Ask The Atlanta Home Inspector

If roof trusses are cut after they are manufactured their structural integrity will be compromised.  If the trusses are cut after installation in the attic then they are no longer capable of supporting the section of the roof that they were designed to support.
Once roof trusses are cut then the original truss manufacturer or a […]

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If you don’t have one of the new water heaters and the unit is sitting directly on the floor of your garage you have a very unsafe situation. 
Older gas water heaters are required to sit up at least 18 inches off of the floor so that combustibles don’t get taken in with the combustion air and cause an […]

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The Temperature Pressure Relief Valve (T&P) is a safety device on the hot water heater.  It’s job is to open up and discharge water from the hot water tank if the water heater builds up excessive pressure inside.  The T&P valve is what prevents the water heater from exploding from an excessive pressure build up.
The T&P needs to have an extension […]

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I don’t know what to say about how stupid this situation is.  A single wall flue pipe in direct contact with the wood siding of a home.  It’s a miracle that there hasn’t been a fire already!

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When your clothes dryer doesn’t vent to the exterior of the house your are asking for trouble.  First, all of the moisture produced by drying your clothes remains in the home causing a variety of problems including a potential for mold growth.
Second, the massive amount of lint produced from the clothes dryer gets all over […]

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Guardrails and handrails are an essential component in preventing falls in the home.  But for them to do their job they must be properly installed. 
Handrails and guardrails are needed both on the inside and on the outside of the home. 

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If you are going to install a ceiling fan then the electrical junction box being used must be ceiling fan rated and secured properly to the wood framing of the house.
Check out this unsafe ceiling fan junction box installation:

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Cutting the bottom framing (the chord) of a floor truss or I-Joist is not permitted.  Cutting the bottom cord eliminates the strength of the engineered framing member. 
Check out what the plumber did (it’s sad but they knew better than to do this):

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If structural wood framing gets cut or bored through for the mechanical systems of the house then specialty fasteners are required to restore the wood framings strength.  Check this out: 

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If you have windows within 24 inches of a functioning exterior door then the building code requires that the window be made of safety glass.  Windows without safety glass within 24 inches of an exterior door is one of the most common mistakes we find  in new construction inspections.

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