Occasionally, we inspect homes that have floor tiles that likely have an asbestos content.  The  majority of times they are the 9X9 asphalt or vinyl tiles found in homes in the 1950s and1960s. Tiles with asbestos content can be found in larger tiles such as 12X12 and manufactured into the 1980s. There is also sheet flooring and adhesive of the same era that may contain asbestos.

Solid material like floor tiles are typically not considered a hazard because the asbestos fibers are embedded in the material and not easily released into the air without sanding or other types of abrasion.  Because these tiles are older, they are typically considered dated and many home buyers wonder what they can do about putting new flooring down without creating a hazard in their home. Most often, the answer is to floor over it unless it is broken and loose because professional removal by an asbestos abatement company can be costly.  The question is, should you floor over it?  As with many home renovation projects, the answer is, “it depends.”

If the asbestos flooring is in good condition, you can floor over it with most any type of flooring. Carpet is easily laid over old asbestos tile as is floating laminated wood flooring without any problems, but if you are installing vinyl or ceramic tile there are other ways to install it.  If the asbestos is on wood and not concrete, a new subfloor of ½ plywood can be installed over it.  This basically encapsulates the old tile and provides a nice smooth surface for the new vinyl or tile to adhere to.  The draw back of this is that it elevates the floor the thickness equal to the new subfloor and floor covering.  Doors may need adjustment and transition edges may be needed where the new floor may meet a different floored area.

Basements and slab construction are often a different story.  Basements have greater potential for flooding and concrete holds moisture so carpet and wood flooring are often not a good choice.  If the majority of the asbestos tile is in good condition, you “can” apply vinyl or ceramic tile over it.  If there are any minor pieces that are loose, they can be removed and leveling cement can be used to fill in the gaps.  Whether this is advisable or not appears to be debatable.  We called several companies that sell and/or install ceramic and vinyl flooring and asked about installing it over asbestos tile.  All of them said you can; however, they were split as to whether you should.  Some felt that due to the cost of removal, going over it was best if it’s in good condition.  Others felt that there was risk of the asbestos coming loose in the future, therefore, compromising the new flooring was not worth the risk of potentially having to remove both old and new at some point down the road.  As always, when professionals differ in opinion, it’s the homeowner who must educate themselves as much as possible and make their own choice.

SOLAR VS ELECTRIC ATTIC FANS

Solar power; an energy source that costs nothing and can’t be exhausted .  If we don’t do something crazy, it will be available to us for billions of years to come, that is, if we are around that long.  As a part of the “going green” era, solar power technology is at the forefront and has come a long way from where it was in the 1970s.  It is being effectively used for generating electrical power as well as for heating homes.

Solar energy may be free, you don’t have to pay the sun anything to use it.  However, solar technology is not free.  The systems developed that use solar energy can be expensive; therefore, one must be sure that it has equal or better functionality and cost effectiveness than its more conventional counter part.  Even with the significant tax incentives, a photovoltaic system, which produces electricity can be beyond the budget of many homeowners.  We thought we would look into a product that might be affordable to many homeowners and relates to an improvement many homes are found to need as a result of the home inspection.  Attic Ventilation: Unless updated, it is likely that most homes built before the 1980s have inadequate attic ventilation. This does not mean all homes built after that have enough.  Attic fans have always been a favorite recommendation of ours for improving attic ventilation.  And now, there are solar powered attic fans.  The photos show just a few models that mount on the roof.  The question is, how well do they work and do they actually save money?

We have found reason to believe they are not a better choice over electric attic fans.

Function: Like any technology that uses solar energy, you need exposure to the sun, the more direct the better.  When exposed directly to the sun, it appears these fans work fairly well; however the following must be considered:  Even on just a partly cloudy day, passing clouds can significantly reduce the fans speed and its effectiveness.  The more the sun lowers on the horizon and the fan has less direct exposure, the fan can again, slow significantly.  Also remember that on a hot day, the roof shingles and attic framing have absorbed a lot of heat and that heat does not just immediately dissipate as soon as the sun starts setting.  The fan will slow or completely shut off where as an electric fan would not. 

