Pre-drywall Inspections

Once a house is completed there are many building components sealed in walls and no longer visible. This includes structure, exterior wall openings, cooling and heating, electrical and plumbing. After moving into the house if there is a problem with these hidden systems then interior walls have to be opened up to gain visual access.

A pre-drywall inspection involves observing what eventually will be hidden inside the walls of your house. It is done before the walls are insulated and the drywall, also known as sheet rock or gypsum board, is installed. Hence the use of the term "pre-drywall".



I find components fail over time for several reasons.  Either because of age, a material defect or by it being  improperly installed. Components come with installation instructions. Typically the builder is required to install the components per those installation instructions. This may not happen. So if the installation does not look plausible based on the inspectors experience, then this is the time to ask questions of the builder before it gets sealed up in a wall.

In addition to considering having a pre-drywall inspection it can be beneficial for the buyer of the home to take photos of the interior of the open structure.  These photos should then be placed in a photo album for future reference. When a stain shows up on an interior surface you can refer to your photos as to whether there is an obvious water source there. Or some day, should you want to make an opening in a wall you will know what lies behind it. The photos can be a time saver for locating the cause of the problem and reduce the number of access holes you need to make.

Water Hammer Arrested

Home Improvement Store

We have an energy efficient washing machine that just recently started to cause a loud water hammer noise during the initial fill cycle. Water hammer occurs when the flow of water through pipes is suddenly stopped. The sudden stop of the water behind the valve creates an abrupt pressure spike that results in a loud "banging"  noise in the pipe which can damage the plumbing. 

I remember discovering this phenomena as a kid. Then turning the water on and off quickly to get that banging noise until my Dad told me to "knock it off" or something to that affect.

Reading the Instructions

After some internet research, I went to my local home improvement store and acquired two water hammer arresters. These arresters are designed to install between the hot and cold water hose bibs and the hoses which go to the wash machine. Following the instructions on the back of the packaging, and with the help of a pair of pliers, their installation was pretty straight forward and the process took maybe 15 minutes at most.

The result was positive. The water hammer or "banging" noise no longer occurs when the washing machine operates.

Final Installation

Now may also be a good time to replace any rubber washer hoses with the metal braided style hoses.  I've read that washing machine hose failure is the second leading cause of serious water damage to a home so this is a good item to be proactive on. I've seen the rubber hoses fail and it is not a pretty sight.

Electrical Box Openings

Take off as many electrical panel covers as I have and you are bound to see something out of the ordinary. When this electrical panel stuffed with insulation pieces was shown to the owner, he said he observed it some time ago and thought the insulation was placed there on purpose by an electrician.  He was a bit surprised when I informed him that in fact it was a mouse nest that needed to be removed. A mouse can slip through an opening as small as a dime and a mouse had taken advantage of such an opening in this electrical box.  

Again this was a rare find.  However, it is an important reminder to make sure there are not any unsealed openings in an electrical panel or uncovered outlets or light switches that expose electrical connections.

The obvious reason is to ensure that small children who may be prone to sticking things in openings aren't exposed to an electrical shock hazard.  Other reasons include keeping out the occasional unwanted pests that are looking for a nice warm place to call home but may damage electrical connections. Of course, anytime you have an electrical concern, you should always contact a licensed electrician to evaluate the problem to keep everyone in the home safe. Electricians have the special training and know-how to fix the problem properly.

Did you know that January is National Radon Action Month?

I'm sure you've heard how radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America. You can’t see, smell, or taste radon. Having your house tested for radon gas is a voluntary action and a strong recommendation for consumers by the US EPA and many real estate agents.  The EPA has designated January as National Radon Action Month so that people can learn more about the national effort to take action against radon.

Sometimes we do an inspection for a client and their prospective house has a radon remediation system already in it. It's still recommended by the EPA to routinely have the system evaluated to be sure it is working properly. More information about this and the national effort can be found at:  http://www.epa.gov/radon/nram/ 

The following story reinforces that recommendation for routinely having a radon system checked. We did a home inspection and in the corner of the house's basement was a radon mitigation system and a sump pump installation.  The sump was an amateur installation because the pump was just setting in a hole in the floor that was created by breaking out a section of basement concrete floor slab.

 In affect, the system's effectiveness of removing radon from the house had been compromised. How badly compromised would not be known without someone doing a radon test.  Either way, repairs were needed for proper operation of the radon mitigation system and sump pump.

Whether your home has a radon mitigation system or not, regular evaluation is recommended to insure that your home adequately addresses current radon exposure to your family.