I just received information from members of my church who operate a local chapter of Friends Disaster Service (FDS) about a group of volunteers working on shelters/homes for Haiti relief in order to provide basic living.  Evidently these shelters can be moved down to Haiti for use after construction.  This is being done through CORE which is an organizing association of local churches that mobilizes to provide aid similar to FDS.   I am not familiar with CORE, but I am familiar with those participating and they are good people doing the lords work.  If you are looking for a way to contribute meaningful time I recommend you look into this further and donate time if you can.  They are also taking donations via mail or off the FDS web site.  These projects are often rewarding not only in knowing you have helped others get a hand up, but you often meet quality people and build relationships that last.

Check out the posting on the FDS web site

Check out the posting on the CORE web site

You never know what you will find embedded in a roof in Houston.  I was looking at a roof recently and found no less than 3 bullets of different calibers embedded into the roofing membrane.  Not sure if the bullet removed is a 9mm or .38 but it is about that size.  Over the years I have found everything from .22 to 30-06 rifle rounds in roofs. I keep a bucket in my office with bullets for show.

These bullets puncture the roofing and can result in leaks into the building. I suspect they occur mostly during holidays when people shoot into the air.  Makes you wonder what else they hit.

I recently got a phone call from a good friend of mine asking where he could find information on to potential for flooding of a property he was considering purchasing.  I have looked into this in the past for another friend of mine who was looking to by property near Galveston along a bayou who wanted to know the same thing so I was more or less ready to answer.  This is not something my company provides as a service, but I thought I could help out a friend and the information would be at least useful to my clients and could be shared here.

My search brought me to the FEMA web site.  In addition to homeland security information and other disaster related information they have an organized method of searching flood maps.  There are a couple of ways for consumers to look up flood plane data.  It takes a little time to find what you are looking for, and you should have a relatively fast connection if you want to do this quickly, but overall it is pretty efficient and the information interesting.  You can be easily side tracked if you are interested in this subject at all.  The maps are located at: FEMA Floor Maps

Another resource is to have an elevation certification done by your surveyor on the house when you purchase the home.  This is often required when your home is known to exist in the 100 year flood plane in order to determine if the interior elevation is at risk of flooding.  Contact a surveyor for more information on this topic.

After January 1, 2010, R-22 can no longer be manufactured for use in new equipment.  Only previously used and recovered refrigerant may be use in newly manufactured systems, and as a result manufactures have ceased production of R-22 equipment and switched to the use of R-410A for residential cooling systems.  This can affect your pocketbook as a home buyer or home owner and is an important consideration when you are considering the purchase of a home having older HVAC equipment.  When an older system requires repair, there may no longer be new R-22 equipment to complete significant repair and depending upon what needs to be replaced, this may result in a need to replace the entire cooling system.  Replacement may be necessary because R-410A systems operate at much higher refrigerant pressures.  This means that if your compressor fails or your condensing coils deteriorate and leak requiring replacement, your old evaporator coil will also require replacement to insure it can perform at the higher operating pressure of the new R-410A condensing unit.  Fortunately many new evaporator coils are dual rated for R-22 or R-410A allowing you to replace the evaporator coil of an R-22 system with a newer coil which is dual rated and use it with your existing R-22 condensing unit, but should you?  The answer to that question will depend upon the overall age and remaining life expectancy of the system.  Your installer should be able to help you asses this concern based upon the age and condition of your system and the overall costs for repair.  As we move closer to 2015, it will be more cost effective to replace the system with failure of any component.

If you have an R-22 system which is not very old then you may still have some maintenance considerations which could raise the price of maintaining your system.  If your system should develop leaks or require repairs that will result in a need to add or replace refrigerant, you will likely have to pay higher prices for R-22.  With systems frequently lasting 12-18 years, equipment purchased in 2009 may still be in use when R-22 is completely phased out.  The EPA is requiring that R-22 production be heavily reduced in 2015 and ceased in 2020.  It is expected that as we approach 2015 that R-22 prices may significantly increase as demand exceeds available production and recovery.

For more information on the phase out schedule and its expected effects visit the EPA web site.

In performing an inspection in Montgomery this week I ran into the use of CSST (Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing) as the gas distribution system for the home I was inspecting.  I have read articles on the use of this system for several years and the problems they have had with respect to bonding to protect the system during electrical storms.

Since I do not frequently see this in the Houston area I decided to do some basic reading to re-familiarize myself with this product and found an interesting web site which had pulled together much of the information from other sites I visited when obtaining an overview of the product.   Based upon this article and many it links to there is some concern that it is possible CCST can be damaged by direct or indirect electrical strikes allowing it to leak an create a fire.

It looks like this information may be of use to some of my clients who are considering the use of the product or homes having it installed.  This site has a good description of CSST and the problems associated with it along with links to supporting information and can be found at the "Factoid" link below.

