ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: ASHI achieves National Certification Accreditation - 01/06/10 05:50 PM
True certification is rare to find in any industry. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) recently accomplished third party independent certification. This blog by Scott Patterson explains the significance of this milestone in the home inspection industry.
Via Scott Patterson - Middle TN Home Inspector (Trace Home Inspections):
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Higher Cooking - 08/04/09 08:43 AM
Home appliances are components that most inspectors will check during a home inspection, but are often not a required part of the inspection. Most Standards of Practice do not mention house hold appliances or exclude them from the inspection.
I do check the kitchen appliances during the inspection. The cook top is where I frequently find a problem, specifically the clearance to the microwave-range hood.
The minimum clearance should be 24 inches to the bottom of the hood -microwave unless the manufacturers installation instructions state otherwise.
This is problematic during an inspection since the installation instructions are almost never available for … (15 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Be Careful, He Might Bite - 07/12/09 09:18 AM
Have you ever have gone into a house and the owners have a dog? You walk in and the dog comes charging up to you tail wagging. Just as you're reaching out your hand the owner warns you off with, "careful sometimes he bites". WHOA!
Now you're thinking, can't you put that beast in a cage or something? Kind of irresponsible to let a dog loose on an unsuspecting person when you know it might bite.
Sometimes I find that same kind of irresponsibility in homes with another kind of "animal", electricity.
Everyone knows electricity is dangerous and can "bite" if … (16 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Starve a Flue - 06/26/09 07:37 AM
I make it a point if at all possible to check the inside of the chimney flues. You just never know what may be lurking inside that long dark shaft.
The digital camera is a great device for checking out flues. It's like having your eyes on a periscope. I can stick my hand inside a cleanout snap a picture pull it out and see what's inside. I got this shot recently on an inspection. I was giddy when I looked at it. It's a great shot! (inspectors get excited about stuff like this)
If you look at the picture you … (8 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Myths and Misinformation, Radon in Water - 06/22/09 09:05 AM
Radon is not an issue in every part of the country, but it certainly is here in Connecticut. There are basically two areas of testing for radon when buying a home, in the air and in water.
Testing the air is basically applicable to every house. Testing the water is only pertinent to homes with wells. The problem is home buyers who are purchasing homes with well water are often wrongly advised on testing the water for radon. The advice often given is to first test the air and only if a high radon level is present then do a test … (10 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Switch the Switch - 12/11/08 09:22 AM
Air conditioning components are not something the average person thinks about unless they stop working. Like everything installed in a house there are specific requirements for their installation.
Air conditioning compressors which are located outdoors require a service switch near the unit. The words "service switch" mean it is readily accessible to the HVAC professional or to anyone else who happens to walk by. Because these switches are easily accessed by anyone there should be some degree of safety built into them.
The first switch pictured has several defects that are safety and functionally concerning. The first and most disturbing is … (7 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Infrared Duality - 12/10/08 03:43 PM
With the growing number of companies offering infrared services this technology has become more common place. The infrared camera is a remarkable tool that can discover problems non-invasively in a wide array of applications. Since the camera is effectively a diverse instrument the operator too must be diverse in knowledge. There exists a dichotomy in this area of thermography between the skilled operation of the infrared camera and the knowledge of the component being investigated.
The main focus of infrared camera training is the dynamics and proper use of the instrument. Some attention however is given to the recognition of problems … (20 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Flashing That Won't Get You Arrested - 11/26/08 09:12 AM
Flashing on a home is an important component in water proofing the structure. The most common and visible flashings are usually found on the roof. Chimney flashings are frequently the most problematic since the chimney surface is difficult to adhere the flashing to in a weather tight fashion. Add in the angle of the roof and it's a formula for water infiltration.
Because this area is challenging to flash it obviously takes a certain amount of skill to accomplish the job correctly. Unfortunately skill and know how seemed to be in very short supply on this particular project.
The first photo … (9 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: This Joe Isn't No Plumber - 11/19/08 03:40 PM
Joe the Plumber made famous during the recent Presidential election was as near as we can tell was a real honest goodness licensed plumber. But what happens when Joes wanna be plumber cousin, Rufus, decides to get into business for himself. After all he's helped Joe on a few jobs and he knows the ropes or should I say pipes.
I believe Rufus was the plumber who worked on this two family home I inspected the other day.
The first photo is of a vent pipe rusted off the main vent stack. The pipe was made of black iron which is … (6 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: What Background Qualifies a Home Inspector? - 11/19/08 08:59 AM
Home inspection requires certain skills and knowledge exclusive to the profession. Yet a large amount of this background crosses over with other home and building related occupations. Because of this cross over it is often assumed that an engineer for example will be an exemplary home inspector. The operative word here is assumed.
No one former occupation can qualify any individual as a walk on home inspector. The profession brings together knowledge from the many specialized areas of home construction. So the engineer, who could be a chemical engineer, will not have much cross over skills relative to home inspection. However … (29 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Sometimes a Home Needs a Blanket - 11/18/08 10:09 AM
I have recently been discussing the use of facts while interpreting and writing inspection information. One of the non desirable actions in composing reports is using blanket recommendations. But sometimes it works for a particular house.
