CONCRETE SURFACE DEFECTS

August 29th, 2010

CONCRETE DEFECTS

CONCRETE SURFACE DEFECTS

Over the last 30 years I have maybe poured a couple of thousand concrete patio decks, walkways, pool decks, driveways and more, when I first began pouring in 1979 I had been through all of the good and also some of the bad pours, just like every other contractor that pours concrete we had fast setting (hot) pours and other problems which are inevitable and believe me I had my share of learning experiences. After a few heads on with some costly problems I decided to study building sciences and ACI concrete fundamentals such as proper mixing, different grade cements, correct finishing, curing and why defects occur and how to fix them (if possible).

Anyone that pours concrete not only needs to understand the basic ‘street’ fundamentals of pour and finishing concrete but should also understand the sciences of cement and concrete to help them reduce the potential for cracking and other defects, believe me there are many contractors that do not know very much about concrete sciences if at all, I believe this is why so many CSLB and bond claims are filed concerning concrete cracking each year. There are many fairly complicated factors behind concrete defects that include the correct methods mixing of materials, delivery, and the proper installation (finishing techniques) of those materials and finishing practices in the ‘perfect’ weather conditions.

The fact is there is no sure way to avoid “normal concrete cracking” a contractor can do everything right and the concrete can still crack anywhere or any time it feels like however, there are proper methods that a knowledgeable contractor can apply that highly reduces excessive settlement cracking, bug holes, excessive plastic shrinkage and other avoidable defects. I’ve witnessed the most ‘seasoned’ (veteran) finishers making huge mistakes as they pour, finish and cure the concrete; a lot of the veteran finishers may be older and wise and have ‘hands on’ taught their sons and nephews of their veteran ways (methods ) however, a lot of the time the veteran methods are the WRONG methods.

Concrete is a science and should be treated as a science and the knowledge and extra precautions should be utilized to obtain the finest aesthetics and maximum structural strength as possible. Time and time again I have witnessed Joe home owner only concerned with saving money using unlicensed contractors/gardeners that were half the price of Joe licensed contractor, they’ve hand mixed and poured the mix so thin the consistency was like noodle soup and they had only poured about two and a half to three inches, and poor grading, backwards sloping, etc.  The ‘bargain’ home owner later wondered why the entire slab was cracked like a jigsaw puzzle or water was entering their homes scratching their heads while ripping the bad concrete out and re-pouring….paying double or more.

If your concrete has defects, excessive cracks, pop outs, discoloring, etc. I am able to inspect it, determine what went wrong and recommend several cost effective solutions to correct those unsightly defects.

If you like we can also assist your contractor in applying these proper methods to help reduce cracking and other defects. Written by Anthony R. Perez; A1 engineering contractor/Certified ICC building Inspector.

Posted in CSLB, CSLB complaint, CSLB complaint form, California license board, Construction disputes, HCC surety, Hidden moisture, Home Inspection disputes, Home Inspectors, Infrared, Infrared Thermal Imaging, Thermal Camera, building inspector, buying a home, california contractor bond, certified home inspector, construction attorney, construction attorney in santa clarita, construction issues, contract attorney, contractor problems, contractors board, contractors bond, dispte, home inspection services, infrared inspections, infrared technology, inspections, inspectors, leak detection, mediation, mediators, mold inspections, mold inspector, water damage, white mold | No Comments »

Building Consultant

August 28th, 2010


logo[Expert Building Consultant

Understanding Construction Contracts the construction industry is complex and more challenging to manage than one imagines, even with small home improvement contracts there is always a potential for misunderstandings, alleged defects, disputes, and lawsuits. In California any project that is $500.00 or more including labor and materials must be documented on a written contract if not, the contractor is in violation of contractors’ law. A contract for $2,500.00 is almost as complex as a contract for $250,000.00 the CSLB requires the about same notices and other legal documents.

Expert Building Consultants are experienced certified professionals in their specific field(s) or trade(s) that are relied on by  legal council or the home owner to assist them with clarifying and establishing liability with construction building defects and the extent of damages, the consultant is experienced with inspecting, testing and calculating any patent and latent defects, and other directly related applicable evidence and then must document a conclusive comprehensive explanation of the exact causes of the defect  and whom or what may be liable.