Factoid Article

IAEI Web Site Blog On Bonding CSST (Image from article above)

The State of Texas will implement a mail-in rebate program to help residents replace older, inefficient appliances with new, ENERGY STAR®  qualified and ultra-efficient appliances. The program is tentatively scheduled to begin in April 2010 to coincide with Earth Day activities, and will continue until funds are expended. The key here is to get your rebate files before the money runs out.  Below are some links that will give you more information on this program.  You will find a table of rebate values at the State Energy Conservations Office (SECO).

For Mor Information Visit these Links:

State Energy Conservation Office

US Department of Energy

ABC News: Cash for Appliances: Rebates for Energy Saving Purchases

I have been intending to write an article on a problem I see frequently in new construction, and some old, which are gaps at cornice details at the roof interface.  I see this problem frequently in new construction and in homes constructed in the last 10 years or so.  When I am doing inspection work on homes a few years old, and in a few cases in new construction, I find trails and nests in the attic space where it is clear some type of animal has been living in the attic.

I contacted a manufacturer of fiber-cement product with a query as to whether they require the clearances or not since it is not clearly stated in the specification sheets I have reviewed (these do change from time to time).  They replied with photos of a recommended solution for both new construction and existing construction.  In existing construction this will require removal and reinstallation of some cornice detail materials.

The article and details can be found by clicking this link.

Storing your roofing materials in the rain is normally a bad idea.  It is difficult to dry out the materials prior to installation and violates most roofing manufacturer’s installation recommendations/specifications.  Not a great idea to install wet roofing materials which they were about to do on this job site.  It’s pretty easy to put a tarp or plastic on materials stored on a pallet so storing your roofing materials in the mud and rain may also indicate the general care in your construction.

So you are buying a house and you are wondering what types of inspections you need to schedule.  There are a lot of choices, and they can be overwhelming.  Let’s list just a few: general home inspections, do you hire an engineer or TREC inspector, plumbing, HVAC, indoor air quality, hazardous materials, water entry, siding, pool, and the list can go on.

While it is a given that you should hire a professional engineering contractor as your best value, it is a good idea to also get is a wood-destroying insect inspection from a reputable and licensed pest control contractor.  Why should you always include a pest control inspection?  Because along with foundation problems, damage by insects, such as subterranean termites or dry wood termites, are one of the most expensive problems you can have, and a good quality pest control inspection can help to uncover such damage.  It is also a good time to get treatment if you need it because often the seller will cover the cost.

Wood-destroying insect inspections are performed by stated licensed inspectors who are highly regulated by the state, which dictates what forms the inspector must use and the scope of the inspection; however, there are still differences in the quality of service you can receive.  Although price is not necessarily a determination of quality, typically, a quality service will not be the cheapest contractor in town.  You should be carful of shopping for the cheapest inspection.  Cheap prices normally equate to minimal time inspecting, which is also the reason that an “all-in-one” inspection where this service is offered by a TREC inspector is not always the best deal.  Typically, better contractors focus on this task and will spend more time on site looking for insects and indicators.  They spend more time knowing where to look, what to look at, and how to understand what they find.  Experience is a significant consideration in this field.  In my experience I have found a number of contractors are there and gone before I even realize they have been there, and in those cases, I sometimes find concerns they overlook, requiring they return.  Keep in mind that you should develop a relationship with a pest control contractor, and this is a good time to start.  Bugs are a fact of life in our climate and you want to find a quality contractor you can trust to provide seasonal services for your new home over its life.

Another consideration is when to schedule your inspection.  Often engineers performing property condition inspection and pest control inspectors work together to provide you with the best quality.  Additionally, wood-destroying insect inspectors have a narrowly defined scope and do not cover aspects of the inspection or evaluations that are considered by other inspectors, such as an engineer.  Most pest control inspectors cannot comment on structure and engineers cannot comment on the existence wood destroying insects directly.  I recommend that you get your condition of property inspection and your pest control inspection scheduled at the same time.  The companies I enjoy working with often bring to my attention conditions or pests which can indicate other problems, such as water entry or insects which might indicate water entry, which either brings the condition to my attention or confirms information I may already have.  I am often able to bring conditions which might result in wood destroying insects to their condition or to provide information on the specific or possible significance damage depending upon visibility.  This integration can result in significant insight into site conditions and it is best when the two contractors can work together.  There is always truth that the more eyes the better as well.  This also allows your inspector to comment on damage, deterioration, or conditions that are not within the scope of your pest control inspector.

You may want to consider additional inspections based upon information collected during a condition of property evaluation; however, when considering the purchase of a property your engineering inspection contractor and a quality pest control contractor provide a good starting point performing your due diligence to determine the general condition of a property.

I noticed in one of the trade orgnization newsletters I get that the Consumer Product Safty Commission has recalled some home improvement books.  If you use these please look into it.

Home Improvement Books Recalled by Oxmoor House Due to Faulty Wiring Instructions; Shock or Fire Hazard to  Consumers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following products. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.