Toilet in a phone booth! - 03/31/08 04:44 PM
I SWEAR this toilet is "functional" although just stating that it "flushes" is probably more accurate. It isn't just sitting there. It is another one of those great mysteries as to how it got to be this way. Who decided this was OK? Did they try it out? Even boys … (25 comments)
|
OK----I am going to wear a helmet on inspections! - 03/31/08 08:08 AM
With my latest example of "plan ahead" I just have to scratch my head in wonder. This bathroom remodel was quite expensive with floor to ceiling stone tiles, and a very cool looking decorative suspended ceiling.
The ceiling behind this wood lattice work was painted black and was only about ½" … (17 comments)
|
Extraterrestrial life is real---I HAVE SEEN THEM! - 03/30/08 09:41 AM
It seems like all around the world there are places with no "authentic" claim to fame, that attempt to "create" fame.
For example, take the Roswell UFO Incident in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 (Interesting---same year I was born---coincidence? That may "explain" a few things.) Or, consider the Loch … (8 comments)
|
"Three blind mice, three blind mice (inspectors) see how....." - 03/30/08 09:20 AM
It amazes me, but there are some inspectors that do not use moisture meters. While what we do is considered a "visual" inspection, the use of moisture meters can be like a seeing-eye-dog for the inspector as he or she otherwise goes "blindly" through the inspection. Many water conditions give … (8 comments)
|
Snowless in Seattle - 03/28/08 02:46 PM
To counter the notion that it always rains in Seattle, I offer picture perfect proof that it at least sometimes snows! Took this a few moments ago in my garden. Snow and Daffodils is like the juxtaposition of right/wrong, left/right, yin/yang.
Charles Buell
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog … (9 comments)
|
Things they teach you (or should) in Cooking School - 03/28/08 11:05 AM
As a totally inadequate follow-up to the now infamous "Oatmeal Blog"I thought I would share more things they don't teach you in cooking school (actually they probably do). In this case the kitchen range was installed too low (or the counter-tops to high) which allows the flames under a large … (17 comments)
|
Aluminum wiring---BAD juju! - 03/27/08 12:15 PM
For some time now (without getting overwhelmingly technical) I have wanted to do a blog about Aluminum Wiring---the solid conductor stuff that was widely used from 1965 to 1975. It originally became popular as the prices of copper when through the roof. Like copper it was widely used in residential … (14 comments)
|
ActiveRain burned my oatmeal! - 03/27/08 11:43 AM
At today's inspection I had a mental picture of a typical ActiveRain Addict,
half-smile on his face,
frantically typing away,
attempting to keep caught up with the comments to his most recent featured blog----ignoring the incessant screaming of the smoke alarm in the back ground---ignoring the tears in his eyes, … (55 comments)
|
Weekend project gone caflooie! - 03/27/08 11:06 AM
I did a post the other day about a Wacky Window installation that I found hard to believe anyone would leave the way they did. Today's blog is similar, in that it is a wacky installation, but in this case it is more than cosmetic or "aesthetic." In this case … (6 comments)
|
Horizontally draining, stone cleaning device. - 03/26/08 09:07 AM
Finding leaking and overflowing gutters when it is raining is a lot easier than determining if they will leak or will overflow if it is not raining. One thing that inspectors look for when it is not raining is impact marks on the ground under areas of overflowing and leaking. … (7 comments)
|
Barreling through the crawl space. - 03/25/08 08:28 AM
When I was a kid, hanging around with my dad on various construction projects, I used to see the old wooden barrels that nails came in. Even as a builder myself, I can remember some of the older lumber yards still having kegs of less commonly used sizes/types of nails … (10 comments)
|
Not all "short-circuits" are electrical! - 03/24/08 03:20 PM
A while back, in a blog that asked "What is Giovanni Venturi doing in my attic?" I mentioned that combinations of different methods of ventilation can result in poorer or even no ventilation.
