bothel wa home inspector: This guy should really stick to cars! - 01/25/09 08:19 AM
Right in the very tire tracks of yesterday’s post about old galvanized drain pipes comes today’s post about inevitable repairs to those pipes.
I have seen all manner of attempts at extending the life of these pipes, and the picture below eloquently speaks for most of those attempts. … (27 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: Don't let the North Winds blow your house away..... - 12/29/08 09:40 AM
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there was a little town called Runathemill where the Naunows lived.
In Runathemill everything was----how shall I say it? Well----run of the mill. Even the local sawmill was run of the mill. Even the annual Runathemill … (21 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: The "I canduit" conduit! - 11/17/08 10:43 AM
I have done posts in the past about improper wiring to disposals. It is a defect that I see so often that repetition is warranted.
Anyone can go to the Big Orange Tool Box or similar types of home maintenance stores and buy a garbage disposal. How difficult … (19 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: Do you have parts that need support? - 11/15/08 10:08 AM
Well support comes in all shapes and sizes. There is moral-support, child-support, spousal-support, support-hose, military-support, and athletic-support-----we can all use a little support here and there. This is about "foundation-support" and how without enough of it, bad things can happen. Not always "REALLY" bad things----as in this case----but perhaps bad … (59 comments)
As light winds move across the top of the chimney a negative pressure is created on the chimney causing it … (22 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: Are you getting better with age? - 09/01/08 09:15 AM
Sooner, later, or too often, inspectors hear, "but it has been that way for a gazillion years, what is the problem?" Well, while some things can get better with age, like friendships, marriage, and Miso----some things just plain don't.
Knob & Tube wiring, while being an excellent method of … (13 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: 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)
bothel wa home inspector: 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)
bothel wa home inspector: 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)
bothel wa home inspector: 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)
bothel wa home inspector: Do I vent----or rant? - 06/24/08 09:14 AM
20 year old homes, with gas furnace heating systems, that have the original furnace, will likely have the original B-vent chimneys as well----if that is the type of venting system used. It can be pretty much universally stated that these 20 year old furnaces will be at the end of … (13 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: Holy-moldy Walls Batman----no tiles! - 06/19/08 12:07 PM
Tub/Shower enclosures can be difficult to maintain due to the usual daily exposure to water. Water from showering beats on the tile or other waterproof materials and finds its way through any cracks, unsealed grout, or fixtures into the wall structures. Keeping the tub spout and other wall attachments well … (12 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: But what if I don’t have an electric tooth brush? - 06/14/08 09:03 AM
Can you see what is wrong with this picture? The picture is of my circuit tester plugged into a typical GFCI receptacle----like the ones you probably have in your bathrooms and kitchens----and other places around the interior and exterior of the home.
This is not really a "trick" … (19 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: “The Phantom”---Act I - 05/18/08 10:03 AM
Today's post may be a little technical but I will attempt to keep it has down-to-earth as possible because I think it is information that the agents in the Rain may find useful----to help them understand a phenomenon that Inspectors sometimes encounter----especially in older homes.
PHANTOM VOLTAGE
Phantom Voltage … (5 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: Did you know that gas is run to your home in plastic pipes? - 05/02/08 09:32 AM
On more than one occasion I have had buyers ask me what the wire coming out of the ground next the gas meter is---and whether it is "Live" or whether it should be connected to something. On first glance it does look like it ought to be connected to something. … (3 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: SORRY-----I don’t have time to talk to you! - 04/30/08 09:52 AM
When does the Inspection start? It starts when the phone rings. From the moment you answer the phone, at least to your potential buyer, the inspection process has begun. Some calls are merely to set a time, but others are because you are being "interviewed" and you don't have the … (10 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: Why is the “toilet lid” always down? - 04/25/08 08:52 AM
I am enjoying remembering my recent sailing adventure. It only took a week for my sea legs to go away---and that was on calm seas and only a four day trip. (My first soccer game after the trip was interesting to say the least.) From a home inspector's point … (10 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: HOT! Water Heater! - 04/23/08 07:14 PM
I love it when I come up with yet another way to make Barbara and Leslie go scurrying off to check their water heaters. Well beaten paths are easy to follow. Water heaters should be cool to the touch. Now if you put insulation around them, the tank will feel warm between … (18 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: "Little boxes, little boxes, little boxes made of ticky-tacky....." - 04/20/08 09:15 AM
Any inspector will tell you that a large part of what we do is related to electrical concerns. The electrical portion of my reports almost always takes up the most space, and wins the most spots on the Summary of Significant Issues. I like the electrical portion of the inspection … (9 comments)
bothel wa home inspector: Finding the “Better-than-the-average-bear” inspector. - 04/19/08 09:06 AM
Questions one "COULD" ask---to find a "better-than-the-average-bear" inspector: •1. Do you own and use a 32 foot (or longer) ladder? A negative response would mean they generally don't get on 3 story townhouse roofs---or they have it hung up on the side of their garage and enjoy remembering how they used to climb the … (36 comments)
My blog is intended to provide information related to home inspections in Seattle, surrounding communities and anyone else interested. Sometimes I will provide information that has nothing to do with home inspections. Enjoy!
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