Most people just do not think about it. You buy a new home and think it should not have many problems, you hope!
Now the issue is that you as a home buyer most likely do not know what is required for new construction. Codes and the requirements that come with them are constantly changing, typically every three years. I try to keep abreast of these changes because I do quite few new home inspections and perform quality control/phase inspections for several clients. On a recent new … (6 comments)
Lets first start with with a little nomenclature, “Smoke Alarm” versus “Smoke Detector”.
Photoelectric Smoke Alarm
Many will use these two terms interchangeably but there is a slight difference. A ”Smoke Alarm” is most common in residential and is a stand alone device with a built in audible source to alarm the occupants of a potential fire. Typically they are hardwired with a battery back up. National Fire Protection Association(NFPA) 72, National Fire Alarm Code, defines a smoke alarm as … (12 comments)
It make me all warm and fuzzy inside, and “It Tucks In”. I love finding those hidden gems from building day past during a home inspection.
Here is an insulative material from yesteryear. It is Balsam Wool. This is typically a tan/reddish brown fiber that is similar to sawdust. The fibers came from various wood species such as redwood, fir (Balsam), cedar and usually consisted of the tree bark, wood pulp and other wood byproducts. The product was produced from the 1920’s to the middle of the … (8 comments)
leavenworth home inspections: All is not what is seems- Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections
- 07/03/11 10:54 AM
All is not what is seems- Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections When you are looking at home you wish to purchase there will be many things going through you head. Can I afford this home, what repairs will be needed, does have enough bedrooms and bathrooms, what shape are the appliances in etc, etc...
But for most we take for granted that the home is what is being sold as. If it is a traditional stick built home or a manufactured home we can make that observation fairly easily. On a recent home inspection my client was looking at a … (8 comments)
leavenworth home inspections: Scientific Basics of an Insulator- Wenatchee and Chelan Home Inspections
- 07/03/11 05:35 AM
Scientific Basics of an Insulator- Wenatchee and Chelan Home Inspections The basic principle of any insulator is its ability to limit the transfer of heat energy. Heat is the energy exchange between two thermodynamic systems which differ in temperature. Like the Sun to the earth or your bare body to snow. The transfer of thermal energy will always go from the system of higher temperature to the colder system. When the two systems have reached a thermodynamic equilibrium (same temperature) they will cease to exchange thermal energy.
Heat moves by three basic ways: conduction, convection, and radiation. The first … (4 comments)
I found the article below very interesting. Just this week I had a discussion with another Home Inspector and an Asbestos Abatement company about fiberglass. My opinion was that I could see that we will be writing in our Inspection Reports "Home Built Before (insert date) may contain fiberglass" then my recommendation. Well just today I came across this article from the National Toxicology Program, Department of Health and Human Services Excerpt from article- Certain glass wool fibers (inhalable) are reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens based on (1) sufficient evidence of … (17 comments)
leavenworth home inspections: Leavenworth and Wenatchee Home Inspections- Taking a Draw
- 06/09/11 04:06 AM
Leavenworth and Wenatchee Home Inspections- Taking a Draw Every so often I get some crazy ideas. This one was to creating a railing from the wood on my property. The wood I choose was Aspen for the balusters, top and bottom rail. Then Pine for the posts. I have a lot of these trees on my property.
So now that I thinned out 50 or so trees I begin the process of peeling the logs with a draw knife.
Here is the crazy part- this is no easy task peeling all these trees. I found the greener the wood the … (18 comments)
leavenworth home inspections: Chelan, Douglas and Grant Counties Home Inspections- Roll on Columbia
- 06/07/11 02:55 PM
Chelan, Douglas and Grant Counties Home Inspections- Roll on Columbia Green Douglas firs where the waters cut through. Down her wild mountains and canyons she flew. Canadian Northwest to the ocean so blue, Roll on, Columbia, roll On! - Woody Guthrie It is that time of year on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains when we get the warm, late spring/early summer, wind that kicks in the high mountain snowmelt. The Columbia and its tributary rivers rise and fill the basin with its potential energy (the issue at this moment is there is too much water and it is creating … (4 comments)
leavenworth home inspections: Leavenworth, Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections- The Hangover
- 06/07/11 12:12 PM
Leavenworth, Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections- The Hangover Decks can provide some wonderful outdoor space to a home. This space is relatively inexpensive in comparison to the home construction. For home inspectors decks seem to be one the items most often written up because they are not constructed correctly.
