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Junction Box Needed

5/26/2017

 
Uncovered electrical connection inside a kitchen cabinet.
Uncovered electrical connection inside a kitchen cabinet. 110 volt wire coming through the wall connected to a low voltage transformer for a LED light.
Reach inside this kitchen cabinet and find a surprise - an uncovered connection between 110 volt house power and a low voltage transformer for under cabinet LED lighting. Who wants a shock to go with their morning coffee?

All wiring connections need to be covered in a junction box - this needs to be fixed. This is a relatively simple thing to do if you are comfortable with working with electrical wiring. If you are not familiar with electrical work and safety, hire an electrician to fix this problem.
Fixing an uncovered electrical connection. Make sure the power is off then undo the connection.
First step is to turn the power off to this circuit then undo the connection.
Wires to be connected are placed inside a junction box.
Plastic junction box placed over the wire penetration. The connecting wires are placed inside the junction box.
Electrical connection inside a junction box
Connection made inside the junction box. This protects the circuit and hands reaching inside the cabinet.
How to correct this problem:

1. Turn off the power to this circuit at the breaker box. 
2. Make sure that the power is off by testing at the circuit with a non contact tester.
3. Undo the connection between the in wall wiring and the transformer.
4. Place a surface mount junction box over the wiring penetration.
5. Put all wires to be connected inside the box.
6. Make the connection between the house wiring and the transformer.
7. Put the cover on the junction box.
8. Turn the power back on and test.

Easy fix and the right thing to do. All electrical connections need to be inside a junction box according to both electrical code and common sense. This provides protection to the circuit and to the homeowner.
Junction box for the electrical connection between house power and a low voltage transformer.
This is the way it should look. The connection between house power and the transformer are inside the junction box. This protects the wiring and any hands reaching inside the cabinet.

Foundation Leak - where is the water coming from and how to fix common problems.

5/19/2017

7 Comments

 
Foundation wall with normal shrinkage crack. The damp spot and water pool is not normal.
Foundation wall with a normal shrinkage crack. The damp spot and water pooling at the bottom is not so normal.
Finding water on the floor next to a crack in the foundation is always a bit disconcerting. Is there a buried pipe leaking? Do I have a groundwater problem? 

Most of the time, a minor leak is not a big deal if you take the time to correct the situation.
Close up of water leak through foundation wall.
Close up of the pooling water. The water spreading across the floor was cleaned up prior to this picture being taken.
These pictures are from inside a shop structure. Standard inside view of a poured foundation wall. The shrinkage crack running up and down the wall is a normal finding but the damp area at the bottom is not. There is a source of water on the outside of this wall that is significant enough to cause water penetration through the wall. The pool on the floor has already been cleaned up - it was much larger prior to these pictures being taken. 

No plumbing in the wall or on the side of the house. You have to look outside to find the source of this leak.
Foundation wall with shrinkage crack and evidence of water penetration.
Standard poured concrete foundation wall. The shrinkage crack is normal. Water leaking through the wall is not normal.
Outside view of a leaking foundation wall.
Outside the foundation wall. Is the water coming from the ground or above?
Outside view of the shop wall with the leak - it's about halfway down this wall on the inside. You need to look at the two likely causes to determine where the water is coming from.

• Ground sloping towards the wall instead of away.
• Water from gutter/roof system.

The ground is fairly flat here behind the wall. Slight slope from the neighbors yard but overall the grassy area behind the shop wall is fairly dry. No evidence of ground water moving towards the wall.
Evidence of water leaking over the edge of the gutter. Caused by clogged downspouts.
Found the water. This gutter has clogged downspouts and is causing an overflow leak.
Soggy and muddy ground under a gutter leak.
Soggy ground and a drying puddle under the leak. This is at the same location as the shrinkage crack inside the shop.
Always look up at the roof and gutters - even a small drip can lead to problems over time. Right above the location of the leak inside we can find evidence that the gutters have been overflowing and dripping. Note the pine needles and gunk residue from the overflow of this gutter system. The ground under this leak is soggy and muddy. We found the source of the leak.

