Chelan Home Inspections- Duct and Cover - 01/30/11 11:52 AM
Chelan Home Inspections- Duct and cover
As home inspectors one of the items that we seem to find frequently is poor dryer ducting.  This usually has couple main reasons, the ducting is inaccessible or in a place that no one has ventured in many years and everyone seems to be very familiar with the flexible foil/plastic ducting, so it's okay, right! WRONG!
 
 

 
All too often the dryer duct will terminate in a crawl space that can elevate moisture levels which is an invite to wood destroying insects and organisms (and one heck of a mess). The duct … (4 comments)

Wenatchee Home Inspections- House Moving - 01/29/11 09:21 PM
Wenatchee Home Inspections- House Moving
Ever wonder what happens when a house gets moved?
This is the ultimate recycling project. It is estimated you could save 10-15 old growth trees or about a 100 new growth by moving a house.

Here is a home that has been moved in Wenatchee Washington. It weighed about 192,000 lbs and cost about $30,000 to move. The home was built in 1938 for the Wade family.
With such moves there is a lot of planning that will be involved and many cost consideration. Engineering, route planning and distance will all need to be planned … (2 comments)

Wenatchee Home Inspector- Do I measure up? - 01/21/11 03:59 PM
Wenatchee Home Inspector- Do I measure up?


Square footage is a funny subject and can be interpreted in different ways. As home and structural pest inspectors we only usually generalize this measurement for our reporting purposes.
I have been asked can I give an accurate square footage of a home. The answer is yes based on some defining criteria. Is it for a real estate living space calculation? Or is it for overall square footage of home (including garage and other "non-finished" spaces)? This will define how the measurement will be used.
 There may be a small percentage … (2 comments)

Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections- In Hot Water - 01/19/11 11:50 AM
Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections- In Hot Water

 
The CPSC (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) estimates each year, approximately 3,800 injuries and 34 deaths occur in the home due to scalding from excessively hot tap water. Most of these accidents involve the elderly and children under the age of five. The CPSC suggests all users to lower their water heaters to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This is to prevent these accidents. This decrease in temperature can conserve energy and save money also. Many adults can suffer third - degree burns if exposed to 150 degree water for about two seconds. … (4 comments)

Chelan Home Inspections- Built in Beetles - 01/17/11 06:19 PM
Chelan Home Inspections- Built in Beetles
 
While doing a home inspection I came across fairly extensive amount of beetle damage from Buprestid beetles.  This usual happens when the wood has not been kiln dried which can kill the grub.
 

 
 
 
Buprestid beetle lay their eggs in the bark of fir and pine trees, usually in a scar or break in the bark of a live tree or a freshly cut log. The egg hatches into a white grub that feeds on the wood, chewing increasingly larger tunnels as it grows. The larva grows slowly, especially if … (2 comments)

Wenatchee Home Inspection- Water and Ice - 01/17/11 05:05 PM
Wenatchee Home Inspection- Water and Ice

 
Winter has gripped the Entiat valley transforming it into a winter paradise. Winter is always a beautiful time of year in the valley.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ice is one of nature's greatest marvels; along with water it can transform mountain ranges in mere rolling hills via the process of erosion.
As a giver of life it also is a very destructive force.
 
 
 
 
 

 
Water and Ice can be beautiful and inspiring. Frost formation is a wondrous process of extracting moisture … (2 comments)