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Home Inspector San Diego – The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company

Archive for the ‘Health and Safety’ Category

Understanding Firewalls

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

Firewalls are one of the most important, yet least understood safety items that a home inspector checks. It is one of the many passive safety features built into a house that is often over-looked during a home inspection. Just like the air bag in your car we hope that it is never needed.

The intent of the firewall between the attached garage and the living space is intended to slow the spread of fire from the garage to the living space. In order to accomplish this several components of a house must be made of fire resistive materials, and all must be working together for the system to work. Drywall used on the garage side of walls shared with living space must have a one hour fire resistive surface. If the garage ceiling is not covered with drywall,

Fire wall to roof

then the common walls between the garage and living space must be covered all the way up to the underside of the roof sheating. You may see open rafters in the garage which is OK as long as there is no living space above the garage. In this example, if a fire starts in the garage, it cannot easily spread to the living space, or the attic above the living space. It will be contained to the garage.

In the picture below, there are numerous breaches in the firewall which must be addressed to restore the integrity of the firewall. Even though the fire-rated drywall extends up to the roof, a section of drywall was removed by the water heater due to some water damage. This must be patched. Fire could otherwise race up the wall if the water heater caught on fire. Other breaches include a missing switchplate cover at the garage light switch, and large holes in the drywall above the furance where the refrigerant lines pass into the attic. Finally, the fire rated door does not have a functional auto-closing device which is required in California to keep this door closed.

Several breaches observed in this firewall

When the garage is “finished” and no framing members are exposed, the ceiling of the garage should be covered with 5/8 inch thick fire-rated drywall. In one story houses, this is necessary when the attic space over the house and garage are open, and there is no firewall between the space over the garage, and over the house.

Unfortunately many homeowners install pull-down ladders to access the attic space above the garage for storage.

Firewall required at ceiling of garage

The problem is that most pull down ladders are not fire-rated. They are typically covered with a thin sheet of plywood that would quickly burn in the event of a fire. Homeowners who understand the concept of a firewall often try to remedy this by attaching a piece of drywall to the underside of the pull down ladder. The intent is that when it is in the closed position it should restore the integrity of the firewall ceiling. Most of the time the added weight of the drywall prevents the ladder from closing all the way leaving a gap. This gap will allow fire to get into the attic and is a breach of the firewall.

Note: wood pull-down ladders are acceptacle when a firewall exists in the attic between the areas above the garage and house. Fire-rated pull-down ladders are available.

Another common homeowner mistake is to installed recessed lights in the garage. When doing so, a box must be constructed around the light fixture to maintain the fire-retardancy of the ceiling. This can be done by using fire-rated drywall.

We often see holes cut into the firewall in attics between the garage and living space. These are often done to run

: Hole in attic firewall

wires, or access a portion of the attic more easily. Your home inspector should be catching these items for repair as they are safety hazards. All breaches in the firewall must be patched. All drywall seams must be properly sealed with drywall compound, and small holes and penetrations must be filled with a firewall caulking.

Finally, the door between the garage and living space must be a fire-rated door. In most municipalities in California this door must be fire-rated to resist burn through for 20 minutes. This door can be a solid wood door or a metal door. The doors should have a fire rating tag on the top edge of the door, or at the hinge edge of the door. but these are often removed or painted over. In addition to being fire-rated, this door must close and latch without assistance. This is accomplished with a spring loaded hinge or a gas shock mounted at the top of the door.

About the author: Philippe Heller is the President of The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company in San Diego, CA. Comments are always welcome! Please visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sdinspections

While this post is neither an exhaustive explanation of the building fire code, nor a substitute for a professional evaluation, it should give you a good idea of what home inspectors look for in the garage. If you have specific questions about the requirements for your house, please check with your local building department or a local home inspector.

Tags: Firewall, Garage inspection
Posted in Health and Safety | No Comments »

Update on New Carbon Monoxide Detector Law

Saturday, December 4th, 2010

Our Home Inspectors will start checking for CO detectors

New law requires Carbon Monoxide Detectors

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This is an updated post regarding California Senate Bill 183 which was signed into lawearlier this year.

California Senate Bill 183 was signed into law to regulate the installation of Carbon Monoxide detectors. The law is a two-part law that requires an update to the Transfer Disclosure Statements used in a real estate transaction, and puts into law the Carbon Monoxide Poisonng Prevention Act of 2010.

The first part of the new law requires that as of July 1, 2011, Transfer Disclosure Statements (TD forms) include a line item regarding the presence or absence of a Carbon Monoxide detector in the same manner as Smoke Detectors, for all residential units that are sold. This applies to just about all types of occupancies from single family owner-occupied and rentals, to multi-family housing. If the property is being sold, it must now include a CO Detector if the dwelling has gas appliances, fireplaces, and/or attached garages as described below.

The second part of the law enacts the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 which requires that all residential properties, not just those being sold, be equipped with a Carbon Monoxide detector when the property has a fossil fuel burning heater or appliance, fireplace, and/or an attached garage. All single-family homes in structures with 1-4 units (owner or tenant occupied) must be equipped with a detector on or before July 1, 2011.