How to fix (need to be comfortable with getting on a ladder - if you are not, hire someone to do it for you):

1. Look at the gutter system for clogs. Common spot to find it is in the downspout connection or inside the downspout itself.
2. Remove any clogs and debris from the downspouts and gutters. Ensure that water from the roof has a controlled path to the ground.
3. Look at where the water is coming out of the downspouts. Is there a splash block? Is there a connection to a drainage system? Water from the roof needs to be directed away from the foundation and allowed to go downslope away from the structure.

This is an easy problem to fix with just a little effort and time. 

7 Comments

Clearance under fence boards

5/12/2017

8 Comments

 
Replacing some fence boards this spring? As I discussed last week, rot often occurs at the ends of fence boards due to prolonged contact with the earth. Dirt is great at retaining moisture in the Northwest and prolonged contact with moisture containing earth is a guarantee that your fence will rot prematurely.

Close up of rotting fence board
Close up of damaged section. Note the significant rot on the right.
Fence section with damaged board ends.
Fence section with damaged board ends.
Rotting fence boards. Rot caused by contact with moisture retaining dirt.
Dirt retains moisture which leads to rot in wood contacting the earth.
As you can see from these pictures, this fence section needs some work. The board ends have been buried by dirt for a few years and are slowly rotting away from the bottom.
Easiest fix for this problem?

1. Remove the old damage fence boards. Easiest to do a whole section at once.
2. Remove excess dirt and earth from the fence line. Earth movement caused by water can be a challenge. You will often need to remove dirt and re-slope the yard to provide a relief gap under the fence.
3. Measure and cut replacement boards. Plan for about an inch gap under the fence. By leaving the gap you will help prevent future water damage to the wood. This will help avoid premature rot of the replacement boards.
Remove all damaged boards at once. Image of board replacement process.
Remove the whole damage section between posts. It is a lot easier to replace everything at once rather than try to fit individual boards.
Replacement boards on fence with a gap left under for dirt clearance.
New boards installed. Even gap of about 1 inch left under the replacement fence.
1 inch gap between replacement fence board and ground.
Plan on a gap of about 1 inch to allow for clearance and avoidance of water being in contact with the board in the future.
Fence boards with 1 inch gap and yard landscaping to keep dirt away from board ends.
Dirt has been moved away from bottom of the fence. This yard needed some additional work for surface water management.
8 Comments

Fence damage caused by contact with dirt

5/5/2017

 
Fence board ends buried in dirt.
Fence board ends buried in dirt. Evidence of prolonged moisture contact with rot and moss growth.
Ever hear the advice to keep dirt away from the bottom of your fence boards? There is definitely a reason to keep a clear space for any piece of wood that is close to the ground. Dirt and earth in contact with the bottoms of fence boards are a perfect place for water and moisture to be in prolonged contact. 
Grass and dirt in close contact with fence boards.
These fence sections have close contact with dirt and earth. Lots of moisture retention capability in Washington state.
Fence board end buried in dirt with water damage and rot.
Board ends buried in dirt. Note all the retained moisture.
Any kind of wood in prolonged contact with moisture will eventually rot. The fence boards in these pictures had their ends buried in the dirt for the past few years. The moisture retained in the dirt has been slowly rotting away the ends.
Fence board end rotting away from prolonged earth and dirt contact.
The middle fence board is a bit short. Rotted away from prolonged dirt contact.
Fence board end rotting away from prolonged earth and dirt contact.
You can see the progression of the rot in the ends of these boards.
Fence board end rotting away from prolonged earth and dirt contact.
Extensive rot damage on this board. Not much holding it to the bottom rail at this point.
This fence section is fairly damaged and the affected boards need to be replaced. To prevent future damage, the homeowner should keep a clear space between the bottom of the boards and the earth. The easiest solution is to raise the replacement boards up by an inch or so on the rails. Alternatively the dirt could be removed and sloped away from the fence line. By keeping a clear space under the boards, water contact is kept to a minimum and the fence will last a lot longer.

    Author

    Brian Jovag, owner of Jovag Home Inspection.

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