 

Consultants vary in expertise from swimming pools, mold infiltration to specialty welding for high rise construction and a lot more, it is important that you choose the correct expert or inspector for your specific needs.  You do not need to retain an engineer or architect if it is not suitable, these professionals are good for heavy structural issues, hillside issues and foundation issues but why would you need an architect or engineer if your contractor had installed a sewer flowing backwards or mold is growing from inside your walls for no apparent reason or your water heater bursts and floods the entire home, you would require an experienced home and building inspector  with the essential specialty inspection tools to thoroughly inspect all of the surrounding and unforeseen conditions  and then create an appropriate comprehensive and legally applicable report that could be relied on in a court testimony, that’s if it would go all the way to trial, in my experience most cases are resolved through a voluntary mediation or the court ordered mediation.

 

When searching for the appropriate claims consultant the most important things to look for in a company is longevity of the business and any directly related businesses, experience, licenses, inspection equipment and certifications.

 

 Would you call an Architect or an Engineer if in a brand new $900,000 home the wood flooring would unexpectedly start discoloring and began peeling as the carpet began to get moldy when there’s no apparent water? No.  Architects and Engineers are important and relevant for many building defect issues but not all issues, how many of these experts do you think have actually had hands on remodeling a home or reconstructed a damaged home or repaired different types of defect issues, the answer is very few, the fact is to contact an Architect or Engineer for the type of defect as I have described, it would be the same thing as contacting a framing contractor to design and construct a swim pool, it’s just not practical

 

There are also people out there advertising on the internet that have certification as a home inspector, please check out their credentials since the recession of 2007; home inspection certificate internet sites have popped up all over and with $500.00 and about two weeks home study, in California you are able to advertise as a certified home and building inspector.

 

International Code Council (ICC) certification is substantiation that your expert consultant or home inspector has taken the extra mile by a great extent studying and passing ICC building codes tests, the same exact tests are mandatory by your county/city building and safety inspector, this study and testing is time consuming, grueling and is not very easy but it assures the consumer that the expert or home inspector has passed the most prestigious of all inspection courses and testing.

 

CCS is able to assist the Plaintiff’s Attorney, Defendant’s Attorney, Insurance company, Contractor or Home Owner with a variety of specialty inspections either evasive or non-evasive, as you read throughout the website we have three decades of all types of design, construction and repair experience as well as two decades of continued education in building sciences, etc., we believe that our credentials are difficult to match by most other contractors and Inspectors.

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Condo Defects & Infrared

August 28th, 2010

Condominium defects and Infrared Inspections

The owner began to notice some water staining inside her condo at the kitchen cupboards and about 20 feet away at the light fixture there’s a bathroom above the kitchen and a small balcony adjacent outside the exterior wall, the owner called a general contractor when he looked at the areas of staining he explained to the owner that the only thing he could do was to remove the drywall wall and ceiling to locate ‘the source’ of the leak, the owner asked how much it was going to cost and how long it would take the contractor replied back your guess is as good as mine, until we tear everything out and water test we can’t say. A day later the ceiling and walls were out, the cupboards were removed, it was finally determined that the leak was coming from under the balcony floor every time the owner watered her potted plants the runoff was absorbing underneath the balconies flooring material it found it’s way into the floor joist voids traveling about 20 feet horizontally as well as vertically, luckily there was not any serious material or structural damages.

The corrective work took a total of four days from the tear out, replacement of the drywall, mud, tape, sanding, wall and ceiling texture, primer, paint and re-install cupboards for a sub total of $2,400.00 plus the cost of new decking/balcony waterproofing at $1,400.00 for a grand total of $3,800.00.

If, the owner had first called a Infrared Thermal Imaging certified inspector that is trained in building sciences that clearly understands how condo’s are designed and have more of a potential for water leaks than regular homes he would have simply started to test the most obvious, by beginning to test at the bathroom above the kitchen by first flushing the commode a few times and checking if it was loose, then turning on all of the plumbing fixtures letting them run for about five minutes, then wetting down the adjacent exterior walls and balcony for about another five minutes and then with his infrared camera begin scanning the upper bathroom fixtures, walls, floors, supply inlets, drains and floors, then working his way downwards scanning the kitchens ceilings, walls and all of the suspect areas carefully checking where the balcony is located.