All other multi-family residential units must be equipped with a detector on or before January 1, 2013, not just those being sold.

For rentals, the Carbon Monoxide detector must be operable at the time the tenant takes possession. A tenant is responsible for notifying the owner or owner’s agent if the tenant becomes aware of an inoperable or deficient carbon monoxide detector within his or her unit. The owner or owner’s agent must correct any reported deficiencies in the carbon monoxide detector and will not be in violation of this section for a deficient or inoperable carbon monoxide detector when he or she has not received notice of the deficiency or inoperability.

The bottom line is that ALL SINGLE FAMILY residential dwelling units as of July 1, 2011 must have a CO detector, even those that are not being sold. All other dewlling units (multi-family, dormatories, hotels, motels, etc) must have CO detectors installed by January 1, 2013.

Carbon Monoxide Detector

Expect to see this new inspection item in your home inspection report. Home inspectors will be required to report on the presence or absence of a working Carbon Monoxide detector just like they report on Smoke Detectors, and water heater strapping.

Home Buyers and Sellers will also see this new requirement on Transfer Disclosure Statements. In addition to Smoke Alarms and strapped water heaters, sellers will be required to disclose the presence or absence of a working Carbon Monoxide detector starting July 1, 2011.

Details of SB 183

This bill requires that Transfer Disclosure Statements (TDS Forms) include a line items for Carbon Monoxide Detectors just like Smoke Detectors. This applies to homes intended for human occupancy that have a fossil fuel (gas or wood) burning appliance, fireplace, and/or an attached garage.

The remedy for failure to install a device is actual damages not to exceed $100, exclusive of any court costs and attorney’s fees. The Bill revises the statutory Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement to require the seller of a one-to-four residential property or manufactured home to make certain disclosures regarding carbon monoxide devices, smoke detectors, and water heaters, and requires the owner of a rental dwelling unit to maintain carbon monoxide devices in the unit (as of January 1, 2013).

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010

Details: As of July 1, 2011, Carbon Monoxide detectors will be REQUIRED in all houses (1 – 4 units) if they have any of the following:

Any gas appliances such as a gas stove, gas furnace, gas fireplace, gas water heater, etc.
A fireplace (even if it only burns wood, pellets, or any other material).
An attached garage (even if there are no gas appliances in the house!). Cars continue to emit CO even after they are shut off.
ANY rental dwelling that meets the criteria listed above. Yes this means that if you own a house, condo, or townhouse that you rent to another human being, you are REQUIRED to install Carbon Monoxide detectors.
As of January 1, 2013, ALL multi-family dwellings including multi-family dwellings that meet the criteria listed above will be required to have Carbon Monoxide detectors. Even those that are not being sold will be required to have them just like smoke detectors.

Be sure the home you are buying or selling is safe. A qualified home inspector will provide the information you need to feel confident about your home buying decision. Don’t compromise when choosing a home inspector. Be sure to ask if they will check for this.

You can read the entire new Carbon Monoxide Bill here.

The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company feels that Carbon Monoxide detecors are as important, or more, than a traditional smoke detector. We will will add this as an inspection item effective immediately. We want to get this information out to buyers and sellers. Most Carbon Monoxide detectors cost $50 or less.

To keep up with this story and more, please “Like” us on Facebook today!

Tags: Carbon Monoxide Law, CO detector
Posted in Health and Safety, Inspection News | No Comments »

Rats like your house as much as you do

Saturday, November 13th, 2010

Rats are cute, but they can carry disease and damage your house

Rats are a fact of life in San Diego County. They are found everywhere from downtown and rural areas, to poor and rich neighborhoods alike. But you should not put up with rats living in your attic. Rats

rat chewing wires

can carry disease, and you do not have to come in contact with them to be affected. Hantavirus can be contracted by breathing in dust contaminated by rodent feces. Other diseases can be spread from bites, or fleas that bite the rats and then bite you. Rats can also chew through the insulation on wires causing a fire hazard. They nest in heating ducts, in your walls, and even in your cupboards.

When you are buying a house, you need to be aware that a traditional “pest inspection” does not report on rodent infestation. The inspection performed during a transaction is called a WDO or Wood Destroying Organism inspection. They inspect for termites, carpenter ants, dry rot, fungus – anything that will destroy wood. Rats and mice are not included as a Wood Destroying Organism.

Your home inspector is also not responsible for reporting on rodent infestation. Most home inspectors are not licensed pest inspectors. Pest inspectors are required to be licensed by the State of California. In the interest of your health and safety, if we see evidence of rodent infestation we will recommend additional investigation which we feel is in your best interest. So if we observe piles of poop, strong urine odor, or numerous traps in your attic, we’ll let you know.

San Diego County Vector Control is responsible for controlling any source of disease that can be transmitted by animals or insects. This includes rats, mice, mosquitos, etc. They have put together this video which illustrates how rats affect a house, and what you can do about it. To keep rats out of your home, follow these steps. You may even be able to get a free inspection.

