Homes Inspections in Oregon

Below is information about three of the more common specialized inspections that Portland area Realtors^® are likely to encounter on homes.

The time to find out if a sewer is faulty or needs replacement is before buying a home, not after the fact. Therefore many Realtors^® recommend to their buyers that they obtain a sewer inspection. This includes new homes since sewer inspectors have told me that they have found broken lines in new subdivisions. The primary cause is heavy duty construction equipment being used at the site after the sewer lines are installed. The cost for a sewer scope is $125-$150 and this minor investment could save you thousands of dollars of repair.

Many Realtors^® recommend sewer scopes if the home is older than 30 years. If certain conditions are present in homes newer than 30 years such as numerous trees along the sewer line, they also recommend an inspection since the tree roots can still clog up a newer sewer line.

A sewer inspection is performed by inserting a camera into the sewer line so we can view and record the condition of the line - a CD of the findings can be viewed on most computers. If a problem is found, the location of the damage can be pinpointed to include the depth.

Most sewer inspectors specialize in just inspections, and they do not offer repair service. That is a another skill set requiring equipment, etc.

Underground Storage Tanks

A primary environmental concern for buyers and sellers is the presence of hazardous substances, including petroleum from underground heating oil storage tanks (USTs) and indoor pollutants. Steps should be taken to determine whether a tank exists and, if so, whether decommissioning and/or clean up are required.

The current Oregon Heating Oil Tank (HOT) program started on March 15, 2000. This program allows third party certification of cleanups and decommissioning of heating oil tanks by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) licensed service providers. When a licensed contractor completes a cleanup or decommissioning, the company submits a certification to DEQ. Then DEQ will then issue a letter to the tank owner registering the contractor's certification. The combination of the contractor's certification and DEQ's registration is equivalent to the "No Further Action" letter that the DEQ used to issue.

It is legal for a homeowner to clean up soil and groundwater from a HOT release and to decommission their HOT, assuming they perform the work themselves and comply with all applicable local, state and federal rules. It is not legal to complete the work by serving as a general contractor and hiring subcontractors to complete portions of the job. To do so transfers liability for improper work by the subcontractors to the homeowner.

According to DEQ, there are approximately 210,000 residential underground heating oil storage tanks in the State of Oregon. DEQ says there are approximately 60,000 underground heating oil tanks still in use and 150,000 that have been abandoned, i.e., not properly decommissioned. Many of these tanks still contain fuel, and therefore pose potential environmental liability. Statistically 60-70% of underground heating oil tanks on record have leaked some product into the soil.

The rules and regulations about oil tanks are complicated. If you purchase a home where an underground storage tank exists (average life of a tank is 25 years) and you were unaware of the tank when you purchased the home, you can undergo considerable financial expense if the tank begins to leak when you are the home owner or should you decide to sell it later. Make certain your Realtor understands how this issue is addressed when purchasing a home in Oregon.

Since January, 2009, the Oregon DEQ adopted the federal standards for naphthalene and ethylbenzene, common compounds found in home heating oil. Naphthalene and ethylbenzene weren't included because they weren't considered carcinogens, until the EPA reclassified them in late 2008. Don Francis, an environmental consultant and general manager at EcoTech, was quoted as saying a quick look at a handful of his projects certified under the old standard showed that most would require soil removal under the new rules. This could double the cost of removing a tank.

You will want to view the DEQ's Heating Oil Tank publications for further information. Of particular interest are Guidance for Contractors and Homeowners found at this link: http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/tanks/hot/guidance.htm.

Mold

Mold is a very common problem in Western Oregon (especially the Portland metro area and Willamette Valley) due to the rain. But homes in Eastern Oregon can also develop mold problems. The fear of mold lawsuits has mushroomed, popularizing the slogan "mold is gold" among lawyers and driving up the demand for laboratories that test for toxic mold. As a result, mold paranoia has grown.

It's more difficult to eliminate mold than, say, asbestos, many experts say. Unlike asbestos, mold is a living organism. With mold, you can take out 99.999 percent of the particles, and the .001 percent, that little particle that does survive, is likely to come back. Any indoor air or dust sample will likely contain fungal life according to mycologists but that doesn't mean every building has, or will develop, a mold problem. Fungal spores are ubiquitous. Fungi are not ubiquitous.

It's much easier instead to deprive mold of its preferred habitat: The way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.

Jack Levy, who manages Smith Freed & Eberhard's construction defect group, spoke at a seminar held at the World Trade Center in Portland in early 2009 and offered some tips for developers and builders looking to defend themselves against litigation, or, better yet, to avoid litigation altogether.

First, don't wait until trades people and subcontractors are on site to address water intrusion issues. Get the architects involved," Levy said. "Spend the money up front on that detailing."
Tearing out siding to install flashing, for example, wastes time and money. "If you're looking to save money," Levy said, "the envelope is not the area to be saving any costs."

Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS)

The EIFS product is also called synthetic stucco, and refers to a multi-layered exterior finish that's been used in European construction since shortly after World War II, when contractors found it to be a good repair choice for buildings damaged during the war. The majority of repairs to European buildings were to structures constructed of stone, concrete, brick, or other similar, durable materials.

EIFS in North America North American builders began using EIFS in the 1980's, first in commercial buildings, then applying it as an exterior finish to residences−mostly wood frame houses−using the same techniques that had been successful in Europe. EIFS layers bond to form a covering that doesn't breathe. That's fine when no moisture is present behind the covering, but if moisture seeps in it can become trapped behind the layers. With no place to go, constant exposure to moisture can lead to rot in wood and other vulnerable materials within the home. What had worked well as an exterior shell for concrete and stone became a problem when used on wood. Newer EIFS systems include a drainage arrangement to help keep moisture from being trapped behind the covering.

Signs of Mold Problems

Mold or mildew on the interior or exterior of the home.
Blistered or peeling paint.
Cracked EIFS or cracked sealant.
Swollen wood around door and window frames.

Many of the newer stucco homes in the Portland metro area used EIFS in their construction, and therefore it is important to have a thorough mold/moisture inspection when purchasing an EIFS home.