‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
1. List three main functions of exterior cladding.
2. List at least 10 exterior wall surface materials that are commonly found.
3. List five common problems found on all types of wall systems.
4. List seven common problems with masonry walls.
5. Describe efflorescence. What is it?
6. Expanding, rusting steel lintels over windows and doors often cause cracks in what direction in masonry walls?
7. Stucco is made up of _____, _____, and ___.
8. What is the problem with having aluminum in contact with stucco?
9. List three functions of a drip screed.
10. List five common problems with conventional stucco.
11. What is the problem that people are experiencing with EIFS?
12. What is a kickout?
13. List three causes of problems that are unique to EIFS compared with conventional stucco.
14. List at least six factors that may suggest concealed problems with an EIFS application.
15. List 10 areas outside to check for evidence of problems with EIFS installations.
16. List five areas on the interior to check for evidence of problems with EIFS installations.
17. List two areas in basements and crawlspaces to look for with respect to problems on EIFS installations.
18. What is the effect of vines growing on wood siding?
19. For each of the choices below, underline the siding that would perform better.
20. How many layers of wood shingles are typically used in a siding application?
21. List five common problems with conventional wood siding (boards, shingles, or shakes).
22. Hardboard is a type of ___ board.
23. List four common problems with plywood, OSB, and hardboard.
24. What is the life expectancy of vinyl and aluminum siding?
25. List eight common problems with metal and vinyl siding.
26. Why should metal siding be grounded?
27. Asbestos-cement shingles should be removed from homes.
28. What is the most common problem with asbestos-cement shingles?
29. List three common problems with modern fiber-cement shingles.
30. How far should wood siding be kept above grade level?
31. List two common problems to look for on the exterior of exposed foundations.
32. Where are soffits and fascia typically found?
33. What materials are commonly used for soffits and fascia?
34. What are the issues surrounding a double layer of soffit material (e.g., aluminum over wood)?
35. List four common problems with soffits and fascia.
36. List seven different things you would want to evaluate with respect to doors and windows.
37. List 12 common problems with doors and windows.
38. Give three examples of where flashings would typically be found on exterior walls.
39. List six common problems with caulking, trim, and flashings.
40. List three mechanisms by which water may get into wall systems from the building exterior.
41. Why should all the risers in a set of steps be uniform?
42. Rise is usually _ inches maximum, and tread depth is typically __to ___ inches minimum.
43. Minimum dimensions for landings are often stated as _ feet by _ feet.
44. Explain why the absence of a landing may be a safety hazard.
45. Describe spalling.
46. What is the best way to check for rot in a wooden stair stringer?
47. Why can carpet on wood porches be bad?
48. Guardrails are typically required on porches, decks, or balconies more than _ inches above grade.
49. The openings between railing spindles should not be greater than _ inches.
50. Why should spindles be vertical, not horizontal?
51. Railings on stairways should be between _ inches and _ inches above the stair nosing, depending on your area.
52. Guardrails should be at least _ inches high.
53. Why shouldn’t you align a beam with a gutter to check for sag?
54. What is the requirement for beam end bearing on masonry?
55. How might paint indicate that a beam has slipped out of its pocket?
56. Beams should be mechanically fastened to their supporting members.
57. Joists are usually spaced _ or _ inches on center.
58. The metal brackets used to support joists are called
59. What two inspection techniques can you use to check for sagging joists?
60. What is the correct way to attach a ledgerboard to a wood-frame structure?
61. Describe the proper way to flash a ledgerboard installed over siding?
62. What is the biggest problem with cantilevered decks?
63. Why are plywood or waferboard sheets poor choices for porch or deck flooring?
64. Why should there be no supply or return registers from heating/cooling ductwork in a garage?
65. Most garage floors are not structural.
66. Garage floors that are suspended and have storage or living space below (circle one)
67. A good concrete garage floor slab is usually at least _ inches thick and has _ inches of well-compacted gravel beneath it.
68. Which way should garage floors slope?
69. What does a hollow sound on the garage floor indicate?
70. Why do many authorities discourage floor drains in garages?
71. The diameter of a garage drain exit pipe should be at least _ inches.
72. Which way should the end of the drain pipe in a driveway drain turn down?
73. Automatic garage door openers have to be strong because they lift the weight of the door.
74. List five problems to look for on a typical sectional garage door.
75. It’s best to test a garage door opener from (inside/outside) the garage. (Choose one)
76. If the vehicle door stops 2 inches short of the garage floor, there is a problem with the _.
77. What is the recommended way to test the automatic reverse on a garage door opener?
78. What is the commonly recommended slope for ground around a house?
79. Dramatic slope is likely less important if the ground surface is sand or asphalt?
80. Bad grading will always cause wet basements.
81. Briefly describe a common foundation drainage material.
82. To work well, a foundation drainage layer requires ____.
83. Three possible implications of poor lot grading are __, __, and ____.
84. What is used to keep soil away from a basement window?
85. Why are porous surface materials near a house a potential problem?
86. List five clues to look for concerning ravine or sloping lots.
87. Briefly state the function of gutters and downspouts.
88. Gutters are also called ____ or ____. Downspouts are also called ___, ___, or ___.
89. Why are gutters and downspouts sometimes left off in northern areas?
90. Steep roofs may have a large surface area but a small ________. This means that their gutters (need to be bigger/ can be smaller) than you might expect. (Circle one)
91. Roof shingles should not project more than ________ over the inner edge of the gutter.
92. Gutter leaks are most common at ________.
93. What can cause copper gutters to develop pinhole leaks?
94. A house with integral gutters is more prone to ice damming if it has a steep roof.
95. A typical gutter slope is ____.
96. What can happen to roof material if a dormer has gutters but no downspouts?
97. List three advantages of downspouts discharging above grade.
98. List three disadvantages of downspouts discharging above grade.
99. List three disadvantages of downspouts discharging into drains below grade.
100. State a simple solution to problems with a below-grade downspout pipe.
101. The top of the gravel in a window well should be ____ away from the window frame.
102. What are the risks associated with an improperly draining walkway?
103. List four possible problems that can arise from a large tree growing too close to a house.
104. What might a long stretch of new sod running from the front of the house to the street indicate?
105. What would you tell a client about a retaining wall that is leaning over but not broken, cracked, or damaged?
106. Why might you install insulation on the back of a retaining wall and under the topsoil behind the wall?
107. Ideally, weep holes in a solid retaining wall are at least __ inches in diameter and not more than __ feet apart.