WALKED Sample Inspections
Sample town · Sample county · Ohio
Top of the list: a Zinsco panel; knob-and-tube wiring; an outdoor outlet with no GFCI; roof shingles worn — heavy granule loss; and chimney flashing patched with roofing tar. The upper roof was viewed from the ground only; the attic was viewed from the access opening only. DIY is downspout dumps water at the foundation.
Fix these before you close
The label on the main panel reads Zinsco Electrical Products, Cat. No. ML12, 125 amp max. Zinsco is an older panel type with a known history of breaker problems.
The breakers are what shut a circuit off when it overloads or shorts. If one doesn’t trip, the wiring isn’t protected.
Hire a licensed electrician to evaluate the panel and its breakers.
Original knob-and-tube wiring runs across the basement ceiling joists on porcelain knobs.
This wiring has no ground, and its insulation gets brittle with age.
Hire a licensed electrician to find out which runs are still live and replace them. Some insurers may limit coverage or ask for an evaluation of knob-and-tube wiring.
The outdoor outlet is a standard outlet with no Test and Reset buttons, so it is not a GFCI (a shock-protection outlet with Test and Reset buttons that cuts power fast if current leaks through water or a person). No GFCI protection was found for it.
Outdoors, a wet tool or cord on an unprotected outlet can shock you.
Hire a licensed electrician to add GFCI protection for this outlet.
The shingles have lost much of their granules. Bare, dark mat shows along the tab edges.
Without granules the asphalt dries out and cracks faster in the sun, and leaks follow.
Hire a licensed roofer to evaluate the roof and tell you in writing what it needs.
The base of the chimney is sealed with tar instead of step and counter flashing, and the tar is cracked and pulling away. Mortar joints above it are worn.
Tar patches fail. This joint is one of the most common roof leak points.
Hire a roofer or mason to install step and counter flashing and repoint the worn joints.
You can handle these
The downspout ends right at the wall with no extension, and the soil below it is washed out.
Every rain dumps the roof's water against the foundation.
DIY: buy a downspout extension or splash block at the hardware store and set it so water runs several feet away from the wall.
The machines
The plates tell the story here. Each age is labeled with its source.
Heats the house.
Cools the house.
Hot water for the house.
Feeds every circuit in the house. The Zinsco panel is a separate Hire a Pro above, with the label photo.
Shown so you can find the shutoff.
Shown so you can find the meter shutoff.
Nameplate inventory only. Not a warranty claim and not a promise of remaining life.
Gas furnace, forced air. Make: Carrier. Model: 58PAV070-08. Serial: 1596A06•••. Size: 66,000 BTU per hour input, 53,000 BTU per hour output (plate).
Past the typical 15 to 25 year range.
Noted. Serial decode dates it to 1996 (unverified decode). About 30 years old.
Central air conditioner, outdoor condensing unit. Make: Lennox. Model: 14ACX-024-230-16. Serial: 1912J07•••. Size: model code suggests 2 tons (unverified); plate: MCA 17.9 A (the smallest wire size the circuit needs), max breaker 30 A.
About 0 to 1 years left on a typical 7 to 15 year range.
Noted. Serial decode dates it to 2012 (unverified decode). About 14 years old.
Tank water heater. Make: GE (built under license by Rheem Mfg. Co., per plate). Model: GG40T06AVG01. Serial: GELNQ011433•••. Size: 40 gallons; 36,000 BTU per hour input (plate).
At the end of the typical 6 to 12 year range.
Noted. Built January 2014 per the data plate. About 12 years old.
Covering Material: Asphalt shingles · Roof Age: Not estimated. No photo in this set shows a dated label, permit or receipt, and worn granules alone do not date a roof. Ask the seller for the roofing invoice · Inspection Method: Viewed from the ground; upper slopes not walked
Wall Covering Material: Painted lap siding (cover photo)
Foundation Type: Basement · Floor Structure: Not verified. Floor framing is not in the walk photos, and hidden conditions behind finishes are outside this visual walk · Wall Structure: Concealed by finishes · Ceiling Structure: Concealed by finishes · Roof Structure: Wood rafters and sheathing
Energy Source: Natural gas · Method Or System Type: Gas furnace, forced air · Thermostat Location: Not inspected: no photo of the thermostat in this composite sample, so its location is not recorded. · Approximate Age: Data plate dates it to 1996.
Energy Source: Electric, 208/230 V, 1 phase · Method Or System Type: Central air conditioner, outdoor condensing unit · Approximate Age: Data plate dates it to 2012.
