Anderson Home Inspection, LLC

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.] Regards, [redacted] These quotes are from the links Mr [redacted] provided in his last reply:For any roof with unequal water flow, the best valley flashing will be a "W" flashingThis is a sheet metal flashing that has a ridge pleated into the centerThe photo shows how the water jumps over that ridge and spills onto the shingles on the other side, rather than flowing across a flat flashing and sliding up under the other shinglesWhen water flow is equal from each roof, the water flow will meet equal resistance on either side and not flow up under the roof with less flow.Valleys are a prime leak area, so it's important to be careful.Mr [redacted] clearly stated in his report:Signs of LeaksChimney flashingImprovement of the chimney flashing condition is recommended toprevent leaks and subsequent problems associated with water infiltrationSee diagram(1.2.1) of the Maintenance Guidelines for proper flashing details.Because this was on his report I went on my roof and re-tarred the chimney flashing myselfI have since checked it periodically and re-tarred and watched the area for signs of leaksSince this was clearly stated on his report I took action to keep the poor chimney flashing from leaking until we planned to replace the roof and have a new flashing installedThe above statement is clear and easily understood.Mr [redacted] is truthful I never did call him to review the reportUnfortunately, in describing our roof Mr [redacted] did not once mention or use the word valleyAlso, I did not then have the knowledge and understanding of valleys that I do todayA phone call would not have changed the information that Mr [redacted] presented on his report and with my knowledge of roof valleys at the time it’s unlikely I would have brought it upFlashings & RoofPenetrationsMetal.Tar or roofing cement limits the evaluation and or existence of an appropriate flashing inone or more locationsThis typical yet non professional patching requires moremaintenance than a properly installed flashingRemedial action advisedAlternative: Whenmaintenance becomes burdensome contact a qualified specialist for remedial action.First it is unclear what flashing or flashings Mr [redacted] is talking aboutIt’s unclear if it’s one location or more than one locationMr [redacted] pointed out there are different types of roof flashings (attic vent, plumbing vent, electrical masthead, sidewall valley, chimney, step, counter, drip edge)He fails to mention what flashings he is referencingIt’s unclear if he is including the valley flashings in the above statementWithout listing the types of flashing he is taking about and what remedial action I should take the statement above very vague and unclearNothing in the above statement was clear or helpful during our purchase of our homeHow can I use this information? What flashings are we even referencing? Not sureIs it one location or more than one location? Not sure What flashing is this referencing? This typical yet non professional patching requires more maintenance than a properly installed flashingNot sureRemedial action advisedWhat is remedial action? It’s unclearIt sounds bad but is a broad statement that could reference many actionsHow can I use remedial action during bargaining over the inspection contingency? How can I use statement remedial action advised for myself? Not sureIt’s not clear.It’s not as clear as stating something like this: Valleys are sealed with tarThey will require periodic resealing to prevent leaksMetal valleys without a ridge have a greater potential for leaks, as during heavy rain, water can flow across a flat flashing and up under the shingles on the over side of the valleyThis is type of expertise I paid for during my home inspectionIt is information I have since learned since the leak in our valley occurredWas I reactionary to the problem? YesI am not a home inspector and I do not claim to have the knowledge and expertise to give an inspection or access a roof.As I have stated we have had only one other home inspectionThat inspector included an entire sub-section under roof for valleysIt includes a recommendation sealing, repair or replacementHad I hired that inspector it’s possible he would have recommended sealing the valleys on his report and stated it clearlyMr [redacted] may want to consider including a valley section under his roof assessments in his own reports since they are a prime leak areaI have no less than five quotes for our roofEvery quote includes the w style valleyAs I look abound my neighborhood I see that the large majority of homes have the w style valley installedAs stated above the ridge pleat in the center of a metal valley helps guide the water downOur valleys do not have his ridgeWhile not necessarily a defect they do require more frequent maintenance and sealing to prevent leaksBottom line is that had Mr [redacted] clearly stated to reseal the valleys I would have done so when I sealed the chimney flashing, or if it was clearly stated I may have been able to have the previous owner seal the valleys as I had other issues corrected with Mr [redacted] ’s report.I am not confident a phone call would have cleared up this manner at the time, I have since learned much more about roof valleysThis