Here's a picture up inside the soffit on our master bath. We've had a growing water stain there since we moved in back in 2001 (new house). We could never tell if the water stain got worse when it rained or if the water staining was due to an issue with the plumbing in an upstairs bathroom of our Trendmaker Homes house.

While the painters are here this week, and we decided to would be a good time to resolve this issue. Once the sheetrock was cut back, we (me and the painters) all started laughing.

Apparently, when the house was being built, the plumber got there first and installed the sink vent pipe inside the soffit. So far, so good.

Then, the electrician got there to install the recessed cans. And, to his disappointment, the plumber didn't leave him enough room. Therefore, he cut a section of the vent pipe out to make room and simply left it open! Good for him! Very creative!

master_bath_leak.jpg

Now... are all electricians bad? Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, based on my observations of this house being built, the person that installed that fixture probably didn't even speaka de english.

But I did pay an Engineer $600 to inspect the place right before the sheetrock was up (my own nickel, not part of the requirements in the contract). The builder supposedly inspected it too. And, for that matter, I even did a walk through and made up a list and I missed it also (unless it was done after the inspections).

Here's what TOTALLY surprises me, from what I can see in these photos...

It's not that the electrician cut the plumbing and left it open for rain to fall into the roof vent and drip down and inside my bathroom.

It's not that water dripping on the light fixture could have caused a short and burnt my house down.

It's not that the sewer system has been venting in the soffit for the last 10 years.

What blows my mind is that I actually got insulation in the walls up behind the soffit. OMG. I am in shock.