Bay Street Co-Motion - 05/26/07 12:06 PM
On Friday evening July 6 there will be a new free event in Bellingham.  It is called the Bay Street Co-Motion.  This is the evening of the downtown Gallery Walk. The Co-Motion, sponsored by the City of Bellingham and the Bellingham Arts Commission will consist of live music and dancing from 7PM till dusk to the sounds of San Francisco Celtic Rock band TEMPEST.  From dusk on the Pickford Dream Space Outdoor Cinema will present The Princess Bride.  The Gallery Walk, Music and Movie are all free to all ages. … (0 comments)

Why Go In the Crawlspace? Some intense photos - 05/25/07 12:58 PM
The following photos are reasons home inspectors need to go into crawl spaces.                            
Photo above: Post in contact with soil; wet                         Photo above: Post in contact with soil: rot
                           
Unsupported electrical wires                                             Soil in contact with post, too close to beam
                             
Anobiid beetle (WDI) infestation in beam                            Horizontal post; Dampwood termite damage
This crawl space had a number of areas that were inaccessible due to close proximity of soil to beams.  As HIs know, there should be at least 12 inches between soil and beams.  Soil should never be in contact with wood.  There is no vapor barrier and ventilation was non existant.  This … (20 comments)

Fine Furniture - 05/22/07 03:13 PM
Now that I am no longer building fine structures to live in, my creative urges are finding new outlets.  Just thought I would show the latest piece out of my woodworking shop.  We've had the same old coffee table for fifteen years and were getting kind of tired of it.  This is my first true foray into furniture making.  The wood is local Whatcom County Washington Big Leaf Maple, a species that is widely used for guitar bodies.  The through tenon pegs are teak.  I love using live edge, sometimes marginal wood.  One really gets a feel for the tree this … (5 comments)

Bellingham Farmers Market - 05/21/07 10:57 AM
These are some photos of the ongoing Bellingham Farmers Market.  The market has been going on for quite a few years.  Up till last year it was all temporary tents in a parking lot.  Through some very successful private fund raising and some local municipal funds, a permanent space with permanent structures was built.  All the steel used in this construction came from an old railroad bridge over the Skagit River.  This was a beautiful example of public and private cooperation to build something for the betterment of the community.
                                    
                                    
On Saturdays, this happened to be a rainy one, the … (2 comments)

I Love This Time of Year - 05/21/07 10:41 AM
Springtime in Western Washington is just plain beautiful.  I am enclosing a few pictures of my own house and gardens.  My wife and I work very hard to maintain this lush setting and really enjoy being out in it.  We have a deck out over our pond that we sleep on in the summer (Large pavillion and bed, chairs and table, candles, wine).  Saturday evening it was on the front porch playing cards and enjoying the gardens, humming birds flying around; no need for feeders.  Our property is about 1 1/2 acres, with 18 tree fruit orchard, 6000 sq ft vegetable … (3 comments)

Salmon, A very different recipe - 05/15/07 04:14 PM
Well, I said I would send out another recipe for Salmon.  This can be done in the oven, convection or on the grill.  With salmon, the important thing is to pay attention so it doesn't get overdone.  It should still be moist when you are finished cooking.  We'll start with about a 2 pound chunk of wild salmon.  For this dish I prefer King, but you can also use Coho or Silver.  Make sure your chunk is from the head end of the fish (it's much thicker at this end.  Wash and pat dry and place it on an oven proof … (0 comments)

Left over salmon - 05/10/07 02:06 PM
All you salmon lovers out there (I know that you only buy wild salmon, those of you from Northwest Washington understand).  What do you usually do when you have some left over?  Here is a fantastic recipe for those leftovers.  Quantities of each item are unimportant to the recipe.  Use each to taste.  Put your leftover salmon in a bowl and break it up.   Add mayonnaise, some stone ground mustard and capers.  Stir well so ingredients are well mixed.  Remove the skin from halved avocados and stuff with the salmon mixture.  Serve with a salad to make a very heart healthy … (6 comments)

Discount Inspections - 05/08/07 11:17 PM
I see that a lot of people shop for inspections by price.  They may be spending $500,000 for a home but opt to find the cheapest inspection they can find.  What's wrong with this picture?  Making a major investment without getting the full particulars about that investment seems a bit wrong headed to me.  ALL INSPECTIONS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL!  That may bear repeating; ALL INSPECTIONS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL.  There is an old adage that "you get what you pay for".  In inspections this is very true.  Someone is doing cutrate inspections for a reason (usually they are trying to … (111 comments)

 
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David Helm, Bellingham, Wa. Licensed Home Insp

Bellingham, WA

More about me…

Helm Home Inspections

Address: 4186 Rural Avenue, Bellingham, Wa , 98226

Office Phone: (360) 739-5751

Cell Phone: (360) 739-5751

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My blogs offer a wide range of topics, from home inspection to cooking to woodworking to gardening to local area information and photos. I love talking about Bellingham, Washington and its surrounding area. Home inspection is my work; life is my passion.


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