jltdesign

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So far jltdesign has created 33 blog entries.

Plumbing – July, 2022

A trombone comes to mind... Or maybe miniature golf. Drainpipes under a sink should be simple: a small U-shaped bend called a “trap” holds a plug of water to prevent sewer gas from rising out of the drain. This plug of water should never be more than 4” deep and the remaining drainpipes should be as short and direct as possible. The drain [...]

2024-02-23T11:13:55-08:00July 1st, 2022|Gas and Plumbing, Snaps from the Field|

Vents – June, 2022

Your dryer vent - it's full of hot air. Your dryer tumbles your clothes with lots of hot air, which is then vented out through a duct to a vent outside the home. When the vent does not have good clearance, airflow is restricted which can have several results: your dryer may take longer to dry your clothes resulting in higher energy usage and [...]

2024-02-23T11:14:35-08:00June 6th, 2022|HVAC, Snaps from the Field|

Plumbing – May, 2022

What is a toilet fill valve? A toilet fill valve performs the thankless task of refilling a toilet's tank after each flush. They come in a variety of configurations, based on the size, shape, and design of the toilet. A malfunctioning one can make the toilet run continuously or fail to refill the tank with the right amount of water. When they're installed too [...]

2024-02-23T11:15:57-08:00May 1st, 2022|Gas and Plumbing, Snaps from the Field|

Piping – Apr, 2022

PVC pipe is a no-no. This water heater has a 1/2" PVC extension tube on its temperature-pressure relief valve. PVC stands for Polyvinyl chloride, but a more suitable name might be “Pipe Very Cracky”. The piping is brittle and not rated for use inside a home generally, and especially not as an extension tube on a water heater temperature-pressure relief valve. In addition to [...]

2024-02-23T11:16:45-08:00April 1st, 2022|Gas and Plumbing, Snaps from the Field|

Chimneys – Mar. 2022

Jiminy Cricket! This wide chimney is missing a cricket. No, not the small, noisy insect. A cricket is a small, peaked roof at the up-slope side of your chimney to deflect water and debris around your chimney. Without a cricket snow and debris can easily build up and lead to water penetration around the chimney. Chimneys that are 30” wide or more should have [...]

2023-11-30T12:05:54-08:00March 2nd, 2022|Exterior, Roofs and Gutters, Snaps from the Field|

Plumbing – Feb. 2022

Duct tape and bailing wire are a short-term fix. Anyone who grew up on a farm knows that much can be done with duct tape and bailing wire, at least to get a job done in the short-term. But repairs made in the short-term are often forgotten and become long-term, permanent, repairs. Here we see duct tape used to repair a gaping hole in [...]

2024-02-23T11:19:42-08:00February 1st, 2022|Gas and Plumbing, Snaps from the Field|

Framing – Jan. 2022

Rule #65 of home inspections: If anyone *can* do their own framing work, anyone *will* do their own framing work. We’ve all heard about the “good bones” of a house, and well, the framing members are quite literally the bones of the house. Here a homeowner has installed a new window in a wall but failed to install a header across the opening to [...]

2023-06-14T16:56:03-07:00January 1st, 2022|Framing and Structural, Snaps from the Field|

Structural Inspection – Dec. 2021

I’m Melting! Melting! Well, no, this building isn’t coming to the same fate as the Wicked Witch of the West, but its split-face block wall does have serious issues with water penetration. Split-face block walls absorb a lot of water and it lifts the paint as it tries to escape. The source of the water penetration may be from improper flashing details or even [...]

2023-07-31T14:49:36-07:00December 1st, 2021|Exterior, Framing and Structural, Snaps from the Field|

Plumbing Installation – Nov. 2021

Rule #64 of home inspections: If anyone *can* do their own plumbing work, anyone *will* do their own plumbing work. As we’ve mentioned before, every plumbing fixture is supposed to have one trap to hold a small plug of water and prevent sewer gas from rising up out of the drain. This homeowner must have been one of those people who believe that “more [...]

2023-06-14T16:56:19-07:00November 1st, 2021|Gas and Plumbing, Snaps from the Field|

Electrical Wiring – Oct. 2021

Rule #63 of home inspections: If anyone *can* do their own electrical wiring, anyone *will* do their own electrical wiring. Especially with Home Depot and Lowes there to encourage them. This light fixture is intended to be installed over a flush-mount electrical box. (That’s a box that fits inside the wall and is flush with the surface of the wall – or better, yet, [...]

2023-06-14T16:56:29-07:00October 1st, 2021|Electrical, Snaps from the Field|
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