Vancouver WA Home Inspector - Portland OR Home Inspector

Roof (Attic) Vents - Fastening/Nailing/Stapling in the Field/Flange - Proper/Improper and Ramifications - One Roof - 7 Years Old

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:53:55 -0700

I am regularly finding roof vents installed improperly. In this area, I would say that at least 80-90% of them are installed improperly by nailing or stapling them in the flange/field, even though there are clearly pilot holes/key holes that are made for this and even though most of the vents clearly say not to do this right on them.

This is how it should be properly installed:

This is how they should not be installed:

This is what can happen if they are not installed properly:

This is a good example of a roof vent properly installed lasting 20 years:

This is a good example of the evolution in roof vent installation practices from a 23 year old roof:

This is a good example of roof vents on a brand new roof that are not properly installed:

Why would some be installed properly and some installed improperly on the same roof? Likely, in this case, you had different people installing them and there was little to no oversight. On this particular roof only 1 out of the 12 roof vents were installed properly. 3 of the vents were cracked and one was cracked significantly. The roof was 7 years old at the time of the inspection.

Common Questions and/or Objections:

- "I contacted the local Code Enforcement Office/Official and they said that the home inspector [you] were wrong and that there is no Code saying that the vent flanges/fields can't be stapled or fastened".

Answer: First, home inspections are not code inspections and the home inspector does not need to know or cite Code. Second, Code is a minimum standard: to "be code" it means "if you did less than X it wouldn't be illegal". As such, an installer can certainly do more than "Code" and I would hope that most people want homes that are more than "Code"--i.e., more than meeting "minimum standards". Third, Code looks at new applications: new homes, new additions, new wiring, etc. The home inspector sees things "as they last". We inspect old installations and new, old houses and new, etc. The public wouldn't want home inspectors to be limited to Code because there would be a lot of problems that home inspectors bring out that they wouldn't if they were simply citing "Code". For example: it may have been Code at one time that a crawl space doesn't need insulation, though you as a consumer may want to know whether the crawl space is insulated or not, etc. If the home inspector was limited to citing code then they wouldn't tell you if insulation was missing on a 1975, 1200sf ranch home. Sure... missing insulation in a house of that nature isn't that big of a deal, but you would like to know that. Fourth, the home inspector (and especially experienced ones who have see thousands and thousands of homes) sees how things LAST--how they hold up over time. It is *quite common* for roof vents to crack when they are fastened in the field/flange, and we probably see it at least once a week. Fifth, it usually says right on the vent (most vents) that they are not to be fastened in the field/flange. Where Code is silent, manufacturer installation trumps. Further, where Code (minimum standard) isn't silent, manufactuer installation usually trumps if it is more than Code (in other words, Code defers to manufacturer specifications quite often). So, the objection is null and void.

- "You inspectors... always making a mountain out of a mole hill."

Answer: Really? First, when I bring up things like this I am simply communicating information. "Your vents are stapled in the field, which is an improper installation, but I don't see any cracked so you should monitor it at a minimum". That is a very common note that I would put into a report, or information that I would supply to a consumer. I don't really think that is an unreasonable statement. Another: "Your vents are cracked at many areas, because they were improperly installed by fastening in the field/flange". Again, that is a perfectly valid and reasonable statement: they are cracked and this is why. Another: "Your vents are cracked and leaking, because they were improperly installed by fastening in the field/flange". Again, a fine assessment. As a retort, I would say, "You _______ (people): always brushing with broad strokes and pigeonholing inspectors into one single group of unreasonable swine". :-)

- "I contacted the roofer who just installed that roof and he says that you don't know what you are talking about."

Answer: very good... contact the person who installed it and has an invested interest in telling you that he installed it correctly. Always a good source of information, right? No. The roofer installs new roofs. That is their specialization. The inspector's job is to see roofs... lots and lots of roofs... and to see how the roofer's installation holds up over time. We see cracking roof vents because the roofer stapled/nailed the roof vent in the field. So, that is what occurs over time and it is quite common. Further, the roof vent will usually say not to nail or staple in the field/flange. So, who knows what they are talking about?

- "The seller and seller's agent aren't going to do anything about it because the vents are not actually damaged or cracking."

Answer: well, that is their perogative. Remember, it is their house and you can only ask them to fix, repair or maintan things. They are perfectly entitled to tell you no.

- "Well this is fine and dandy, but how much does it cost to replace a roof vent or add a new roof vent and install it properly?"

Answer: Well, I don't want to speak for roofers who may have justifcations for pricing their work in various ways that I can not account for. However, I can say that I know one roofing company that will install NEW roof vents where ones are not present (meaning, they have to cut through the roof to install one) and they charge around $40 per vent (installed properly!). Now, that is likely a reduced fee that assumes they are at the home for other reasons as well. You would have to ask a roofer to get a good answer.

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If you or anyone you know is in need of professional home inspection services and structural pest inspection/pest and dry rot inspection services in NW Oregon or SW Washington, please consider referring them to us. We cover the Gorge to the Coast, and Salem to Olympia, including Vancouver and Portland and much more.

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Development of the Old Downtown Vancouver Burgerville, Stuck in Limbo

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:33:39 -0700

It was so sad to see one of the original Burgervilles torn down this last year. How many times I ate there as a kid! How many times I took my own kids there! And, with call in orders, how many times I called (on speed dial) their store when I was passing by around lunch time while on my way to my next appointment.