If you have a heavy infestation you may have to have your attic sanitized. This can be costly. All of the insulation has to be removed if it is saturated with urine and feces, all of the waste must be carefully removed, and insulation must then be replaced. If you are concerned about a rodent infestation, you may need an additional inspection from an exterminator.

About the author: Philippe Heller is the president of The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Co, one of the largest private home inspection companies in San Diego. Their team of home inspectors have your health and safety at the top of their list when performing an inspection. Visit their website today to see how they use the latest technology to perform the best inspections available.

Tags: Hantavirus, Mice, Rats, Rodents
Posted in Health and Safety | No Comments »

How are home sales in San Diego?

Friday, October 15th, 2010

So how is Real Estate doing in San Diego? We have compiled interesting information below. Despite what is often reported in the news, there is a lot of activity.

San Diego Recently Sold Homes

San Diego Recently Sold Homes

Posted in Health and Safety | No Comments »

High Water Pressure can Cost You Money

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Optimizing Your Irrigation System Can Save You Money

Much of the water used for irrigation is wasted in the form of over-spray. With water rates sky-rocketing, controlling waste is perhaps the easiest adjustment you can make to save money. The first step is simple; simply adjust sprinkler heads so that they

Sprinkler Over-Spray

don’t water your driveway, sidewalks, or your house. Not only will you avoid damage to your siding, but you may avoid possible fines.

Sprinklers spraying on a house can cause thousands of dollars in damage. This is one of the most frequently listed items in our home inspection reports. Even stucco will become damaged by long-term exposure to sprinklers. Wood and hard-board siding are particularly subject to damage from over-spray. If you have sprinklers spraying directly on your house, fix it as soon as possible.

Most sprinklers have an adjustment screw on top which allows you to make small adjustments to the spray pattern. In some cases you may have to re-locate the sprinklers. A good option for correcting sprinklers located too close the the house is to convert the sprinkler heads to a drip system.

In addition to over-spray and possible fines, simply having high water pressure can waste water. This may not be obvious, but water forced out of a sprinkler at high pressure becomes atomized – like a fine mist. Instead of falling onto your garden, this mist can be blown away or evaporate quickly. Many parts of San Diego have very high pressure at the street. Often, the

Sprinkler Mist

irrigation system is plumbed directly off the water supply, and can have pressure as high as 130 psi. If this is the case, have a pressure regulator installed. It will pay for itself by reducing your water consumption. You won’t have to water as long to adequate coverage for your garden.

A well designed irrigation system can also save water and result in a healthier garden. Rain Bird has an excellent white paper on how to design a system. Consider converting some of your sprinkler heads to a drip system. Drip systems allow you to concentrate water directly at the root system. This is particularly beneficial for shrubs, trees, roses and bushes. This is particularly beneficial near the house.

The City of San Diego’s mandatory water restrictions went into effect on June 1, 2009.
Here are the Level 2 mandatory restrictions residents must abide by:

Landscape irrigation is limited to no more than three assigned days per week from June 1- Oct. 31. Those days are:

* On your watering day, you may only water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

* Landscape irrigation using sprinklers is limited to no more than ten minutes maximum per watering station per assigned day (does not apply to drip, micro-irrigation, stream rotor, rotary heads, hose end sprinklers with timers or valves operated by a weather-based irrigation controller).

* Trees and shrubs not irrigated by a landscape irrigation system may be watered no more than three assigned days per week by using a hand-held container, hand-held hose with positive shut-off nozzle, or low-volume soaker hose.

* Irrigation of nursery and commercial growers’ products is permitted in the hours between 6 p.m. and
10 a.m. or at any time when using a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle, hand-held container, or drip, micro-irrigation.

* Irrigation of nursery propagation beds is permitted at any time.

* Vehicle washing is permitted only in the hours between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. with a hand-held container or a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle for quick rinses, or at any time on the immediate premises of a commercial car wash. Vehicle washing required for public health and safety is exempt.

* Water use by commercial car washes which do not use partially re-circulated water will be reduced in volume by an amount determined by the City Council.

* All leaks must be stopped or repaired upon discovery or within 72 hours of notification by the City of San Diego.

* Bird baths, koi ponds and any ornamental water feature using a re-circulating pump and which does not shoot water into the air are allowed under Level 2. Water fountains which discharge into the air a jet or stream of water are banned under Level 2 restrictions.

However, these fountains may be operated for maintenance purposes. Any water feature that does not re-circulate water is banned. * Use of recycled or non-potable water is required for construction purposes when available.

* Water use from fire hydrants is limited to fire fighting, City meter installation as part of the Fire Hydrant Meter Program, and for public health and safety reasons.

* Construction operations will not use water obtained by a fire hydrant meter for uses other than normal construction activity.

Specific supply reductions to local agencies may vary depending on how much of its total water supply each agency receives from the Water Authority. Urban water use restrictions may vary among local retail agencies. Most local ordinances generally reflect the Water Authority’s model drought response ordinance.

Info from the San Diego County Water Authority.

About the author: Philippe Heller is President of The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Co.

Posted in Health and Safety | 1 Comment »