I inspected a small bungalow style home a few days ago where the electrical deficiencies were found quite literally through out the entire house.
As soon as I walked in the front enclosed porch this wiring gem greeted me. Lamp cord used to hard wire a light fixture. I turn around to follow this fine wiring job and bang, I find this beautiful splicing.
I … (7 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: When There's No Training, It Shows - 11/15/08 11:33 AM
When we are children we go to school to learn how to read and write and use math. As we get older we begin to focus on learning a specific trade or occupation, but maybe not always.
During a recent job I found deficiencies to the basic structure of a newer home, three years old, that were so incredible that it begged a few important questions.
First where did these guys learn their job? Who taught them framing and structure? Can they or do they look at and read plans. And the big one, why wasn't this caught by the local … (18 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Infrared Cameras and Other Home Inspection Gadgets - 11/12/08 02:46 PM
Home inspectors are known for using all manner of tools and nifty gadgets. I myself have a few. Tools are a great addition to your main arsenal of tools, your five senses. Most everyone is blessed with these basic senses and they are fantastic for doing most anything we need to accomplish. But sometimes we need to supplement or aid our natural gifts. That's where tools and gadgets come in. They can enhance our ability to perform a job but with one stipulation; they must be understood and used correctly.
As a home inspector I see the results of poor tool … (20 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Don't Forget to Turn Everything On - 11/10/08 03:19 PM
With the prevalence of foreclosures these days' home inspectors are inspecting many more of these kinds of properties. Usually what happens with bank owned properties is all the utilities get turn off and the home is winterized. This presents some what of a dilemma for the home inspector. You can not properly and thoroughly inspect a home where there are no functioning utilities.
What usually occurs can be several different varying scenarios. The home can be inspected as is, which does happen, but is not desirable. Many times some of the utilities may be on or get turned on and then … (10 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: High and Dry - 11/09/08 08:00 AM
Many homeowners dislike forced air heating because it's dry. The alternative is hydronic heat which is another way of saying heat supplied by hot water. This type of system incorporates a boiler, not a furnace, to heat the water that will either be circulated by a pump or turned to steam and then sent through the piping to the radiators.
It is important, no vital, to have water in the boiler. Not necessarily to have heat, but in order to not have a fire. With out water in the boiler the burner will super heat the tank which can eventually cause … (12 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: The Original Mold Resistance Wall Covering - 11/07/08 05:06 PM
Because mold has become such a major concern to everyone, mold resistant products are a growing industry. The most notable from my perspective is mold resistant sheetrock. But there were mold impervious wall and ceiling coverings many years ago. It's called plaster.
In this picture of a moldy ceiling the sheet rock is profusely growing mold while the old plaster ceiling in the lower center is virtually mold free.
This mold growth was caused by a major roof leak from around the chimney in this 1870s built house. The ceiling, walls and floors were all soaking wet without any rain for … (14 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Electricity in the Great Outdoors - 11/05/08 01:29 PM
Having wiring and other wire related electrical components outdoors is a fact of life. It has to be that way in order for us to have electricity in our homes. Even some of our electrical appliances are located outdoors such as an air conditioning compressor.
For outdoor wiring to happen and be safe there must be wiring and components made for outdoor use. They must be designed specifically to withstand the rigors of nature.
Luckily there are wires and components made just for use in the great outdoors. The problem is not everyone uses them.
Here we have indoor wire (white) … (7 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Baby Steps - 11/04/08 03:10 PM
When we first learn to walk we take small uneven steps and as a result we fall down a lot. But as practice makes perfect we master walking and take longer, evener strides moving along without much thought.
When walking up and down stairs the same even stepping is critical to our not falling down. We tread without conscious thought our brains anticipating the next stair to be in just the right place.
What happens when that next stair is not where our brain and our foot expects, we stumble, trip and fall.
This is why stair height (rise) and tread … (2 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: A Better Mold Sampling Method - 09/24/08 03:28 PM
During a home inspection a couple of days ago I had the unusual experience of my client conducting his own mold sampling. Now normally this would give me pause and it did initially. It turns out this gentleman is an industrial hygienist for the State of Connecticut. He samples for mold, and many other IAQ concerns, daily.
Once I learned of his credentials I was excited to have the opportunity to talk some "shop" with him. As we were chatting he was setting up his equipment. It looked like standard stuff I had used myself when doing mold sampling until opting … (4 comments)
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ashi certified ct connecticut home inspectors: Saving Energy, Correctly Sizing Heating Systems - 08/28/08 11:53 AM
As an energy auditor being conscious of how large the heating system is relative to the homes size is extremely important. After all it is the heating system that is costing the homeowner quite a bit of money to operate. Not to mention keeping them warm. The problem is that most system, especially older systems, are often greatly over sized for the job. In fact it was standard practice in the past to oversize the heating system by as much as 30%!
The rule of thumb, not a precise measure, is generally 50,000 gross BTUs of heating per 1000 square feet … (6 comments)
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