Sunlight Home Inspection, PLLC

Got a call today for a mobile home inspection. Conveniently enough, I’m actually the vendor that handles the warranty inspections at a local mobile home community nearby, so it seemed like a natural fit.
However, as we were chatting, the owner mentioned offhand that he was already dealing with a mold issue and knew his roof had been installed wrong.
As much as I love getting new clients, I had to tell him straight up: "Save your money on a general home inspection and call a roofing contractor directly."
Home inspectors are generalists. If I came out, all I could officially do is look at the roof, point out visible defects, and write on my report: "Recommend further evaluation by a licensed roofing professional."
Why make a client pay me just to tell them to hire the person they should have called in the first place?
Doing the right thing for the client always comes before making a quick sale. Stay honest out there! ☀️🏡🔎

Building a new home? Sunlight Home Inspection now offers New Construction Phase Inspections to give you clarity and confidence at every stage of the build.
An unbiased set of eyes can make all the difference, not to challenge your builder, but to support you during this exciting journey.

Your home. Your investment. Your peace of mind.

Bundle all 3 phases and save $100 on your final New Construction Phase Inspection.

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Take a look at this corner. Notice how the concrete wedge has separated right beneath the downspout? This is a classic example of a foundation corner pop and direct water discharge is usually the main culprit.

1. Uncontrolled Water Flow: Without a splash block or downspout extension, roof runoff dumps directly onto the soil at the base of the foundation wall.
2. Soil Expansion & Pressure: When clay-heavy soils repeatedly saturate with concentrated water, they swell and exert localized pressure right against the corner of the concrete slab.
3. Thermal & Moisture Stress: The sharp 90-degree corner of a concrete slab is its weakest point structural-tension-wise. High moisture differentials paired with soil movement cause the concrete corner to sheer off along the rebar line or chamfer edge.
4. Is it Structural? Typically, a cosmetic "corner pop" doesn't compromise the overall structural integrity of the home's foundation slab, but it is an open invitation for moisture intrusion, pest entry, and further spalling if left unaddressed.

The fix?
Extend the Discharge: Add a splash block or a 3-to-5-foot downspout extension to carry rainwater well away from the foundation perimeter.

Maintain Grade: Ensure ground soil slopes away from the structure to prevent water from pooling.

Repair the Surface: Patch or seal the fractured area to keep moisture and insects from getting underneath the brick ledge.

Small drainage details make a huge difference in long-term foundation health. ☀️🏡🔎 sunlighthimeinspection.com

One picture can tell an entire story of a foundation.

Inside the home, the floor above was noticeably wavy, doors and windows were out of plumb, and multiple ceiling and wall cracks were present. Down in the crawl space, this structural installation was the clear culprit.

1. Wood-to-Earth Contact & Capillary Wicking- An untreated wood post sits directly in the soil, actively wicking ground moisture up the column. Capillary action draws groundwater into the wood, causing rapid rot, loss of compressive strength, and high termite vulnerability.
IRC R317/R403 requires footings to bear at least 12 inches into undisturbed soil. Posts must rest on concrete piers elevated at least 3 inches above earth to break capillary action.

2. Compressible Plywood Shimming-
Loose plywood offcuts are stacked between the post and beam to make up height. High humidity causes damp plywood to delaminate and crush under floor loads, directly causing the wavy floors and interior wall cracks noted upstairs. Shims must be non-compressible, decay-resistant, and engineered for load bearing with full surface contact.

3. Unsecured Girder Splice-
The multi-ply beam splice meets over the post without positive mechanical ties or continuous bearing, causing visible fiber splitting along the bottom edge. Girder splices are critical point-load transfer points; without proper structural caps, eccentric loads shear the wood fibers. Girders require a minimum of 3 inches of bearing on concrete/masonry (1.5 inches on wood). Splices require code-approved post-to-beam connectors (e.g., Simpson Strong-Tie) to prevent lateral shifting.

