Drip loop- Really do you need it? Wenatchee and Leavenworth Home Inspection
Submitted by DonHester on Mon, 04/16/2012 - 16:53.
Drip loop- Really do you need it? Wenatchee and Leavenworth Home Inspection
A home inspector can be a real drip at times. But we do so for good reason. Sometimes things just do not seem to be a very big deal and we shrug them off and most of the time they are not a big deal.
But here is a case of why pointing out something that maybe diminutive could be more than it seems at first glance.
Standard practice is that all exterior cables should be installed with a drip loop before entering your home. The reason for the drip loop is that water can follow the cable into the hole. (Also ground blocks/switches should always be mounted with the terminals positioned horizontal, never vertical.)
A drip loop is formed in a “U” shape or circle that will be below the entry point into the home. When the cable is rising to the point of entry, there is no need to put an actual loop in the cable before the cable goes through the hole because in essence this is creating a drip loop.
Here is an example of a proper drip loop for cabling.
Here is an example of no drip loop installed. Water is following the cable down and is now entering the wall of the home.
As you can see from this photo below we have elevated moisture levels at the exterior of the home that will lead to rot and potential insect issues. Normal moisture levels should be below 12% (even lower in this part of Washington State). As you can see here we are over 31%.
This is a simple fix but over time these simple fixes if not corrected can cause some major consequences.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Albert Einstein
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
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