type of knowledge and expertise of roof valleys I would expect a home inspector to already haveI have asked repeatedly called Mr [redacted] to explain why he never reported on the condition of our valleys in his report he has not yet returned my call.Mr [redacted] I did act on your report and preform maintenance on my roofI do annually check and re-tar the chimney flashingWhy? Because your report includes the poor chimney flashing by nameI maintain that you never once used the word valley in your report to describe our roofDo I know what remedial action advised means? NoBut I do know what recommend sealing valleys means, only this statement never appeared on your report.I do blame myself for breaking my own ruleOn our first home I refused to use any home inspector the realtor suggestedThe second time I broke my own ruleIt seams our first inspector may have been worth another call.I read your and acted on your reportI can only act on what was in it and you simply fail to mention any condition of the valley flashingsDue to how critical valleys are to a roof I am confused why you don’t include any mention of them in your report or consider giving them their own section, as our other inspector didIt is true I re-tarred the valleys myselfI would have done so much earlier had Mr [redacted] used his expertise to advise me of the potential for leaks in the future without periodic resealing of our valleysThe leak we had in our home could have been prevented had he provided us with this information in his report

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]
 
In 2011 when I hired Mr. [redacted] it was due to a recommendation from our realtor. He took pictures and put them in his report and went on the roof directly (both things I liked). Something not all inspectors do and I don’t believe they are required to go on a roof. Since our inspection Mr. [redacted] has been friendly, helpful resource for helping me with maintenance questions. Things were fine until this fall (October 2014). I noticed water stains in the corner of our living room ceiling. I had been on the roof several times to clean the gutters and tar the chimney flashing (that Mr. [redacted] had noted in our report as suspect). I had no idea where the leak was coming from. I had a friend who is a maintenance worker take a look. He instantly looked at my valleys and said that was the problem. I knew then something was wrong with Mr. [redacted]’s report. Sadly, Mr. [redacted]’s 26 page report mentions the word valley one time! Under the standards of practice. It is never used again! It reads:  WI Standard of Practice for Home Inspectors, RL 134.04 (1) (d) requires that an inspector: Describe the condition that if not repaired, will have significant adverse effect on the life expectancy of the Roof & (e) "List any material adverse facts that a home inspector has knowledge of or has observed." A Wisconsin Home Inspector is not required to walk on the roof, observe attached accessories such as solar heating systems, antennae, lightning arrestors or internal gutter and downspout systems.The description of the roof and its components is for general information only. Determining whether or not the roof has been exposed to hail damage is beyond the scope of this inspection.Normal roof maintenance includes: 1. Periodic caulking of flashing and exposed nail heads to prevent leaks, 2. Periodic evaluation and repair or replacement of flashing at roof penetrations, transitions, and terminations. (e.g.: chimneys, plumbing stacks, dormers, valleys, electrical mast head assembly, etc), 3. Occasional repair or replacement of damaged sections of roof covering. NOTE: Roofs often leak at the chimney, the chimney flashing, sidewall flashing and other transitions, penetrations and terminations. Unless it is raining at the time of the inspection, roof leaks can be difficult to predict. Though the flashing around the chimney may appear to be unremarkable at the time of the inspection, water may enter a small gap at the chimney/flashing during the first rain shower or first snow melt. Water infiltration at the chimney/ flashing is not a major defect; it is a maintenance issue that is the responsibility of all property owners. Dormers typically have sidewall and lower flashings that deteriorate over time and require attention. Be sure to check all roof flashings as part of your normal maintenance routine toprevent water infiltration. Winter freeze/ thaw conditions are unpredictable. Due to the negative consequences associated with "ice dams" during Wisconsin winters, we strongly encourage you to read: Ice damming: Unfortunately, in his 3 page response the word appears 10 times!  