Gallery

THESE ARE IMAGES FROM INSPECTIONS I’VE DONE SINCE 2006

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Boy that’s some clever wiring

Hey there do you think this thing is leaking? Yep

Well there was a basement walkout door but what are they going to do now? Didn’t plan this one out real good

You can see most likely a squirrel chewed the lead flashing, because it’s sweet tasting to them, so if you see a dumb squirrel…..

Old shingles damaged

Super Dusty burn chamber of a furnace, obviously not maintained well

This is a toilet waste pipe that is cracked but don’t worry they glued itLol looks like we got an old oil tank tucked away in the crawlspace, hey guys I could still see it….

This is called oxide jacking, the metal lintel support over the window opening rusting and swelling -Looks like this has been going on for a while, but they continue to fill in the steps to crack openings in the mortar with more mortar instead of addressing the real issue

Appears it rotted out at the band joist here but they just shoved some bricks in there, okey doke

It’s starting to corrode through on that connection and it’s most likely from Super corrosive drain cleaners over time

This water damage and staining was visible in a crawl space, don’t think anyone was down there for over 40 years at leastMost people don’t know but guardrails at stairs should have the verticals components called ‘balusters’ at a maximum 4 and 3/8 otherwise a kid puts his head through there and you’re sawing it off and everyone’s crying (the wooden baluster not the kids head, what’s wrong with you?)

Here’s a backflow valve for a sump pump that was leaking into the dirt of the crawl space every single time making it muddy, what a joy

Can you see a couple of ways that water is going to end up in the basement?

“OH LOOK,YOU CAN BARELY SEE THE REPAIRS”

Crawl spaces can be very shallow

DIY glass block window “repair”, different blocks mismatch, whatever right?

Tar repair around an opening , missing vent pipe protruding for the plumbing vent system

Under a rear porch converted to a living space, above glass block window – an opening the width of window.Looks like they didn’t finish what they were trying to accomplish here

And adjustable support post used as a permanent support, not good

the framing of the Octagon window is rotten.This section of gutter and most the gutters were filled with debris to the point it was basically a planter boxThis really shows why you need to clean your gutters out on a regular basis, there’s literally little trees growing in thereYou don’t want tree branches hanging over roof sections especially if they’re going to deposit leaves and branches on the roof and in the gutters

Looks like there was a quick repair after squirrels chewed the top of the lead flashing on this Plumbing vent, you’d be surprised how often this is found

You would be surprised how often receptacles are miswired, it’s not often people use a professional tester to see if things are correct, but inspectors do

Wouldn’t you like to be able to buy a water heater warranty for under 50 bucks for 3 years these days? Shows me this is a really old water heater

If the electrical panel looks like this all scribbly and weird labeled, you should probably make sure everything’s labeled correctly

You should never have Vines growing in an AC unit, obviously

You don’t want tree branches literally hanging over the gutter and even touching the roof

Here is a good shot down into a fireplace chimney, as you could see it’s just terracotta

You couldn’t see how scorched this roof was from the ground, you had to get up there and witness it for yourself

That is part of an attic fold down steps assembly, you could see it split and held together with wire, that’s a nope

Copper corrosion , along a horizontal section of pipe, in basement, along foundation wall

See the thicker cloth covered wire? The shielding is rubber and brittle as a Saltine cracker because of its age, this wiring can be dangerous

Here we can see a double tap at the top and bottom breaker –  two wires going in where you’re only supposed to have one connection

Main conductor double lug on the neutral bus? Somebody thinks they know what they’re doing but nope dangerous

Non-metallic wiring is not always approved of  because there isn’t the same kind of protection as wiring inside a metal conduit

If your furnace looks like this it’s old…Probably 65% EFFICIENCY at most

You can’t use PVC for a temperature pressure relief valve pipe — nope, metal only in IL

Using tar in place of proper flashing is only pausing the problem for a little later, it’s going to fail into a leak

The only kind of Plumbing trap that’s legal is a P-trap, this is what’s called an S-trap because of the S shape – problems with venting and drainage

Most people aren’t looking in the crawl space – here’s some rusty duct work/openings that mess with the quality of the air you’re breathing

When they have to cut a rafter for some reason? But there’s no good reason

Adding another layer of shingles on top of an existing is nonsense, here we have what appears to be three or four layers

here it looks like brass between copper and galvanized steel but still there’s rusting and leaking

You should not plant trees so close to a home – the trunk and root system can cause amazing pressure on Foundation walls and cause instability

Wood shakes were in poor condition here you could see curling and warping and some were entirely missing, overall dried out

Missing the right dielectric connector for two dissimilar types of metal plumbing pipe material

Around Chicago and suburbs you’re going to find Supply water piping that is lead going to the house sometimes the whole neighborhood

This is a kind of galvanized water pipe repair clamp, I don’t put too much faith into it but it works all right, maybe

Galvanized steel piping rust from the inside out, manifests a lot at threaded connections

Leaking around a toilet flange

Some green corrosion on copper bathtub drain connection, looks like it had been leaking

You can see where the galvanized steel water piping is rusting through at the threaded connection

Signs of a leak from above – SEE CORROSION ON THE COPPER PIPE?

