I'm not saying they cheated, but this doesn't look good. - 01/31/12 05:57 AM
I don't know how it happened, and I'm not accusing anyone of intentionally doing something that's completely despicable, but it looks like someone intentionally tampered with a radon test.
I recently inspected a home that was being flipped for some young first-time home buyers.  The home had a newly finished basement, and the young couple planned to use one of the basement bedrooms as their master bedroom, so they hired me to do a radon test at the same time.  For the record, radon causes lung cancer.
The radon test was high, so the buyers asked the home flipper to install a radon mitigation … (105 comments)

Why the relief valve at the water heater is leaking, and what to do about it - 01/24/12 05:54 AM
When a temperature and pressure  (T&P) relief valve at a water heater leaks, it's usually a simple fix; just replace the valve.   These valves cost less than $15, and replacing the valve is a very basic job - just drain some water out of the water heater, remove the discharge tube, and replace the valve.  No big deal.
Unless it starts leaking again.
If a recently replaced T&P relief valve starts leaking again, it probably means that the relief valve is only doing it's job; it relieving excess pressure in the water heater.  When this happens, the fix gets a … (35 comments)

How to prevent your outside faucets from freezing - 01/17/12 06:18 AM
Most homeowners who live in cold climates know it's important to 'winterize' the outside faucets to prevent them from freezing, which can destroy the faucet or lead to a burst pipe.  The problem is that many people don't quite get it right - winterizing the outside faucets in the fall seems like a simple thing to do, and it seems like it should be straightforward and easy, but there are a few tricks you need to know to make sure all the water is out.
Garden hoses - First and foremost, disconnect your garden hose from the outside faucet.  If you leave your … (56 comments)

This home inspector's obsession with flashlights - 01/10/12 06:09 AM
Why are home inspectors obsessed with flashlights?  It's probably because flashlights are one of the few tools that home inspectors just absolutely couldn't do an inspection without, and it's the only tool that keeps getting better and better every year.  Now please excuse me while I geek out.
Every time I get a new flashlight, I swear to myself that it’s the last flashlight I’ll ever need, and nothing could ever top it. The I’m-in-love-with-my-new-flashlight glow seems to wear off around the second month of ownership… but even sooner if I have the misfortune of reading about some other flashlight that … (18 comments)

My search for an out-of-state home inspector, part two: comparing inspection reports - 01/03/12 06:20 AM
In searching for a home inspector for out-of-state family members buying a home, I ended up comparing dozens of home inspector web sites, trying to separate the great home inspectors from the hacks.  It wasn't difficult to find qualified home inspectors, but finding someone who I thought was a great home inspector was much more difficult.   As I mentioned at the end of my blog about finding an out-of-state home inspector, it all came down to comparing sample home inspection reports.
Reading sample home inspection reports is the best way to compare home inspectors, short of actually attending the home inspection.
In my humble opinion, … (31 comments)