chino hills home inspections: It's Been a While - 05/29/08 09:43 PM
I first want to apologize for the long break since my last blog. Well, actually I haven't had much of a break at all. I've been the busiest I've ever been and have little time left over after work and family. So of course my time for blogs also gets limited.
… (3 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: A Water Fountain in the Cabinet? - 04/11/08 07:07 PM
Sometimes as a home inspector you see things that make you laugh and really wonder what people were thinking when they installed something. Here's a great example.
I was inspecting a house the other day and was in the kitchen. I was looking for the air gap for the dishwasher but couldn't … (6 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Bracing for the Big One - 04/11/08 06:08 PM
Another earthquake safety item in California are braces for the water heaters. The braces keep the water stationary during an earthquake to prevent the unit from falling over or from a gas line, water line or electrical line from breaking. Most people are familiar with earthquake braces and that two are required.
However … (5 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: You Should See the View From Up Here - 04/02/08 01:55 PM
The other day I was looking at my camera and remembered I had a panoramic view option. So I was on a roof during an inspection and it had a beautiful view. So I thought, "Lets try that panoramic view option." It's pretty neat, you take up to 4 pictures and … (17 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Does the Right Hand Know What the Left Hand is Doing? - 04/02/08 11:17 AM
I came across this the other day during a home inspection. Air Conditioning condensers have a data plate which has various information on it. One part being the maximum and minimum breaker or fuse size allowed. This particular data plate indicated the minimum size was 30-amps and the maximum size was … (11 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Chim Chim-e-ney Chim Chim-e-ney Chim Chim Cha- OUCH! - 04/01/08 02:32 PM
I couldn't help but think of Mary Poppins and good old Dick Van Dyke when writing a post about chimney vents. Unfortunately this is not a funny situation. The silver cylinder is the vent for the chimney.
Of course fires burn in a fireplace and the combustion gases, heat and smoke … (12 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Do You Have a Tired Evaporative Cooler? - 04/01/08 01:06 PM
Sometimes during a home inspection I see things that just make me laugh. I came across this and just had to share it with everyone. I guess the evaporative cooler was overworked and underpaid and just had to sit down and take a rest. We all need that every once in a while, right?
… (14 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: Twas the Day of the Home Inspection - 03/18/08 07:51 PM
Twas the day of the home inspection
and all through the house
not a creature was stirring
not even a mouse (he already left his mess in the insulation in the attic).
The buyer was nestled all snug in their thoughts
thinking and planning where to put all the furniture that will be bought.
The home inspector moved through the … (15 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: 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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chino hills home inspections: The Door to No Where - 02/29/08 07:43 PM
I came across this today...
The bottom of the picture is a mirrored closet door and the door to the bedroom. The door on top?
I think it's the perfect discipline for kids. Put them in the room up there and just see them try to get out... it's a long way down, … (25 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: There's Never Problems with New Construction Homes... Right? - 02/26/08 10:55 AM
I've posted about this subject before but I'll keep plugging away until people get it. I just inspected a new construction home this weekend, this one was the model home, the cream of the crop, right? Why would someone waste their money and have it inspected? Here's why:
The tiles meeting the … (14 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Water Heater Earthquake Bracing - 02/22/08 11:48 PM
Almost everyone in California is familiar with earthquake bracing for their water heater. However there are two situations I come across frequently where they braces have been installed incorrectly or one brace is missing.
First, if a blanket is used for the water heater then the blanket must be installed overthe braces. … (7 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Agents and Utilities - What's Up? - 02/21/08 04:15 PM
Okay, we all know there's a lot of short sales, foreclosures, REO's, etc. So therefore the utilities many times end up being turned off since no one is paying the bill. The gas company will put a lock on the meter like the one below (circled below), and other utility companies do … (10 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Home Improvements - 02/21/08 11:24 AM
I recently came upon this home improvement during a home inspection. By just looking at it, it looks quite nice and has provided a nice space in the backyard where there used to be a slope. However...
There are quite a few problems with this new patio.
