These are twelve of the more serious safety issues we, as Home Inspectors typically find:

(1) SIDEWALKS - Many times tree roots will lift a sidewalk section to the point that it is truly a safety hazard. I have heard of lifted slabs as high as eight inches! Now that's an accident waiting to happen and, if a passerby trips and gets injured, the home owner is responsible. One other comment on lifted sidewalk slabs, the slab only has to be lifted as little as a half inch to cause a tripping hazard. This occurs mostly on older homes but I check for lifted slabs with all home inspections.

(2) DECKS - There are a host of safety problems that are quite common to decks. Listed below are some of the most common:
 
(a) Wood Rot - Decks that have neglected maintenance without water proof sealer can deteriorate and develop wood rot rather quickly. The most dangerous situation is when the buyer has a party at the house and several people are out on the deck. Decks that are in poor condition or need structural repairs have been known to collapse or break away from the house when being used by several people at the same time. Needless to say, this type disaster has caused some very severe injuries.

(b) Deck Hand Rails - Improperly secured hand rails, when leaned on, can break away from the deck. And, the rails can cause splinters if the wood is in poor condition. Also, deck rails with large openings or a large space under the rails are a real danger to small children. Small children have been known to stick their heads between a wide rail openings and suffer neck injuries or, crawl under a rail that has too much space under the rail and fall off the deck.

(c) Deck Steps - Rotted wooden steps have been known to collapse. Needless to say, I examine decks very carefully and are well aware of the hidden dangers of a poor conditioned deck. Statistics report that seven out of ten decks have some type of maintenance or repair problem.

(3) STAIRS - More accidents happen on stairs than any other place else in the house. The reason stairs are at the top of the safety hazard list are as follows: (a) damaged or missing hand rails on the stairs; (b) items piled on the stairs creating a trip hazard; (c) loose damaged or missing steps; (d) the door opens over the steps without a landing to stand on while opening the door; (e) uneven rise to the steps; (f) poorly lighted stair areas; and (g) loose rug or mats covering the steps causing a trip hazard. The stairs whether they are exterior or interior are a very important areas of inspection with all home inspections.

(4) STAIR WELL OPENING - One of the biggest insurance claims is for children falling down into a stair well that lacks a good guard rail around the opening at the top of the stairs. This is most prevalent in cape cod style homes that the owner finished the attic area himself and didn't put a good sturdy guard rail or wall around the opening at the top of the stairs.

(5) CHIMNEY - A blocked chimney is a very dangerous situation. The function of a chimney is to expel any Carbon Monoxide gas created by the heating unit out of the house. With a blocked chimney, any dangerous Carbon Monoxide gas discharged by the heating unit will discharge into the house and endanger the whole family. At this point I must mention the effect an attic fan or whole house fan can have on the chimney draft. I have, on occasion, seen houses with roof or attic fans that create a negative draw in the house pulling Carbon Monoxide gas back down the chimney and into the house. This usually happens when the fan is running and the house is well sealed with no doors, windows or vents open. This condition turns the chimney into a vent for the fan which as mentioned earlier is a very dangerous situation.

(6) HEATING UNIT - The most dangerous aspect of a furnace is the discharge of carbon monoxide. This situation is created mostly by the following conditions: (a) lack of maintenance since the furnace should be cleaned and adjusted at least once a year; (b) the filter should be changed at least twice a year or more; ( c) blocked chimney or damaged venting system; (d) enclosed furnace area without enough fresh air for the furnace to function properly; and (e) Gas leak at the furnace or hot water heater. I have found through experience, that most heating unit problems are caused by lack of cleaning and maintenance. For this reason, I recommend an annual heating service contact be purchased to assure a safe and efficient heating unit.

(7) HOT WATER HEATER - The main safety problems with a hot water heater is exactly the same as a furnace-carbon monoxide, venting and gas leak. However, there is one more item that could cause a serious safety problem with a hot water heater that must be mentioned. The safety temperature / pressure relief valve discharge pipe should never be capped off. Sometimes a homeowner will cap off the discharge line if the temperature pressure relief valve is leaking and dripping water from the discharge pipe. To cap the pipe eliminates the function of the TPR valve which could have disastrous results. If the heater has a temperature/pressure build up and no way to vent the pressure, the tank could self destruct. The first thing I look for with the inspection of a hot water heater is the TPR valve and the functionality of the discharge pipe.

(8) FLAMMABLE MATERIAL STORAGE - Many times due to the lack of storage area, people will store some very flammable materials right up next to the heating unit and hot vent lines. This is a common situation in condo dwellings where space is at a premium. If I find this situation, I will inform the seller of the property of the danger and hopefully the seller will take steps to remove the flammable materials.

(9) MOLD - Mold is very dangerous to the safety of your health and for this reason, it is mentioned in this home safety tips article. Simply stated, mold is caused by water penetration into the dwelling or a moisture problem in the dwelling. Some of the more common areas of mold and the reasons for the mold are: (a) attic because a roof leak that is unknown and not addressed can cause serious mold problems; (b) Improperly installed insulation that causes moisture build up; (c) bathroom vents that are not vented to the exterior but instead discharge the moisture into the attic; and (d) the basement is below ground and very susceptible to water penetration from the foundation walls or water coming up through the basement floor.

As stated earlier, moisture alone can cause mold and for this reason, it is a good idea to have a good dehumidifier in the basement that is operational both summer and winter. A good dehumidified will keep the basement as dry as possible and minimize the chance of mold development in the basement. The home owner should be very diligent to avoid any water penetration in the basement and, take immediate corrective action if water is discovered to avoid mold problems. Even though by contract mold is not included in a home inspection, R.L. Blackburn Professional Home Inspection Services accepts no liability for mold problems but with the buyer's health in mind, if I see any obvious mold like substance, I will report the finding in the home inspection report. All mold problems should be inspected and evaluated by a professional mold inspector before the purchase of the property. Note, home inspectors are not qualified to identify or test for mold. Mold identification must be conducted by a certified testing laboratory and the mold inspection conducted by a professional mold inspector. A home inspector can only call attention to any very obvious visual mold like substance, whereby a professional mold inspector has the equipment and knowledge to conduct complete air and swab tests for hidden mold.

(10) DO IT YOURSELF ELECTRICIAN - Any and all electrical problems that develop are dangerous. Some of the most common electrical problems are: (a) extension cords used as the main wiring instead of the proper hard wire; (b) improper wiring that was done by a home owner and not a electrician; (c) over fused wires in the main panel box; (d) a main panel box that is jammed with wires making it packed and over loaded; (e) water in the main panel box
(f) old knob and tube wiring; (g) old Federal Pacific panel boxes; (h) electrical outlets that are not grounded; and (I) old style aluminum distribution wires.  

(11) GAS LEAKS - Natural gas leaks are very dangerous. If one smells gas, turn off the gas supply immediately. The important point here is that every home owner should know where to shut off the gas, water, electric and heat.

(12) Bathrooms - Bathrooms are notorious for slip and fall injuries. Rubber mats in the bathtub is really a good safety item that helps avoid injuries. Also one should be very careful when stepping out of the tub or shower onto the bathroom floor. It's very easy to slip and fall with wet feet on a smooth tile or ceramic surface. For this reason, one should always step out onto a rubber back non slip rug.