His note under a picture of the chimney Flashings & Roof Penetrations appears under a photo of the chimney with tar in several locations. Tar or roofing cement limits the evaluation and or existence of an appropriate flashing inone or more locations. This typical yet non professional patching requires moremaintenance than a properly installed flashing. Remedial action advised. Alternative: Whenmaintenance becomes burdensome contact a qualified specialist for remedial action.Please note he doesn’t mention what flashing he is mentioning or what specific location. It could be assumed he is talking about the chimney flashing(since the photo is on the page), but again he fails to give the name or location of the flashing he is mentioning. While it may not be SOP to distinguish between the different types of roof flashings it sure helps the homeowner reading the report. Note the word Valley is never used once in his report. Of course since this discovery I re-read Mr. [redacted]'s report. In talking to my friend, and several roofers have a better understanding of where to look on a roof for leaks. My point is Mr. [redacted] had the knowledge and expertise, as I am not an expert on roofs. I also realize that we have metal valley flashings, but they do not have the proper w ridge that helps prevent leaks nor were they sealed correctly. Mr. [redacted] had the knowledge that proper sealed w valleys are ideal and made no mention of this specifically on his report. Nor does he mention specifically that the valleys should be resealed. Something I could have done myself had it been noted or mentioned!I have only one other home inspection to compare Mr. [redacted] with, the other inspector included both a section on flashings and one specifically for valleys in his report. Under valleys are indications for type, condition, and if they need to be sealed, repaired, or replaced. Mr. [redacted] may want to consider such a section in his report for future clients. I can now attest to the importance of valleys to a roof system firsthand. Our other inspector also listed the condition of every window in the house and tested every outlet in the entire house. These are also things Mr. [redacted] may want to consider doing for future clients.I read and used every condition on his report during our home purchase. I hired a second inspector to look at the foundation walls and have since had several contractors take a look. We had the electrical box changed, the bathroom vented through the roof. A flute liner was installed. I read and used Mr. [redacted]'s report to the best of my ability during our purchase, but I can’t use what is not on the report. Simply put I could have used the condition of the valleys during our purchase. We could have at least had the owner seal the valleys as I did, or bargained price. Once again outside the SOP Mr. [redacted] fails to use the word valley even once!While our leak may have occurred after 3 years of the inspection any mention or use of the word valley on Mr. [redacted]’s report would have eliminated the water stains in my living room ceiling. The fact that our roof lasted one year past the liability limitations is great for Mr. [redacted], but not so great for someone who need a trusted professional during a home purchase.Lesson: Hire a home inspector you can trust!Like Mr. [redacted] I do not respond well to threats. I gave my truthful and honest review and complaints of my experience with Mr. [redacted] and the quality of his inspection. After repeated calls and emails for him to provide me an answer to the question: Why are the valleys not listed in your report. His response was to hire a lawyer and threaten me with a $150,000 defamation lawsuit. But nothing I have said is untrue, and I have the right to give a truthful account and help others may want to hire Mr. [redacted]. I hope Mr. [redacted] uses this opportunity to provide the next client with a more though and detailed inspection than he gave me. I would like to see Mr. [redacted] live up to his promise as stated on his website:Our promise is to provide you with the most competent detailed home inspector who treats you with care, patience and loyalty. We will inspect your home as if we were inspecting it for ourselves and our family. Since 1995, our goal is still 100% customer satisfaction.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]
 
 These quotes are from the links Mr. [redacted] provided in his last reply:For any roof with unequal water flow, the best valley flashing will be a "W" flashing. This is a sheet metal flashing that has a ridge pleated into the center. The photo shows how the water jumps over that ridge and spills onto the shingles on the other side, rather than flowing across a flat flashing and sliding up under the other shingles. When water flow is equal from each roof, the water flow will meet equal resistance on either side and not flow up under the roof with less flow.Valleys are a prime leak area, so it's important to be careful.Mr. [redacted] clearly stated in his report:Signs of LeaksChimney flashing. Improvement of the chimney flashing condition is recommended toprevent leaks and subsequent problems associated with water infiltration. See diagram(1.2.1) of the Maintenance Guidelines for proper flashing details.Because this was on his report I went on my roof and re-tarred the chimney flashing myself. I have since checked it periodically and re-tarred and watched the area for signs of leaks. Since this was clearly stated on his report I took action to keep the poor chimney flashing from leaking until we planned to replace the roof and have a new flashing installed. The above statement is clear and easily understood.Mr. [redacted] is truthful I never did call him to review the report. Unfortunately, in describing our roof Mr. [redacted] did not once mention or use the word valley. Also, I did not then have the knowledge and understanding of