There were two areas behind the drywall showing a positive ‘high moisture content’ to confirm the infrareds readings the inspector re- tested with a quality moister detector, the detector also read positive for high contents of moisture, before notifying the owner of the findings he continued with ‘confirmation’ to observe potential interior damages there would be a core test, by drilling a small one inch hole into the suspect areas and inserting a DVD recording cable camera the inspector confirmed moisture and seen that there was not any other damages to the areas, the leak was accurately (pinpointed) without any major destructive work or was it necessary to tear out the entire drywall sections on that side of the kitchen and the owner had a DVD recording for records or insurance claims. Total inspection price for the Infrared inspection about $375.00 and the deck repair $1,400.00 for a grand total of $1,775.00 saving the owner a total of $2,225.00   

A trained and experienced building inspector will know well in advance the many areas of concern with a condo, it is no secret that condo’s have ‘different defect issues’ as regular homes such as, adjacent neighbors sharing property walls, leaking balconies, attic firewalls, drafts and air leakage, HVAC issues, electrical issues, leaky window issues, balcony issues, leaky plumbing and more. Infrared is also good to locate infestations of termites and mold.

One of the newest of technologies and best tools for inspecting all types of different condominium defects is the Infrared Imaging camera a certified infrared inspector is able locate and detect so much more than the old conventional inspection method. Written by; Anthony R. Perez dba California Certified Services, Los Angeles County.  

Condo Inspections

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Home Inspections what to expect

August 11th, 2010

Infrared inspections                  HOME INSPECTIONS what to expect______________

There seems to be a LOT OF CONFUSION CONCERNING HOME INSPECTIONS, especially with new home buyers. No matter what some may think a Real Estate home inspection is a very good idea even with brand new homes, all home inspection organizations consider a real estate inspection very similar which is a non-evasive viewing of the home’s structure and its components, and is designed to assure the prospective buyer that the home they are about to purchase is safe, free from major defects and is a sound investment, by having a home inspection conducted prior to signing the final closing is an intelligent decision, by requesting  a home inspection you as the buyer are paying a professional to find out if there are any substantial defects or any major components that may be unsafe or on may be on their last leg. The home inspector is a generalist that is looking for defects and safety hazards that could end up costing the buyer substantial amounts of money making unnecessary repairs on items they were not aware of.

99% of the time the final inspection report will list minor defect issues that could easily confuse or discourage a buyer, please try to remember that you the buyer must keep things in perspective and understand that no home is perfect and that there will always be unexpected repair issues and defects called out on a inspection report both with older homes as well as brand new homes. Don’t kill your deal over the small stuff, reality is that no structure or building is perfect and the items that are most called out on a report are usually minor repairs, routine maintenance and/or wear and tear issues that are usually easy and inexpensive corrections, keep in mind that the seller and your agent may even work with you on the homes pricing or may repair any reasonable meritorious items prior to closing. The buyer’s real concerns should be any major issues that could significantly decrease the homes value or cause serious injury to a human being. Please remember that it is not appropriate to request the seller to fix every little flaw especially with older homes, new homes come with a warranty and the CSLB enforces a mandatory four and ten year warranty on some specific items.

A Real Estate home inspection is to be a thorough ‘non-evasive visual’ inspection of the property, on average an inspection for a fairly kept 2000 sf. unoccupied home takes about three hours and is usually between $300.00 and $500.00, a professional home inspector will  always conduct inspections by nationally recognized  Standards of Practice and Ethics agreement under most all acceptable standards of practice the home inspector is not require to walk on pitched roofs, dig outside to expose plumbing or are they to put themselves in harms way during an inspection, the inspector is not require to move personal belongings or any objects that obstruct a clear view of any reportable items.

Click here to see the NACHI S.O.P. @>http://www.nachi.org/sop.htm

There are several different established “standards of practice” ethics and regulations issued by many different organizations however they are all very similar to each other.

To put the standard Real Estate Home Inspection in perspective the inspector is to view the entire home from the ground floor foundation to the top of the roof, there are literally hundreds of items that require viewing within this short time frame (snap shot) and some items may be more complicated than others, in older homes viewing reportable items may be more time consuming because there are more items with possible outdated components and the inspector must recognize older building codes or more defects. The fact is that within the average reasonable recommended time allotted for viewing the inspector may unintentionally overlook something, this is unfortunate but it frequently happens.