Sad as well is to drive by the site and see absolutely nothing being done with it.

The Columbian reports that development for the site, which is earmarked for a 16 million dollar, 92-unit apartment complex with potentially some store fronts, is on hold.

...[A]n uncertain financial climate has left developer Elie Kassab in the dark about when work will start on his $16 million apartment project planned at the site long occupied by the Vancouver restaurant, 305 E. Mill Plain Blvd. The entire block -- bordered by Mill Plain, D, 13th and C streets -- is earmarked for a 92-unit complex called Prestige Plaza.

Plans for a new downtown Burgerville are also on hold, aparently due, in part, to the new I5 Bridge Project.

See the entire article here: http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/feb/20/former-burgerville-site-stuck-in-limbo/

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Clark County Parade of Homes

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:26:40 -0700

March 5, - The Columbian (Vancouver, WA ) Homebuilders will showcase two concepts at this year’s 2012 Parade of Homes, a September showcase of spacious models overlooking the Columbia River and smaller abodes built with eco-friendly practices. They’ll break ground Thursday on the first of those concepts.

“We really have two different audiences” in the market for houses, said Jim Beriault, a promoter of the annual event, organized by the 800-member Building Industry Association of Clark County. (For more of this article, please see: http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/mar/05/parade-of-homes-focus-luxury-green/)

The Clark County Parade of Homes is a great opportunity to see the latest trends in design and efficiency featuring some of the top builders in the area, including Tamarack Homes, arguably the best builder in the area. It is a great event, highly recommended.

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Realtor Referral Misnomers and Washington State Laws

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:01:25 -0700

Just about 2-3 times a week I get a contact from a client who says, "My relator gave me a list of inspectors and said that it was against the Law for her to refer one, so I am contacting everyone on the list," or "I asked my realtor for a home inspection referral and she said it was against the Law for her to refer anyone, so I found you on the internet," or I will hear from a realtor that "It is against the Law for me to refer a single home inspector" or "it is against the Law for me to refer home inspectors", etc.

All of these statements have one thing in common: they are all inaccurate.

Let me be very frank, then more detailed: there are absolutely no Washington State Laws which say or suggest that a Realtor can not or should not refer a home inspector.

Now to the detail...

Not only are there no laws in the State of Washington prohibbiting a realtor from referring home inspectors or even a single home inspector, but, rather there are laws which assume that it is done as common practice.

In January of 2009 Washington State enacted a Law which states that the Realtor must disclose "business" or "familial" relationships with their clients when referring a home inspector. Catch that? The law assumes that a referral is given: it just says that the Realtor must disclose "business" or "familial" relationships. (see: RCW 18.85.035 and WAC 308-124C-050)

Now, what is a "familial" relationship? That is simple: it is one established when one has a family relationship with the home inspector, or vice versa. If the home inspector is the agent's husband, cousin, or brother-in-law, that relationship must be disclosed to the consumer.

So, what about this "business" relationship? When the Law came out I immediately (within days... and I still have the emails...) contacted the Department of Licensing (DOL): Real Estate Division stating that they needed to define what constituted a "business relationship" requireing disclosure or that they would have offices or associations establishing bylaws or in-house policies that were not intended by the (actual) Law itself: namely, you would have offices or associations saying that "if you have referred a home inspector in the past you must disclose this because it is a business relationship". Immediately I received an email back from the DOL Real Estate Division that said business relationships were not established by the mere presence of past referrals to the home inspector. Rather, the intent of the Law was to have disclosure when the agent and inspector had worked together in past business (say the inspector was at one time the agent's partner and did real estate together), or if the agent had listed the inspector's house for a real estate transaction, or the agent had sold the home inspector his house, or the home inspector inspected the agent's house when the agent bought a house, etc. Any way you cut it, "business relationship" was not and is not having referred a home inspector in the past.

I thought that was all fine and well, but I still contended that if the DOL didn't come out with a written clarification you would have offices establishing in-house policies and bylaws that were not intended by the DOL. And many offices in fact did. For example one office has the agents bring up this disclosure form to the client and I have seen the agent say to the buyer when they are going over this paper, "I am required to notify you that I have a business relationship with the inspector because I have referred them in the past." Nope. That is not correct. That is not a "business relationship", per the DOL.

In the Spring/Summary DOL Real Estate Division newsletter they came out with a written statement saying that "business relationships" were not constituted by the mere presence of past referrals. If you would like a copy of it, please email me at nickelsenhomeinspections(at)gmail(dot)com and I will send it to you. I also have Washington State approved real estate continuing education class notes (the actual notes in PDF format) which say the same thing (again, email me and I would be happy to provide you with a copy).

So, the State assumes referrals. You must disclose family or business relationships, but business relationships are not established by the mere presence of past referrals.

But the misnomers continue...

Here is another common one, "Washington Law requires that I give out three business cards or three names of inspectors." Nope. Again, there are no Washington State Laws which say this. None whatsoever. There are offices in this area that have the Realtors fill out these forms with three inspection companies on it that they give to the client so that they can satisfy these "law requirements". In fact, in one office the agent will not get paid unless they turn in the paper showing that they referred three inspectors. Let me be clear: there is no law in the State of Washington that says the agent must refer three inspectors. None at all. None whatsoever. Now... can an office or an association say that this is their "policy"? Sure. But, call a cow a "cow" and a horse a "horse": don't say that it is the "law" when it isn't "the law".

So...

