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Failed Paint and Underlying Rot

2/9/2018

 
Rotting support post
If you can push your finger in to a support post, you may have a problem.
Do you have areas of failing paint on exterior wooden structures? Does your support post feel mushy and your finger sink under the surface when pressed? You may have a problem if you are experiencing these issues.

​This is a pretty common problem on exterior wooden structures and highlights the need for annual maintenance. All outside wood structures need to be looked at for failing caulking and paint every year. Caulking should be removed and renewed if found cracked and failing. Areas of failing paint should be repaired and repainted to avoid problems like these.

With the long term neglect of this structure the only real option is to replace the rotted wood and start over again. Putting paint over the top of the rotting wood will hide the damage for a bit but it doesn't change the fact that the underlying wood is structurally unsound. 

Rotting Wooden Post
Exterior wooden support post with evidence of long standing water exposure. Notice the moss growth and failing paint.
Rotting wood
Close up of rotting area. Moss growth generally indicates long term water and moisture presence. The soft and rotting wood confirms this has been going on for a while.

Help Your Furnace Breathe

1/12/2018

 
Dirty furnace filter
Dirty furnace filter - clogged filter media and accumulations of dust and debris. This filter needs to be changed.
It's the middle of the heating season - how well is your furnace "breathing" through the filter? Have you been changing the filter regularly? If not, January is a great month to start a regular maintenance cycle. Furnace filters should be changed every 3 months for optimal performance of the furnace. A clean filter allows better air flow and a furnace that doesn't have to work as hard to meet the heating demands of your house. 
Filter labeling
Helpful labeling the last time this filter was changed. It's been three months, time to change the filter.
Check out these other posts from Jovag Home Inspection for further information on furnace systems and maintenance.
Clean vs Dirty Filter
New filter on the left, old and dirty filter on the right.

How To Remove A Downspout Clog

10/27/2017

 
It's starting to rain in the Pacific Northwest and time to perform some simple maintenance on your gutters and downspouts. Downspouts are often connected to gutters with an elbow fitting. Because of the bends in the elbow, these are prone to clogs from pine needles, leaves and other debris. It is important to make sure your gutters and downspouts can actually drain the roof before the rainy season starts. Follow the steps below to make sure your downspouts are ready for the next few months of work.
Ladder under a downspout
Tools needed for this project - ladder, gloves, screwdriver or nut driver and a cleaning tool.
Picture
My preferred clog removal tool, a stick found on the ground.
Tools Needed:
•Ladder
•Gloves (sharp edges on the downspout sheet metal)
•Screwdriver - typically slotted or a nut driver - usually 1/4 inch or 5/16 inch
•Clog Removal Device - I'm using a stick I found on the ground
•Colorful Language (optional, but satisfying)
Gutter downspout fastener
Step 1 - Find the sheet metal screws holding the downspout fittings together. These are usually slotted type fasteners located at the fitting junctions.
Removing a sheet metal fastener
Step 2 - Remove all the fasteners of the downspout piece you want to remove.
Removing a downspout
Step 3 - Pull the joint apart. This may require some wiggling and the liberal application of colorful language.
Removing a downspout
Step 3 - Remove both sides of the elbow joint. Colorful language still helpful if needed.
Pine needle clog in a downspout elbow
Step 4 - Remove any clogs or debris from the elbow. This one is clogged with a large amount of pine needles.
Clearing a downspout clog
Step 4 - Using the "clog poking device" clear out any clog from the gutter to downspout connection.
Clogged gutter to downspout connection
Step 4 - View from below at the gutter to downspout connection. This still needs to have debris removed.
Replacing a downspout elbow
Step 5 - Once the downspout is clean, replace the elbow. It is usually easiest to start from the bottom connection. Once again, colorful language is helpful to get things to fit.
Replacing a downspout elbow
Step 5 - Almost done. Once the bottom of the elbow is in start to work on getting the upper end back in place.
Securing a downspout elbow
Step 6 - Once you have found the screw you dropped on the ground, put it back in place to secure the elbow.

