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stairs: Watch Your Step (A Home Inspection Blog) - 01/05/09 12:00 PM
It's 2009, I wish everyone a blessed, joyous and prosperous year.  One of my goals for 2009 is to blog more often, so I guess I'm off to a good start with my first blog of 2009.
There are many aspects to a home inspection, but the one I take most to heart is occupant safety.  I want everyone who lives in the house and everyone who visits the house to be safe.  As they say, "Safety first."
I came across this at a home inspection late this past summer.
 

 
The problem here is railings.  Railings consist of … (7 comments)

stairs: 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 rails. Kids also need hand rails because they are more likely to lose their balance.  But in reality, everyone benefits from hand rails because you just never know when you might trip or lose your balance.
I came across this the other day.
Luckily there's a hand rail... right?  Yes, there is a … (14 comments)

stairs: 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 high and therefore needs guard rails.  This is especially important when small children are present.
2.  There are 5-steps therefore a hand rail is needed.  This is also a safety issue in case someone loses their balance while going up the stairs.  Hand rails also help the elderly and those with physical limitations.
3.  … (7 comments)

stairs: 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 meet the wood floor.  Can you imagine if you were walking down the stairs at night...  What if you fell down the stairs?  You'd just keep on going.  What about children or elderly going up and down the stairs?  The sad part is that there was a child safety gate … (3 comments)

stairs: Safety Gates for Children - 01/03/08 08:48 AM
...and three kids later I finally decided to install permanent gates for my children.  I have a two-story house and we've had a temporary type gate at the bottom of the stairs for years.  It's been quite cumbersome as it was difficult to operate and would sometimes come out of place.
So I went to every (pregnant) woman's dream store, Babies R Us.  My wife is pregnant with our 4th child and we decided to install a better gate at the bottom of the stairs and also install one at the top of the stairs.  Things were easy with two young ones.  … (11 comments)

stairs: Get a grip on it! - 11/26/07 02:35 PM
No, this post is not about being stressed out or any other psychological problem.  It's about getting a grip... literally.
While reviewing some inspection pictures recently, I cam across one that I thought could be educational.
One aspect of safety that most probably never think about are stairs.  Of course everyone knows you can fall down stairs and that is a hazard.  But how do you prevent falling down the stairs?  That's where hand rails come in.  If you're grasping a hand rail while walking up the stairs you are more likely to prevent a fall if you might happen to trip or lose … (12 comments)

 
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Joseph Lang - Southern California Home Inspector

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

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