Bruce Breedlove
08-02-2007, 10:05 PM
I got a call today from a client for whom I inspected a house two months ago. They were out-of-town buyers. They did not attend the inspection. I have never met them. Before today I had only talked to the husband.
The house was described to me as "very nice" and the only thing they had found wrong were two fogged windows. After I got done ripping the house apart I reported that the roof needed immediate repairs or replacement, the windows are a local (defunct) brand known to deteriorate shortly after the home warranty expires and the house has polybutylene piping (among other various and sundry other things). The husband called me later thanking me for doing such a good, thorough inspection.
Enter the unhappy wife. She called me today in a very ill temper. We had a brief but intense storm blow through Monday night and they had a leak into the basement mechanical room. Allow me to flesh out my inspection and report a bit so the facts make more sense.
I found no drainage problems around the foundation but many areas were covered by stone. I observed some honeycombing at the foundation above grade but it did not affect the structural integrity of the foundation wall.
I also observed a puddle of water on the basement mechanical room floor. The puddle was not near a wall and was near the water softener equipment and pressure tank (the house is on a well). I found no plumbing leaks in the mechanical room.
I showed the puddle to the buyer's agent. She asked if it was water. I told her it could be urine (perhaps a cat had been locked in the house and urinated there) but that testing it was beyond my scope of work.
The listing agent showed up and I showed him where the puddle had been (the puddle had evaporated by then). He informed me workmen had been in the house earlier that morning testing the well and well equipment and suggested they opened a valve somewhere and some water squirted on the slab. I agreed that was a distinct possibility.
I saw no signs of a water leak in the mechanical room other than the puddle.
Here is how I reported the above observations:
Site Drainage
Note: No significant deficiencies were observed in the site drainage. Stone ground cover prevented viewing the grade of the soil below in many areas. Any areas along the foundation that are lower than the surrounding grade should be regraded so that water will drain away from the foundation walls. Ideally the grade should drop at least 1” per foot for a minimum of 6’ from the foundation wall. Improve drainage as needed around the house.
Foundation
Note: No significant deficiencies were observed in the foundation walls. Minor cracking is typical. Honeycombs are generally cosmetic only. Most areas of the foundation walls were not visible due to insulation, interior finishes, backfill and vegetation.
Plumbing
Monitor: Water was observed on the floor of the basement mechanical room near the water softener equipment. The listing agent stated the well had been tested earlier in the day and may be the source of the water.
The wife's complaint:
They found water in the basement (don't know the extent) after the storm and called a plumber. The plumber did not find any leaks but lifted up the foundation wall insulation (fiberglass batts covered by clear sheet plastic) and found the insulation was "sopping wet". He also found stains on the foundation wall (behind the insulation) indicating the foundation wall has leaked for some time. The plumber went on the other side of the foundation wall and found the honeycomb and proclaimed that to be the source of the leak.
The wife asked me why I had not told them the foundation wall was leaking. I told her that I saw no indications the foundation wall was or had been leaking. She asked why I had not found the wet insulation and why I had not lifted up the insulation to find the stains. I told her the insulation was not noticeably wet at the time of the inspection and the source of the water on the floor appeared to be from testing the water softener equipment so there was no reason to suspect a leak at the foundation. And I don't lift up insulation to inspect foundation walls. Further, there had not been any large storms in the days before the inspection so the conditions for the leak had probably not been met before my arrival.
"Why didn't you tell us the honeycomb could leak and should be repaired? We got the other experts you recommended and we would have gotten the honeycomb repaired if you had only told us. Now we are STUCK!"
I told her that honeycombs are typically a cosmetic issue and do not normally leak when they are above grade except in extreme cases. I said, without knowing any more, the repair most likely is a simple fix - regrade the area along the foundation wall so it drains properly.
I asked the wife if the sellers disclosed a leak at the mechanical room. She said they had not but that they (the buyers) had discovered some caulking where the slab meets the foundation wall (a possible attempt to stop a leak). She has complained to her Realtor who contacted the listing agent. So far no response from the sellers. I told her that is the route I would recommend.
I am meeting the wife tomorrow afternoon to take a look at the situation. I feel that I have not done anything wrong and that I did not miss anything that I should have caught. I don't feel that I owe the buyers anything but I might refund the inspection fee if they press the issue. (The wife mentioned taking the issue to court if they have to. I got the impression she meant they might sue the sellers (and not me - but I don't know)).
Any advice on how to handle this situation?
Does anybody have a release form I could use in case I refund the fee?
No E&O insurance so we don't need to go down that road.
The photo of the honeycomb was not included in the report because it appeared to be a cosmetic issue only. (And I still think it is a cosmetic issue regardless of what the plumber says. If the grading below the stonescaping is incorrect water can find its way through the foundation wall any number of places. THAT is beyond my ability to detect.)