Things get rusty when they’re outside

Look at that rubber boot crumbling away, oh wait that’s just tar

The decking of the attic was rotten through – just drywall there from the ceiling below

DUCT TAPE TO FIX A P TRAP

RUST FROM CONDENSATION – POOR VENTING

WATER DAMAGE AT WINDOW FRAMING – CONDENSATION

HANDRAIL BEST & SAFER ON RIGHT SIDE ALL THE WAY DOWN

OLD WORNOUT DECK

RUSTY DOUBLE TAP – YUCK

ATTIC FOLD DOWN STEPS – WITH A SHIM? NO THANKS

DREADED KNOB AND TUBE WIRING ( NO GROUND CIRCUIT )

RUSTY & INCORRECT CONNECTIONS

Old shingles probably lifted and cracked Away by wind storms

DUCT TAPE -that’s not going to stop sewer gas, and it didn’t

WOOD ROOF SHEATHING SOFTENED BY ONGOING LEAKS

ROTTEN BAND JOIST – Grading and siding issues

ROTTEN WINDOW SILLS

NEW PORCH DECK – I GIVE IT A FEW YEARS BEFORE BOTTOM STEP ROTTS

A HIDDEN LEAK DRIPPING ON WALL

Went unnoticedALLOWED GROWTH AND DAMAGE TO WOOD FRAMING

THE GUTTER BEING USED AS A MOUNTING POINT FOR GATE LATCH

ONE OF THE MANY CRAWLSPACES IVE BEEN INSIDE – SOME ARE MORE GNARLY

The “discoloration” on the underside of the roof Sheathing is commonly attributed to condensation, bath fan exhaust

Appears it was decided to break through wall to run electric -not smart , because the support beam bears its weight there…

Makeshift way to run a bath mechanical fan to a roof vent, not professional – can still have condensation issues

An example of a home with vinyl siding removed – old tar paper, multiple materials – weak spots

C – CLAMP – missing the bolts ehh , but a funny fix

DISCONNECTED GAS LINE

SURFACE MOLD ON DRYWALL

MOISTURE STAINS

OLD PICTURE OF ME ON ROOF

WORK IN PROGRESS?

SEE THE BARE SECTIONS WITHOUT INSULATION ?

DETERIORATING MASONRY ABOVE WINDOW

RUSTY JUNCTION BOX

BATH VENTING INTO ATTIC

BRICK MORTAR FAILED HARD

FLEX CONNECTORS FOR WATER HEATER

BOILERS – LEFT ONE WITH FLAME ROLL-OUT !

THE VENT FLUE WAS NOT EVEN ON RIGHT – CARBON MONOXIDE DANGER

ROTTEN EXTERIOR WINDOW FRAME

USED TO BE A ATTIC FAN THERE ..

SCORCHING IS A SIGN THAT THE OUTLET MULTIPLIER AND CIRCUIT IS OVERWORKED

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?

THE EXHAUST VENT IS RIGHT BY A WINDOW! CARBON MONOXIDE DANGER

LEAK AT TOILET SUPPLY VALVE

SLATE ROOF FASTENERS FAILED

Many many double taps, not good.

Signs of moisture

Rusted through

How much longer till the rest of it breaks away??

The sharp edges can cut the hot wire – arcs n sparks –fire bad

Flex connectors are not allowed in Illinois Plumbing

Obviously a problem with the mechanical draft control and condensation

Condensation issue

Efflorescence

No chimney liner

 

You can’t exhaust the bathroom fan into an attic, it causes moisture to create growths

An extremely Rusty heat exchanger for boiler

This appeared to be wood destroying insect damage from long ago

Leaking water pipesYet another exhaust fan going to a roof event instead of its own dedicated vent completely to exterior.

Roof had a lot of moss and debris on it

Signs of efflorescence

An opening at the threaded connection , allowing sewer gas to enter the air

Look like anyone’s been up here to clean up in a while

Tar flashing used in place of actual flashing is just a problem waiting to happen

A clump of something on the stem of the valve means it was probably leaking

Very odd this is a newer drum trap because they are illegal in Illinois, most often than not you will find very old ones of cast iron

Yes the wires are stapled to the floor joist, yeah it’s stupid and the potential fire hazard

Me on a flat roof of a building I was inspecting, see where the rain is pooling , there’s no silver or white coating to reflect the harmful sun rays

Another double tap, the problem is that it doesn’t make good contact and it could get hot there

A broken receptacle like this should not have been left at the house about to be inspected, it’s unsafe

Mineral deposit buildup likely because there was leaking at the stem

A poor installation of vinyl siding cheap materials and also looks like there’s warping from Heat

Somebody will slip n fall down these stairs – you betcha its happened already multiple times too

Really old type of light switch

Water heater gas burner and a very rusty underside of tank — its ready to be replaced

I HAVE NO WORDS FOR THIS ATROCITY OF A ” REPAIR”

NO. You cannot run your laundry drain into a sump pump.there’s a split in this exhaust duct, super not safe carbon monoxide Danger

Old Plumbing deteriorates rusts out and leaks and causes a problem, sometimes people decide to just stop using it