seattle wa home inspector: All aboard the Snowball Express! - 12/20/08 08:17 AM
The other day when I left Seattle I got to see Santa at the airport. He was there as part of the first flight of the "Snowball Express."
Regardless of your feelings about the war in Iraq, and the general war on terrorism I have to say … (22 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: A barrier to Art. - 11/11/08 10:23 AM
The other day I did a post about deck barrier railings made out of tree branches, and how they were not appropriate as a barrier even though they were very "attractive." When we attempt to meld creativity with function we can often get ourselves into trouble. Things like barrier railings that … (23 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: How would you like to be called "serviceable?" - 11/06/08 09:15 AM
I often hear the argument that if a component in the home is "serviceable" inspectors have no business reporting on it. It is as if a label of "serviceable" covers the item with a shroud of "OK-ness," and we don't need to talk about the fact that it is 20 … (30 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: The power of symbols----some make more "noise" than others. - 10/28/08 10:35 AM
The factors that can influence a buyer as to whether they ultimately end up buying a property are daunting. While numerous "generalities" can be made as to how best to "present" your property for sale, there will always be elements----or reactions to elements----that can not be predicted or foreseen.
… (26 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: Does your inspector have a Proboscis in his tool bag? - 08/23/08 09:16 AM
Most Home Inspectors walk around with some pretty cool tools in their tool belts or tool bags. They have assorted flashlights, screwdrivers, cameras, mirrors, electrical testing equipment, moisture meters, and even marbles. Some will loose their marbles every now and then---but most get the job done.
Not only do … (23 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: "Close" to an Olympic Blog! - 08/20/08 08:32 AM
People's names often were originally derived from the jobs their ancestors used to do. For example my old friend Steve Smith would have fooled around with horse's feet and hot irons a lot. Now the closest he gets to hot irons is doing his laundry.
The Baker clan made … (14 comments)
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seattle 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)
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seattle 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)
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seattle wa home inspector: Houston---we have a problem! - 06/26/08 09:47 AM
Click here for some "appropriate" Theremin music to listen to while you read this blog.
Like a hot-air balloon rising above the landscape in the blue twilight of a far off moon, this light bulb dangles from one filament (upside down)----no longer lighting up anyone's life … (11 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: What can I say----YOU just won the lottery! (Or, “Is your inspector ever wrong?”) - 06/23/08 11:17 AM
When the home is brand new, or relatively new, the "expectation" that the Jurisdictional Building Inspectors have done there job goes way up. I inspected a 3 year old condo unit a few weeks ago----one of perhaps 50 units in a very large building. These types of buildings come under … (12 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: Why is that horse pushing that cart? - 06/16/08 02:53 PM
The other day's inspection was another one of those inspections where the lesson of "not jumping to conclusions" was repeated.
Every once in a while I find where the roofer has installed the roof-to-wall flashings over the top of the siding---instead of being properly counter-flashed by the siding. Installed … (8 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: Astrological Home Inspections - 06/13/08 05:00 PM
From a list of information about Astrological signs on Wikipedia I was able to cull the following two-word statements that sum up the characteristics of each sign. Based on this information, I thought it would be "entertaining" to ask the HOME INSPECTOR of each sign to answer the following common … (12 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: I just have to vent today! - 06/10/08 01:04 PM
Last week I inspected a 12 year old townhouse. For twelve years the ducts from the two upper bathrooms have been venting into the attic----they were never terminated to the exterior. Considerable moisture can be vented into attic spaces----as is indicated by the staining of the attic floor near the ends … (7 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: Holy Teredo Batman! - 05/22/08 07:55 PM
On my recent sailing adventure in the Puget Sound, I came across a large beach log that had been riddled with the tunnels of the Teredo Clam. This is a salt-water clam that eats wood and can be very destructive to wooden timbers like piers and wooden ships.
In … (6 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: The Phantom---Act II - 05/18/08 10:02 AM
----some of the content of this blog may fall under the category of: "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!"
In my previous blog, "The Phantom"---Act I, I started a conversation about Phantom Voltage. Now I will attempt to show with a demonstration board how this phenomenon happens. In the first … (12 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: Well, that's a “no-brainer”------ - 05/17/08 08:51 AM
Inspectors and agents get to see LOTS of houses.
While it is fun to pick on the "defects" of homes for blog fodder, there are many times that it would be fun to share some of the really cool stuff we see as well. In this post I will show … (16 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: HELP!---I’m locked in the reading room! - 05/16/08 08:46 AM
This could be a case of advanced "potty training," where the kid is locked in the bathroom until------.
Or------
It is actually a case of the installer putting the handles on the wrong side.
While the lockset will be functional in the strictest of definition of "functional," … (13 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: What do all these “CAPITALS” mean anyway? - 05/14/08 09:33 AM
Many of you have water heaters in your basement. Sometimes the TPRV (Temperature Pressure Relief Valve) drain runs to the exterior sometimes to the floor. As has been discussed before, the drain can not run up hill because water will be trapped against the valve leading to possible failure of … (6 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: The Crystal Ball says: “NAILS!” - 05/13/08 08:08 AM
Sometimes aspects of homes reveal themselves in unexpected ways.
It is often not possible to determine what types of fasteners were used to attach the asphalt shingles on the roof. If the adhesive tabs are working properly it is usually very difficult to lift the tabs to see what … (3 comments)
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seattle wa home inspector: Making it to “Safer Ground” - 05/10/08 09:21 AM
While the grounding of electrical systems in the home is most likely well beyond the comprehension (or interest) of most homeowners, it is a very important component to be in place for both life safety and proper operation of electrical equipment. Home inspectors will attempt to verify visually that required … (6 comments)
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