A Northern Virginia Home Inspector's Perspective

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Home Inspector - Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - 3380-000723

ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS

2012 

18 Comments
One size fits all.  This may be true in many contexts - Snuggies, athletic socks, certain Panama hats, maybe - but not carpentry!  And certainly not carpentry on new construction! This window is so high up and so far from the driveway that even the telephoto lens doesn't do it justice. With the c...
03/30/2012
Faux stone may become the new EIFS - 2*.  This is a follow-up to a previous post. When I see a house with faux or cultured stone installed, I look around and point things out to the buyers.  On my inspection report, I include language which looks something like this: " Faux stone siding is found ...
03/29/2012
In my opinion, faux stone might become the new EIFS*. A year ago a couple called me with moisture problems.  They had found me and my thermal camera use on line and wanted help.  Their house has faux stone as much of its front siding. Due to installation malfeasance, faux stone might become the n...
03/28/2012
18 Comments
How do you feel, folks, when you go outside and the soil, or your patio, has pulled something off the wall of your house, and left a big hole?  I know it makes me feel very self conscious!  What will my friends and neighbors think? And how would you feel if that self consciousness could go away i...
03/27/2012
  Remember last week's Ralph Waldo Emerson quote? It was something like, "If you build a better mouse trap, the world will beat a path to your door." That wasn't Emerson's real quote, as we learned. You can read the entire, and correct, quote here. And it is true. What is going on in the photo? ...
03/26/2012
Cherry blossoms can last a few weeks and the trees remain glorious, unless, that is, there is rain! When it rains the blossoms are released and the ground under and around the trees looks like it is covered with a blanket of pink snow. Each cherry blossom has hundreds of petals!  Each puffy, pink...
03/25/2012
24 Comments
Often my daughter and I have daddy/daughter dates and a night out. She loves to see the Harlem Globetrotters.  We have been a few times. I'm not sure why!  It's the same routine, with lots of the same gags, that they did when I was her age! Some things never grow old. Of course, getting home afte...
03/24/2012
Something I don't see often on new construction is foam insulation - especially as a Best Practice! In contrast to yesterday's post, where new construction had entire exterior wall gaps that would not have received insulation, this house has its rim joist sealed against air passage, with insulati...
03/23/2012
Can you see the problem here?  All spaces along an exterior wall need insulation. I had to blow them up a bit so you could see the problem I am having with this. Nobody else seemed to notice. This is one of the exterior side walls of the house. The other side wall was the same way! Can you see my...
03/22/2012
Within a couple of months of moving into a house, a couple started having water leaking from the light fixture on the edge of the sitting room off the kitchen.  The builder came out and there was no issue in the roof near or over the area or light fixture.  They were puzzled. Mighty Mo was called...
03/21/2012
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Jay Markanich

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia
local_phone(703) 330-6388
smartphone(703) 585-7560
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An experienced home inspector's look at current home inspection events and conditions along with his useful recommendations.