the flagpole; photocell on backyard lights; replace the rear parking area light; wash and paint the house.

Other Notes

No more walking on the roof — it damages it, especially in hot weather. A/C filters must be changed regularly. No more Sigma Chi letters or crosses out front — it looks gaudy. No more labeling parking spaces — it looks sophomoric. Garbage cans are allowed in the kitchen again.

Large Projects in the Distant Future

Remove asbestos; replace the hot water heater and re-plumb galvanized lines; remove the oil tank; redo the pool; new cement deck around the pool; new wood deck and stairs to the second floor; roofing on the wings.

Estimates for New Air Conditioning

Three estimates received for the new second-floor air handler and condenser (replace the 3-ton heat pump with a new Carrier unit, install new refrigerant lines, relocate the air handler, and provide aluminum capping for exterior refrigerant lines):

These are pre-tax, approximate estimates; more bids being accepted this week. To modify the room for the new air handler, I need a budget of $2,500. Cost of materials (no labor) to date: $3,443.06.

Some of the Accomplishments to Date

Replaced ceiling tiles in kitchen & chapter room; new kitchen lights; replaced fire pull in kitchen; new kitchen light switch; removed waste disposal, installed 2 new sink strainer baskets; fixed front door closer; replaced all HVAC filters; recorded all HVAC equipment serial/model numbers; diagnosed the second-floor unit failure; cleaned 40 years of accumulated junk out of the attic; cleaned the library, exec room, pump room & laundry; new shower valve and light switch in Room 22; removed rat chases from the side of the house and re-stuccoed; removed a lot of old wiring under the deck, pump room, attics & DJ deck; traced and labeled circuits; replaced blown lights with LEDs; fixed the pool lights; repaired a lot of holes knocked in concrete in and out of the house; repaired the attic fire wall so rats can't get through; fixed the pool pump (thanks, Roger); found and fixed a leaking PVC line; traced down plumbing lines; quick repair to the DJ deck; installed a mirror and LED lights in the Exec bathroom/room.

Sigma Chi – Eta Iota House Inspection Report, prepared by Thomas McSwiggan (tgmcswiggan@hotmail.com, 203-788-1669)

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