Beware of Having Sex on Granite Countertops! - 07/31/08 10:46 PM
To paraphrase FDR, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." While not specifically voiced in relation to the topic of today's blog, it is a phrase that can be applied to anything in our lives that we fear. Fear can become so monstrous, that the thing we … (18 comments)
|
Its time for amother contest! - 07/31/08 04:06 PM
After my last SUPER SUCESSFUL contest blog, "It is NO Contest," I have succumbed to the intense pressure (well maybe not) from fellow bloggers, Steve, Kara, Sean, Kevin, Kathy, and others----too numerous to list----to run another contest.
I promise no "misspeled" anagrams this time in this much easier contest.
Prizes?
Kathy … (51 comments)
|
Home Inspections Save Marriages! - 07/30/08 08:58 AM
Steve?
(Any resemblance or similarity to Bellingham Steve are purely coincidental)
StaEEEveeeee?
What?
I know I was mad at you last week for running over the cat, but I have a favor to ask.
What?
Well, I realize this is the first time it has happened in our "new house"---but could … (21 comments)
|
It just didn't quite pan out AGAIN. - 07/29/08 08:57 AM
In my Don Quixote blog the other day I talked about his amazing, rare, and small (but worthwhile) Victory.
Today I want to discuss another issue at the windmill that deserves a blog all to itself (and unfortunately makes his victory all the more hollow).
The Laundry.
… (11 comments)
|
A big ThemThem to KEXP! - 07/28/08 10:49 AM
Nine years before I came to Seattle to live (the first time), KCMU was cranking out cutting edge music. Music has always been very important to me. Gary Woltal's recent blog about the importance of music and all of Steve Smith's, blogs about musicians of the NW got me thinking … (20 comments)
|
Don Quixote wins one? - 07/27/08 11:47 AM
It doesn't seem possible that the infamous "tilter-of-windmills" could actually win a battle. But a year ago he did an inspection of a brand new windmill in a very nice little hamlet in the frontiers of Seattle; and, had the good fortune, on a recent campaign to come up against … (13 comments)
|
It is NO contest! - 07/25/08 08:42 AM
WARNING-----it would be a stretch to say this blog has much to do with real estate or home inspection!
Barbara Duncan and her old pictures of Searcy, Arkansas got me thinking about some old stuff I have lying around, and gave me the idea of running a little contest. One … (125 comments)
|
Has the "over-the-hill" bar been raised? - 07/25/08 08:41 AM
-----or is it just the illusion of a generation that refuses to either grow up or admit how old we actually are? I got thinking about this the other day as I was scratching the moss off my roof. There is no way in hell my grandfather would have been up … (15 comments)
|
Pac-Man is eating my cabinets! - 07/24/08 12:11 PM
Yesterday I read a blog about Kitchen design and how important good kitchen design is in terms of the livability of a home. It got me thinking about my own past kitchen designs. For me, the rest of the house was always designed around the kitchen, instead of the kitchen … (16 comments)
|
YOU make the call-----"safe" or "out"? (to lunch) - 07/23/08 10:48 AM
The building codes are pretty clear about required clearances from finish grade to untreated wood materials such as siding. It is VERY common to see concrete flat-work like sidewalks and driveways poured over the top of wood siding---and other types of siding for that matter. (Even installation instructions for cement-board … (17 comments)
|
How many chickens will fit inside a cow? - 07/22/08 09:07 AM
It is 1:04am.
I am in the middle of a great crawl space dream. I have my respirator, my goggles and my full-body condom on----and all is well in my dark, low and womb-like world. All of a sudden there is this ringing sound-----it is my cell phone. I … (36 comments)
|
Do you practice "random acts of helpfulness?" - 07/21/08 10:16 AM
A couple of months ago I was contacted through the Active Rain, Contact Form, by a person with a plea for help resolving a question about some staining of the floor around a toilet . This person had "Googled" the internet and apparently found me----perhaps because of a blog I … (17 comments)
|
Houses that Mirror each other, or----No-brainer "stress reduction" for builders! - 07/19/08 03:44 PM
Most home inspections are for buyers. Many home inspectors (myself included) would like to see more Sellers having inspections done prior to listing. Everyone seems to be onboard regarding the importance of buyers having homes inspected, but very few sellers or listing agents seem interested in "pre-listing" home inspections. I … (17 comments)
|
A Palm-Nailer?----that sure sounds painful! - 07/18/08 10:51 AM
One area of the home that often does not get inspected is the underside of soffits that are close to the ground. Sometimes, even on hands and knees, it can be difficult to see under these overhangs. The inspector should be looking under these overhangs because often the soffit is … (8 comments)
|
How do you know when your Toast is done? - 07/17/08 10:41 AM
For my sweetie it is when the smoke alarm goes off!
