Would you like some Marshmallows with that Furnace? - 03/28/08 08:06 PM
Well I encountered another one just last week. The infamous recalled horizontal attic furnace (isolated to California from what I've read). Here's the issue (in a nutshell):
The Torrance Fire Department noticed they were going to fires that seemed to start in attics. They then realized that certain furnaces were located in the … (12 comments)
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Are You Retaining Water? How About Your Retaining Wall? - 03/28/08 07:26 PM
That's a trick question of course (that is the second question). Retaining walls naturally retain water because the soil soaks it up. But have you really ever thought about how heavy water is? Think about how heavy a gallon of milk is (okay, I admit it, I don't know the actual … (5 comments)
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A Slippery Slope... - 03/25/08 06:51 PM
I saw this at a home inspection yesterday.
So what's he problem? Look closely...
The problem is that the window well is sloping towards the window, and not away. So what's that mean? That means that when it rains the water will run towards the window and possibly enter the house. Ouch! The … (7 comments)
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Just TRUSS Me - 03/25/08 09:29 AM
As a home inspector you never take anything for granted. I recently inspected a 3,200 sq. ft. house built in 2004. It was very nice looking with a lot of upgrades. On the surface I'm sure many would think there could hardly be anything wrong with it.There was an attic in … (10 comments)
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A Contractor Hiring a Home Inspector? - 03/24/08 07:10 PM
Why would a licensed contractor hire a home inspector? I thought being a contractor automatically qualified you to be a home inspector?
Well, last week I was hired by a licensed contractor for a home inspection. You see he specializes in paving roads and parking lots. So he hired me to inspect his home. … (13 comments)
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Twas the Day of the Home Inspection - 03/18/08 07:51 PM
Twas the day of the home inspection and all through the housenot a creature was stirringnot even a mouse (he already left his mess in the insulation in the attic).The buyer was nestled all snug in their thoughtsthinking and planning where to put all the furniture that will be bought.The home inspector moved through the … (15 comments)
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Up the Hatch - 03/18/08 02:35 PM
I've heard that some home inspectors don't go in attics or crawlspaces and don't walk on roofs. Now don't get me wrong, there may be a safety issue which prevents this, that's fine, but as my normal routine, I enter attics, crawlspaces and walk on roofs. Here's an example of why … (9 comments)
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"Going Green" without Spending a lot of "Green" - 03/12/08 05:24 PM
It seems like every time we hear "going green" it seems to entail spending a lot of "green" to get there. Many of these new and innovative ideas are great, but do you have thousands of dollars stuffed under your mattress to pay for them? So you don't have the "green" to "go green?"
Then this is … (21 comments)
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What's Taking So Long? - 03/11/08 11:18 AM
I've heard this before, luckily not too often. But every once in a while you get someone who used $$One-Fifty-One$$ Buck Chuck (as I call them) for their last home inspection and they wonder how an inspection can take so long. I'll use an example from yesterdays home inspection to shed … (20 comments)
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Dealing with Today's Issues - 03/11/08 10:53 AM
We're in a down market. Houses aren't selling. The mortgage needs to be paid. The kids want this and that and the other thing. My wife wants me to do this. I don't have enough time to blog. Etc, etc, etc.
Sometimes we go through life focusing on the negative or what … (13 comments)
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Smoooookin' (or at least it could be soon) - 03/10/08 01:56 PM
Now you have to say the title of this post like Jim Carrey did in the movie "The Mask." Smooookin'
That's they only way to get the true effect.
Sometimes items that need correction are very simple, yet the danger if they aren't are very serious. I saw this the other day while … (4 comments)
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Do You Still Have That Spark? - 03/09/08 01:06 PM
Well hopefully your chimney doesn't. I see this all the time.
It's a chimney without a rain cap or spark arrestor. Here's what one looks like.
Without this an ember from the fireplace can go up the chimney and land on the roof or nearby vegetation and cause a fire. Also, rain can enter … (8 comments)
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Somethings Fishy Around Here... - 03/09/08 12:49 PM
Oh, I guess it's that big fish tank in the wall.I came across this yesterday at a home inspection and just had to take a picture. I thought it was pretty creative and neat looking. Unfortunately I'm not a certified fish tank inspector :-)You just never know what you might come across … (15 comments)
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Give 'em a Hand - 03/09/08 06:42 AM
Many people seem to take hand rails for granted. Sure, when you're young you go up the stairs two-at-a-time and hardly every touch the hand rail. But as we mature our bodies aren't what they used to be.So I think the elderly and disabled are many times forgotten when it comes to hand … (14 comments)
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Heating and Cooling Your Attic? - 03/07/08 04:37 PM
Not many of us want the furnace to heat our attics or the A/C to cool our attics. Why spend the money on utilities to condition a space that you won't be in? I found this yesterday during a home inspection. I was first suspicious of the air register because the readings … (13 comments)
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X-Ray Vision - 03/06/08 04:45 PM
I found this at an inspection today. Even though "curiosity killed the cat," I still decided to lift the piece of cardboard and take a look. There was mineral build up and a leak at the copper water supply pipe under the sink. So of course that went in my report.But it got … (16 comments)
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And #4 is a ..... - 03/04/08 07:46 PM
My wife and I have 3-boys. James will be 7 at the end of the month, Joseph will be 5 at the end of the month, and John Paul will be 2 in June. My wife is pregnant with our 4th child and yesterday (Monday) was the ultrasound.Our boys say they want a … (25 comments)
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Get a Whiff of That! - 03/03/08 06:44 PM
I came across this the other day at an inspection:The two pipes are called flues, one was for the water heater and one was for the furnace. These flues are where the combustion gases terminate to the exterior. However the issue is the openable windows. The flue and window to the … (12 comments)
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I'm a Believer in Staging - 03/03/08 06:12 PM
Yeah, that's right, I'm a home inspector and I believe in home staging! SO, you're asking, why would you care what I think? How about this, I have a bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science. So what's the connection?Have you ever noticed that every new home builder (at least every one I've ever seen) stages … (25 comments)
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Debunking The Myths of the Pre-Listing Home Inspection - 03/02/08 10:34 AM
Recently there was an excellent featured post about pre-listing home inspections and why they're not more popular. Please read At what point do you throw in the towel? by David Lelak's wife.Some of the reasons sellers don't want to get a pre-listing home inspection were given below. I thought it would be easier … (12 comments)
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