Water Supply Public Or Private: Public: water meter at the main (photo under Data plates and ages) · Supply Piping Materials: Copper · Drain, waste, vent Piping Materials: Not inspected: no photo of the interior drain, waste and vent piping in this composite sample, so its material is not recorded. Buried drain lines are outside a visual walk. · Main Water Shutoff Location: Valve beside the water meter (photo) · Main Fuel Shutoff Location: At the gas meter (photo). Interior shut-off: not inspected; not in the photo set for this composite sample
Energy Source: Natural gas · Type: Tank water heater · Approximate Age: Data plate dates it to 2014.
Service Amperage: Panel rated 125 A max (label). Main breaker size not read from this photo · Main Disconnect Location: In the main panel. Panel label says 125 amps max; main breaker size not read from the photo · Subpanel Locations: None seen · Branch Wiring Method: NM cable (plastic-sheathed cable) plus live knob-and-tube · Smoke Alarms Presence: Not inspected: no smoke alarm photo in this composite sample, so presence or absence is not recorded. Confirm working smoke alarms on every level and in each sleeping area before move-in. · CO Alarms Presence: Not inspected: no carbon monoxide (CO) alarm photo in this composite sample, so presence or absence is not recorded. Confirm a working CO alarm on every level before move-in.
Type: Masonry chimney; flue interior not inspected
Attic Inspection Method: Viewed from the attic access · Insulation Type: Loose fill · Approximate Depth Attic: Not inspected: depth was not measured in the photo set for this composite sample · Ventilation Type: Not inspected: attic vents are not in the photo set for this composite sample
Method: Representative doors and windows operated
None present.
Primary List: Not inspected: kitchen appliances were not in the photo set for this composite sample.
Age, settlement & leftovers
A house this old has been worked on many times. Ask for permits and records for the electrical and roof work.
Noted. This is a due-diligence ask, not a code finding.
It’s not too late
A camera look is the only way to see roots, breaks or sags in the buried drain line.
Text WALKEDCallThe inside of the flue was not inspected. A chimney sweep can camera it before the first fire.
Text WALKEDCallNot this walk
Roof install date. No dated label or receipt, so roof age is not estimated.
Attic beyond the access opening. Viewed from the opening only. The share of the attic seen was not recorded for this sample, and the eaves were not visible.
Upper roof slopes. Viewed from the ground. Small damage up high can hide from that angle.
Chimney flue interior / Level II. Not a chimney safety inspection.
Heat exchanger interior. Stays closed. Visual furnace only.
Air conditioner output. Plate is under the machines; how cold it blows was not measured.
Water heater pressure-relief pipe. This pipe (the TPR, or temperature and pressure relief, discharge pipe) carries scalding water away if the tank overheats. Where it ends was not traced. A plumber can confirm it is routed safely.
Kitchen and bath outlets. The GFCI outlets here were not tested. Press Test, then Reset, on each one after you move in.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. no smoke alarm photo in this composite sample, so presence or absence is not recorded. Confirm working smoke alarms on every level and in each sleeping area before move-in. no carbon monoxide (CO) alarm photo in this composite sample, so presence or absence is not recorded. Confirm a working CO alarm on every level before move-in.
Wall insulation. Finished walls hide it, so the amount of insulation, or whether there is any, is unknown.
Buried water, gas and sewer lines. Not visible. Underground pipes are not dug up on a visual walk. See sewer scope above.
Termites and other wood-eating insects. A full pest inspection was not part of this walk.
Behind finishes, furniture and storage. Not moved or opened. Concealed conditions are outside a visual walk.
Thermostat. no photo of the thermostat in this composite sample, so its location is not recorded.
Interior drain, waste and vent piping. no photo of the interior drain, waste and vent piping in this composite sample, so its material is not recorded. Buried drain lines are outside a visual walk.
Kitchen appliances. kitchen appliances were not in the photo set for this composite sample.
Photo appendix
Ohio law · plain English
A visual inspection of readily accessible systems and parts, as they looked on inspection day. Not a code inspection, appraisal, warranty or engineering study.
Not covered: radon, mold lab testing, asbestos, lead paint, water chemistry, wood-destroying insects, buried tanks, wells, septic systems and underground piping.
Inspector attestation
Redacted for privacy
Sample report built from more than one inspection. Real photo, location and owner removed. A visual inspection of readily accessible systems and parts, as they looked on inspection day. Not a code inspection, appraisal, warranty or engineering study. Hidden conditions behind finishes, buried piping, radon, lab testing, wood-destroying insects and water chemistry are outside a visual walk unless ordered separately.