Remediation Plan
1. Temporarily shore the floor load.
2. Excavate 12 inches to undisturbed soil and pour a concrete footing with an elevated post base.
3. Install a pressure-treated column secured with code-compliant post-to-beam connectors.☀️🏠🔎

Sunlighthomeinspection.com

Ever hear your sink gurgle when the bathtub drains? Your plumbing system is literally gasping for air.

When a full tub drains, a huge wave of water rushes through the pipes. Just like drinking through a straw, air needs to enter the system to keep water moving smoothly. Instead of running a proper vent through the roof, someone routed a tiny PVC pipe along the exterior wall behind a hose reel. Because that pipe is way too small the rushing tub water creates a vacuum in the drain line. The system violently sucks air through the path of least resistance, the sink drain.
Air pulls through the water in the sink trap, causing that loud gurgling noise and bubbling up drain gunk.

Running a plumbing vent along an exterior wall is acceptable, but only if it meets two critical requirements:

1. Extends Above the Roofline: It must run continuously up the wall and terminate above the roofline (away from windows and eaves) to safely release sewer gases and draw clean air.
2. Proper Sizing: The pipe must be large enough (typically 1.5 to 2 inches) to handle the airflow. A small pipe will still choke the system no matter how high it goes.

Without proper venting, that vacuum can pull the protective water seal out of your sink trap, letting foul sewer gases directly into your home. Have a licensed plumber extend the exterior line past the roof with correctly sized piping—or install an approved interior Air Admittance Valve (AAV)—so your plumbing can breathe easy!☀️🏠🔎

Yesterday, I had an inspection scheduled for a client who was driving over two hours to see the property for the first time. I arrived early to unlock the home and start prepping. I already knew the client had major concerns about the foundation condition, so assessing that was my top priority. The moment I stepped inside, my alarm bells went off. There were multiple active roof leaks, and the foundation issues were significant—the floor deflection was noticeable the second you walked through the door.
Instead of running through a full inspection right away, I decided to hold off until the client arrived so we could look at it together.

When they walked in, they immediately noticed the sloping floors and severe wall cracks. Their exact words: "I can’t buy this house."
I told them right then and there: "No problem at all. Let's cancel the inspection, and I’ll issue you a full refund."
They were so grateful that they insisted on paying for my time and trip out there. I declined. I didn't get into this business to collect a fee when a property clearly isn't the right fit. I told them to keep their money, save it for the next home, and keep me in mind for round two.
Doing the right thing builds trust, and trust is everything in this business. Onto the next one! ☀️🏠🔎

Roof coverings are designed to be water-shedding, not completely waterproof. They rely on gravity, proper pitch, and the continuous, scale-like overlapping of materials to direct rainwater downhill and away from the house. When an installation error breaks that path, water can easily back up underneath. A roof valley is where two roof slopes meet. Because massive amounts of rainwater channel through this exact spot during a storm, precise installation is critical.
In the valley shown here, the installer made a major mistake known as a reverse lap (or back-lapping):

The Lower Shingle Sits High: Near the bottom where the leaves are caught, a lower shingle was layered on top of the shingle above it, creating a raised edge facing directly up the roof slope. Instead of shedding water downward, that raised lip acts like a miniature dam. Fast-moving rainwater slams directly into it. Leaves and debris wedge under the exposed lip, holding trapped moisture directly against the roof materials. Because shingles are only water-shedding, water backed up against this raised edge will creep underneath the layers, soaking the underlayment and reaching the roof deck below.

This isn't just a cosmetic issue it's an active leak path waiting for a heavy downpour. A qualified roofing contractor needs to trim back the improper shingle edges, layer them in the correct top-over-bottom sequence so the roof can properly shed water, and seal the cut edges down with asphalt roof cement.
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Ever wonder how old your water heater, HVAC unit, or dishwasher actually is? The answer is sitting right on the metal data plate hidden inside a serial number. Instead of hunting for obscure decoder charts online, you can use AI tools like Google Lens, ChatGPT, or Claude to read your appliance badges instantly.

