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  1. #1
    David Adams's Avatar
    David Adams Guest

    Default Yearly Safety Inspections

    Hi All. Just signed up here and doing my first post as the nag box keeps telling me to.

    Has there been any discussion of requiring a yearly inspection on homes and buildings like they do in some states with cars? This would solve a lot of problems when the time comes to sell a house, as well as probably saving a few lives and stopping a few fires.

    For example, I am selling a 45 year old house that I owned for 26 years. The inspector noted I had a single wall furnace vent that is too close to framing in the attic. But more alarming, he noted all the framing was charred and looks like it had been on fire. I think the furnace flue may have come loose at some time and was discharging hot fumes right on the frame members and the wood shingles. By sheer luck I had the whole roof including asphalt on shake shingles changed about 5 years ago and I think the roofing contractors put the flue back into the roof vent but never told me. I can tell because only the older frame parts were charred and not the newer OSB decking. This was an eye opener to me since it really looks like I had a fire in the attic at one time that fortunately self extinguished.

    Some sort of yearly inspection schedule would probably have caught the flue issues before it had a chance to to become more serious. Oh well, I will for sure be more vigilant in the future.

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Santa Rosa, CA
    Posts
    3,154

    Default Re: Yearly Safety Inspections

    Quote Originally Posted by David Adams View Post
    Hi All. Just signed up here and doing my first post as the nag box keeps telling me to.

    Has there been any discussion of requiring a yearly inspection on homes and buildings like they do in some states with cars? This would solve a lot of problems when the time comes to sell a house, as well as probably saving a few lives and stopping a few fires.

    For example, I am selling a 45 year old house that I owned for 26 years. The inspector noted I had a single wall furnace vent that is too close to framing in the attic. But more alarming, he noted all the framing was charred and looks like it had been on fire. I think the furnace flue may have come loose at some time and was discharging hot fumes right on the frame members and the wood shingles. By sheer luck I had the whole roof including asphalt on shake shingles changed about 5 years ago and I think the roofing contractors put the flue back into the roof vent but never told me. I can tell because only the older frame parts were charred and not the newer OSB decking. This was an eye opener to me since it really looks like I had a fire in the attic at one time that fortunately self extinguished.

    Some sort of yearly inspection schedule would probably have caught the flue issues before it had a chance to to become more serious. Oh well, I will for sure be more vigilant in the future.
    David,

    While yearly inspections might be a good idea, it is unlikely that people will be willing to spend 400+ for a home inspection on an annual basis. Maybe every 5-10 years; but that would not have done you any real good. A furnace should be looked at every year or two. We all have our cars/trucks tuned-up and the oil changed, but many of us do not maintain our furnaces.

    Department of Redundancy Department
    Supreme Emperor of Hyperbole
    http://www.FullCircleInspect.com/

  3. #3
    Ashley Eldridge's Avatar
    Ashley Eldridge Guest

    Default Re: Yearly Safety Inspections

    Quote Originally Posted by David Adams View Post
    Hi All. Just signed up here and doing my first post as the nag box keeps telling me to.

    Has there been any discussion of requiring a yearly inspection on homes and buildings like they do in some states with cars? This would solve a lot of problems when the time comes to sell a house, as well as probably saving a few lives and stopping a few fires.

    For example, I am selling a 45 year old house that I owned for 26 years. The inspector noted I had a single wall furnace vent that is too close to framing in the attic. But more alarming, he noted all the framing was charred and looks like it had been on fire. I think the furnace flue may have come loose at some time and was discharging hot fumes right on the frame members and the wood shingles. By sheer luck I had the whole roof including asphalt on shake shingles changed about 5 years ago and I think the roofing contractors put the flue back into the roof vent but never told me. I can tell because only the older frame parts were charred and not the newer OSB decking. This was an eye opener to me since it really looks like I had a fire in the attic at one time that fortunately self extinguished.

    Some sort of yearly inspection schedule would probably have caught the flue issues before it had a chance to to become more serious. Oh well, I will for sure be more vigilant in the future.
    That is the logic for the NFPA 211 and the Chimney Safety Institute of America to recommend that the chimney and venting system be inspected annually. If something gets missed one year hopefully it will be caught the next. It is easy to assume that as long as it appears to be operating properly nothing needs to be addressed. You have proven that is not the case.
    There is much more than cleaning out an annual accumulation of soot through sweeping that provides a benefit to the homeowner. Birds, squirrels, leaves etc. can all get in an unprotected chimney. Installation errors can be brought to the attention of the homeowner at that time as well.

    Ashley Eldridge
    CSIA Director of Education
    Chimney Safety Institute of America


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