No pic of the puddle; it just didn't rank up there on my radar at the time.
The house was described to me as "very nice" and the only thing they had found wrong were two fogged windows. After I got done ripping the house apart I reported that the roof needed immediate repairs or replacement, the windows are a local (defunct) brand known to deteriorate shortly after the home warranty expires and the house has polybutylene piping (among other various and sundry other things). The husband called me later thanking me for doing such a good, thorough inspection.
Enter the unhappy wife. She called me today in a very ill temper. We had a brief but intense storm blow through Monday night and they had a leak into the basement mechanical room. Allow me to flesh out my inspection and report a bit so the facts make more sense.
I found no drainage problems around the foundation but many areas were covered by stone. I observed some honeycombing at the foundation above grade but it did not affect the structural integrity of the foundation wall.
I also observed a puddle of water on the basement mechanical room floor. The puddle was not near a wall and was near the water softener equipment and pressure tank (the house is on a well). I found no plumbing leaks in the mechanical room.
I showed the puddle to the buyer's agent. She asked if it was water. I told her it could be urine (perhaps a cat had been locked in the house and urinated there) but that testing it was beyond my scope of work.
The listing agent showed up and I showed him where the puddle had been (the puddle had evaporated by then). He informed me workmen had been in the house earlier that morning testing the well and well equipment and suggested they opened a valve somewhere and some water squirted on the slab. I agreed that was a distinct possibility.
I saw no signs of a water leak in the mechanical room other than the puddle.
Here is how I reported the above observations:
Site Drainage
Note: No significant deficiencies were observed in the site drainage. Stone ground cover prevented viewing the grade of the soil below in many areas. Any areas along the foundation that are lower than the surrounding grade should be regraded so that water will drain away from the foundation walls. Ideally the grade should drop at least 1” per foot for a minimum of 6’ from the foundation wall. Improve drainage as needed around the house.
Foundation
Note: No significant deficiencies were observed in the foundation walls. Minor cracking is typical. Honeycombs are generally cosmetic only. Most areas of the foundation walls were not visible due to insulation, interior finishes, backfill and vegetation.
Plumbing
Monitor: Water was observed on the floor of the basement mechanical room near the water softener equipment. The listing agent stated the well had been tested earlier in the day and may be the source of the water.
The wife's complaint:
They found water in the basement (don't know the extent) after the storm and called a plumber. The plumber did not find any leaks but lifted up the foundation wall insulation (fiberglass batts covered by clear sheet plastic) and found the insulation was "sopping wet". He also found stains on the foundation wall (behind the insulation) indicating the foundation wall has leaked for some time. The plumber went on the other side of the foundation wall and found the honeycomb and proclaimed that to be the source of the leak.
The wife asked me why I had not told them the foundation wall was leaking. I told her that I saw no indications the foundation wall was or had been leaking. She asked why I had not found the wet insulation and why I had not lifted up the insulation to find the stains. I told her the insulation was not noticeably wet at the time of the inspection and the source of the water on the floor appeared to be from testing the water softener equipment so there was no reason to suspect a leak at the foundation. And I don't lift up insulation to inspect foundation walls. Further, there had not been any large storms in the days before the inspection so the conditions for the leak had probably not been met before my arrival.
"Why didn't you tell us the honeycomb could leak and should be repaired? We got the other experts you recommended and we would have gotten the honeycomb repaired if you had only told us. Now we are STUCK!"
I told her that honeycombs are typically a cosmetic issue and do not normally leak when they are above grade except in extreme cases. I said, without knowing any more, the repair most likely is a simple fix - regrade the area along the foundation wall so it drains properly.
I asked the wife if the sellers disclosed a leak at the mechanical room. She said they had not but that they (the buyers) had discovered some caulking where the slab meets the foundation wall (a possible attempt to stop a leak). She has complained to her Realtor who contacted the listing agent. So far no response from the sellers. I told her that is the route I would recommend.
I am meeting the wife tomorrow afternoon to take a look at the situation. I feel that I have not done anything wrong and that I did not miss anything that I should have caught. I don't feel that I owe the buyers anything but I might refund the inspection fee if they press the issue. (The wife mentioned taking the issue to court if they have to. I got the impression she meant they might sue the sellers (and not me - but I don't know)).
Any advice on how to handle this situation?
Does anybody have a release form I could use in case I refund the fee?
No E&O insurance so we don't need to go down that road.
The photo of the honeycomb was not included in the report because it appeared to be a cosmetic issue only. (And I still think it is a cosmetic issue regardless of what the plumber says. If the grading below the stonescaping is incorrect water can find its way through the foundation wall any number of places. THAT is beyond my ability to detect.)
No pic of the puddle; it just didn't rank up there on my radar at the time.