But today's blog is about a different kind of "toast."
EVERYONE buying a home wants to know about the roof.
Makes perfect sense----after all, it protects everything else. They want to know how old it is, what … (9 comments)
|
I tip my hat to you, buddy! - 07/17/08 03:38 AM
Masonry chimneys without mortar caps and hats can let lots of water into the flue and structure of the chimney. Over time, chimneys can be destroyed by this water infiltration. One of the most obvious signs of moisture infiltration is efflorescence. Efflorescence is the whitish powder that forms on the … (47 comments)
|
You are on my turf now! - 07/15/08 10:30 PM
Being a soccer nut, each new artificial turf soccer field that replaces the old dirt fields is welcomed with much excitement. Just a few years ago most of the fields were either grass fields in very poor condition or dirt. The dirt fields were actually preferred in most cases to … (10 comments)
|
NO CHANCE my son could have a Ford Granada at one of these places! - 07/15/08 03:15 PM
A recent trend in Seattle and other parts of the country is the advent of Townhouses. Builders are able to get more units installed on a property that might have originally only had one home. The four unit Townhouse set-up is very common. The City of Seattle has recently come … (19 comments)
|
When it comes to floors, how bad is TOO BAD? - 07/12/08 07:36 AM
Sometimes buyers will ask me about the condition of the Kitchen floor (or other rooms for that matter)----and whether the floor needs to be replaced or not.
Most of the time the condition of flooring falls under the realm of "cosmetic" and not the focus of the inspection. Other … (20 comments)
|
What would be "different" on your Planet? (or, is "going green" un-American?) - 07/10/08 08:20 AM
Over the years I have often said that on "The Planet Charles" certain things would look different than they do on "The Planet Earth."
One of the things that would be different, is that there would be NO vented crawl spaces (actually if I thought about it long and … (23 comments)
|
The inspector is a "block-head." - 07/09/08 07:40 PM
It is very common for inspectors to find issues with homes that are not acceptable by either past or present building standards and yet have stood the "test-of-time." These kinds of issues are difficult for the inspector because the standard reaction from the seller is likely to be that it … (23 comments)
|
It's "Curtains" for somebody! - 07/08/08 08:36 AM
If I scratch my head long enough, I can usually figure out how something in a home got to be the way it is. This picture shows such an opportunity---and it took me quite a while to come up with the answer.
So take a look at the picture … (21 comments)
|
The Inspector goes to a Pajama Party! - 07/07/08 08:01 AM
Whenever I inspect the attic in older homes, I look forward to some of the cool things that I sometimes see there.
There is the usual stuff that interests me as a home inspector, like vermiculite insulation, rat and bird infestations, leaks, asbestos wrapped duct-work, knob & tube wiring etc. But … (25 comments)
|
Like Bill Crystal says: “its better to look good than feel good.” - 07/06/08 02:13 PM
I see a lot of damaged B-vent pipe while inspecting and I have blogged about this issue before. (B-vent is the typical type of vent pipe used to vent mid-efficiency gas furnaces.) Usually the worst of this damage is limited to the portions of the pipe exposed above the roof. … (11 comments)
|
Snakes in Real Estate - 07/05/08 03:05 PM
I love crawl spaces.
Tons of great stuff gets found in crawl spaces----ideal for blog fodder.
On a recent inspection of a very large crawl space there was one area (actually several) that I could not squeeze myself into, but I could see that there was some sort … (28 comments)
|
I get paid to be the “Bad Guy!” - 07/03/08 08:20 AM
Homeowners will take on all kinds of projects that should be left to trained professionals.
This is especially true in relation to electrical wiring. People love to finish off those attics and basement spaces without getting permits because it is so easy to do the work unnoticed by officials … (17 comments)
|
I am feeling a little Blue-in-the-Tooth today! - 07/01/08 08:12 AM
As of Today, all of us cell phone users in Washington State have to be "hands-free" while driving.
In the days before hands-free devices, I was one of those drivers that should never use a cell phone while driving-----not sure about it even now. As soon as I heard there was … (21 comments)
|
Subscribe to feed
;)
Links;)
Tags (Tag Cloud);)
Archives
