Author Archives: AIHI

3 Q’S: STRUCTURAL ISSUES WITH STURDY ENGINEERING CORPORATION

Every month, we seek to bring our readers insight from the worlds of home construction, home repair, and home maintenance straight from local Northwest Washington contractors in a segment we call “3 Questions.” Yep, you guessed it: we ask three questions, and the contractors answer them.
 
This month, we learn about structural issues with Gary Sturdy, PE, owner at Sturdy Engineering Corporation in Anacortes. Additionally, more information about related structural engineering topics is available via our Real Estate Unveiled! podcast page.
 
Q1: My old house appears to have settled over time and is “leaning” somewhat.  What are some things I should be on the lookout for to see if I need a contractor to further evaluate?
 
A gradual settling observed over years is an indication of poor soil conditions below the foundation.  The problem must first be identified; applying a fix to the symptoms may worsen it.
 
The first objective is to determine soil conditions under the foundation, including depth of poor soils.  Once that is determined, a proper solution can be engineered to solve the problem.  As an example, adding width to the existing foundation will add weight and might create even greater settlement. 
 
Q2: The masonry chimney on my old house appears to have settled and isn’t perfectly plumb; I can see a gap between the chimney and the home.  How can I tell if this is historic or a major structural concern and safety issue?
 
A snapshot in time will not give you answers to historic events.  That gap might have been there for years without change, which would indicate that the settlement has stopped and the underlying soils are stable.  Continual monitoring with measurement over time or soil testing will determine if the underlying soils are unstable.
 
An engineer can help you determine how far out of plumb is safe for your particular chimney style and construction.  At that time, the engineer can determine if remedial action is imminent.
 
Q3: Wood destroying organisms (WDOs), like Carpenter ants, Anobiid beetles, and Pacific Dampwood termites are commonplace in the Pacific NW.  Eliminating elevated moisture is absolutely the key to keeping a home free of WDOs.  Recognizing that these insects literally eat wood structure, is there a general rule-of-thumb for when replacement may, or may not, be necessary? In older homes, for instance, minor WDO damage is commonplace, and replacing all structural elements with minor insect damage would involve substantially replacing most of the home’s structure. Is this really necessary, or is there a more practical, “real-world” approach?
 
Each piece of lumber has an allowable load, or maximum weight that it can withstand.  For example, a piece of lumber might only be loaded to 50-percent of its allowable value.  In this case, the bugs can eat away a significant amount of wood before safety is an issue.  On the other hand, a piece of lumber that is fully loaded cannot withstand any bug damage. An experienced engineer can determine what repairs are required for your safety, while integrating practical and economical solutions.
 
About Sturdy Engineering Corporation 
Sturdy Engineering Corporation in Anacortes provides structural analysis & design for residential, commercial, light industrial, recreational, and agricultural structures. These structures may utilize a variety of building materials, including wood/logs, timber frames, concrete, steel, and structural insulated panels. More information at https://www.sturdyengineering.com/#
 
A big “thanks” to Gary for his responses!
 
If you have questions or comments about structural issues or home inspections in general, tweet me (@AIHomeInspect).

DOES MY FOUNDATION NEED VENTS TO THE EXTERIOR?

If your home is missing foundation vents, I recommend having a qualified contractor come out and evaluate/install foundation vents around the perimeter of the home to ensure that the foundation and underside of the home are properly cross-ventilated.  Ventilation is CRITICAL to homes in the Pacific NW; lack of ventilation can lead to myriad issues including, but not limited to, attracting wood destroying insect (i.e., carpenter ants, termites and anobiid beetles) and mold.  Truth be told, mold is VERY RARE in crawl spaces under homes, but insect activity is not.  So, keep the underside of the home well ventilated and they’ll have no interest in your home.  It’s all about moisture!  If it’s impractical to cut in or install foundation vents, a mechanical vent fan on a humidistat can be easily installed.  Personally, I prefer foundation vents because they don’t rely on electricity or anything fancy to operate.  Keep them open and let Mother Nature keep your home’s crawl space ventilated!    

Fun Facts Friday!

Two percent of the water on earth is glacier ice at the North and South Poles. This ice is fresh water and could be melted; however, it is too far away from where people live to be usable.

Less than 1% of all the water on earth is fresh water that we can actually use.

Water regulates the Earth’s temperature.

Water covers about 71% of the earth’s surface.

INACESSIBLE ELECTRICAL PANEL(S)?!

Do you need a ladder to reach your electrical panel?  This can be problematic when quick and easy access to the electrical panel is necessary.  A qualified electrician will likely advise installing a platform underneath your electrical panel if it is too high for an average-height person to reach with ease.  Worst case scenario, re-wire and locate the panel at a lower height.  Typically, this means not having the main circuit breaker at the top of the panel any higher than 6’7”.  If you need a ladder to flip breakers, it’s definitely too high!

WASTE BASKET/DISPOSAL IDEAS

If DIY time-saving ingenious short-cuts within the home are your cup of tea, I would recommend checking out this short clip showcasing an interesting waste basket idea I saw in a recent inspection. I’ll let you decide for yourself if this hack could be useful in your kitchen!

SATURDAY REVIEW: THANKS TIM!

Google Rating: *****

“Tim arrived on-time with a Covid mask in place and left about 3 hours later after inspecting every square inch of our house. He found a few things I hadn’t even thought of looking at.
Very professional during his visit, Tim summarized his results before he left and cleaned up as he went.  The inspection report arrived by email the next morning as promised. Complete descriptions and pictures made the report a productive tool for follow up.
I recommend All Islands without hesitation.”

-George Saul 

Fun Facts Friday!

The San Diego Zoo is home to over 3,700 rare and endangered animals representing more than 650 species and subspecies, and a prominent botanical collection with more than 700,000 exotic plants.

The USA has at least 355 zoos.

The largest zoo in the US is Red McCombs Wildlife with over 5.000 hectares (12.500 acres).

IS IT NORMAL FOR MY PLUMBING FIXTURES TO BE GROWING CRYSTALS?

Have you noticed a white residue on any (or all) of your plumbing fixtures?  This may indicate calcification, which usually means that water softening and/or filtration improvements may be desirable.  Point-of-use and whole house filtration and softening systems are readily available.  Personally, I recommend having a water system contractor laboratory test the water and then make recommendations for improved water quality.  

MY SIDING PAINT CHEWS GUM?

Is your exterior paint bubbling?  This is a relatively common occurrence, causing exterior paint to lose its adhesive grip on the underlying siding or paint layers and “bubble.”  It’s most commonly caused by either underlying entrapped moisture between the siding and paint trying to escape or off-gas (i.e., the paint was applied when moisture levels were too high) or incompatible paint applied over older paint layers preventing chemical adhesion.  Ultimately, the bubbles will burst and crack, rendering these areas unprotected, not to mention “bubbled” paint isn’t sightly.  Good news, it’s not that hard to repair (unless the whole home is “bubbling,” then it’s a bigger job for sure).