For example for the best method of venting attics---Ridge vents in combination with soffit vents---to function properly there … (5 comments)
|
There simply HAS TO BE some drugs I can Take for this! - 03/24/08 02:50 PM
Have you caught yourself wandering around the house at all hours of the day and night with a flashlight or screw driver,
1. checking to see how your chrome sink traps are doing, or
2. coughing your way across the attic to see if your attic vents have screens, or
3. looking to … (11 comments)
|
"Nooks n' Crannies" are for English Muffins. - 03/23/08 04:12 PM
As we all know , ventilation fans should not be terminated in the attic. This type of installation can lead to adding moisture to the attic space resulting in damage to the roof structure and may lead to mold growth in the attic. All exhaust fans should properly vent to … (5 comments)
|
Washington State Licensed Home Inspector (has a nice ring to it)! - 03/21/08 06:10 PM
I just want to post an announcement that as of 2:30 this afternoon Washington State became the most recent state to pass a Home Inspector Licensing Law when Governor Christine Gregoire signed ESB-6606 into law. On September 1 2009, it will be illegal for anyone to perform home inspections in the State of Washington without … (12 comments)
|
Have you been screened for bugs? - 03/21/08 08:38 AM
The attics of many older homes were often vented through the gable ends of the home. Today's homes sometimes have them also. Proper ventilation of attics could be fodder for many blogs, but today I just want to limit the discussion to Gable Vents. I don't want to get into a complicated … (9 comments)
|
But---I am INTO "recrreational" defibrillation! - 03/20/08 11:36 AM
I have discussed this in the past, but it is one of my pet peeves, and deserves repeating over and over until I don't see the issue any more. (I no doubt will be waiting a long time and I won't be holding by breath. I am used to tilting … (4 comments)
|
Do you know where your TPRV is tonight? - 03/19/08 08:33 AM
A common defect that inspectors find is improperly terminated drains from the water heater TPRV (Temperature/Pressure/Relief/Valve). While there are numerous ways that it can be improperlyterminated, today's blog is about when they are terminating at locations that are not "readily observable." These valves occasionally leak a little, and sometimes even … (5 comments)
|
This window is "Paneful" (almost as much as the pun:) - 03/19/08 08:24 AM
As a builder I was often faced with having to redo things due to mistakes or change orders. I once had an old carpenter tell me that the difference between a good carpenter and a poor carpenter is that a good carpenter knows how to make his mistakes look like … (14 comments)
|
Out of sight----out of mind. - 03/18/08 09:22 AM
A while back, Leslie Bloss asked me to comment on how often people should have their homes inspected. It made me think a bit, because most homes never see a home inspector unless it is being sold. I will direct my comments to the North West, because we have conditions here … (10 comments)
|
"Jumanji!"----what is that flood coming down the stairs? - 03/18/08 09:09 AM
Newer requirements for water heater installation call for there to be pans with drains when the heaters are installed in areas where leaking might cause damage. I think these pans are a great idea for water heaters and washing machines. Second floor laundries are getting more and more common and … (11 comments)
|
Blowing bubbles is for kids.... - 03/17/08 12:28 PM
The other day I was working in my office and noticed someone walking into my back yard. It turns out that it was a local gas company representative checking the gas meter for leaks. I never even knew they did this; but given the number of leaking meters I have … (14 comments)
|
Have you changed your Water Heater Air Filter recently? - 03/17/08 11:05 AM
Hopefully the title of this blog doesn't sound right to any homeowner out there.
As sort of an addendum to my last blog about improper installation of water heater burner compartment doors, I want to share an unusual water heater installation. As the diagram below shows, gas water heaters, unless … (3 comments)
|
And behind door #2........ - 03/16/08 11:46 AM
Most water heaters have an outer door and an inner door to the burner compartment. The "outer" door is usually in place but quite often I find the "inner" door out of place.
These doors require "patience/perseverance" to get them properly back in place---qualities sometimes lacking in service personnel and homeowners … (6 comments)
|
But I "Love" my shiny chrome drains! - 03/15/08 09:37 AM
Chrome trap fittings ain't what they used to be. I have seen fifty-year-old fittings still going strong and fittings less than two years old with holes in them.
The problem is that the gauge (and possibly the quality of the brass as well) of the newer fittings is so thin … (11 comments)
|
I developed a hematoma doing the laundry! - 03/14/08 11:55 AM
Most people that own their own homes have washing machines. The vast majority of these washers still get connected to the water supply with rubber type hoses. Over time these rubber hoses, due to being under constant pressure, can develop little "hematomas" that eventually will burst---of course only while you … (18 comments)
|
Your "whatchamacallit" is going to freeze! - 03/14/08 11:25 AM
Outside water faucets are called lots of things: hydrants, sill-cocks, hose faucets, and hose bibs. What you call it is mostly a regional thing. Today's modern "outside faucets" are designed to be "frost-free" and have an "anti-siphon feature built into them. This Frost-Free aspect should not be interpreted as "Frost … (7 comments)
|
How about some "View" murals on those walls----please? - 03/13/08 03:16 PM
I did a blog the other day about tilting at windmills. Today I was driving down the street and saw what to me epitomizes the idea. What occurred to me is that there is a fine line (or at least a very large grey area) where it becomes difficult to … (12 comments)
|
I'll have a DRIP coffee please....to go. - 03/13/08 12:03 PM
Galvanized piping is still very common in older homes. It was pretty much abandoned as the first choice of supply plumbing and drainage system plumbing in the early 1950's. It originally had a life expectancy of anywhere from 40-50 years, depending on the type of water in the area. I … (19 comments)
|
I smell something-----eewwwww! - 03/12/08 09:00 AM
Some times as soon as I walk in a home my nose will alert me to possible problems. This particular house had an "unusual" odor about it that might have been the result of it's being vacant for a year, but somehow it seemed different than that. As I inspected … (12 comments)
|
This Mole-Hill IS a Mountain! - 03/11/08 09:15 PM
While this started out as a blog about moles, and kind of a follow up to my previous blog about Secret Tunnels in your lawn ---it is actually more about, or equally about, the Internet, believing, and priorities.