1. No Law in the State of Washington prohibits the Realtor from referring home inspectors.

2. No Law in the State of Washington prohibits the Realtor from referring a single home inspector.

3. No Law in the State of Wasington says that the realtro must refer three home inspectors.

4. No Law in the State of Washington says that the realtor must disclose that they have a business relationship with the home inspector they referred simply beacuse they have referred them in the past.

5. If an agent has worked directly with a home inspector in the past they must disclose this.

6. If an agent has hired a home inspector in the past for their own home inspection, etc., they must disclose this.

7. If an agent has worked for a home inspector before, either selling their home or selling them a home, they must disclose this.

Questions class?

UPDATE:

One person said that Form 41D is a clear indication that Washington State in fact DOES have a Law requiring that realtors disclose if they have worked with the inspector in the past, under the pretence that this is a "business relationship", and, this person, also said that the form has 3 inspectors slots, thus requiring that three inspectors be referred. Response: The form in question is http://www.larspeterson.com/agentnorthwest/nwmlsforms/Form41D.pdf . This is a NWMLS Form, not Washington State Law. Second, Form 41D may well have been written in response to the Laws in question (RCW 18.85.035 and WAC 308-124C-050), that doesn't mean that it is 1) accurate, or 2) reflects actual "Law". That said, a Realtor may very well need to follow their "office policies" or "association by-laws", such as those of NWMLS. That said, Form 41D doesn't say "what" is a business relationship, though the STATE HAS. As such, the form could be left EMPTY (by Law). Further, the three slots do NOT mean that you must refer three inspectors: it is just three slots so that if you want to refer three inspectors, you have them. It doesn't preclude one from referring 400 inspectors, though that would be a b#### to have to write out! NOW, again, I must emphasize that an individual realtor may belong to an association or work at an office that requires the agent to refer three inspectors and disclose that they have refered the inspector in the past. My point is simple: there is no "law" in the State of Washington that says a Realtor MUST refer three inspectors, and there is no "law" in the State of Washington that says a Realtor has to disclose as a "business relationship" a home inspector they have simply referred in the past.

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

New Review of Nickelsen Home Inspections on Yelp

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:31:39 -0800

Nice Review Just Found on Yelp (although, Yelp doesn't allow you to see it... it filters it because it is positive... I guess): I can always depend on Nickelsen Home Inspection to keep my buyers needs a priority. These inspectors reflect a business philosophy of excellent customer service, giving good information to the buyers, who have hired them, so that they, the buyers can make informed decisions. I am always pleased with the amount of time and detail of their reports. As a real estate professional they make my job easier, by going over the report with the client and making themselves available for questions later. They provide a complete report that includes a pest and dry rot inspection. There is a summary I am able to use to clearly convey to the seller and the seller's agent any issues we need corrected in order to move forward with the transaction. Not only do they explain to the client what the issue is but give referrals and suggestions on how it might corrected. I am glad to have detailed inspectors on my team; I want my buyers to be happy with their decision for many years to come. (C. Wright, Equity NW Properties).

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Area Heating and Cooling - Yearly HVAC Maintenance

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 01:40:26 -0800

Just got a IMPORTANT REMINDER (quote-un-quote) in the mail to have my HVAC system checked.

It reads: IT'S TIME TO HAVE YOUR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE CHECK. Please call our service department at ... to schedule your appointment. (If you have already made your appointment, please disregard this notice.)

Folks, if you want an employee name Little Johnny to come and serivce your furnace, please call Area. But if you want the boss... the man... and would like to hire a truly locally owned and operated HVAC company, I suggest you call Braden Hurt of Precision Sheetmetal and Heating at www.heatmyhome.com.

Can't say enough good things about Braden.

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Common Problem on Bank Owned Properties or Vacant Short Sales: The Damaged Garage Door

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:34:50 -0800

The proliferation of vacant homes in the last few years, due to foreclosure and shortsale (when vacant), has led to a subsequent proliferation in particular problems. I could list dozens of issues that are more common on such properties, but one that I wanted to mention is "the damaged garage door".

General bank owned properties, HUD properties, Fanny or Freddy properties, etc. will be winterized after they are taken over, and many of the winterization companies or others involved in the property will put locks on the garage door tracks or if the door has a lock on it they will at best lock it and at worst lock it then put a pad lock on it. Other "methods" include: using electrical wiring or a hanger in the track to "tie the door in place". Regardless of the method, what these people are trying to do is keep the door from being opened, particularly if the door has a door opener.

But, then co

mes the showings... the garage door is impeded from use, but in many if not most cases the door opener will still be hooked up. Buyer or Realtor (or various contractors, especially if it is a HUD property) comes along and "tests the door opener".

Opps...

They didn't realize that the door was pad locked or otherwise locked...

At this point various things can happen:

1. If the door is a very (very) basic metal door with no insulation (in other words, a cheap-o), the entire door can cave in. Been there... done that... unfortunately...

2. The door opener itself (the arm that is connected to the door) can rip off the door.

3. The door can bend or buckle where it is conneted to the door opener.

4. The chain can become loose or damaged.

5. And a host of other issues...

6. If not all of the above...

Which, again, has led to a proliferation of bent or cracked doors; damaged door openers; arms having pulled off the door; etc.Four years of this, and nobody has learned...

Solution:

If I was in charge of these properties, either as a realtor or other representative for the banks, I would do the following:

1. If you are going to lock the door, be sure to UNPLUG the door opener!!! This takes hardly any time, but could be all the difference.

