A vent that exhausts moist air to the home’s exterior has a number of requirements:
It should be connected. The connection is usually behind the dryer but may be beneath it. Look carefully to make sure it’s actually connected.
It should not be restricted. Dryer vents are often made from flexible plastic or metal duct, which may be easily kinked or crushed where they exit the dryer and enter the wall or floor. This is often a problem since dryers tend to be tucked away into small areas with little room to work. Vent elbows are available which is designed to turn 90° in a limited space without restricting the flow of exhaust air. Airflow restrictions are a potential fire hazard.
One of the reasons that restrictions are a potential fire hazard is that, along with water vapor evaporated out of wet clothes, the exhaust stream carries lint – highly flammable particles of clothing made of cotton and polyester. Lint can accumulate in an exhaust duct, reducing the dryer’s ability to expel heated water vapor, which then accumulates as heat energy within the machine. As the dryer overheats, mechanical failures can trigger sparks, which can cause lint trapped in the dryer vent to burst into flames. Fires generally originate within the dryer but spread by escaping through the ventilation duct, incinerating trapped lint, and following its path into the building wall.
Are some of your exterior wood elements being attacked by wood destroying insects? This is common in the Pacific Northwest, but doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Insects such as anobiid beetles can work away at damaging the structural integrity of your home leaving exit holes and underlying damage in their wake. It’s all about moisture; elevated moisture attracts wood destroying insects leading to structural damage of building components. Keeping exterior elements properly sealed and dry will go a long way towards preventing wood destroying insects from damaging your home.
Although its manufacture was banned in the U.S. by the EPA in 1973, asbestos cement siding is still around, and inspectors are likely to encounter it on their inspections of exterior cladding. While its hazards are limited if this material is undamaged, proper maintenance is key for avoiding structural issues related to water intrusion, as well as the health risks associated with damage to this type of building product.
Are some of your exterior wood elements being attacked by wood destroying insects? This is common in the Pacific Northwest, but doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Insects such as anobiid beetles can work away at damaging the structural integrity of your home leaving exit holes and underlying damage in their wake. It’s all about moisture; elevated moisture attracts wood destroying insects leading to structural damage of building components. Keeping exterior elements properly sealed and dry will go a long way towards preventing wood destroying insects from damaging your home.
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).
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!
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).
In general, handyman construction practices are not recommended by home inspectors. As is typical in historic homes, certain liberties with respect to common building practices have been undertaken over time. While we can’t really bring historic homes per se “up to code,” significant handyman shimming practices are be logical to repair and improve. What really drives pricing is access (i.e., how much space is there underneath the home for contractors to work?). If it’s really tight, it will take more time; sometimes, excavation is required which drives the price up too. If you do require excavation under an historic home, make sure the contractor doesn’t get too close to the foundation or footings, as this would be a potential structural problem too.
Have lint accumulation at exterior dryer vents cleaned/cleared away. Not only is it unsightly, but it prevents proper ventilation of the dryer appliance within the home.
Did some mishap during the installation of your deck’s stair system cause one (1) or more of your steps to be uneven in step height? This can definitely be a tripping hazard and should be addressed for safety reasons.
For this reason, I recommend further evaluation and repair by a qualified contractor.
