A Northern Virginia Home Inspector's Perspective

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

ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS

2013 

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Looking carefully at the end of the basement, under what will be the breakfast nook and a sliding glass door, the entirety of the wall between the two last joists made me think, "Insulate this." It's a huge space, the distance between the two joists is 12" and the distance from end to end 14'. Th...
01/30/2013
A photo will follow.  This is what a negative grade in the front yard looks like over time. The first thing I do when I get to a house is walk around it a couple of times.  And hopefully that before the client arrives.  Then I walk around again with the client, and we talk. One thing we often dis...
01/29/2013
"No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions.  He had money as well." Baroness Margaret ThatcherBritish Prime Minister 1979-1990 A Soviet journalist nicknamed Margaret Thatcher "The Iron Lady" because of her uncompromising style of politics and leadership.  She derid...
01/28/2013
I like a front porch on a house, which usually has its own roof.  But, isn't a front porch roof heavy?  How should it be attached? Compared to Mother Nature's power, a front porch roof weighs very little.  It should be attached such that it is a part of the structure of the house. This porch is a...
01/27/2013
Approaching a backyard shed I was greeted by what was obviously a group of eager students wanting to watch and learn.  They followed me around as I looked about. There was one recalcitrant fellow, strutting around, even talking loudly during class.  He feinted at me a couple of times to show me t...
01/26/2013
We noticed the kitchen was noticeably cooler when I went in to drop off my tools and start the dishwasher.  So I felt the floor register.  No air was blowing.  So, why was no air blowing from the kitchen HVAC register? I LOVE STARTING OUT A HOME INSPECTION WITH A QUESTION! Trying to get the lay o...
01/25/2013
I really did - on this inspection I ran into a real hornet's nest. And it was gorgeous!  It's bigger than a basketball! What kind of bee is this? It is the Bald-faced Hornet. And they are nasty.  Hornets don't like vibration, so if you drive by the hive with the riding mower, or happen by with th...
01/24/2013
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Some people think that if their house is in "the big city" there is less chance for mice to bother the house.  Not true.  They are around, and when it's cold they will want to get in.  It's best not to provide them a mouse highway! A mouse only needs a space 1/4" wide to get in!  That's it.  And ...
01/23/2013
While it would be unusual to have three heat exchangers in the attic if they were furnaces, these three were not. Instead of furnaces, these heat exchangers were all skylights. This house has been vacant for some time. I noticed that when the heat was on it did not really heat comfortably, and it...
01/22/2013
"All the impoverishing effects of socialism are with us in the U.S.:  reduced levels of investment and saving, the misallocation of resources, the overutilization and vandalization of factors of production, and the inferior quality of products and services." Hans-Hermann HoppeAustrian School Econ...
01/21/2013
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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.