2. Put up a small sign next to the door opener control, usually in the garage, that says "DO NOT OPERATE".

3. Put blue tape over the button/control, making it clear that the person who see is should "think twice" about the prospect of operating it.

These very basic things could save the door/door opener...

And While We are On It:

Another common problem is that the door will be locked when I arrive at the home inspection, but NO KEY IS TO BE FOUND. The inspection comments on the home "as it exists on the day of the inspection". It is unfortunate that some people are unable to have their garage door opener/door operation inspected during this important part of the buying process. If people are going to lock these doors on such properties, they should have the courtesy of leaving the key in the kitchen drawer or something...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Common Roof Leak Points: Cracked Plumbing Vent Boots/Jacks - Typically After 10/11-15 Years Post-Installation

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:47:25 -0800

From my experience, the majority of roof leaks originate at one of the many penetrations through the roof line found on the vast majority of homes. Some of these penetrations include roof vents, dryer exhaust vents (on newer properties), satellite dish fasteners, and a host of other penetrations and connections to the roof.

Of these, a very common leak point is at the plumbing vents which penetrate the roof line. These plumbing vents, part of the plumbing system, have a "boot" or a "jack" (or a host of other commonly used names...) that acts as a sort of "shirt" around the base of the plumbing vent. The "necks" on these (the rubber part) has a tendency to start cracking, generally around 10/11 to 15 years. It would be rare for me to go to a home, for example, that has a 14 year old roof and find that the plumbing vent boots (the necks on them) in good condition.

Once these "necks" start to crack, the barrier between your roof and your attic space (if not the inside of the home itself) is compromised. Water from rain can begin to travel down the vent and into the attic, getting the insulation wet (at best), or leading to revealed leaks on the inside of the home itself. Snow creates a bigger problem, because the roof only needs a couple of inches to end up sitting on the vent boot above the crack, leading to more direct and intense leaking.

If you have a roof that is over 10 years old, you should carefully inspect the plumbing vent boots/jacks for such cracking. If you have them, we would recommend that you replace entirely the boot/jack.

While there are other acceptable repairs, one that is not acceptable, in our humble opinion, is caulking the neck where it meets the plumbing vent pipe.

People often do things to homes without thinking about it... They don't think, for example, "if this neck was intended to be caulked and subsequently conneted to the pipe then it would have been installed that way." Indeed, there are good reasons why this area isn't caulked and of them the main reason is this: the neck is intended to expand and contract, allowing movement in the pipe and boot itself, which is a natural occurance in fluxuating weather throughout the year.

If you caulk this area, either at the point of installation, or as a "repair" for a cracked neck or leaking neck, then this expansion and contraction is impeded. The result is that the neck cracks more. This "repair", ironically, accellerates deterioration and results in more leaks.

My only exception to this would be if the roof is very near the end of its life design (say, an 18 year old roof that has a 20 year rating), and one is trying to get things to last for a bit longer until a full replacement is made. In that situation, then caulking (and continuing to caulk...) may be acceptable. But, for the vast majority of situations, the best thing to do is to just replace the boot/jack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Home Buyers Workshop in Portland 2012

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:16:07 -0800

This is a great opportunity for home buyers in the Portland, Oregon metroplex. The people involved in this event will be p;roviding a wealth of information. Free and Pizza!

Via Carla Muss-Jacobs - Exclusive Buyers Agent Portland | Portland Real Estate | (503-810-7192 | BuyersAgentPortland.com):

Home Buyer Workshops and Forums in Portland

Home Buyers in Portland can attend a FREE homeownership workshop sponsored by ROSE Community Development.

The home buyer forum is FREE and open to the public.

When is the Next Home Buyer Seminar in Portland?

If you are interested in attending a FREE home buyer event, please mark Feb. 15, 2012 on your calendar. ROSE Community Development is hosting a home buyer event.

2012 Portland Home Buyer Seminar -- When and Where

When is the Home Buyer Event: Wednesday February 15, 2012 from 6:00 pm. to 8:30 p.m.

Where is the Home Buyer Event: David Douglas High School - 1001 SE 135th Ave Portland, OR 97233-1924 in the South Cafeteria

Why Attend the Home Buyer Event: Learn about homebuying in Portland, connect with resources and organizations to assist through the process.

FREE PORTLAND HOME BUYER EVENT -- OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Home Buying participants may enter to win a drawing to win $4,000 homebuying assistance grant.

All organizations are there to help answer questions about this event. ROSE Community Development and been gracious enough to co-ordinate this event.

Dinner will be provided, which has been supplied by Pizza Baron

Who Will Be Participanting in the Portland Home Buyer Event

Metropolitan Family Service

Portland Housing Center

City of Portland

Habitat for Humanity

HOWNW.com

Minority Homebuyer Assistance Collaborative

Proud Ground

Portland Youth Builders

EBA Portland, LLC

Pacific Residential Mortgage, LLC

and more

Map to David Douglas High School

View Larger to David Douglas High School Map

Getting to Know Portland | The Lents Neightborhood

EBA Portland ~~ 100% BUYER REPRESENTATION ~~ 100% of the Time

EBA Portland, LLC is an Exclusive Buyer Agency serving the Metro Portland real estate market since 1999. If you’re a Buyer in the Metro Portland area (including: Beaverton, Tigard, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Downtown Portland,) and contemplating a purchase, talk with a Buyer’s Agent . . . better yet, talk to an Exclusive Buyers Agent. Exclusive Buyers Agents do not work for listing brokerages or Sellers. An EBA’s fiduciary duty is: 100% BUYER REPRESENTATION . . . 100% of the Time.

