The flapper is sometimes inadvertently screwed shut when the pipe is attached to the fan housing with screws.
Remove the grill and look into the vent opening with a flashlight. You may see a piece of plastic or aluminum in the pipe's path. You will need to break or bend the flapper out of the closed position from inside the fan housing with a long screwdriver or other implement.
Q: What can I use to remove glue from cement/concrete?
A: Your favorite hardware or paint store will carry glue or adhesive remover.
Q: I'm concerned about my brick. My home is about seven months old and has some brick facing. There's an area of the brick, directly under a window, that looks saturated with water following an average rainfall.
The color of the brick itself in this area gets darker as well as the mortar. I don't see this happening with any of the other homes in my development. Is this wetness normal?
A: The window and wall in question may be facing west or south and exposed more to the weather than your neighbors' windows.
Your window may have less protective roof overhang than your neighbors'. Or your window may have blocked or missing weepholes, or lack critical water-proofing materials such as flashing or caulking.
Your window may not have a tilted lower brick sill, or be missing mortar in a critical area. Or your window may be suffering from leakage from a roof or gutter above. Or your brick and mortar may not have been sealed.
Ask your builder's customer-service representative to inspect the situation, provide an explanation and repair it.
Darrell Hay is a local home inspector and manages several rental properties. Call 206-464-8514 to record a question, |