Electric fans do more than remove heat, they can be equipped with a humidistat.  This will allow the fan to function in cooler months when household moisture can be trapped in an attic. This will reduce potential mold and moisture damage to the framing.

Cost: From our research, we have found some conflicting information as to whether the solar fans will eventually pay off in operation cost.  A top of the line solar fan can cost up to $600 with installation costs of about $300. Then there is a 30% Federal tax credit you can apply for.   A comparable electric fan would be about $125 with a $400 installation cost.  Bottom line, the solar is at least $100 more upfront.  We have seen estimates of pay back in the range of about 3 years; however, you more often see estimates ranging from 9 to 17 years.  It appears to us that a solar fan is not the best choice since it takes that long to get a pay back and does not provide the same consistent venting protection of both heat and moisture as the electric attic fan.

Code, requirement or recommendation?

We are often asked by realtors and homebuyers alike, whether something is “required” in a home.  For example, are GFCI outlets required and/or, are they required by code?  What kind of railing is required for decks, or what is the code for deck rails?  The answer is, it depends on who you are asking and when a house was built. 

If you are asking a home inspector and he answers within the scope of a home inspector’s expertise, the words “code” and “required” are not in their vocabulary.  Home inspections deal with three conditions, Functionality, safety, and whether a system is near end of service life.  If they find a non-functional system or component, an unsafe system or component or one that is near end of service life, they must (by state law) “recommend” correction or monitoring.  Typically they will recommend correction for non-functional and unsafe issues and monitoring for older but functional items.  They won’t (or shouldn’t) be stating in a report that things don’t meet code or that they are “required” to be changed, upgraded or corrected. Most home inspectors have some handle on codes and some may inform a client off the record that something does not meet code, but in their report it will deal with safety.

Let’s go back to whether GFCIs are required (by code).  GFCIs were once not required at all within the house, then only in baths, then in kitchens within six feet of the sink, now all counter top outlets.  A town building inspector will say they are “required” based on the codes that existed when the house was built.  He will not require a home built in 1968 to have GFCI outlets where they are required today, unless they are changed.  A home inspector may “recommend” GFCI outlets in a 1968 home in all the places they are required by today’s code based on safety.

Some home inspector’s recommendations may exceed code.  Code requires childproof rails for any deck at 30 inches above the ground.  Many home inspectors, for “safety,” may recommend rails at 24 inches, especially if the buyer has small children. 

Who else may “require” things?  Some mortgage or insurance companies may have “requirements.”  If you are on the selling side, you may want to ask for their documentation that proves it actually is required; misunderstandings on the buyer’s side may cause them to ask for things thinking they are required by the mortgage or insurance company when they are not.

Perception and reality do not always find equal ground in the human mind.  Our perception of the physical world is based on the limited ability of our five senses to interpret it to us.  Our eyes tell us the sun rises in the morning, but we all know by scientific discovery that this “perception” is in error.  We understand that the reality is our planet is rotating on its axis.  In our daily lives, maintaining this false perception of the sun rise has no adverse effect.  If we were astronauts, living by this perception would be disastrous.  Yet in buying a home, important perceptions continue to override reality in some cases.

In our last post, we talked about the dangers of aluminum wire and the potential corrections to make it safer.  To put aluminum wire’s hazards in perspective; it is the only specific product that the Connecticut Home Inspector’s Standards require be noted in an inspection report.  To examine perception and reality, we thought it would be helpful to compare other home hazards and how they are perceived.

The hazard from aluminum wire is house fires.  We have yet to see any of our clients find out they have aluminum wire in the home and not want safety corrections made.  It’s hard to imagine that a client would not want to know if they have aluminum wire in their home.  Of course they should want to know and they should want it corrected.  There is a reality that aluminum wire is less safe than copper wire and that is therefore a perception of a hazard. 