Carla Muss-Jacobs
503-810-7192
Carla@carlahomes.com

BuyersAgentPortland.com

All rights reserved ©

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

New Review

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:02:37 -0800

Got another great review today! What a wonderful surprise! This is what makes my job so worthwhile:

"Where to start? My husband and I moved here from out-of-state, saw our home once, fell in love with it, and promptly made an offer. This was a long-distance purchase and we wanted to feel secure before signing on the dotted line. Not knowing anyone in the area, and not liking our real estate agent's suggestions for home inspectors, I looked for one myself and found Nickelsen Home Inspections. I left a message and Justin Nickelsen immediately phoned back. Impressive in the world of contractors, and as the process moved forward he never disappointed us. We always felt solidly represented. We bought from a less-that-scrupulous seller who showed up for the inspection and feebly attempted to steer things. Justin had none of it and made it clear to this man, that he was representing us and would not be distracted from the inspection he was hired to complete, or led in any way. This was huge and we knew we were in excellent, capable hands, and that we'd found someone who had unshakeable ethics. After he completed the inspection, not only did we receive a very thorough, professional report with many images, he also provided video of the inspection, and spent a lot of time on the phone with us, explaining that which we didn't fully understand. Justin was extremely knowledgeable, professional, articulate, principled, trustworthy, patient, thorough, and forthright. Hire Nickelsen Home Inspection and don't waste precious time looking any further. They are excellent."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Drip Edge Flashing

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:25:44 -0800

Drip edge flashing, while not technically "required" in most municipalities, is a good idea, and if it isn't present I will often find problems on homes. Subsequently, whether there are problems or not, I will always call out missing drip edge flashing (with a couple notable exceptions...) in a home inspection report.

But first, what is drip edge flashing?

Drip edge flashing tucks up under the shingles, resting on top of the roof decking/sheathing (which also happens to be, in this case, the top side of the "eave"...), then angles down over the gutter providing an "edge" for water to "drip" off of. See the picture to the left. You can see me pulling up on the shingles, and then below that you can see the edgeing of the roof deaking/sheathing. Below it you see the gutter. What you don't see: drip edge flashing. It isn't there. On this particular house, the lack of it (combined with gutters that tended to over flow at times) lead to wood decay. This is something that would not only get brought out in a home inspection report, but would also be listed as a "conducive condition to wood destroying organisms" in a Washington State compliant "pest and dry rot" or (more accurately) "Wood Destroying Organism" inspection report--i.e., since no drip edge flashing is present, it can (or has) lead to decay, and is subsequently a "conducive condition" to decay.

The picture to the left clearly shows how the sheathing/decking of the roof (the "eave") has decayed along the exge due to lack of drip edge flashing.

The picture to the right (below) shows a diagram of where it would be present.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Should Homes In the Pacific Northwest (OR/WA) on the West Side of the Mountains Use Foundation Vent Foam Blocks?

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:02:12 -0800

No.

Not at all, generally speaking...

It is quite common for me to go to homes where foundation vent blocks are being used. Sometimes these blocks are actually "flaps" which are built in to the vent screen framing, and others are Styrofoam blocks that people found at Home Depot. Other people block their foundation vents with towels, wood, or bury them entirely (which is kind of another issue).

Don't do it if you live on the west side of the mountains in Washington or Oregon, from at least Eugene, Oregon to Seattle WA (generally speaking).

Blocking your foundation vents cuts off ventilation to your crawl space. You want your crawl space to be able to "breath", especially during the winter months where the most amount of moisture will be in the ground and, subsequently, in your crawl space.

Crawl space environments with limited ventilation are usually quite different from crawl spaces

with good ventilation year round. Damp and unventilated crawl spaces tend to attract insect, rodent and animal entry; they tend to lead to more general moistness and humidity, which would yield to mold, mildew or wood decay or accelerate the aforementioned's spread throughout the crawl space, etc.

Another consideration if you live in areas where radon is a concern, such as SW Washington and NW Oregon, blocking off your vents could lead to higher radon counts inside the home.

Finally, if your home has insulation in the crawl space and insulated pipes, having blocked foundation vents likely does very little to nothing in terms of energy efficiency.

Unless you live in places where it gets SIGNIFICANTLY cold during the winter months, regularly well below freezing, then don't block your foundation vents. And if you live in such areas, the vents should only be blocked during the temporary periods where it is that cold (which would mean installing and uninstalling them multiple times per year).

Remember that crawl spaces need to breath; foundation vents were installed for a reason: you are likely causing a problem by blocking them and you have eliminated the rationale for their installation in the first place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Over 50% High Radon Levels Found in Months of December and January (2011/12)

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:49:08 -0800

With the radon tests collected today (among those I collected and set), I have now moved into the 50+% (percentage) for homes that have high levels of radon (meaning >4pCi/l). One this morning was on a house in Portland that had levels of 9.7pCi/l, and, as mentioned, over 50% of the homes I have performed radon testing on in the greater Portland Metro area and SW Washington in December 2011 and January 2012 have elevated levels of radon, with over 25% of those having levels over 7pCi/l.

Per the EPA, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, right after cigarette smoking, and right before second-hand smoking. Over 21,000 radon induced or related lung cancer deaths occur each year, and over 2000 of those are among people who have never smoked before, even casually.