How To Lubricate A Garage Door - Simple DIY Project

10/20/2017

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DIY fix for a sticking sliding screen door

9/1/2017

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Sliding screen door not sliding well? Does it take more than one hand to open and shut? Follow these easy process to adjust and lubricate your sliding screen door. Most doors only require a screwdriver, a quality spray lubricant and about 10 minutes of your time.
Screwdrivers and spray lubricant
Tools Required - Screwdriver and Spray Lubricant
Dog behind a screen door
Dog to help complete the repair is optional.
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Failing Paint and Caulking - What is hidden underneath?

8/25/2017

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Caulking and paint need yearly maintenance to ensure that it is still protecting your house. A common spot to find hidden damage is at exposed wood trim, especially at areas that have a latex caulk sealing a gap. Caulking with a coat of paint is pretty good protection for wood, but  once it fails water has an easy path to wood and can cause hidden damage.
Stair railing with failing paint and caulking.
Look for bubbling areas of paint and dried out looking cracks in the caulking between joints.
You can see the failing paint and shrinking caulking in the above pictures. A good visual clue to look for is "bubbling" areas of paint on a flat surface. You will also see cracked looking caulking in between wood joints. Think like a drop of water - it wants to go with gravity and the path of least resistance. This railing was pretty sound at the top but had significant damage towards the bottom of the slope. 
Stair railing with failing paint and caulking.
Damage is easy to see the farther down the slope you go. Water damage generally follows gravity and the path of least resistance.
Probing for hidden damage.
Light pressure probing with a knife reveals the damage under an area of failing paint.
Just a little bit of probing at a bubbling area reveals hidden damage. I used fairly light pressure here and the knife slid right in to the wood. You can see the hidden rot underneath. This has been going on for a while. It's likely that the previous homeowner painted over a failing area of paint without fixing the underlying damage. 
Extensive rot hidden beneath failing paint.
The bottom of the railing with extensive rot. This railing needs to be replaced.
Extensive rot hidden beneath failing paint.
Pretty rotten. That knife went all the way through.
Probing rotted wood with a knife.
Light pressure with probing sunk the knife in to the failing wood.
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Foundation Leak - where is the water coming from and how to fix common problems.

5/19/2017

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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. 

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Clearance under fence boards

5/12/2017

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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.
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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.

Change your furnace filters every 3 months.

4/28/2017

 
Changing the furnace filter is an easy task that is often overlooked. Change your furnace filters every three months to prolong the life of your furnace and provide peak airflow (and heated air) to your house. 
Filter access panel on front of gas furnace.
Filter access panel at front of gas furnace. The filters inside are dirty and definitely need to be changed.
Most furnaces have an easily accessible access panel on the front of the plenum (air chamber). Slide open the panel and you should see the filters sitting inside the furnace. Carefully remove the filters and note the orientation of the airflow. It is important to place the new filters with the arrow pointing in the direction of the airflow for proper operation.
Dirty furnace filter after 3 months of work.
Dirty furnace filter. This one has been in the furnace for about 3 months.
Side by side comparison of new filter on the left and dirty filter on the right.
Side by side comparison of new filter on the left and dirty filter on the right.
Brand new furnace filter. Clean and ready to filter dust out of the air.
Brand new furnace filter with clean filter media.
The filter on the left has been in the furnace for about three months. Lots of dirt, dust and debris on the filter medium. It has been doing it's job, but is starting to get clogged. You can see a clean and dirty filter side by side in the middle picture. The filter on the right is brand new and ready to be put in the furnace. 

Buy the correct filter or filters and put them back in place. There will be an arrow on the filter indicating the direction the air needs to flow through the filter for it to work. Orient the filter in the correct direction and then close the access panel.

Make it easy for yourself the next time - put some reminders on the front of the furnace or plenum. I use a piece of blue tape to note the date that I changed the filter. Every time I change them, a new piece of tape goes up with the most current info. I also wrote the specs for the filters right on the front of the plenum, much easier to have that to reference when I'm ordering new filters. 
Front of furnace air plenum with reminders written in ink on the surface.
Make it easy on yourself - blue tape with the date the filter was last changed. Sharpie on the front with the specs for the filter and direction of the air flow.
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    Brian Jovag, owner of Jovag Home Inspection.

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