One building style for decks is called a cantilevered deck or balcony deck. This is where the deck framing is extended into the house framing to create the needed support. In turn this will remove the need to have posts on the far end of the deck. As a rule of … (6 comments)
leavenworth home inspections: Leavenworth and Wenatchee Home Inspections- It's a safe bet
- 06/05/11 02:19 PM
Leavenworth and Wenatchee Home Inspections- It's a safe bet The adventure of Home Inspections always brings us new things to see and talk about. Here we have a fun one. (Sure wish I had this when I was growing up. This is a perfect place to hold my sisters when things were not going well.)
This is actually a wall vault.
"Norris Safe & Lock Company" was a retailer of safes, vaults and banking equipment on the west coast, with offices in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, Canada from the 1870's through about 1910. The company would have had a … (6 comments)
I have been doing several homes from the 40's/50's era where clothes washing was not performed like it is today. Modern washing machines use about 30 to 40 gallons per full load for a top loader and about 15 to 25 gallons for a front loader. So you can imagine how much water is being discharged in each cycle. Today's standard for a washing machine standpipe should … (3 comments)
Hello my fellow home inspectors, real estate agents and associates. As Home Inspectors, Real Estate agents and associates we tend to see things that many in the general public do not. I wanted to bring to your attention the plight of the American Honey Bee. I posted a blog on ActiveRain on honey bees "Chelan Home inspection- What's the Buzz, Honey!" (September of 2010). Since then I have actually received several calls from people who have honey bees in their homes or too close to them. The … (5 comments)
leavenworth home inspections: Leavenworth, Chelan Wenatchee Home Inspections- Walking the fine line.
- 05/30/11 08:38 AM
Leavenworth, Chelan Wenatchee Home Inspections- Walking the fine line. When performing the roof inspection portion of the home inspection I try to be very observant of the roof's overall condition and maintain my own safety. When I got onto this roof there was some very obvious conditions I needed to be aware of. The back side of the roof had been replaced in recent years but had some funny swales in it.
When I approached this area of the roof I used extreme caution because it may have been compromised in some way. After the roof inspection I moved into … (3 comments)
leavenworth home inspections: Leavenworth and Wenatchee Home Inspections- Melt Down
- 05/29/11 04:00 AM
Leavenworth and Wenatchee Home Inspections- Melt Down Some of the most common defects found during a home inspection will be improper wiring. Many people think they understand the basic principle of residential wiring and don't or just do not understand the risk that they are subjecting themselves and their families to.
According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International "Wiring hazards including damaged and exposed wiring and household wiring together accounted for 20 percent of electrocutions." The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that there are over 30,000 home fires annually associated with electrical distribution systems (wiring), resulting in over 200 … (4 comments)
leavenworth home inspections: Cle Elum, Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections- Breach in fire protection
- 05/28/11 08:23 AM
Cle Elum, Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections- Breach in fire protection Garage firewalls maybe one of the most important safety items that a home inspector checks. It is passive safety features that cannot be over-looked during a home inspection. The Washington State Standards of Practice mandate that the home inspector inspect fire separation between the house and garage when applicable. The function of the firewall between the attached garage and the living space is intended to slow the spread of fire from the garage to the living space. To accomplish this several components of a house must be made of fire … (2 comments)
leavenworth home inspections: Leavenworth, Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections- In the Zone
- 05/27/11 05:14 PM
Leavenworth, Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections- In the Zone During a home inspection after I perform the exterior evaluation it is that time to move up onto the roof. When I perform the roof inspection I evaluate it the roof from a certain perspective. I divide roofs into three basic zones of risk. The high risk zone is penetrations- this includes plumbing vents, chimneys, skylights and electrical masts.
The medium zone is the valleys- This is where two roof lines converge.
The low risk zone is the field. This is majority of the roof.
Here we have some classic late 40's Kitchen cabinets and stove. This was still in very good working condition
By the way it was in 1893 at the Chicago World's Fair that the electric stove was introduced to the general public as part of an electrified model kitchen. NCW Home Inspections, LLC is located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas … (7 comments)
Doing home inspections in Leavenworth you can come across a variety of things. As a structuaral pest inspector my main concern is wood destroying insects and organisms such as; Termites, Carpenter Ants, and beetles. One pest that I see that can cause a lot of damage is the pine squirrel. These cute little creatures can really make a mess of things. In more rural areas where you have out buildings/cabins that are not occupied these beautiful yet destructive creatures can wreck havoc. Pine squirrels will nest in your home. They commonly … (8 comments)
Fresh air intake, new homes, and we all need to breath fresh air. Leavenworth Home Inspections
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