New York (NY) Home Inspector Photos
Top To Bottom Inspections - Gallery Two

Well, I see that you've made it through my first gallery page. Now your beginning to feel about 5% of what I feel after completing a full Home Inspection.

They say "Misery loves company" so let's continue our journey through the next six photos. If you should begin to feel nauseated at anytime, I suggest that you save yourself from developing a chronic condition and call me immediately to prescribe a custom tailored home inspection. Just leave the ills to me!

Click picture for close up view

Photo 2-1 HVAC Ingenuity Believe it or not, I confirmed with the Seller of the property that this new Heating system was installed by an actual Contractor. It is not unusual to find one or two joists butchered by a plumber or heating contractor. In this case, the Contractor has compromised the entire floor framing for this dwelling. Well, Joe do-it-yourselfer, you're off the hook on this one!

Photo 2-2 Mr. Rotor Router Nope, Handy Harry didn't need no stinkin' electrical gang box. There was plenty of darned wood to surround that receptacle. My mistake for the photo title, I'm sure this guy was just a plain chiseler. Some people will sacrifice life and safety to save $.67

Photo 2-3 Teething Mice This is an easier find when there is no insulation to obstruct your view during the Home Inspection, if you look carefully that is! When floors are insulated and I notice mouse droppings on the foundation sill area, I will push aside the insulation at visible wire entry points. Vacant homes are usually free roam for mice and need more scrutiny for this condition as it becomes a life and safety issue with a bare wires near combustible wood surfaces. Did you notice the Mouse tail protruding from the hole?

Photo 2-4 Let the cracks begin! Here the concrete area below the detached garage structure happens to be what is called a monolithic poured slab. The original property was a sloped grade which required a level fill of the site for the garage. The problem is that this was built here in the Northeast where there is significant frost depth during the cold season. As you can see by my shovel, the slab is sitting on top of the filled area and the reason why the floor was cracked from the center of the two bays, running the full-length to a rear corner. I didn't believe it to be a coincidence that the car was parked on an angle inside the garage toward the rear and two 55 gallon drums covering the crack in the front portion of the garage. The frost heave wins this one. First of all, it is a poor choice for this type of slab here in the Northeast, but when done properly, you would have foam board insulation underneath the entire slab before the pour and foam board insulation on the outer perimeter with built-up soil at a slope away from the slab.

Photo 2-5 Indoor Pool Yes, it's everybody's dream to buy a house with an indoor pool! But, must you sacrifice the basement for one! I arrived at this NEW construction for a Home Inspection before the HomeBuyer and discovered this little surprise. It was raining at the time. A sump pump was pumping the water out as fast as it was coming in because the water level never went down. Take notice of the moist areas at the walls. I held off starting the inspection until the Home Buyer arrived a half hour later. They were there for five minutes and told me that they'll call when they find another house.

Photo 2-6 Alien Stream Septic systems are a major part of a home. Today, it is very expensive to replace one and therefore must be scrutinized carefully. As indicated by the green dye plume in the photo, it was a no-brainer that the leachfield happened to be in the center of this brook. The house was 150 feet away. Do not misconstrue this as the inconclusive 'Dye Test' that is offered as an ancillary service by most all Home Inspectors. The method I use is called a 'Hydraulic Load Test (HLT)' to detect any marginal conditions or malfunction of the Septic System. In this example the dye was used primarily because of the water source beyond the presumed leachfield area. As a Home Inspector, I always like to think outside the box in every situation.