The good news is that you can have us perform state-of-the-art radon testing (the type of testing that you can't even do), which yeilds accurate results on a graph showing hourly reading and any signs of tampering, and if the reading is high you can have it FIXED. This IS A FIXABLE ISSUE.

But you can't fix what you don't know about.

January 2012 is the National Radon Action Month in the United States. Do yourself and your family a favor and have your home tested for radon. If you are buying a home, consider having your home tested for radon. THIS CAN BE DONE WELL WITHIN THE TIME FRAME OF AN AVERAGE INSPECTION CONTINGENCY PERIOD FOR A REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION (LET NO ONE TELL YOU OTHERWISE... YOU USUALLY HAVE 10 DAYS... THAT MEANS YOU HAVE... 10... DAYS... (though we usually will have no problem getting it done well within your contingency period)).

Call or shoot me an email!

Price match guaranteed through the month of January for comparable testing/monitoring!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Did You Know that Radon Can Damage Your DNA? Causes Genetic Damage?

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:59:44 -0800

Most of the epithelial cellular damage is not caused by breathing in radon gas itself, which is removed from the lungs during exhalation, but by radon's short-lived decay products (half-life measured in minutes or less). When inhaled, these decay products may be deposited in the airways of the lungs. The RDPs subsequently emit alpha particles as they decay further. The total amount of energy emitted by the progeny is several hundred times that produced in the initial decay of radon. The increased risk of lung cancer from radon results primarily from these alpha particles irradiating lung tissue. When an alpha particle passes through a cell's nucleus, the person's DNA is likely to be damaged. More specifically, available data indicate that alpha particle penetration of the cell's nucleus may cause genomic changes, most typically in the form of point mutations and transformations.

Since alpha particles are more massive and more highly charged than other types of ionizing radiation, they are more damaging to living tissue. As previously described, alpha radiation is able to travel only extremely short distances in the body. Thus, alpha radiation from decay of radon progeny in the lungs cannot reach cells in any other organs, so it is likely that lung cancer is the only major cancer hazard posed by radon.

By breaking the electron bonds that hold molecules together, radiation can damage human DNA, the inherited compound that controls the structure and function of cells. Radiation may damage DNA directly by displacing electrons from the DNA molecule, or indirectly by changing the structure of other molecules in the cell, which may then interact with the DNA. The latter mechanism will be described in more detail later. When one of these events occurs, a cell can be destroyed quickly, or its growth or function may be altered through a change (mutation) that may not be evident for several years.

An alpha particle emitted from radon daughter decay is in the form of a high-energy helium ion, known in scientific notation as He2+. These helium particles transverse a cell's nuclei in a linear pattern and deposit energy via linear energy transfer, or LET. This refers to the energy transferred per unit of path traveled by the ionizing particle. Since alpha particles travel short distances and are slow, compared to beta and gamma particles, their efficiency in transferring energy and affecting genomic change is very high, as is their LET quantity. Once deposited, this energy causes DNA alterations, cell-cycle stress, and occasional cell death. Epithelial cellular changes caused by the alpha particle emission from a single radon daughter can be seen with a microscope.

The Good News:

Radon doesn't have to be an issue in your home or your place of business. Having your home or place of business professionally tested for radon by companies such as Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC can let you know conclusively what your indoor radon count is and whether you need it to be addressed. As an unbiased service provider, you are sure to get accurate information from our company. If high, we will then refer you to a company or companies that can do the remediation work.

Radon in the SW Washington and NW Oregon regions is a well known issue, and the EPA gives Clark County, Skamania County, Clackamas County and Multnomah County some of the highest ratings it gives any counties in the United States for indoor air radon concern.

If you would like to have your home tested, please contact us during January 2012, the National Radon Action Month, for special pricing and guidence. We are happy to help! nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com, 360.907.9648, 503.502.1495

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

National Radon Action Month

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:24:16 -0800

JANUARY 2012 IS THE NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH, AND THE VIDEO ABOVE HAS BEEN PRODUCED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TO ACCOMPANY THIS YEAR'S AWARENESS MONTH. IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD YOUR HOME PROFESSIONALLY TESTED FOR RADON, CONSIDER DOING SO THIS MONTH. YOU NEVER KNOW: IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE OR THE LIFE OF THOSE YOU LOVE...

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Words of Wisdom - One Life

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:07:41 -0800

You have exactly one life in which you will do everything that you will EVER do.

Act accordingly.

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Interesting Graph - Ionizing Radiation Exposure to the Public - Radon is #1

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:06:07 -0800

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

More Elevated Radon Levels in Clark County - Not Near The River

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 02:53:24 -0800

Got another radon test back today with an elevated reading, with some spikes over 17pCi/l (over 4.25 times the EPA's remediation/action level). This was on another home in Clark County *no where near the Columbia River* (since there are some who suggest that it is only an issue in the most sourthern portion of Clark County).. A fixable issue, but something you will not know about unless you have the home tested. Let me know if you want me to test your home! The method and testing equipment we use is not something you can purchase yourself.

Hope you all have a great new year!

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Radon "Only by the River", and Other Radon Myths...

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:50:22 -0800

Radon Myths

I have heard many a real estate professional in this area suggest that "if" radon is a concern in SW Washington and NW Oregon that it is "only a concern when you are close to the river": a step up from the others who suggest that "it isn't a problem in this region of the country".