valleys that I do today. A phone call would not have changed the information that Mr. [redacted] presented on his report and with my knowledge of roof valleys at the time it’s unlikely I would have brought it up. Flashings & RoofPenetrationsMetal.Tar or roofing cement limits the evaluation and or existence of an appropriate flashing inone or more locations. This typical yet non professional patching requires moremaintenance than a properly installed flashing. Remedial action advised. Alternative: Whenmaintenance becomes burdensome contact a qualified specialist for remedial action.First it is unclear what flashing or flashings Mr. [redacted] is talking about. It’s unclear if it’s one location or more than one location. Mr. [redacted] pointed out there are different types of roof flashings (attic vent, plumbing vent, electrical masthead, sidewall valley, chimney, step, counter, drip edge). He fails to mention what flashings he is referencing. It’s unclear if he is including the valley flashings in the above statement. Without listing the types of flashing he is taking about and what remedial action I should take the statement above very vague and unclear. Nothing in the above statement was clear or helpful during our purchase of our home. How can I use this information? What flashings are we even referencing? Not sure. Is it one location or more than one location? Not sure.  What flashing is this referencing? This typical yet non professional patching requires more maintenance than a properly installed flashing. Not sure. Remedial action advised. What is remedial action? It’s unclear. It sounds bad but is a broad statement that could reference many actions. How can I use remedial action during bargaining over the inspection contingency? How can I use statement remedial action advised for myself? Not sure. It’s not clear.It’s not as clear as stating something like this: Valleys are sealed with tar. They will require periodic resealing to prevent leaks. Metal valleys without a ridge have a greater potential for leaks, as during heavy rain, water can flow across a flat flashing and up under the shingles on the over side of the valley. This is type of expertise I paid for during my home inspection. It is information I have since learned since the leak in our valley occurred. Was I reactionary to the problem? Yes. I am not a home inspector and I do not claim to have the knowledge and expertise to give an inspection or access a roof.As I have stated we have had only one other home inspection. That inspector included an entire sub-section under roof for valleys. It includes a recommendation sealing, repair or replacement. Had I hired that inspector it’s possible he would have recommended sealing the valleys on his report and stated it clearly. Mr. [redacted] may want to consider including a valley section under his roof assessments in his own reports since they are a prime leak area. I have no less than five quotes for our roof. Every quote includes the w style valley. As I look abound my neighborhood I see that the large majority of homes have the w style valley installed. As stated above the ridge pleat in the center of a metal valley helps guide the water down. Our valleys do not have his ridge. While not necessarily a defect they do require more frequent maintenance and sealing to prevent leaks. Bottom line is that had Mr. [redacted] clearly stated to reseal the valleys I would have done so when I sealed the chimney flashing, or if it was clearly stated I may have been able to have the previous owner seal the valleys as I had other issues corrected with Mr. [redacted]’s report.I am not confident a phone call would have cleared up this manner at the time, I have since learned much more about roof valleys. This type of knowledge and expertise of roof valleys I would expect a home inspector to already have. I have asked repeatedly called Mr. [redacted] to explain why he never reported on the condition of our valleys in his report he has not yet returned my call.Mr. [redacted] I did act on your report and preform maintenance on my roof. I do annually check and re-tar the chimney flashing. Why? Because your report includes the poor chimney flashing by name. I maintain that you never once used the word valley in your report to describe our roof. Do I know what remedial action advised means? No. But I do know what recommend sealing valleys means, only this statement never appeared on your report.I do blame myself for breaking my own rule. On our first home I refused to use any home inspector the realtor suggested. The second time I broke my own rule. It seams our first inspector may have been worth another call.I read your and acted on your report. I can only act on what was in it and you simply fail to mention any condition of the valley flashings. Due to how critical valleys are to a roof I am confused why you don’t include any mention of them in your report or consider giving them their own section, as our other inspector did. It is true I re-tarred the valleys myself. I would have done so much earlier had Mr. [redacted] used his expertise to advise me of the potential for leaks in the future without periodic resealing of our valleys. The leak we had in our home could have been prevented had he provided us with this information in his report.

