connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: Go To Your Room And Stay There! - 02/08/11 08:32 AM
Children, I love mine very much, but there are those times.... Getting sent to my room was rare for me (you believe that I have a bridge for sale). Now other kids I heard went there often as punishment for things like putting worms in their sisters hair. The family who puts their children in the bedroom shown here are very strict indeed...and monumentally foolish among other things.
The big problem with this bedroom is that little window high up on the wall. Let's imagine this scenario;
The kids are sent off to bed at 8 like usual. At 3 in … (68 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: The Big Green Lawn Turtle - 01/25/10 03:50 PM
When running the sink or flushing the toilet not much thought is given to how the "stuff" going down the drain leaves the house. Most folks know there is a set of pipes that the "stuff" travels through on its way to destinations unknown. The one significant difference between the pipes that bring water into the house and those that take the unpleasant stuff away is pressure.
Drains usually operate solely on gravity. If you go and look at any of the drain pipes in a home they will be pitched. Gravity basically takes all the nasty junk in the pipes … (13 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: A House of a Different Shape - 12/28/09 04:26 PM
I was driving to an inspection not too long ago and almost went off the road when I spied this house. I was driving along a winding wooded country road and all of sudden there it was, a domed house. On my way back from the inspection I stopped and took this picture.
It seems the owners are putting a new roof on the place. I would imagine the rounded roof would be a bit of a challenge to seal. There are also triangular "skylights" in the roof. You can see one at the right sticking out of the roof. There … (17 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: An Invisible View Revealed - 10/22/09 07:37 AM
I love technology and gadgets and who doesn't. My job as a Connecticut home inspector allows me to buy cool stuff and use for my job. How great is that!
One of my favorite tools and most costly is the infrared camera. This device measures the surface temperature of anything you point it at in real time. It can actually seem like you are looking through an object, but in fact are seeing the differences in temperature due to material composition, density and other variables.
On a recent inspection I was scanning a home with a steam heating system. The rooms … (11 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: Are You Smarter Than a Home Inspector--The Answer - 08/22/09 06:52 AM
Yesterday I wrote a post titled Are You Smarter Than a Home Inspector asking non home inspectors to identify the defects in an electric panel. No one actually took a guess. Chickens, LOL. Well today I will show you the answer.
You can see the same panel at the right but now it's labeled.
By the way my intent was not to embarrass anyone, but to show that we all have specialized jobs. Once in a whle you run into someone who thinks they can do what you do. They might say something like "that looks easy" or some other silly … (13 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: Are You Smarter Than a Home Inspector? - 08/21/09 08:41 AM
My apologies for the tile as I "borrowed" it from the show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader". My oldest daughter loves the show and we all have fun watching it together. If you have never seen the show Google it and check it out.
The impetus for this post is a recent blog by Robert Snowden titled Is There Any Value In A Home Inspection? It was not so much the blog itself that gave me the inspiration but, a few of the responses that I found to be a little, let's say unrealistic.
Whether you're a home buyer, … (10 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: What Do You Find on Dogs, Priests and Water Heaters? - 07/22/09 07:35 AM
Seems like an incongruous list, but all do have something in common; collars. As you would suspect the topic is collars for water heaters not dogs or priests. Actually the collar in question is for the flue pipe of the water heater or combustion appliance.
Flue pipes are for safely transporting the products of combustion to the exterior. The gases they carry are hot. To get the pipe to the exterior it will often have to be sent through a wall or ceiling. When the pipe is passed through a wall or ceiling a collar is installed to insulate the wall … (19 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: A Chamber of Imaginable Horrors - 07/09/09 08:11 AM
Everyone's gone at one time or another to the Fun House at the carnival. It's supposed to be a walk or ride through a scary chamber of horrors. The journey through is about as scary as a litter of kittens. About the only ones who get spooked are the littlest kids.
Yet there are real life situations that can be scary. Not a bogeyman jumping out of the dark and scaring the crap right out of you kind of scary, but a holy cow that could really turn into a bad situation with people getting hurt kind of scary.
A fireplace … (14 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: Born on Dating - 07/08/09 06:07 AM
Does anyone remember the born on dating kick with the beer companies some years ago. One start up company put an expiration date for the beer on the bottles. So in response the big established companies began putting a "born on date" on their bottles and cans.
Did you know that electrical wire has a born on date? Yes indeed it sure does. How is that even important? Well if you're a home inspector or a home buyer it can let you know about when something was done. For example when the new electric service was put in or about when … (9 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: Sometimes the Hard Part Isn't the Inspection - 07/07/09 06:07 AM
As an inspector I go poking through people's home getting into every accessible nook and cranny. I see a lot of things during the course of an inspection. You get a glimpse, whether you want to or not, of a persons or families life.
At times that can be a bit difficult for me as my thoughts turn inward. I think about myself and where I may end up some day. This is especially true when I see a home that the folks have passed away or whose health is too bad to stay in their home any longer.
