From the outside, this 1966 Phoenix home looked fun. The garage had been turned into a party room with a sliding glass door, a bar, speakers in the ceiling and a vaulted ceiling. It is probably why buyers were bidding on it. But the conversion was done without permits, and the roof over the garage door was caving in.
A garage conversion with no permits
To vault the ceiling, the attic space over the garage was removed and the old gable vent was covered up. That took away ventilation, and the roof framing was overspanned and under-supported. You could see the roof sagging over the garage door and the whole corner of the garage dropping. I did not walk that side of the roof.
Termites in the beam
There was termite treatment around the foundation, and someone had cut an inspection hole in the wall. When I looked at the bottom of the beam over the garage door, it was covered in termite tubes and termite holes. Subterranean termites are slow, but put them in the right spot, in wood without enough support, and the whole thing starts coming down. A wet corner and a bush against the house gave them a way in.
Water and settlement outside
- The irrigation was spraying the mulch instead of the grass.
- The driveway and that whole side of the house had settled. Water getting into cracks and under the slab creates soft spots.
In the attic
- Very poor ventilation. It was about 115 degrees outside, and the attic was far hotter.
- A disconnected vent hood duct and loose, failing duct insulation, which is common in homes this age.
- Daylight through a flashing gap and serious water damage near the rooftop HVAC unit.
- Turbine vents with no screens to keep bees and bugs out.
Missing insulation on the thermal camera
Dark lines and spots on a ceiling, called ghosting, often show where insulation is missing or out of place. Moisture collects where warm and cold meet, and dust and candle smoke stick to it. My thermal camera confirmed several gaps in the bedrooms and over the front door. Putting insulation back where it belongs lowers your cooling bill.
The sewer line and old pipes
There were no cleanouts in the front or back yard, so I ran my sewer camera down a vent stack on the roof. The cast iron drain lines were heavily corroded inside, with a change to ABS around 40 feet out. I got about 80 feet in before the turns stopped the cable. My recommendation was to install cleanouts and replace the cast iron under the house. Lining old pipe can buy time, but it does not restore the strength of the pipe.
Out front, the original galvanized water line had rusted almost all the way through next to the newer copper line. That is what galvanized pipe does over time, and it needs to be replaced.
The takeaway
A beautiful finish can hide a lot. If a renovation was done without permits, look closely at the framing, the roof and anything the remodel covered up. Termites and water damage love the spots nobody can see.
Termite inspections in Gilbert and across Arizona
Property Inspections Plus is based in Gilbert, and we inspect homes all over Phoenix and the rest of the Valley. Every home inspection includes a termite (WDO) inspection at no extra charge, done by Dan Pierce, a Certified Master Inspector and licensed Arizona termite inspector. If no active termites are found, your inspection also comes with a 1-year termite warranty backed by our partners at Firehouse Pest Control in Gilbert.
Want to learn the warning signs yourself? Start with how to spot termites in your Arizona home, or browse more termite posts.
Buying a home? Book your inspection online or call 623-399-0079.
