Pool and Spa
The interior finish of pools and spas is rarely perfect and rarely remains so, and particularly those on pools with colored plasters, and certainly if the chemical balance of the water is not properly maintained. Also, calcium and other minerals will have a tendency to leech through the material and mar the finish. This is equally true of pool tiles, on which mineral scaling is not only common but difficult to remove. Even the harshest abrasives will not remove some scaling, which sometimes has to be removed by bead-blasting, which in turn reduces the luster of the tiles. However, such imperfections have only a cosmetic significance. Similarly, the decks around pools and spas tend to develop cracks that have only a cosmetic significance. The commonest are relatively small, and are often described as being curing fractures. Some of these will contour the outline of the pool, or the point at which the bond beam, or structural wall of the pool, meets the surrounding soil. These too have little structural significance, but some cracks are larger and result from seismic motion, or from settling due to poorly compacted soils, or they confirm the presence of expansive soils, which can be equally destructive, but which should be confirmed by a geo-structural engineer. However, any crack in the shell of a pool or spa should be dye-tested or otherwise evaluated by a specialist.
The pool enclosure must be compliant with common safety standards, which typically mandate a forty-eight inch enclosure, measured on the side away from the water, so that a toddler could not simply push open an unlatched gate.
Crawl Spaces
In any house which has a crawl space it is very important to have the crawl space inspected as there are numerous problems which can occur in a crawl space. Houses with crawl spaces are generally older and it is not uncommon to find leaking drain lines or rotted flooring from a leak inside a bathroom, often accompanied by improper repairs. We have inspected homes where the structure ahs been improperly supported by concrete blocks laid in the wrong direction (they are only structural with the open cells in a vertical direction) or with untreated wood in direct contact with the earth. Often we will find open air conditioning duct lines and exposed wiring and proper drainage is always a concern.
Irrigation System
There are a wide variety of irrigation components, such as pipes that could include old galvanized ones, more dependable copper ones, and modern polyvinyl ones that are commonly referred to as PVC. However, among the latter, the quality can range from a dependable thick-walled type to a less dependable thin-walled type, and it is not uncommon to find a mixture of them. To complicate matters, significant portions of these pipes cannot be examined because they are buried. Therefore, we identify a system based on what type of pipe that can be seen. However, our inspection only includes the visible portions of the system, and we do not test each component, nor search below vegetation for any concealed hose bibs, actuators, risers, or heads. We test every visually accessible manual sprinkler actuator and evaluate its coverage, but due to the variety and complexity of many automatic control panels we do not test them. However, inasmuch as the actuators are under pressure, we look for any evidence of damage or leakage, but recommend that you have the sellers demonstrate an automatic sprinkler system before the close of escrow and indicate any seasonal changes that they may make to the program.
Docks and Seawalls
Docks and seawalls are inspected for structural deficiencies. The structural elements of the dock, such as the pilings, beams, stringers, railings, steps, decking, landings and davits are inspected for proper construction and structural integrity. The seawall is inspected for the condition of the tie-backs, loss of fines through the wall, cracks in the top-cap and past repairs.
