Interior Inspection Flashcards
7 cards from real NHIE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Interior Inspection flashcards as text
When inspecting a basement, an inspector observes white crystalline deposits on the concrete floor slab. This most likely indicates:
Answer: Efflorescence caused by water moving through the concrete
Efflorescence on a slab surface indicates water is migrating upward through the concrete, dissolving and depositing soluble salts as it evaporates.
A guardrail on a second-floor interior balcony has balusters spaced 6 inches apart. This is a deficiency because:
Answer: Building codes require a maximum 4-inch baluster spacing to prevent a child's head from passing through
The IRC requires baluster openings to prevent passage of a 4-inch sphere, protecting young children from falling through or becoming entrapped.
During an interior inspection, the inspector tests a ceiling fan and finds it wobbles significantly. The inspector should:
Answer: Report it as a safety concern, noting the fan may not be secured to a fan-rated box
Significant wobbling can indicate the fan is mounted to a standard electrical box not rated to support a fan's dynamic load, creating a fall hazard.
An inspector finds floor joists in a crawl space that show notching at mid-span. This is significant because:
Answer: Notching at mid-span is prohibited as it removes material from the highest stress zone of the joist
Mid-span is the zone of maximum bending stress in a simply supported joist; notching there significantly reduces load capacity and is prohibited by code.
What is the minimum required width for a residential hallway per the IRC?
Answer: 36 inches
The IRC requires a minimum clear width of 36 inches for hallways to allow safe egress and accessibility.
An inspector observes that the interior of a clothes dryer duct transitions from rigid metal duct to a plastic flexible duct inside the wall cavity. This should be reported because:
Answer: Plastic flexible duct is prohibited in dryer duct systems due to fire hazard
Plastic flexible duct can accumulate lint, sag to create lint traps, and melt or ignite from dryer heat, making it a fire hazard prohibited in dryer exhaust systems.
When an inspector finds lead-based paint in a pre-1978 home, the required action is to:
Answer: Report the likelihood of lead-based paint and recommend evaluation by a certified lead inspector
Home inspectors are not certified lead inspectors; the appropriate response is to note the risk in pre-1978 homes and refer to a certified professional for testing.