I … (17 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: The Case of the Missing Peg Leg - 07/06/09 06:10 AM
Every pirate movie ever made has a peg legged member of the scallywag crew. And who could forget Captain Ahab who lost his leg to the great white whale Moby Dick. Argh.
Yes sir the peg leg has been around a long time and has served its purpose well. Actually the peg leg is still around today in another duty. Not as a limb replacement for obsessed whale hunting seamen, but as an important part of gas piping.
Natural gas or propane is referred to often as the clean fuel and for the most part that is essentially true. When feeding … (7 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: Taking a Peek From Down Under - 07/04/09 06:09 AM
You ever have to crawl under a car because you found a mysterious spot on the garage floor? Or had a funny odor in the house and you needed to go under the house. (like a home inspector)
Many homes in Connecticut have wells. Some towns do not have public water at all so right away I know I will have a well system to inspect. The most obvious sign of a well on the property is the well head poking out of the ground in the yard.
Wells fall in to basic categories, deep and shallow. Deep wells will have … (12 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: HOLY EXPOSURE! - 07/03/09 06:15 AM
Is what Robin the boy wonder said when Batman ripped his tights. Exposing certain objects to the world can have detrimental consequences and in some instances cause a little embarrassment.
Take for example electrical wires. Exposed wire is not very desirable or safe. The wires in our homes and buildings are covered with insulation not only to protect us from them, but to shield each wire from the others. Touching two live wires together can yield some spectacular fireworks, which is why for many, many years now wires have been insulated.
(A little aside, originally wires were not covered and fires … (15 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: Making the Wrong Connection - 07/02/09 06:04 AM
Have you ever made the wrong connection? You were putting something together and it didn't go together quite right. Dads know all about that at Christmas.
When a contractor or a licensed professional makes connections they should be made right, period. No extra or mystery pieces left over when the job is done. Everything in its place.
When non-professionals tackle a job some times wrong connections are made. These bad connections usually occur out of a lack of knowledge or laziness or both.
Take for instance this pretty yellow gas pipe with its nice matching new yellow valve. Looks sweet, don't … (13 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: 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)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: A Creepy Attic With A Morning Fresh Scent - 05/23/08 09:05 AM
The attic is often if not always less than a pleasant place. Much like the basement it can be kind of creepy. Bugs, rodents and other creepy crawlies love to inhabit the attic. You can feel your hair standing on end just thinking about it!
I entered an attic the other day that was kind of...well nice, at first. I noticed almost immediately a very pleasant, familiar scent. I was pondering the odor and looking around when I noticed some very large and numerous...spider webs!?
Hardly an unusual find in an attic, but these were different. First off they were sort … (9 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: A Creepy Attic With A Morning Fresh Scent - 05/23/08 09:00 AM
The attic is often if not always less than a pleasant place. Much like the basement it can be kind of creepy. Bugs, rodents and other creepy crawlies love to inhabit the attic. You can feel your hair standing on end just thinking about it!
I entered an attic the other day that was kind of...well nice, at first. I noticed almost immediately a very pleasant, familiar scent. I was pondering the odor and looking around when I noticed some very large and numerous...spider webs!?
Hardly an unusual find in an attic, but these were different. First off they were sort … (5 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: Don't Choke the A/C - 04/29/08 05:43 PM
The outdoor compressor for central air conditioning is the heart of the system. It re-cools the hot refrigerant from the indoor coil located in the systems air handler. The efficiency of the system is greatly dependant on how well the compressor is able to perform this function. It is important therefore to be certain the compressor is able to breathe freely in order to dissipate the heat from the indoor coil. Unfortunately due to homeowner neglect and or poor initial installation this is too often not the case.
The first two photos are quite a common occurrence. Mulch packed up and … (5 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: Don’t Choke the A/C - 04/29/08 10:25 AM
The outdoor compressor for central air conditioning is the heart of the system. It re-cools the hot refrigerant from the indoor coil located in the systems air handler. The efficiency of the system is greatly dependant on how well the compressor is able to perform this function. It is important therefore to be certain the compressor is able to breathe freely in order to dissipate the heat from the indoor coil. Unfortunately do to homeowner neglect and or poor initial installation this is too often not the case. The first two photos are quite a common occurrence. Mulch packed up and … (0 comments)
|
connecticut ct ashi certified home inspections: Lead Facts and Information - 09/19/07 09:32 AM
JRV Home Inspection Services Lead InformationWhat Connecticut CT Home Buyers Should Know Before Hiring a Certified Lead InspectorLead poisoning, especially in young children, is a serious health issue in Connecticut and throughout the United States. Lead poisoning affects people from every region, race and socioeconomic background. It causes irreparable damage to the body and is most debilitating to very young children. Lead based paint is the most common source of lead poisoning. It has been used extensively for decades and was the paint of choice because of its durability. All lead-based paints were banned from residential use in 1978.The following information … (0 comments)
|
;)
;)
;)
