Dark, Slimy and Scary - 09/30/11 08:03 AM
Tomorrow begins October, a month most people, particularly children associate with ghouls, goblins and fiends. All though around where I live some of the big people really get into the spirit. One reason I can see why most everyone enjoys the spooky fun is we all like to be scared…as long as we know it’s safe. Why else are horror movies so popular or wild amusement park rides. We still know while under the influence of our self inflicted adrenaline rush that the danger is not real. Once we come down and return to reality, there are genuine fears all around … (9 comments)

Ancient Beauty - 09/28/11 07:01 AM
Looking around us there is a unique allure in the simplest forms. Man can scuplt, paint, create, nature just is. Formed from the earth, grown in her womb, an ancient beauty.

 
James QuarelloConnecticut Home Inspector2010 - 2011 SNEC-ASHI PresidentNRSB #8SS0022JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:
Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.
… (6 comments)

Tidy Up - 09/27/11 06:46 AM
When I was a boy my mother would tell me fairly often, to this day I can’t reason why, to clean my room. I never thought it was that messy. Sure there were a few things out of place, yes my clothes did belong in the laundry hamper, but I knew exactly where everything was…most of the time. In the world of real estate and construction when a house is sold, new or used, it is to be tidied up. The phrase I hear most often is “broom clean”.
The other morning I was inspecting a home that was completely renovated. … (31 comments)

Gambling - 09/25/11 08:46 AM
A funny quip I have been hearing for as long as I can remember goes; I bet it looked good on paper. Meaning something is a piece of junk and it has or will predictably fail miserably.
As a Connecticut home inspector, I see good (?) concept, bad execution way too frequently. No where do I tend to find this more, than on a home that has been flipped.
Take for example this bright idea, a shelf above the garage door. Good thought, the garage is small and the extra storage will certainly be useful. Notice the large joist being used … (16 comments)

Eventually When It’s Wrong Someone Will Know - 09/23/11 08:43 AM
Like stealing a cookie from the cookie jar,when you do something wrong, eventually the dastardly deed to comes to light. As a home inspector here in Connecticut, I find my fair share of cookie thief’s.
During a recent home inspection on an antique home, I noted a stainless steel liner inside one of the two chimney flues. Since the home was old, seeing the liner was a welcome sight. Chimneys on older homes (over 100 years) usually never have lined chimneys. Without a lining the brick and mortar inside the flue deteriorate. The other good thing with having a liner for … (9 comments)

What’s in An Initial? - 09/22/11 07:51 AM
I was reading Michael Thornton’s featured post WDO’s…when it occurred to me about a difference between inspection terminologies.
I first heard the term WDO (wood destroying organism) way back in home inspection school. One of my classmates was from Washington State where they use the term WDO. Since the school we were attending was in Connecticut, the term WDI (wood destroying insects) was the norm.
Now at first glance it may appear like a difference of only one initial, which it is, but the difference of the two words is important. Here in Connecticut wood destroying insects are the focus of … (11 comments)

The Best Route May Not Be The Best Way - 09/21/11 07:05 AM
It is said the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. That is certainly true…on paper. In the real world it is often impossible to reach point B from point A directly unless you happen to be a bird. One must use the best route available. That path may not be the most direct or the easiest, just the best road to travel.
Here we have a plumber who has lost his way and has taken the direct route. He has drilled through this duct like a marauding band of Huns. That duct has been there since the house … (34 comments)

It All Comes Round - 09/20/11 08:28 AM
Recently at an inspection I was greeted at the door by the homeowner who also happens to be a real estate agent. I know her and during our conversation she let it be known she has been in the business for over thirty years. The reason her longevity was brought up, there is just about always a reason, was to do with the radon test. Specifically with regards to signing the test conformance agreement.
A radon testing conformance agreement is an important part of testing protocols for real estate transactions. It first educates the homeowner on the necessary test conditions that … (10 comments)

In the Gutter - 09/19/11 07:55 AM
The gutter, a word often associated with negative connotations. As in lying in the gutter, which by the way was, according to Oscar Wilde, a place where some folks prefer look at the stars. Really the lowly gutter is an important part of a drainage system. Its job is to simply collect water and divert it away from where it is not desirable to some where that is at least more preferred.
Most every house has several gutters and downspouts to collect the water running off the roof. The gutter system is vitally important to draining the massive quantity of water … (9 comments)

Lavender and White - 09/18/11 07:27 AM
Venturing through the forest, you happen upon brilliance amid a homogeneous landscape. A fleeting bright buoy in an ocean of similarity, different, distinct. Would you dare to be? 
 
James QuarelloConnecticut Home Inspector2010 - 2011 SNEC-ASHI PresidentNRSB #8SS0022JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:
Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London. … (11 comments)

The HVAC Man, the Shocking Truth - 09/17/11 07:43 AM
Electricity, most people have the good sense to leave it alone. Most, not all. Tradesmen and contractors are by far the worst offenders in my experience for playing around with electricity and screwing it up. There is of course that pesky Uncle Bob, who makes appearances all over the country. There is always an Uncle Bob in every family. He’s the guy who has just enough knowledge to be dangerous and is always more than willing to help with any home project at your house.
Like I said it’s the professionals who I find muck things up more often than an … (30 comments)

The Meaning of Complete - 09/16/11 07:47 AM
When my two girls come home from school most days, they bring along some homework. They are expected to sit down and do their work until it is complete. If they do not finish the work, the teacher will give them an incomplete as their grade for the assignment. It’s too bad home inspectors or better yet homeowners couldn’t give out incompletes to contractors. While I’m thinking about it, adding in detention for the worst offenders might also be a good idea.
Take these two newer roofs from two consecutive inspections. Roofers for some reason seem like they do not like … (15 comments)

