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gutter issues: "You Know There's An Odor, But You Don't Know Why" - 03/19/12 03:22 AM
I was called by a couple to evaluate what might be causing a problem with their condo.  Over the phone I heard, "You know there's an odor, but you don't know why."
Everyone notices it.  There is no mold in the house.  There are no stains.  It is persistent.  We notice it as soon as we walk inside.
I heard this over and over during the conversation.
It had rained just a bit over night. 
Getting there is the morning the first thing I did was look at the outside.
I noticed three things.
First, a lot of square footage of … (106 comments)

gutter issues: Water Is A Destructive Force - It Must Be Controlled Smartly - 03/09/12 03:02 AM
Just pulling up to this house I could see there was a problem with the driveway.
There was a sink hole about 6" deep!
The rest of the driveway was in good condition.
And only 15 years old.
What can cause a driveway to settle 6" in only fifteen years?
And only in one spot?
Well, certainly the driveway's support can be eroded by water.
As it is eroded, sink holes develop.
And that is a lot of sinking!
How can so much water get into one spot and cause such damage?
And shouldn't extending that downspout prevent the problem?
Apparently … (12 comments)

gutter issues: Screwing Up The Gutter - Repair Or Replace? - 02/07/12 06:13 AM
As regards screwing up the gutter - repair or replace?
Homeowners must ask themselves this all the time!
First of all, this is not the first time the gutter on this vacant house has been "repaired."
How can you tell?
The soffit and fascia material has been caulked and painted, although not recently.
And the gutter has some kind of material, what I don't know, oozing out the seams.
But obviously it had come apart again.
So, this time they decided to screw it up!
Literally!
There are 12 sheet metal screws visible in this photo.
There are more on the … (60 comments)

gutter issues: What's Up With This Revisited... - 07/21/11 08:23 PM
My previous post pondered the reason for some sinking of a front porch stoop in front of a house.
Reading my previous post it says that the listing agent said this house was built this way, 30 years ago.
I also hinted that there is a new roof.
Not being right there it is hard, from photos, to be able to see everything going on here.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This should help.  It is a crop of the center of the other photo.
What you can see:
1.  The wood surrounding the sinking … (14 comments)

gutter issues: What's Up With This? - 07/20/11 07:16 AM
So, what's up with this?
What do you see here?
Anything unusual, missing, incomplete?
Is this little ramp just a convenient way to get to the front door?
The listing agent came to say that this was how the house was built 30 years ago.
I heard her say that the builder wanted to make things easy for people to get into the house.
Investors own the house and have for 8 years.
When she said that I was pretty sure I had everything diagnosed, but:
1.  Should I believe her?2.  How would she know that?  She doesn't look old enough … (26 comments)

gutter issues: Mr. Jay's School Of Inspectology 1.1 - 03/17/11 07:25 AM
Hi Boys and Girls!  Mr. Jay here!
Welcome to Mr. Jay's School of Inspectology!  Where we can learn about home inspections! 
We take our school motto from this guy:

 
 
 
 
 
 
This plaque is hanging in Mr. Jay's office.  I like it!  So, we take our school motto from it and from an Eagle:
Mr. Jay's School of Inspectology.  Where the learning never stops.  You can check out, but you can never leave.
At Mr. Jay's School of Inspectology you can come as you are.  No shirt, no shoes?  You are still served!  You are welcome … (24 comments)

 
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Jay Markanich - Northern VA Home Inspector

Bristow, VA

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Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC

Address: 12315 Sherborne Street, Bristow, VA, 20136

Office Phone: (703) 330-6388

Cell Phone: (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.


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