When trying to get good information about moles I was confronted with … (11 comments)
|
HELP----I c a n ' t.......br...e....a.....t......h........e....... - 03/11/08 06:03 PM
I love it when Steve anticipates my upcoming blogs so that I can link his blog to mine to provide additional information on the topic. In this case it is about Whole House Ventilation in new construction. In the home that this blog is about, the whole house ventilation was achieved … (3 comments)
|
Architects-smarkitects! - 03/09/08 09:50 PM
On my buddy Steve' blog the other day someone commented on the use of Architects for inspections. There are some great Architects out there. And none of the great ones I know would take offense from this blog because they know it wouldn't apply to them. But just like other … (11 comments)
|
This walkway was NOT: "music to my ears" - 03/09/08 05:52 PM
Often times when an issue isdiscovered on an inspection there will be other issues that are related to or caused by the original issue. Sometimes these "secondary" issues are more serious than the original issue. Take the settlement of the concrete sidewalk. While it has settled at least 4" on one … (4 comments)
|
You may KNEED to read this! - 03/07/08 11:27 PM
I had an interesting thing happen the other day that reminded me of the truth of the statement that "You don't know what you don't know." Let that sink in. "You don't know----what you don't know." Seems obvious enough, but in relationship to home inspections I often hear people talk … (14 comments)
|
What do you mean there are "SECRET" tunnels under my lawn? - 03/07/08 02:01 PM
It seems like all around the country, every area has its own particular types of varmints committed to ruining the landscape; and plenty of Caddy Shack type characters committed to doing in these lawn wrecking, garden eating Al-Qaeda of the underground. As a kid in Connecticut, I remember woodchucks (like … (22 comments)
|
Don Quixote here---when would you like to schedule the inspection? - 03/06/08 03:21 PM
I am thinking of changing my business name to Don Quixote Inspections, Inc. Tilting at windmills is, after all, what I am good at. If they would just stand still---I would be able to skewer them once and for all. One of my pet crusades is against the infamous "Count … (11 comments)
|
"Bless its' Pointed Little Head" - 03/06/08 01:45 PM
No, this is not about the Jefferson Airplane's, great live album from 1969. It is about something else "pointed" that wanted my blessing---but was found to be wanting. I think in this case pictures say it all and writing at length about it would be a waste of time for … (14 comments)
|
Who is guarding your house? - 03/05/08 09:04 AM
There are many different types of "gutter guards" available----all designed to keep debris out and yet still collect the roof water.
Some perform better than others.
Some can be added to existing gutters while others are formed as part of the gutter. All are either "shedding" type or "filtering" type. … (14 comments)
|
Why is there a BARGE on my roof? - 03/04/08 10:57 AM
The fascia board on the Gable end of a home is called a "barge rafter". Often these rafters extend past the eaves to create a place to hide the end of the gutter or as a decorative element. It is important that the top edge be properly flashed with either … (43 comments)
|
Sealed with a kiss? - 03/04/08 09:33 AM
I can not think of a scenario where a home would not have an electric meter. The power company would probably very much want to know about anyone that had a house without one----and the house had electricity. As an inspector I give every utility company seal a little tug to … (10 comments)
|
My BEETLE is stronger than your Termite! - 03/02/08 01:23 PM
NO my TERMITE is stronger than your beetle!
It is not at all uncommon to findmore than one wood destroying organism at a time in a crawl space in the NW. Conditions that are conducive to Dampwood Termites for example will likely also be conducive to Anobiid Beetles, and Rot. This blog … (3 comments)
|
Subscribe to feed
;)
Links;)
Archives