The purpose of a home inspection is to identify
defects. Tarred valley flashing is not a defect.There were 30 sub-standard conditions I identified
in my report. Since Mr. [redacted] did not contact me for any type of
clarification or to review the report, I assumed he understood that he was buying a home that needed above
average attention.The valleys were not leaking at the time of the inspection,
therefore not considered a defect.They were tarred. A-typical, but not leaking. Regardless,
under Flashings I wrote: “Remedial action
advised”. On page 3 of my report titled: DEFINITIONS OF TERMS. The second definition reads: Bolded or
Italicized text - Unreliable condition. Contact a specialist for further
evaluation of the component, system and like components.  Now I can only assume he did not carefully
read the report.The valley material and shape are not unusual.
They appeared to have lasted many years since they were tarred.Though the “w” ridge is another type of valley
flashing http://www.joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/136
 , the valley that is installed on his
home is called an open valley and is shown on GAF website, a shingle
manufacturers who warranties their roofs against leaking. http://www.gaf.com/Video_Library/0_darpmmhd
Multiple roof flashings were tarred. Again, the Flashing
section of the report states: “Remedial
action advised”.Mr. [redacted] ignored the comment “Remedial action advised”. He still does
not admit he did not read it, chose to ignore it or did not understand the
significance and did nothing within days of the inspection when it may have
made a difference. It likely would not have made much of a difference as most
professionals in this transaction would fall back on the fact that the valleys
were not leaking at the time of the inspection. Mr. [redacted] says he would like to see me live up
to the promise of our mission statement of 100% customer satisfaction. That has
always been and still is my goal. My goal is not to sell home warranties or
give home maintenance classes. My goal is to educate my clients as much as I
can during the course of an inspection and provide a report that helps them
understand Defects and issues that will become defects if ignored. I provided a
50 page Home Maintenance Guide to help him learn about home maintenance. (It’s
now a 96 page maintenance book) The cover page I email with every Home
Inspection Report has a line: Please read the attached report thoroughly prior to the end of your inspection contingency
and contact me right away if you have any questions.It
seems obvious to me that he did not read it thoroughly as he did not call me
with questions. Again he chose to ignore the 3 most important words that have
brought us here today: “Remedial action advised”. Hopefully anyone
reading this complaint will learn:
Read
the Standards of Practice before you hire any home inspector.Thoroughly read your report after the inspection and
contact your inspector right away if you have any questions. If you want more than a home inspection, consider
buying a home warranty.Even if you are buying a new home, establish a
maintenance routine and perform required maintenance. If you don’t want to do maintenance, if you will
do it grudgingly, if you don’t like watching home improvement shows, if you
dread the idea of reading about “how to do home maintenance”, then buy a condo. I’ve performed over 12,000 home inspections and even with
Mr. [redacted]’ complaint, I still maintain over 99.99% satisfaction rate. When
Mr. [redacted] contacted me 3 years after the inspection, I felt sad that he did
not read or understand the words “Remedial
action advised”. Worse yet, why didn’t he call me 3 years ago to review the
report with me? I feel that even if he is unwilling to be accountable for his
own inaction and feels that his best recourse is to use the Revdex.com as a good place
to vent, reading his complaint and my responses, will help other home buyers
understand more about the importance of thoroughly reading your home inspection
report and reviewing it with your inspector afterwards.  When you reply to this again Mr. [redacted], please let the
readers know how long YOU feel a roof should remain leak free without proper
maintenance? Instead of 3 should it have been 4 or 5 or 10? Yours was not a new
roof. The flashing maintenance was non-professional. So even assuming that it
was years since the last “tar job”, as evidenced by the poor chimney flashing,
how much longer did you expect from sub-standard roof flashings when you were notified
“Remedial action advised”? And if you
don’t mind, please also advise the readers what you thought was meant by “Remedial action advised”. It was in a
separate sub-section below the defective chimney flashing. Please answer those
2 questions for the readers. You write about telling the truth. Isn’t it the
truth that your complaint is only out of spite because it is too hard to blame
yourself for not giving the report the attention it deserved at the time it
could have done you the most good? Had I missed a “defect” as defined by the State Standards,
Mr. [redacted] would have could have some legal recourse. Mr. [redacted]’
expectations are beyond the scope of a home inspection. The valleys were not defects.