Snap a Photo: Take a clear, well-lit picture of the data tag or serial sticker.

Upload to AI: Attach the photo to your AI tool of choice.

Prompt It: Ask: "Read this appliance tag. Tell me the manufacture date, link me to the owner's manual, and list recommended routine maintenance."

What You’ll Get

Manufacture Date: Decodes manufacturer serial formulas (Rheem, Carrier, Whirlpool, etc.) to give you the exact month and year of production.

Owner's Manual: Extracts the full model number to pull direct links to official PDF manuals—no clickbait manual sites required.

Targeted Maintenance: Gives you a tailored upkeep checklist based on the age and type of unit (e.g., flushing water heater tanks, clearing condenser coils, or changing filter screens).

Take 5 minutes to scan your major systems today and save the details to your phone's notes app for easy reference during repairs or routine maintenance!
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When extreme summer heat hits, your air conditioner works around the clock to keep your home cool. You don't need a complicated overhaul to keep your system running smoothly—staying on top of four basic maintenance steps will protect your equipment, prevent unexpected breakdowns, and keep air flowing efficiently.

Change Your Return Air Filters Regularly: A dirty filter acts like a brick wall to airflow. Restricting air across the indoor evaporator coil forces your system's blower motor to labor harder, drawing more power while delivering less cooling. Check filters monthly during heavy summer use and replace them as soon as dust builds up.

Keep 2 Feet of Clearance Around the Condenser: Your outdoor unit needs breathing room to release the heat pulled from inside your home. Trim back tall grass, weeds, shrubs, and mulch piles to maintain at least 24 inches of clear space around the entire perimeter of the unit.

Rinse Outdoor Coils with a Garden Hose: Over time, dirt, grass clippings, and debris get pulled into the condenser fins, blocking heat transfer. Shut off power to the unit at the outdoor disconnect, then use a standard garden hose (never a pressure washer) angled downward to gently wash away trapped dirt.

Clear the Condensate Drain Line: High summer humidity causes your indoor coil to pull gallons of water out of the air daily. Pour a cup of regular white vinegar or warm water down the T-trap access pipe on your indoor drain line once a month to break up algae buildup and prevent clogged drain lines, standing water, or automatic system shut-offs.

Knocking out these simple tasks takes less than 20 minutes and keeps your AC running strong through the hottest stretches of the season.

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During a recent home inspection, I came across a classic example of improper Temperature and Pressure Relief (TPR) valve discharge piping on this water heater.

A TPR valve is a critical safety device designed to prevent water heater explosions by relieving excess heat or pressure. However, proper termination of the discharge line is just as important as the valve itself. On this setup, several safety standards were bypassed:

Downsized Piping: The discharge line was necked down to a smaller diameter, which restricts proper flow if the valve ever fully blows.
Long Horizontal Run: Excessive horizontal length can cause backpressure or trap water.
Improper Termination: The pipe fails to turn down to terminate near the ground, creating a potential scalding hazard if high-temperature steam or boiling water discharges.

Shortly after completing the inspection, my client reached out with an emergency: the TPR valve had developed an active leak. It was 8:00 PM on a Friday evening. Facing this situation, I had a choice to make:

1. Advise the client to call an expensive after-hours emergency plumber.
2. Instruct them to shut off the main water supply to the heater and sit through the entire weekend without hot water.
3. Step in and solve the problem.

I chose option three. I went out, purchased a brand-new TPR valve, and replaced it for the client that evening so they wouldn't be left in a bind over the weekend.

Fixing or replacing plumbing components falls strictly outside the standard scope of a home inspector's responsibilities. However, doing the right thing and delivering exceptional service to my clients always comes first. I did, of course, advise the client that the entire setup should still be formally evaluated by a licensed plumber so the discharge line can be re-routed and corrected to current plumbing code standards. When you hire an inspector who truly cares, you get more than just a detailed report—you get a partner who looks out for your family and your home.
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