I do not believe that any inspector is able to say he has not missed something on a home inspection, also remember what I documented earlier that with a R.E. Home Inspection there are established requirements as well as limitations that were designed and put into place by both the governing state and/or by a nationally recognized home inspection organization. When you receive your written report and if there are questionable issues that were not orally addressed at the time of inspection or if there are recommendations that you may not completely understand don’t panic, simply read your contract and the inspectors’ standards of practice and if still in doubt then call your inspector, we as inspectors are always willing to clarify any issue that may be of concern, there may be a legal reason that the item was not reported maybe there was not reasonable access at the time of the inspection or an area was dangerous to enter. The reason it was bypassed should be written somewhere on the report.

The buyer should also understand that the home inspection is in no way a guarantee or home insurance policy, it is a general visual examination of the home and its components, the buyer should also understand that some mechanical items can fail at any time even if they appeared  good and were working at the time of inspection,  such as a furnace, dishwasher or water heater that could be properly functioning at the time of inspection and breaks down as soon as the inspector walks out the door, this is basically called home ownership when buying a home always be prepared to repair or replace things of this nature when least expected.

Prior to performing the actual home inspection, I as a retired contractor and full time home inspector suggest that all of my customers read the inspectors Standards of Practice, as well as the inspectors pre-agreement/contract which clarifies exactly what the inspector’s duties, responsibilities and limitations are. By reading the information lowers the risk of confusion and liability if in a few months after the home inspection is completed and there is something that breaks down (fails) or that may not have been written on the report, before contacting the inspector or the agent the buyer can easily go back to the S.O.P. the report and to the pre-agreement contract to better understand how to properly address any defect issues that may arise after moving in.

It is of the utmost importance to fully understand the industries S.O.P. not everything in a home can be inspected without conducting a destructive (exhaustive) inspection, please understand that there may be several legal excuses why an item was not observed and/or reported. My recommendations are as with anything else that requires a written and signed agreement, with any home inspection carefully read your contract prior to signing and take time to ask your inspector questions prior to the home inspection ask what organization and home inspection standards of practice they comply with.

I hope that this information will help clarify basic R.E. inspections, a home inspection is a good investment and sometimes it saves the potential buyer tens of thousands of dollars, or an inspection may call out serious or deadly safety hazards that are simple and very inexpensive to repair, by writing this article I want to inform new home buyers to better comprehend what is expected and what is not expected of the home inspection.

Thank you, Anthony R. Perez Certified ICC home inspector and engineering contractor see my mini website at http://www.CAcertified.com we are also infrared certified.

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ASK FOR FREE!!!

July 30th, 2010

Need answers to your construction or inspection questions?

Permits, questionable work, mold and termite infestations, what does code say, or whats required on a home improvement contract? How do you check on a contractors work history? Whatever your issues or questions may be they will be posted to dozens of local contractors and inspectors that can professionally answer your issue or question inquiries within 1 day.

Also…If you are in need a, engineer, architect, contractor or inspector we can assist you with finding pre-screened local pros FREE. (Los Angeles Areas only) Remember this site is 100% FREE and there are absolutely no obligations, your e-mail is 100% safe (protected) from re-sale and spam, your information or e-mail is not given to the inspectors or contractors.

Your information is 100% confidential information with www.ASKinspector.com Thank you!

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Infrared…the cutting edge!

July 30th, 2010


Infrared Home Inspections… cutting edge Technology!

Never before has a contractor, home inspector or building inspector been able to easily and precisely locate difficult to find moisture infiltrations, hidden fungi, toxic mold, unknown electrical problems, pool leaks, termite infestations and a whole lot more without having to tear out walls, ceilings and floors saving money by not having to make a huge mess and unnecessary expenses, this newest technology assists the home inspector with their regular non-evasive inspections by reading differing temperatures on the cameras screen and the certified inspector analyzing the unique temperature color formations is able to easily determine many hidden problems.

Free site!!

This cutting edge technology also assists the inspector with accidentally misdiagnosing reportable items by validating the inspectors suspicions, the camera easily locates over heated electrical outlets, heating and cooling leaks, unforeseen defects, and can also help pinpoint energy loss from poor attic and wall insulation and can locate HVAC ‘conditioned’ air leakage coming out from the buildings envelope.

It’s simple, infrared helps homeowners and businesses save time and money.

If you’re planning of having any type of home or building inspection or some type of moisture inspection before you hire any inspector or contractor first ask them if they are certified to perform infrared inspections, anymore there’s no other better addition to an inspection, home service or emergency than including infrared technology. If you have any construction or inspection questions or are looking for an inspector ask for free @ http://www.ASKinspector.com

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