Band Aids Are For Cuts - 09/15/11 08:50 AM
When I was a kid a cut from the tiniest scratch to the biggest gash was an excuse to get a band aid from my mother. My two girls are no different, they put band aids on their mosquito bites. The purpose of a band aid is to cover a fair sized wound to help it heal. It’s not permanent nor a cure. Band aids are not just for scraps and scratches, I find people use them on their homes all the time. These are not the familiar Johnson & Johnson type. House band aids are more on the line of … (9 comments)

The Swimming Hole - 09/14/11 07:05 AM
The swimming hole is fading from the minds of all the kids who frequented their favorite hang out during the long lazy summer. Schools in session now, the days are waning, less time for fun. Do you suppose these kids are thinking the same thoughts. Or do they just have flies on their mind.

 
James QuarelloConnecticut Home Inspector2010 - 2011 SNEC-ASHI PresidentNRSB #8SS0022JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:
Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New … (13 comments)

Born of Pioneer Spirit - 09/12/11 07:58 AM
Connecticut is one of the first areas settled in America. It was indisputably tough in those early days for the settlers of New England. The early pioneers in order to survive had to make do with what ever was at hand. Born from this early American spirit of inventiveness sprang the term Yankee ingenuity. Today I run across this make do with what you have creativity all too often during home inspections.
Take for example this gallon sized salad oil can that was once used as part of the duct work for a heating system. Pretty slick. I’d like to think … (10 comments)

The Landlords a Killer - 09/11/11 08:39 AM
The landlords a killer may be a touch to harsh, let me say in this story he’s a potential killer.
When I inspect rental properties, multi-family dwelling, etc. one theme is almost always present, DIY repairs by the landlord or someone equally unqualified. I have no illusions about rental properties, the landlord buys them to rent out the units in order to make himself money. Maintenance takes away from profits, so much of the up keep is deferred or done by, as I said unqualified (cheap) persons.
Recently I was contacted by a person who wanted me to inspect the home … (62 comments)

Lemons - 09/09/11 08:33 AM
Everyone has bought something at one time or another that never worked right from the start. The item was defective from the factory. The frustrating part of owning such an item can be getting resolution from the manufacturer. Such an item is often called a lemon. In Connecticut there is a lemon law pertaining to cars that break down or have repeated problems. There is no such protection for buying a house that’s a lemon. Owning a house that’s a lemon can be a living nightmare.
I received a called by a desperate homeowner recently who has been experiencing leaks through … (9 comments)

Volume = Competency? - 09/08/11 08:22 AM
Recently I read a post by a home inspector stating basically that competency of the inspector is directly proportional to their number of inspections performed per year. This inspector in particular threw out numbers of 400 – 500 inspections per year as a baseline. And, yes of course he does that many inspections a year. Kind of like a self full filling prophecy.
While I can certainly understand numbers of inspections would have some relevance to an inspector’s experience, I can not understand how they would completely equate to the inspectors over all competency. Some of the rationale used was years … (12 comments)

Spirts Adrift in The Night - 09/07/11 07:06 AM
Delicate tendrils wisp along on gentle currents, fleeing the inferno that spawned them. Their transitory flight slowly enveloped, inhaled by the dark night air.

 
James QuarelloConnecticut Home Inspector2010 - 2011 SNEC-ASHI PresidentNRSB #8SS0022JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:
Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.
… (6 comments)

Distressed Air - 09/06/11 08:51 AM
I would have to say that air conditioning is not a huge priority in Connecticut homes. Yes home buyers like central A/C, but in reality it's used perhaps three to four months of the year. For me as a home inspector this means I am only able to run and check the equipment not much beyond those months of use. With summer and accordingly the summer temperatures beginning to fade, A/C systems are operating less and soon many home owners will be looking to change over to the heating season.
For now the equipment is open and running or can be … (10 comments)

Hanging Around on Sunday - 09/04/11 09:09 AM
Not only is it Sunday, but it's a long weekend. Today is perfect for spending all the time you like dangling your feet over a rock or anywhere you feel like for that matter. So go wiggle your toes in a pond or pump your feet on the pedals of your bike. Take the whole day to enjoy, because there is no shuffling your feet off to work tomorrow.

 
James QuarelloConnecticut Home Inspector2010 - 2011 SNEC-ASHI PresidentNRSB #8SS0022JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on … (9 comments)

From the Outside Looking Out - 09/03/11 08:16 AM
Taking photos during my inspections has become my entire note taking process. Why write when you can click, click, click. Digital cameras make it so easy. One of the many benefits of digital note taking is viewing the photos later on my computer. Sometimes I’m surprised at what shows up.
On a recent home inspection near the Connecticut shoreline, I noted a slider door with fogged glass. Milky glass is quite common to find and is caused by condensation between the two glass panes of a thermal pane window. Clouded glass is generally thought to be caused by a failed window … (9 comments)

Stemming The Tide - 09/02/11 08:01 AM
Since hurricane Irene blew up the east coast, the effects of the storm are still being felt by many, many people, in particular water and flooding. As a home inspector in Connecticut I regularly see the detrimental consequences of water on a home. Wood decay and water damage being the most dominant problems. The thing of it is, many times the problems were bound to happen due to bad construction.
On two recent and consecutive inspections I found the same issues with the decks on both homes. The first and most obvious problem, at least to my eyes, was the location … (15 comments)

 


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