They did not leak for almost 3 years after the inspection. I believe he is
lashing out because he finds it too hard to hold himself accountable for not
thoroughly reading the report or not understanding the consequences which
resulted in a roof leak 3 years after the inspection. If I understand
correctly, he has caulked them and they no longer leak.?If readers of this complaint have read this far, then hopefully they have read the section where the customer’s complaint reads:  “Remedial action advised. What is remedial action? It’s unclear. It sounds bad but is a broad statement that could reference many actions. How can I use remedial action during bargaining over the inspection contingency? How can I use statement remedial action advised for myself? Not sure. It’s not clear.”  The customer acknowledges that he does not understand what was meant by “Remedial action advised”. He has stated numerous times that he read the report and now admits that he did not understand it. On the second page of my report the third paragraph down reads:  Please read this report in its entirety. If you want me to write out a more detailed explanation of anything addressed in the report I will. After reading the report and contacting me with any questions, I will assume you understand what is contained in it.  I have customers with a wide variety of skill levels. Had he called or contacted me we could have discussed the condition in more detail. I can only assume that if a customer does not contact me for clarification after reading the report, they need no further clarification. In this case, he could have contacted a sheet metal worker or qualified professional for “remedial action” or evaluation of the flashings and that professional given their opinion. Home inspectors are not specialists, we are general practitioners, paid to look for the red flags and direct the home buyer to contact the professional for further evaluation prior to the end of the inspection contingency to determine repair or replacement costs. They valley flashings were not leaking at the time of the inspection so I did not identify them specifically, but in the report I wrote:  Tar or roofing cement limits the evaluation and or existence of an appropriate flashing in one or more locations. This typical yet nonprofessional patching requires more maintenance than a properly installed flashing. Remedial action advised. Alternative: When maintenance becomes burdensome contact a qualified specialist for remedial action.  The customer did not answer the second question I asked: How long did you expect a roof to last without doing maintenance. His lasted almost 3 years without addressing the valleys. He never stated what his expectations for maintenance are. At this stage, I feel it is really a moot point. The State of WI has ruled that there were no inadequacies. The second paragraph under the ROOF section of the report reads:  Normal roof maintenance includes: 1. Periodic caulking of flashing and exposed nail heads to prevent leaks, 2. Periodic evaluation and repair or replacement of flashing at roof penetrations, transitions, and terminations. (e.g.: chimneys, plumbing stacks, dormers, valleys, electrical mast head assembly, etc.)  Since the customer did not reply to the question of how long he feels he should be able to neglect normal maintenance, I can only assume he has come to the conclusion that his expectations may have been unrealistic. Regardless, all readers should realize that roofs will need maintenance. Without maintenance they will leak.  Finally, the customer states that I have not returned his phone calls. Communication broke down when he sent an email to me that contained the words: “…come on now”. I found those words condescending, rude and set the tone for his unwillingness to rationally discuss the situation. He seemed adamant at wanting to blame me rather than accepting the fact that this roof needed “remedial action” at the time of the inspection and ongoing maintenance which he failed to provide prior to the roof leak 3 years after the inspection. He continues to try and cast blame rather than accept the fact that he did not contact me for clarification when he read the report and did not understand the meaning or consequences of “Remedial action advised” and then postponed typical maintenance until after the roof started leaking.