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home inspectors in connecticut ct: Hot Stuff - 06/02/12 04:35 AM
There exist in any house at any time numerous potential fire hazards. The one component with the most fire potential would probably have to be the electrical system. A short circuit causing an electrical arc can start a fire faster than a kid with a book of matches and a can of lighter fluid. Fortunately the likelihood of this actually occurring, the arcing not a kid with matches, is relatively slim.
So why, I seem to ask myself many times a week, would anyone want amp up the risk. Usually it seems due to simple ignorance and or the other common … (17 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Fact or Fiction, the Tale of a Renovation - 05/19/12 03:43 AM
The real estate market the last few years has been, at least in my area, inundated with houses that have been bought at a low priced , fixed up and then put back on the market. The buyer now seller's purpose being to make a profit on the property. These investors are most often referred to as flippers.
Now I have nothing against anyone making a living by flipping houses, but there are rules involved in construction that have to be followed. Many have to do with the safety and general well being of the occupants of the property. The method … (17 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Caulk, The Contractors Duct Tape - 04/30/12 05:12 AM
In the over 10 years I have been inspecting homes, I have seen many "creative" uses by homeowners for duct tape. The general theory seems to be, if a little is good an entire roll is better. Now "professionals" rarely rely on duct tape for finish work or repairs. The adhesive, crack filler and all around fixer upper for the contractor has to be caulk. Now don't get me wrong, caulk has many proper uses in construction and is necessary in the installation of many components, but the creative contractor mind often knows no bounds.
Or can be uneducated and misinform.
… (10 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Too Many Posts - 04/20/12 04:37 AM
Blogging can be a challenging task. Coming up with a post every day, well at least a few times a week anyway can be daunting. One really can never have too many post in the little Active rain community. Besides if you were to have too many, you don't get any points.
For me as a home inspector posts or columns as they are often called, have an entirely different meaning and purpose. A post, column, pier whatever name is attached to this component, it is meant to due one thing, support something securely in place. When I see what almost … (9 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Hidden Dryer Danger - 03/31/12 05:40 AM
Home inspectors often discuss the dangers of clothes dryers with clients. The focus is mainly on the dryer vent and lint. It's fairly simple to understand why it presents a potential danger. It is also easy to see the colorful and fragrant fuzz. Yet there is a danger that is not so easily seen, unless one is trained to identify the risk.
Clothes dryers are a relatively new appliance in our homes. I can remember growing up, every house had a clothes line. A good many have been retrofitted into houses, unlike in more modern construction where the hook ups are … (10 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Runs Like A Bunny - 03/15/12 05:05 AM

Built to last, or they don’t build them like they used to, are a couple of statements that I hear quite a bit. They usually follow the discovery of some ancient but still working component in a house.
For instance the other day I walked into the basement of a house built in 1938 to discover what was unquestionably the original boiler standing ready in the corner. I had no doubt this old work horse functioned and when I turned up the thermostat Old Reliable fired right away. I have found many such boilers over the years. Huge behemoths wrapped … (50 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Planning Gone Awry - 02/20/12 04:41 AM

John Steinbeck wrote, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. I was reminded of this truism on a recent inspection as I tried to open the kitchen window in front of the sink. The crank handle of the window is obstructed by the faucet neck. The good news is the other window next to it is fine and this can be fixed with a different handle. 
Even when we plan well, something can still get in our way.
 
 
James QuarelloConnecticut Home InspectorFormer SNEC-ASHI PresidentNRSB #8SS0022JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more … (17 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Nailed or Screwed - 02/17/12 05:41 AM
Fasteners, not a fascinating subject by any stretch. I have listen to engineers talk about nails and screws on several occasion, wishing I had went and got a root canal instead. Yes fasteners are not all that interesting, however where they are used and what type can be very critical.
If there is one structure I find during home inspections that has routine fasteners issues, its decks. I’ve said before, decks are a favorite project of the minimally skilled weekend warrior and sub par contractors. Often the issues I find are to do with what else, fasteners.
By far the most … (23 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: What Goes In, Must Come Out - 02/09/12 08:35 AM
There is nothing I can think of that has an infinite capacity on this planet. Sooner or later, if something is put in, the vessel reaches capacity and something must come out or a failure will occur. One example I use quite frequently as a home inspector is with regard to forced air type heating systems. For these types of systems to operate efficiently, not only must they “force” air into the rooms, it also must be removed at the same time. If the air is not given a way out, the system operates almost like a person trying to blow … (24 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Height Junkie - 02/03/12 08:12 AM
As a kid I loved climbing trees. I wasn’t content to snake my away among the limbs, finding a good perch to sit and dangle my feet. No, I would try to climb to the very top. Shinnying up the thinnest branches that stretched out like fingers trying to grab the clouds. They seemed to be seeking the same thing as me, height.
I was a height junkie. I loved climbing trees or hiking the nearby mountains, where the view from the cliffs fed my fervor for altitude. I was and still can’t understand those that get squeamish about elevation. Vertigo … (15 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Unzipped - 01/28/12 08:57 AM
Zzzzzzip, that sound means your pants are secure, your jacket and you are ready to head out into the cold or that silky black dress is seconds from hitting the floor. When we say something is “zipped up tight” we take it to mean all is safe and sound.
Houses are not zipped together, at least not yet. Maybe sometime in the future someone will invent a way to zipper up a house. Today and for the last couple hundred years or so, houses are fastened together with thousands of nails and screws. Nails had a profound effect on building houses. … (17 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Dropping the Ball - 01/26/12 08:43 AM
There are times when we put forth our best effort and come up short of our goal. If it’s a personal goal, we have usually disappointed no one but ourselves. When working / playing on a team, it can be a let down for the entire group. Reminds me of the kicker from the game on Sunday. Who would want to be that guy?
It seems of late I have been inspecting quite a few modular homes. First of all I do not think they are inferior to stick built homes. In fact there are some qualities of the construction process … (48 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Emergence - 10/26/11 08:25 AM
Still, damp, dark Waiting Stirring, moving,struggling Emergence

 
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.
… (5 comments)

 


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