EPA Ratings for SW Washington and NW Oregon

Interestingly, the EPA rates Clark and Skamania Counties in the "Red Zone" or "Zone 1" for radon concern: this is the EPA's highest rating for a county in the United States (not that we have the highest radon concern: it means that the EPA wouldn't rate a county more than in the "red zone" or "zone 1").

What does it mean to be in Zone 1 or the "Red Zone". It means that, based on independent study, the EPA believes that the average per-household radon level in homes in Clark and Skamania Counties exceeds 4pCi/l: the level at which the EPA strongly advices radon mitigation. http://www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap.html#mapcolors

In Multnomah and Clackamas Counties, the EPA rates these areas in the Orange Zone (Zone 2), which means that they find that the average radon levels for the area are 2-4pCi/l. When the level is over 2 they encourage remediation.

What Do I Find in My Line of Work?

At least 10-15% of all homes that I do radon testing in have elevated levels of radon. About 1 to 2 in every 10 homes.

If this is the case, and if what the EPA suggests is true, then that would mean that over 150 homes that we inspected this year in NW Oregon and SW Washington had/have elevated levels of radon and don't know. They don't know because they didn't ask to have the testing done. Likely, it was never brought up to them by their real estate professionals. We don't "up sale" our services: if people don't ask for radon testing, we are not going to ask them if they want it. If they call for a home inspection, that is what we are going to provide them...

Cultural Differences in Real Estate Transactions: Oregon vs. Washington

Which brings up an interesting point: the real estate "cultural differences" when you cross the Columbia River are *drastic*. What consumers and their realtors do in Oregon are very different than what the average consumer and average realtor do in SW Washington: a difference of just a few miles, yet a difference in culture that is quite noticeable.

One Example: Over 50% of all transactions that I am involved with in Oregon have radon testing and likely also sewer scopes performed. What is more, such is done at the encouragement of the buyer's realtor: they are the ones that bring it up. In fact, some offices in Portland have waivers that the home buyer must sign if they do not want to have radon testing and sewer scopes performed. In Washington I would say that about 0.040% of all inspections done have radon tests performed and/or sewer scopes. This is a VERY large difference.

Remember what I mentioned above: it is Clark County and Skamania County, not Multnomah and Clackamas County that is listed in the Red Zone/Zone 1. As such, the heightened awareness in Oregon vs. Washington can not be accounted for due to the EPA ratings.

The difference is the real estate culture, inherently tied to the real estate professionals (realtors, home inspectors, etc.) on each side of the Columbia River, respectively.

Back to Square One

So, back to the original paragraph...

Again, I hear from realtors in SW Washington (vastly more so than I do in Oregon...) that "radon is not a concern in this area". Actually, I would say that it is a "concern". If you think about it, if I found a problem that was a significant health hazard (not counting radon) in about 1 in every 10-15 homes I inspected and it cost between $1,300 and $1,750 on average to fix I would assume that people would call that a "common concern". They would say that it is "often found". They would make sure that "the home inspector checks for that", etc. But not radon?

The other common thing I hear is "if it is a concern it is only a concern by the river". Usually I am told this by people who may have had 1 (if any) to a handful of radon tests performed. They don't do it for a livng (I do), and they are not involved in more than 5, 10, 15, 30 real estate transactions per year, at which perhaps zero to 3 radon tests are performed. This entitles these people to make sweeping statements based on "experience" (ahem). A home inspector, though, who does this work full time (say, 240ish inspections per year [our company does over 1250 inspections per year]) is in a much better position to say what is "normal" or "common" on residential properties in his/her respective area of service. This isn't gloating: it is imperical fact. So, do I tend to find more elevated levels of radon "near the river"? I would say this: in the hundreds of radon tests that I have performed (from canister tests to electronic radon monitor testing) I have found NO SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION BETWEEN ONE'S PROXIMITY TO "THE RIVER" AND THEIR LEVELS OF RADON. In the past month or two I have performed radon testing close to the river and far away from it. In one case close to the river I found a radon level of 0.4pCi/l, which is 1.0pCi/l below the national average for indoor radon levels. Yet, just the other day I did a home FAR from "the river" and the radon levels were 13.2pCi/l, well above the EPA action level of 2-4pCi/l. As such, and based on my experience, I would submit that there is very little to no correlation between a home's proximity to the river and their radon levels.

Should All Homes Be Tested for Radon?

Radon is not where I make my money. Not even close. I offer it as a service because I am asked to and, as a home inspector, I am in easy position to respond to that offer as I am already at the home and people hire me because they want unbiased assessments of their prospective home. So, I don't really have any axe to grind in answering this question: "should all homes be tested for radon?"

I offer this...

1) The EPA recommends that all homes be tested for radon (however much or however little faith you put into the EPA's work).

2) The EPA especially recommends that homes in counties with an Orange or Red rating (zones 1-2) be tested. This makes sense given that their findings suggest that there are average levels which are high in such counties.

3) Based on my experience, I would say "yes": one should have their home tested for radon. Does have

have to be done during a home inspection? No. Do we have to do it? No, and to be frank, we could care less if we do. It is a service that we offer, and it is available if desired. But should somebody, sometime, test their home for radon? All homes? Yes. I have to say that because I find elevated levels as often as I do. In fact, I would say this: it is almost as important to have your home tested for radon as it is to have a home inspection in the first place. I don't have to inspect it. I don't have to do the radon test. But, as an unbiased observer, I would say that both are important. Quite so... Regardless of who does it...

