home inspection: Attic Condensation - 04/10/10 01:53 PM
A common problem that is seen on inspections is attic damage from condensation and/or poor ventilation. This problem is much more common than people think and can be easily remedied/prevented for relatively little cost to the homeowner. Frequent occurrences take place when bath fans aren't vented to the outside, soffit vents are blocked with insulation, or inadequate insulation in the attic space. There are several approaches that a homeowner can take to prevent this from becoming a problem. The first thing is to make sure that all ventilation points terminate to the outside. This includes bath fans and plumbing vents. Another … (4 comments)
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home inspection: Why flashing is so important!! - 02/21/10 10:00 AM
This was from an inspection yesterday that had some "issues" that went unnoticed by the current homeowner. The tip off was a drop ceiling system that showed severe signs of rust on the metal rails. After moving one of the tiles the pictures below tell the rest of the story. For some reason they only flashed the bottom half of the chimney. Maybe they ran out of flashing??
… (6 comments)
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home inspection: What is going on here? - 02/10/10 09:12 AM
There are numerous problems with this picture. Can you identify them??
… (8 comments)
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home inspection: Property Maintenance - 02/07/10 02:13 PM
Contrary to popular belief, most materials do not last forever. With the winter winding down (contrary to the groundhog) it is a good idea to go around the home and see what needs to be replaced or repaired from the damaging effects of the weather. A common area is around vent pipe boots and chimneys where tarring has occurred. The flashing cement that is applied doesn't have a lifetime warranty. It will shrink, expand, and crack causing leaks and water damage. Sometimes we get into the mindset that if it doesn't leak than it doesn't need repair. That changes when a … (2 comments)
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home inspection: Winterizing A Vacant Home - 01/09/10 02:41 PM
This will be a short blog post. The best advice that I can give as a home inspector and a builder/remodeler is to hire professionals to winterize your home. Many people (including other inspectors) will agree with me that numerous problems arise when homes are improperly winterized. If you enter a home as an agent or an inspector and the meter is still attached, then the winterization process was probably DIY and more important ineffective. Always make sure that as a RE agent or inspector that if a home is winterized that the company/firm/person who did the work is the one … (5 comments)
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home inspection: Winter Freezing - 12/11/09 07:45 AM
Winter is quickly approaching! With that comes colder temperatures and maintenance that needs to be done to your home. One potential problem is the freezing of outdoor hose bibs. Many older homes have conventional hose bibs that require a shutoff in the basement. This will prevent water to the bib which will hinder any freezing and costly damage. It is recommended that any hoses that are attached be removed when shutting this component down for the winter.
Another item that has become popular is a frost proof sillcock which helps if you forget to winterize or do not have a shutoff … (3 comments)
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home inspection: Dryer Vents - 11/12/09 05:39 AM
One very small but important item that is included in every inspection is the dryer vent. Every year fires are started from a lack of maintenance with this particular item. Some people feel that cleaning the lint screen is sufficient. This is far from correct. The actual vent that leads to the outside is where most blockages occur. This happens when the moist warm air from your dryer escapes with lint from the clothing. The damp lint is in perfect condition to stick to the walls of the vent pipe and eventually itself which deters proper venting. Several industry leaders recommend … (6 comments)
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home inspection: Carbon Monoxide - 10/04/09 07:48 PM
Now that the heating season is approaching several areas of concern arise. The main one being carbon monoxide exposure. The best way to approach this potential problem is by having your fuel burning heat source serviced at least once a year. This service should not only be for cleaning, but also determine proper operation and a carbon monoxide test should be performed. This service is offered by many local HVAC contractors and is rather inexpensive for having proactive maintenance to your system.
Carbon Monoxide has many hidden dangers to a persons' health. For this reason alone I am offering carbon monoxide … (0 comments)
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home inspection: Staging gone wrong - 08/30/09 12:27 PM
A recent inspection revealed that some people just don't want to sell their house. Many times people say "inspectors are deal breakers". Some cases this may be true, but I have never had a house let me down when it comes time for a deal to fall apart. The inspection a few days ago was a perfect example. The owner decided that after the house went under contract that he was going to remodel the bath room and began to demolish away. The only problem--- he didn't have the desire to finish. One full bath-now not functional. We proceeded to the … (3 comments)
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home inspection: Commercial Inspections - 08/26/09 07:35 PM
Several real estate professionals that I work along side of (inspectors, agents, mortagage brokers, etc.) have seen an increase in commercial property inspections and a decrease in the individuals that are willing to take them on. In the last year I have grown to take on these inspections, and am glad that I did. Many of these inspections are on a small scale and are on the same size as an average house inspection (1200-2000 sq ft). On several occasions for larger projects (over 5000sqft) I have included the use of an electrician, commercial HVAC tech and ADA compliance consultant.
The … (3 comments)
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home inspection: Fire Alarm Safety - 08/22/09 01:26 PM
Recent issues have arose in the recall of a very popular smoke alarm. The Kidde Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm have been recalled with manufacture dates of August 1, 2008 through May 2009. If someone is in possession of this particular model the you may contact Kidde for an immediate replacement.
Link to CPSC website
One misconception is that as long as the batteries are changed then smoke alarms are in good working order. This is not true as most smoke alarms only have a shelf life of 8-10 years and should be replaced before hand. A good piece of advice is … (2 comments)
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home inspection: Tainted Drywall - 04/27/09 07:08 AM
Around 2004 several factors led to the purchasing of drywall that was not manufactured in this country. The building surge in the early part of this decade along with the devastation from hurricanes the like of Katrina led to shortages of drywall manufactured here. The result was thousands of new homes built with drywall imported from China and other countries that did not meet our standards. Several homeowners immediately noticed a foul sulfur smell in their homes along with discoloration of any metal components in their home (air conditioners, etc). The result was metal corroding gases in the drywall were effecting … (7 comments)
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