1) Limitations: Many wall, floor and/or ceiling surfaces were obscured by large amounts of furniture and/or stored items. Many areas couldn't be evaluated. Basement walls and ceilings were finished so could not be fully evaluated.

2) An insufficient number of smoke alarms are installed. Additional smoke alarms should be installed as necessary so a functioning one exists in each hallway leading to bedrooms, and in each bedroom. For more information, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5077.html

3) Windows throughout the house need need maintenance, prime and paint, especially in high moisture areas such as bathrooms.

4) Cover plate(s) are missing from one or more electric boxes, such as for receptacles, switches and/or junction boxes.(SW room) They are intended to contain fire and prevent electric shock from exposed wires. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of fire and shock. Cover plates should be installed where missing.

5) Windows Frames and sills in general need priming and painting to prevent condensation from causing deterioration.

6) Windows not accessible in SE bedroom

7) One or more hornet, bee and/or wasp nests were found. These can pose a safety hazard. Nest(s) should be removed as necessary.

8) Guardrails are loose and/or wobbly in one or more areas. This is a safety hazard. A qualified contractor should evaluate and make repairs as necessary, such as installing new fasteners or hardware, installing additional fasteners and/or installing additional railing components as necessary so they are securely attached.

9) Front wood vent has deterioration and needs repairs.

10) Birds appear to be getting into the attic, possibly through a roof vent. Have this evaluated and remedied by a qualified contractor.

11) Screens need replacing on back porch and door needs diagonal support to correct sagging.

12) Minor cracks were found in the driveway. However they don't appear to be a structural concern and no trip hazards were found. No immediate action is recommended, but the client(s) may wish to have repairs made or have cracked sections replaced for aesthetic reasons. The gap between the driveway and garage apron should be filled with appropriate material (asphalt or sealnt) to limit water penenetration that could accelerate deterioration.

13) Window glazing putty at one or more windows is missing and/or deteriorated. (garage window)Putty should be replaced and/or installed where necessary. For more information, visit:
http://www.google.com/search?q=replacing+glazing+putty

14) Wood boring bees have caused some damage that should be repaired on face trim.

15) Recommend cleaning deck(s) and treating with a preservative claiming to waterproof, block ultraviolet light, and stop mildew. Consumer Reports recommends these products:

• Cabot Decking Stain and PTW Stain
• Olympic Water Repellent Deck Stain
• Thompson's House and Deck Stain
• Wolman PTW Deck Stain
• Akzo Sikkens Cetol DEK
• Benjamin Moore Moorwood Clear Wood Finish
• DAP Woodlife Premium
• Olympic Natural Look Protector Plus

16) Soil is in contact with or less than six inches from siding and/or trim. This is a conducive condition for wood destroying insects and organisms. If possible, the soil should be graded and/or removed as necessary so there are at least six inches of space between the siding and trim and the soil below, or these areas should be monitored for rot. Also, trim is very close to roofing. These areas should be monitored and maintained well since they will deteriorate more quickly because of splash up and snow contact.

17) Roofing butting to vinyl j- channel and not properly flashed. This does not appear to be a problem currently but some water is getting under the new roofing and on to the old layer. Monitor this and if a problems arises flashing should be added to these areas.

18) Some cut in various places were found in the shingle due to careless workmanship. These are not all the way through but should be monitored since they may develop problems premturely. An old satellite base is not properly caulked around.

19) The pull-down attic stairs in the attached garage ceiling aren't fire-rated. This ceiling should have a one-hour fire rating to slow or prevent the spread of fire from the attached garage to attic spaces above the living areas. A qualified contractor should evaluate and make modifications to these stairs as necessary so they have a one hour fire rating. Other options include removing them or replacing them with commercially made, fire-rated stairs. Examples of possible solutions include:

• Installing 5/8 inch Type X sheetrock on the lower surface of the stair door and eliminating gaps around the edges of the door.
• Removing the stairs and installing a traditional hatch made with 5/8 inch Type X sheetrock.
• Installing a Battic Door and installing sheetrock over it as described at their website.
• Replacing these stairs with fire-rated stairs such as those from:

http://www.calvertusa.com/

20) The interior perimeter of the garage is excluded from this inspection due to lack of access from stored items.

21) No self closing hinges on garage door. These are recommended as a saftey precaution for doors that enter the house from the garage to prevent fumes and/or fire from entering the living space.

22) Evidence of "light to moderate" rodent infestation was found in one or more areas. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) defines this as less than 20 feces per square foot. Rodent infestation may be a safety hazard due to the risk of contracting Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). HPS is a rare (only 20-50 cases per year in the United states) but deadly (40% mortality rate) disease transmitted by infected rodents through urine, droppings, or saliva. Humans can contract the disease when they breathe in aerosolized virus. For example, from sweeping up rodent droppings.

