lots of exposed concrete
posted on November 20, 2009 09:47:22 am
Hi guys, did an inspection in a Condo yesterday. Building is new construction, modern, euro type designed by a famous architect. Client is looking to get out of the deal because she feels sick all the time living there. I started feeling congested after just being there an hour. Approximately 1500 sqft. unit all ceilings exposed concrete, 50% of walls exposed concrete. Building corridors and lobby mostly exposed concrete. Relative humidity in unit was 17-22%. Concrete surface readings were ok. Subsurface readings got higher and higher the deeper I probed. Didn't drill holes, rough concrete, just stuck probe in holes as possible. I already told her my findings aren't likely to be good enough for a battle. For that she will need to hire a couple other guys I can refer who have much fancier equipment. Anyone have any experience or data links with this much exposed concrete in a residential setting? Any help appreciated. Almost forget, the unit did have that musty concrete smell. Occupancy of the building started spring of this year. Some finish work is still ongoing on the top floors. Thinking of looking it up on Westlaw tonight to see if other buyers have had issues. Thanks, Markus

It's the Mold/Mould Lady Again
posted on November 18, 2009 05:29:02 pm
If you missed my last thread, my location is the coast of Washington state, so we have western Washington rain plus coastal salty humidity, i.e., lots of dampness and rot. I looked at a vacant house for sale today and am wondering if a home inspection could even help since you can't do anything invasive. Can you suggest anything on this one? (I love the house and location and the price is right.) We opened the door to a strong musty smell. The heat was on, but I don't know for how long. The house has gone through foreclosure and auction and the bank just listed it, so it's possible the heat has been off for some time. I was in the house for less than five minutes and my throat was itching and a sinus headache started (I am very sensitiive to allergens -- the realtor didn't have a problem.) No air quality expert needed --the house has a mold problem of some kind. There was no visible mold or mildew on the walls. They were definitely not freshly painted so no coverup concerns there. The carpeting is old and dirty and has to go; also there was visible green mold on about a 1 foot square area of carpet adjacent to an interior wall. There was an obvious moisture problem at the kitchen entry door -- rotted bottom edge door frame with a small damp area on the wall beside it and dark gray stains on (in? under?) the vinyl floor. Are there any tests you could do to tell if it's "just the carpeting" or to determine what the source is? If it's not just the carpet, what could I be in for? Thanks in advance, again. Marlene Penry

Is this mold/mould treatment?
posted on November 18, 2009 11:36:00 am
From the City's record, this single house was a grow-op 8 years ago, but the owner seems know nothing when they moved in 6 years ago. There are no health concerns reported by the owner with children. Silver colour spray paint covers the floor joist and plank in basement, also under the stairs (see all photos). Some white paint on the original stubs (see the first photo taken from the furnace room). No mould or silver paint found in the attic and main floor. Are these paints for the mould treatment?

lead removal
posted on November 18, 2009 08:02:59 am
Hi guys, does anyone have a link or pdf or approved lead removal methods? Client called yesterday asking if it was Ok to remove lead paint with a heat gun. Stated I didn't know whether it was approved or not. Told her I thought it was a bad idea due to the potential fumes and headaches and wouldn't recommend it. Turns out her contractor is removing lead paint from windows and trim with a heat gun, tenant is complaining about fumes and headaches and wants landlord to pay for a hotel room. Any info is appreciated, Thanks Markus

Here Kitty Kitty
posted on November 17, 2009 03:21:17 pm
Creatures found under homes can be a health threat. These things are an instant turn off for the clients and many do not get over their initial reaction. I have handled this in different ways over time with none of them having a non lasting affect. Most are disgusted even after explaining to them that it is an easy clean up from a pest control company. Also... not that I care ... but it also has that immediate affect (not a good one) on the agents. I was just curious how other folks handle this disclosure of creatures in the crawl or past fires that were never disclosed. Yes, that is a flue pipe from the furnace in the crawl.

Meth Residue Found In House I Inspected
posted on November 15, 2009 01:31:20 am
A few months ago I did a pre-listing inspection on an unoccupied house for a family estate. The house was 90+ years old and in poor condition. A family member (a young female) had lived in the house for several years until the family members kicked her out for trashing the property and not paying the utility bills and taxes. I reported a LONG list of deficiencies. Recently I spoke with the real estate agent that represented the family and he told me they just had a closing on the house. The family (the sellers) had adjusted the price of the house down to $100k to account for needed repairs (per my report). A prospective buyer (the eventual buyer) talked to neighbors and found out the family member who lived in the house was a drug user and had the house tested for drugs. The test showed the presence of meth residue. Apparently she (the occupant) and her friends smoked meth in the house. If they had used the house as a meth lab I guess there would have been much more residue. When the test results showed the presence of meth residue the buyer was able to negotiate a price reduction of $20k. Naturally, when I inspected the house I saw no evidence of drug residue. My inspection agreement specifically excludes inspecting for illegal drug residue. If I had done the inspection for a buyer and the buyer later discovered the presence of drug residue I could find myself defending a law suit if I did not have that exclusion in my agreement.