Team Petruska

As home inspectors we strive to be extremely thorough and detailed in our process, to give our clients the most informative picture of their investment.

05/27/2022

These are carpenter ants that have decided to make home in a window sash.

One of the most common recommendations that we make is to trim and maintain any vegetation that is in contact with, or overhanging the home. All of the windows in this home that had wood destroying insect damage were in areas where this was occurring.

Preventive maintenance can save you lots of future headaches.

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05/15/2022

We're gonna need to set the scene to explain this one.

First thing we notice inside this home is warped flooring, and soft spots that tested elevated for moisture (photos in comments)... In the middle of the home, not near any plumbing. The home was on a slab so we could not investigate the cause, and there was no reasonable theory that we could think of.

Fast forward to the sewer camera inspection. We were getting water in the line when we flushed the toilet, but nothing when running the kitchen sink. As we were looking around the exterior of the house for a separate cleanout we may have missed, we found the water....literally coming out of the foundation wall.

It seems this house had flooded itself.

The extent of the concealed damage from this is unknown, but it will be significant.

05/11/2022

First thought when we saw this sheathing damage was termites. The culprit surprised us. 👀

05/09/2022

Somewhere under all that insulation is the water main. We can't tell you much about it because it's concealed... But we can tell you that it is leaking.

When water lines are in vulnerable areas, such as in the undercarriage of a mobile home, it is important to keep them from freezing. We suspect this insulation was not sufficient for the job.

Hard to imagine this hasn't put a hurting on the sellers water bill recently 😬.

The recommendation is to have the leak further investigated and repaired.

05/06/2022

Why fix the plumbing when you can just stick some buckets under it? 🤦‍♂️

Sellers know that they have the advantage right now, and many won't make the effort to take care of even the simplest repairs before listing. A friendly reminder that waiving home inspections can be costly.

05/04/2022

Low inventory. Fast transactions. Should your buyers get a anyway? Yes! Even after closing, a home inspection allows them to learn about a home’s condition and . And it’s the best way to ensure confident home ownership.

https://pillartopost.com/news/hot-markets-yes-your-buyers-need-a-home-inspection/

05/02/2022

K**b and tube wiring is a common concern for homebuyers that are purchasing a home that was built pre 1940. It is very common to see the wiring updated in the basement and easy to access areas, only to find it hiding in places that are harder to access.

In this case, in order to try to hide it in visible areas, someone placed the sheathing from a newer wire over top of the k**b and tube. If it wasn't for the small piece that was not concealed, or the numerous ungrounded outlets throughout the house, it might have fooled us.

People will go to great lengths to cover up issues when selling a house, which is why it is important to remind people that waiving home inspections can be a costly mistake.

04/27/2022

Here we have a dryer vent that is terminated in the attic. Just like bath fans, dryers vent warm, moist air, that can lead to mold growth and premature roof wear. And while those are both unfavorable conditions, coating your attic in highly flammable dryer lint takes the cake of most unfavorable.

The recommendation is to have a qualified roofer place an exhaust hood through the roof, extend the vent to the hood, and insulate the exhaust to help prevent excess condensation.

04/26/2022

We understand that in the current market many buyers are waiving home inspections, but you need to ask yourself what you might be missing.

This home was beautiful, well maintained, and extremely well cared for. It would have been easy for the buyers to feel comfortable waiving the inspection.

With the basement being fully finished the visual inspection of the foundation was limited, but the few areas we could see triggered immediate cause for concern.

Just below the top course of block had shifted and opened up a 1/2" to 1" gap at the mortar. One of the finished walls had also leaned in significantly.

The recommendation is to have the foundation further investigated and repaired. This will likely require a hefty price tag.

Even if you do decide to waive the inspection with your offer, it is still a good idea to get an inspection after taking ownership to get a full picture of your purchase.

04/23/2022

When we find a toilet that is loose, we usually recommend replacing the wax seal before securing. When the toilet moves around the seal could be compromised which leads to a slow leak each time the toilet is flushed.

In this instance, the comment was made to replace the seal and secure the toilet at the second floor bathroom, but thermal imaging on the first floor showed that it was too late for preventative action. Now the recommendation is to also remove any water damaged drywall and remediate any concealed mold growth.

The moral of the story? If your inspector recommends replacing the wax seal you should follow through to prevent a worse situation later on.

04/20/2022

Usually mold in the attic is a sign of poor ventilation. In this case it was caused by a plumbing vent that was terminated in the attic. The recommendation is to have the vent extended through the roof, and encapsulate any suspect mold growth.

Address

269 State Road
Valencia, PA
16059

Website

http://gregpetruska.pillartopost.com/

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