Kyle, I have a home inspection happening on Friday which I plan to ask about this question, but I would like to get some of your thoughts on this. I am getting multiple different answers from some of my very handy friends so I would like to get to know if this is per code and if this is normal

Hey all. This house is 8 months old and has 2 locations where there were old house borer exit holes. The inspection report and insect report called it out but said they appear to be inactive. Anything else I need to do here or since it’s inactive am I good to go? No other spots were called out.

Just had a home inspection done and all things considered it went quite well. The two main concerns are the furnace which is 26 years old and has rust in the housing (inspector recommended getting into an insurance plan for 20 dollars a month). And the cold cellar ceiling under the front porch has a very rusted beam.

What are your thoughts with these items? Thanks!

Just did a home inspection for a place in Ohio. The inspector called out a vertical crack in the garage. He thought it looked okay, part of normal settling. My understanding vertical is better than horizontal. Is this normal or should an engineer be consulted?

Got quoted $20k for a retainer wall to support the fieldstone foundation in my house. Any thoughts on if it’s necessary based on the pics?

I’m looking to purchase this foreclosed home. Today was this first visit. I found these items listed.

The home is $249,900, great area. Floor plan: The Cade by Stanley Martin.

I know nothing about home structures or plumbing etc. would any of these images give you pause on purchasing? There seems to interior wall water damage in one of the upper bedrooms. Also, there is structural damage I guess on both windows downstairs.

I've got water getting behind two gutters at corners. Starting to negatively impact the wood. Thought maybe they were missing drip edge but looks like someone added a ton of sealant to the corner around the drip edge. I'm guessing the previous owner had the same issue and tried to fix it with a lot of sealant or they were careless and the sealant is causing the issue.

What would you do to fix it? Aside from taking it all off, my first thought was to add a small piece of drip edge, turned 90 degree, all around the corner to pull water further from the shingle before going into the gutter.

Hi, I'm trying to be a proactive homeowner and also enjoy fun gadgets (currently have a GQ Geiger counter), but would prefer something relatively affordable/reasonable (<$1000).

What are your detection device recommendations regarding:

• Moisture
• Thermal
• Electrical
• Gas
• Radon
• Circuit Breakers
• Anything else?

Thank you!

Hi everyone. We've unfortunately had a brush with dry rot in the last couple of years in our front room. Luckily that's all been sorted and the water ingress stopped. Unfortunately, we've found some more lovely mycelium on some wood in the attic. We're thinking it's more dry rot as it's not a well ventilated area although there aren't any signs of water ingress and the wood also still feels quite sturdy and not particularly weakened. Any opinions on what else it may be would be greatly appreciated as we had another scare that turned out to just be mine fungus. Thank you!

Noticed this spot on the ceiling of my kitchen (attic above) after yesterday’s rain. There are a few other spots on the ceiling that I’ve noticed before but I can’t tell if this has always been there. The spot does not feel damp or soft. My house is an older home but we moved in about 3 months ago.

is this indicating mold? in closet in apartment. It’s darker in person. in both bedroom closets. Apartment freshly painted everywhere including closets

Hi all first time homeowner here. I just bought a new home and unfortunately had to bypass inspection. Everything with house seemed well just old. Built in 1960. The house is mostly brick and concrete except for some wood paneling in a room in the basement. Today I noticed a panel that looked scratched until I put my finger on it and it pushed right through. This and one other panel seem to be the only panels with it. They are not next to each other. Does it appear to be rotted or terminate damage and how bad is this for me lol TIA

I am currently working for a health department in a grant funded companion program to codes investigation and housing that helps residents identify residential hazards, not as detailed as home inspectors or contractors but on a public health level according to the local sanitary code. I am not a housing inspector or code enforcement officer but can make referrals to them and work alongside them. I visit residents and ensure that there are smoke alarms on every level of the home and make sure that they are up to date and properly functioning. If they aren't, I am able install them and teach residents the importance of egress and escape plans to promote safety. I keep an eye out for electrical fire hazards and other fire hazards. I also focus on indoor air quality such as carbon monoxide safety, educating residents on the dangers of it and installing CO alarms, perform short-term radon testing, and helping residents identify asthma triggers and reducing them. The program is identical to healthy homes program if anyone is familiar with it.

After doing this for a few years an interest in becoming a home inspector has grown, so I am considering going to school and then starting a part time business. Is it realistic to have a successful part time home inspection business while I keep my full time job? I guess defining successful as:

• Generating meaningful income without requiring me to quit my full-time job
• Fits around my schedule of evenings and Sunday inspections
• Building a strong reputation and referral network
• Having room to become full-time if I ever choose to

I always appreciate getting feedback and hearing from other experienced people. TIA

**Legal question: Do I have grounds to pursue a construction defect claim against my builder in Washington, given the 1-year workmanship warranty has expired but the defect appears to be a latent/design issue?**

Background: Bought a new-construction home in Washington 3 years ago from a small regional builder (10-15 communities built so far). Roof started leaking a few months ago.

Two independent roofing contractors inspected it and both said the roof pitch is too flat for the shingle thickness used, so water pools instead of draining, and it’s getting into the house through the roof vents. They’re calling it an installation/design defect, not wear and tear.

Current status:

\*\*•\*\* Builder’s warranty only covered roof leaks for 1 year — already expired    
\*\*•\*\* Separate home warranty company denies it’s covered under their policy    
\*\*•\*\* Homeowners insurance denied the claim, saying it’s a construction defect, not sudden/accidental damage    
\*\*•\*\* Pre-purchase inspection was drone-only and reported no issues

So three parties are all declining responsibility. I have written reports from both roofers.

Specific questions:

\*\*1.\*\*  Does RCW 64.50 (WA’s construction defect statute) give me a path even though the 1-year warranty is expired? I understand WA has a 6-year statute of repose for latent defects — does that apply here?    
\*\*2.\*\*  Is there a required pre-suit notice process I need to follow before I can sue the builder?    
\*\*3.\*\*  Is the drone-only pre-purchase inspection a separate potential claim against the inspector, or unrelated to the builder issue?    
\*\*4.\*\*  What type of attorney should I be contacting — construction defect, real estate, or general civil litigation?

Willing to pay for a consult, just want to know if this is worth pursuing before I do. Thanks.

Location: WA

TPR for a tankless unit runs into the gas vent. Why?

I have crawlspace of 71ft x 26ft, 4ft tall. I got 2 quotes. One for 25k and one for 20k. They both doing 20mil vap barrier with drainage mat underneath and both doing aprilair dehumidifier with same wall insulation, this styrofoam looking stuff. They both installing electrical outlet for the crawlspace with a new door for crawlspace. 3600 for both places to remove the old fiberglass batts. I could save 3600 of the prices if i did that part myself. no mold remediation, and no sump pumps. I just work 6 days a week and dont have anyone to help me do this project , really dont wanna spend all that just for 5k worth of materials. Would any of yous even attempt getting a pest control person to do encapsulation, a lot of them do it in my area. The 2 quotes i got were from big foundation companies but best in the area.

Looking at an 1870 farmhouse in rural Illinois. Inspection came back with a cluster of structural findings and I’m trying to gauge severity before I pay for a structural engineer (which I plan to do regardless — just want to calibrate expectations and know what to ask them).

Really just trying to determine what is considered normal for a 150 year old house, vs what is alarming.

Update: We have decided to walk (run) away. Comments on this post were critical in the decision, along with overwhelmingly negative thoughts from family and friends. Thank you all again for the thoughtful and helpful responses!