What if I Have Elevated Levels of Radon?

In virtually ALL circumstances (99.999% of homes) it is possible to reduce the radon levels to levels which are below 2pCi/l. The typical cost for this is $1,300 to $1,750 or so. Sometimes it is more, depending on the complexity of the project, just like any project on any home. As such, having elevated levels or radon in a home is a fixable issue. Just like having water in a crawl space, or a leak in a roof: it can be fixed. But, with radon you can't tell it is there unless it is tested, and one home on the same street could have low levels of radon, while the neighboring house has elevated levels. You simply don't know unless you "know".

What if We Want You to To the Testing?

If desired, we would be happy to help in this regard. We use higher end radon testing devices than most of the radon mitigation companies in this area do, so you are sure to have a quality radon test and report done and produced for you in a timely fashion. Radon testing on any home (real estate transaction or not) can be done in as little as 48 to 96 hours, with instant results. If you would like to contract our services, please call us or email us at nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

KGW Reports that the Portland Housing Market is Close to Bottom

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:05:54 -0800

"WEST LINN, Ore. -- There is talk the housing market may be on the way back up.

Construction, homes sales and prices are all up. It's giving Wall Street and the economy an early Christmas present.

This time of year, the real estate market is in limbo. But, this November and December in West Linn, several home builders are busy again with new construction. Some are building on spec. That hasn't happened in years.

"They are buyers out there and everybody wants new construction," said Shawn Gentemann, owner of Park Place Homes.

In the Portland metro area, construction is up for apartment buildings as well as single homes. Across the country, new construction was up 9.3 percent in November, bringing the rate of new-housing construction to its highest level in 19 months."

Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.kgw.com/home/Is-The-Housing-Market-Close-to-the-Bottom-136039313.html

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

90 Day Flip Waiver for FHA Expires 12.31.2011

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:48:43 -0800

Via Chris Berg at Envoy Mortgage: "As you may have heard the FHA 90 day flip waiver expires on 12/31/11. As of today the waiver HAS NOT been extended. This means that any borrowers or listings you have where the subject property has been owned by the seller for less than 90 days will need to take action."

Related, did you know that in Washington State if you flip a house within one year, you have to have a general contractor's license? That is strange... WA Law House Bill 1843, Ch. 436.

Other than that, ejoy the sunshine in SW Washington and NW Oregon today!! It is cold, but sunny!

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Radon Testing Services

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:02:30 -0800

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC is proud to announce that we are now offering the option of professional grade continuous radon monitoring: no more canister tests that take forever to get the results. If you want radon testing done, our equipment can produce results in 48-96 hours from the start of the test: results are available immediately upon completion, making radon testing easy to do during a real estate transaction. Further ensuring accurate test results, our equipment has anti-tampering features which will show unusual spikes in the readings, and even detects motion. If you are interested in radon testing for your own home, or want to couple radon testing with a house you are purchasing, let us know!

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Celebrating

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:56:18 -0800

Off to celebrate 11.11.11 at 11:11 and 11seconds. I don't know what we are doing, but I am sure it will be celebratory. :-) Have a good evening!

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

Busy Novembers?

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:54:50 -0800

"Novembers" are not supposed to be this busy. What on earth is going on?! :-) I'll take it...

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Follow: twitter.com/pdxinspector Like: facebook/pdxinspector

p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.

One Person at a Time

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 21:05:52 -0700

Hair stylists, especially at places like Perfect Look or Supercuts, dont make a lot of money. I like to tip generously. If you are blessed with extra, tip generously. If not, be kind, smile and thank them for their work. Your little acts kindness change the world, one person at a time.

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p. 503.502.1495 | cell/text 360.907.9648

nickelsenhomeinspections@gmail.com

www.nickelsenhomeinspections.com

Justin Nickelsen, CMI

Nickelsen Home Inspections, LLC

"A Conduit for Educated Real Estate Transactions"

Serving Oregon and Washington From the Mountains to the Coast

Professional Licenses, Memberships and Certificates

Certified Master Inspector (CMI) with the Master Inspector Certification Board
The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI Certified Inspector and Member #246145
The National Association of Home Inspectors - NAHI Member
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors - InterNACHI #0073170
IAC2 Certified Indoor Air Consultant - IAC2-01-0235
Vice President of theOregonChapter of InterNACHI
Founding Member of SWWAHI - TheSW WashingtonAssociation of Home Inspectors
OregonLicensed Home Inspection Firm CCB# 172294
OregonCertified Home Inspector OCHI# 1173
WashingtonStateLicensed Home Inspector #415
Licensed and Certified StructuralPestInspector through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (71352)
Member of theWashingtonStatePestManagement Association
Passed the National Home Inspectors Examination
Second Generation Inspector
Annually Performing 450-550 Inspections/Thousands Performed in Career
Past Experience as a Contractor - All Phases of Residential Construction
Annually Maintaining Over 50 Hours of Continuing Education (twice the requirements of OR and WA)
Past Member of OAHI - TheOregonAssociation of Home Inspectors
Past Member of NWOCHI - The NWOregonAssociation of Certified Home Inspectors
Past Member of OREIA - TheOregonReal Estate Inspection Association
Specializations: Electronic Radon Measurement, Early 20th Century Properties, Early 1990's Properties, New Construction, Log Homes, Structural Pest Inspections (Termites/Carpenter Ants).
Advanced Skills: Oral and Written Communication, Advanced Reporting and Detailed Analysis.