Recommend following guidelines in the CDC's Clean Up, Trap Up, Seal Up article for eradicating rodents, cleaning up their waste and nesting materials, and preventing future infestations. While Hantavirus is believed to survive less than one week in droppings and urine, specific precautions should be taken during clean up. The client(s) may wish to consult with a qualified, licensed pest control operator for eliminating the infestation. A qualified licensed abatement contractor or industrial hygienist could be contacted for clean up. If the infestation was minimal, clean up of rodent waste and nesting materials in non-living spaces (crawl spaces and attics) may not be necessary, or may be performed for aesthetic reasons only (odor and appearance).

23) Insulation over family room is only 3 inches. This should be increased by a minimum of 8 inches to minimize heat loss in this room.

24) Signs of mildew like substance over bathroom. Use of fans should be increased during showers and adequate attic ventilation should be provided. One soffit chute not open enough. This should be corrected. Roof vents are partially blocked by shingles in garage and main attic. These should be cut back to increase vent area.

25) Loose telephone wires are bundles under box. These may be unused but should be secured inside box.

26) The estimated useful life for most forced air furnaces is 15 to 20 years. This furnace appears to be at this age or older and may need replacing at any time. Recommend budgeting for a replacement in the near future.

27) The estimated useful life for air conditioning compressors is 8 to 15 years. This unit appears to have exceeded this age and may need replacing at any time. Recommend budgeting for a replacement in the near future. Fins are damaged on exterior unit and insulation is missing from pipe. These will reduce the efficiency of the unit.

28) The last service date of this system appears to be more than one year ago, or the inspector was unable to determine the last service date. The client(s) should ask the property owner(s) when it was last serviced. If unable to determine the last service date, or if this system was serviced more than one year ago, a qualified heating and cooling contractor should inspect, clean, and service this system, and make repairs if necessary. This servicing should be performed annually in the future.

29) The furnace was shut off at the time of the inspection. For example, the gas supply was shut off, the pilot light was out, and/or the electric supply was turned off. As a result, the inspector was unable to fully evaluate this unit.

30) Condensate is drained to slab. This is common but adds extra moisture to basement, may be contributing to condensation problems. When new furnace is installed this should be diverted to sump or sink area via a condesate pump.

31) Neither the clothes washer nor dryer were operated or evaluated. They are excluded from this inspection.

32) The washing machine is installed over a finished living space and has no catch pan or drain installed. These are not commonly installed, but they are recommended to prevent water damage to finished interior spaces below if or when the washing machine leaks, overflows or is drained. Recommend having a qualified contractor install both a catch pan and drain.

33) The masonry chimney is significantly deteriorated and requires major repairs, such as rebuilding, replacing bricks, and/or replacing the crown or concrete caps at the top 14 courses. Recommend having a qualified chimney service contractor or mason evaluate chimney and repair as necessary.
Cost estimate: $3,500 or more

34) All solid fuel burning appliances (woodstoves and fireplaces, etc.) should be inspected annually by a qualified chimney service contractor, cleaned and repaired as necessary.

35) Appears to be condensation on pipe over light. In two areas. This should be addressed. Level of humidity may be too high in basement. Pipe may need to be insulated. Have checked by a qualified person.

36) Insulation needs to be secured in storage room.

37) Basement walls were not visible due to finish and storage and were not inspected.

38) One or more electric receptacles that serve countertop surfaces within six feet of a sink appear to have no ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate to determine if GFCI protection exists, and if not, repairs should be made so that all receptacles that serve countertop surfaces within six feet of sinks have GFCI protection. For example, install GFCI receptacles or circuit breaker(s) as needed.

39) Sink light should be flourescent or at a minimum enclosed, fire hazard with curtain.

40) Some loose and deteriorated cabinets.

41) Tile and/or grout in one or more showers is damaged and/or deteriorated. For example, deteriorated or missing grout, cracked, missing or loose tiles, etc. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair tile and/or grout as necessary.

42) Fan timer defective and should be replaced.

43) Tile and/or grout around one or more bathtubs is damaged or deteriorated. For example, deteriorated or missing grout, cracked, missing or loose tiles, etc. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair tile and/or grout as necessary.

44) One or more sinks are clogged or drain slowly. Drain(s) should be cleared as necessary, and by a qualified plumber if necessary.

45) Caulk is missing or deteriorated along the base of one or more bathtubs, where flooring meets the tub. It should be replaced where deteriorated and/or applied where missing to prevent water intrusion and damage to the floor structure.

46)  Heat lamp is defective and should be replaced by a qualified person.