Bruce Breedlove
08-22-2007, 12:01 AM
I think I found the cause of the sellers' drowsiness, headaches and nausea. This is the metal chimney connector serving the furnace. A new roof was installed 3 years ago. The roofers installed new plywood decking over the old rotted decking. (That's another issue.) I'm sure when they reinstalled the old rusted-out metal chimney they failed to reconnect it to the connector in the attic. (I have seen this done, er, not done, before.)
Interestingly, the re-roof was permitted (a mild surprise) but the inspector did not catch this. I guess it is possible the rotten connector and chimney were reconnected during the re-roof and later fell apart but I would have thought the inspector would have noticed their extremely poor condition.
This was a tri-level. The furnace was exhausting into the lower attic so the fumes could easily migrate into the upper level through the access door over the stairs.
Scary!
Interestingly, the re-roof was permitted (a mild surprise) but the inspector did not catch this. I guess it is possible the rotten connector and chimney were reconnected during the re-roof and later fell apart but I would have thought the inspector would have noticed their extremely poor condition.
This was a tri-level. The furnace was exhausting into the lower attic so the fumes could easily migrate into the upper level through the access door over the stairs.
Scary!