It’s October, which means it’s officially scary season, the most wonderful time of the year! Maybe that’s just me. Now, there’s good scary, which is like a good old fashioned haunted house, and then there’s bad scary, which is when it’s something at your house. For this week’s Upon Closer Inspection we’ll be looking at some scary home inspection finds, which are unfortunately the bad kind of scary.
Here’s hoping you don’t find any of these scary home inspection issues at your house:
The Roof Was On Fire
That attic hasn’t been painted black: that is charred wood. And as you can see in the video, the wood is actually crumbling in places. After a fire, it’s important that any charred wood be thoroughly checked for the extent of charring to assess whether it needs to be replaced. While the charring itself doesn’t automatically mean the wood needs to be replaced, it needs to be evaluated by a structural engineer to be sure.
It hard to imagine many things scarier than a house fire. If you’re purchasing a home that has had a previous fire, gather as much information as possible about the cause of the fire, and all repairs done to confirm that both the cause and the damage have been remedied.
Frankenstein’s Microwave
What in the Weird Science is this? Literally, metal installed inside the microwave. I don’t even know what to say about this one so I will just say no. No.
Shocking, at Best
One almost has to hope this is a case of an epic DIY electrical fail and not a licensed electrician who didn’t know what they were doing. Because this is an electrical shock or a fried appliance waiting to happen at best, and an an electrical fire at worst. Those neutral wires should each have their own connections to prevent overheating, and the green bonding screw shouldn’t even be in the subpanel.
Those pointy screws he’s talking about often get used when placing the dead front cover on the electrical panel, rather than the required blunt tip screws. This is a serious hazard because when removing or installing the panel, the sharp tipped screws can occasionally make contact with wires, potentially shocking or electrocuting anyone in contact with the screw or panel.
This can also cause arcing, an event where electricity jumps from one connection to another. This visible plasma discharge between two electrodes is created by electrical current ionizing gasses in the air and can reach temperatures exceeding 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This can cause fires, damage to eyesight or hearing, severe burns, release poisonous gas, high-speed shrapnel, or create a shock wave explosion. So, really. Get the blunt-tipped screws for your electrical panel.
What Lurks in The Crawlspace
When you look into the crawlspace and the crawlspace looks back …
We’ve mentioned that this is the time of year that critters are going to be looking for ways into your home to find a nice warm spot to ride out the winter, and good fall home maintenance is to seal any gaps to prevent that. But if they’ve already moved in, they can be difficult to get out, especially squirrels, possums, rats, and mice that can get into the walls.
If you hear the pitter-patter of tiny footsteps under, above, or in the walls of your house, it’s probably time to call pest control.
By staying aware of the various systems of your house, and alert to changes when they occur, you can avoid most dangerous repair issues at home. Starting out with a thorough home inspection will help you to have a good working knowledge of the house from the get-go.