1. The patio is over 30-inches … (7 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: The Lion, The Witch and The Cabinet... Well Maybe Just the Cabinet - 02/20/08 07:39 PM
As Home Inspectors there are quite a lot of items we look at during a home inspection. And though some of the items we normally look at are fine in 95% of the homes, you still have to check. For instance, cabinetry. Most of the homes in my area are pretty … (13 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: A Home Inspector Never Makes Assumptions - 02/19/08 12:59 PM
... or at least they shouldn't. Just last week I inspected a 4,200 sq. ft. house with a pool and spa and a 500 sq. ft. pool house going for $1.2 million. Wow, with such a nice and expensive house there must not have been any problems... right?
Wrong. The main panel … (8 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: It's Already Been Inspected, It'll Be Easy For You - 01/30/08 10:53 PM
That's what I was told by the listing agent when I began my inspection. She stated the house had fallen out of escrow. She also told me the only item pointed out was the water heater platform. I smiled and said, "That's great, it makes my job easier," but what I really … (6 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: The Roof, The Roof, The Roof is on Fire... or at Least the Garage is. - 01/21/08 06:35 PM
I came across this last week during a home inspection. It's pretty obvious there was a fire in the Garage at some point. I guess the tenant has been there for 17-years and stated there's never been a fire. I'd have to disagree. I recommended the buyers contact the local or county … (14 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Aren't Guard Rails Overrated? - 01/21/08 12:52 PM
The people in this home obviously thought so. Look at the picture, I cam across it a few days ago during a home inspection.
There should be a guard rail at the right hand side of the bottom of the stairs from the wall to the tile along the line where the stairs … (3 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Deadbolts: Can They Be Unsafe? - 01/17/08 11:36 AM
I think everyone knows that deadbolts are a great safety item. However, can a deadbolt ever be a safety hazard? YES.
Now I've got you hooked and you just have to read more... perfect.
Some people use double-keyed deadbolts in a house. That means that you have to have a key to open … (14 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Landlords: You're Liable for Your Tenants Safety - 01/12/08 09:15 AM
I inspect homes for investors quite often. Many of these homes, duplexes, etc. will be used as rentals. I always ask if this is the case as landlords are liable for the safety of their tenants. This makes home inspections for rental properties important not only for the condition of the property … (22 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Water Shut Off Locations - 01/11/08 05:27 PM
It is essential you know the location of the water shut off valve. What if a pipe breaks and water is gushing out in the house? You need to know how to shut off the water.
Here in Southern California, there is a house main water shut off and a city shut … (15 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Why Would Anyone Have a New Construction Home Inspected? - 01/11/08 04:37 PM
That's a waste of money, right? It was just built, what could possibly be wrong?
The answer, anything and everything could possibly be wrong, not to say that it necessarily will, of course. But I inspect quite a few new construction homes and I always find items that need correction, repair or … (12 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Upgraded Houses Don't Need to be Inspected... Right? - 01/06/08 10:03 AM
I inspected a house built in 1948 the other day which had some upgraded systems. Unfortunately it was a shoddy job.
Though they had just upgraded the electrical system, they didn't bother to do anything about the corrosion at the right service entrance cable.
They upgraded the electrical system but for some reason decided to … (7 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Proper Wire Sizes in Electrical Panels - 01/05/08 09:48 AM
While inspecting houses I often find problems in the main electrical service panel. The most common for me is that the breaker/fuse for the A/C has undersized wires or that the breaker amperage is too large. But I also see on other breakers/fuses where the wire sizing for some breakers is … (8 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: Do You Have a Temper? - 01/03/08 10:56 AM
Well, what about tempered glass? And what is it anyway? Most people are familiar with safety glass in the front windshield of their car. If the windshield is hit it usually just cracks into a spiderweb looking design, or worse case scenario it shatters, but the shards are not sharp enough … (13 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: "Green" Eco-Friendly Building - 12/12/07 06:28 PM
Recently a contest was put out here on AR asking us to list the Top 5 "green" eco-friendly items if money were no object, http://activerain.com/blogsview/300156/1-Points-Brad-Pitt
I thought this was a great idea and decided to write a blog on it. I have already somewhat thought about it for when I build … (23 comments)
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chino hills home inspections: The worse closet I've ever seen! - 11/09/07 06:37 PM
I was browsing through some old pictures and came across BY FAR the worse closet I've seen. So I had to share it. The water heater didn't look so good either. And there was also a pipe leaking under the house. Oh yeah, and did I mention the roof? This was … (38 comments)
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