ASHI Attics & Crawl Spaces 3

Question 1

Which of the following conditions in an attic would an ASHI inspector identify as a sign of prior or active roof leak?

Accepted Answer

Water stains on the underside of roof sheathing near penetrations or valleys

Answer

Water stains near roof penetrations or valleys indicate where rainwater has entered, making these common leak locations to document.

Question 2

In a crawl space, wood structural members should maintain what minimum clearance above exposed soil?

Accepted Answer

18 inches

Answer

IRC and most building codes require 18 inches of clearance between exposed soil and wood structural members to prevent decay.

Question 3

An ASHI inspector observes that an attic has rigid foam insulation applied to the underside of the roof deck rather than on the attic floor. This is known as:

Accepted Answer

Hot roof or unvented roof assembly

Answer

Insulating the roof deck underside creates a hot roof or unvented assembly, which is acceptable when properly designed but eliminates traditional attic ventilation.

Question 4

Which of the following represents a safety hazard an inspector may encounter when walking an attic?

Accepted Answer

Missing or inadequate walking boards over joists covered with insulation

Answer

Walking on insulation-covered joists without boards creates a fall-through risk because joists may be hard to locate underfoot.

Question 5

A crawl space has support posts that are sitting directly on bare soil with no footings. This condition is a concern because:

Accepted Answer

The posts will absorb moisture and eventually rot, compromising structural support

Answer

Wood posts on bare soil absorb moisture from the ground, accelerating decay and eventually compromising the structural load they carry.

(ASHI) ASHI Certified Home Inspector Practice Test

(ASHI) ASHI Certified Home Inspector Practice Test

ASHI Attics & Crawl Spaces 3