The hazard of death from aluminum wire falls far short of the hazard from death from lung cancer due to radon gas.  It is estimated that over 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the US per year are due to radon (According to all credible scientists, and based on the same science used to determine that cigarette smoking causes cancer).  Deaths due to house fires from ALL causes, electrical causes only being one and aluminum wire only one cause of electrical fires is only 3200 (Deaths due to electrical fires = 495 per year).  Yet many homebuyers still opt not to have a radon test done.  You can’t see radon; it’s not manmade like cigarettes or other toxins and therefore the “perception” continues for many, that its hazard is minimal or made up.

Aluminum Wire in Homes Need Correction

Now and then we come across homes or condos that have single strand aluminum wire. Aluminum wire was installed in the 1960s and 1970s in many homes. Unless already done, correction to the connection points is needed. The problem with aluminum wire is the risk of fire when the wire at the connections becomes loose from heat expansion and contraction, causing an arc, leading to fire. There have been several methods of repair developed over the years for correction. Opinions may vary but the information below is what we were able to find in our research.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends only a specially designed crimping connector called COPALUM. However, the CPSC does not have legal jurisdiction to mandate the exclusive use of this method and one can choose to use one of the other methods. It is likely that most electricians will recommend an alternative method due the high cost of the COPALUM. Many residential electricians cannot afford the rental of the crimping tool needed, nor have they had the certification required by the manufacture to use it. This significantly impacts the cost of installation.  

AlumiConn lug connectors: These connectors are relatively new (2006). They were UL listed in 2007. “It is predicted that they have high probability of failure-free long term safe performance, provided that the setscrews are carefully tightened to the manufacturer’s recommendation.” They have not yet beet approved by the CPSC but it is anticipated that they will be. If the COPALUM crimp is unavailable or unaffordable, it appears that this method would be the best alternative.

There is one UL listed wire nut (Ideal #65), or more specifically, a twister. It is a repair method many electricians have used over the years, but due to its failure rate in some tests, it is not considered as good as the above mentioned methods. (Opinions vary regarding the quality of the testing methods).

 There are COALR, CU-AL, or CO/ALR outlets and switches also available but are probably the least recommended repair of those so far mentioned.

Another method we have observed used by electricians is an Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI). Not to be confused with a GFCI. These breakers have been required in bedroom circuits since about 1999. They are designed to protect against fires caused by arcing faults in the home electrical wiring. When an arc occurs, the breaker trips. This is the hazards aluminum wire poses. We have heard mixed opinions from electricians. It would stand to reason that if a COPALUM crimp or a AlumiConn connector can prevent the arc in the first place, they would be a better method. Therefore, the AFCI may be a good choice in conjunction with other methods. 

In all cases, anti oxidant past should be applied at the wire and breaker connection in the breaker panel

In September 2010, over 100,000 homes were seized by banks in the U.S.  2011 does not look to be any better.  Foreclosures always had challenges, but because there were so few , it was never a significant issue. This current market with so many foreclosures can present problems for realtors, homebuyers and the home inspector.  The following issues are things I have seen multiple times in foreclosed property inspections.

• Banks do not have the house de-winterized with all utilities on in time for the inspection or only have it partially de-winterized with some utilities on and some off.
• If the Electric is not on, in addition to not being able to evaluate the electrical system, in some cases it can prevent the evaluation of the heating system, water heater, garage door openers, appliances etc.
• If the gas is off, it can prevent evaluation of the heating system, water heater, appliances, gas fireplaces etc.
• All the utilities may have been turned back on but the water main is often found turned off.  Home inspectors will not turn on water main valves.  They cannot take the liability of a broken pipe or malfunctioning fixture that may cause damage to the house if the water is turned on.  The photo is an example of an existing broken pipe that began leaking when the realtor turned on the water main.
• Foreclosed homes have often been neglected and are in poor condition.  The inspection process can take a little longer due to the amount of deficiencies that may have to be documented.
• Any of these systems not ready on the day of the inspection may cost the buyer more money for return inspections.
• Each day of delay for return inspections is another potential day a perspective homebuyer to become frustrated with the process and back out.

Don’t trust that because the bank says all will be turned on by the time you have requested, that it actually will be. Take the time to be sure the house is properly de-winterizedand that all systems are turn back on to the house and within the house.