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home inspectors in connecticut ct: Connecticut's Bloom in Bloom on a Wordless Wednesday - 05/30/12 03:59 AM
 

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

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Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.
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home inspectors in connecticut ct: Pretzels, Braids or Twists? - 05/26/12 04:52 AM
Everyone enjoys pretzels. They go so well with certain adult beverages, mustard or just by themselves. The most common form of pretzel is the familiar twist. There are also braids and pretzel sticks. No matter the form, they taste delicious.
Pretzel has also become a word associated with something or even someone that is twisted. My favorite being Pretzel Logic.
When inspecting an electric panel in a Connecticut home recently I was reminded of pretzels, braided pretzels. Now I'm certain when most people look at the inside of a standard house electric panel, they are reminded of another food, spaghetti. The … (28 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: An All Electric House - 05/21/12 04:46 AM
Yes its true, there are many all electric houses. No gas or oil to provide heat or hot water, which in Connecticut can be a very pricy way to run your home. For those who aren't aware Connecticut has some of the highest electric rates in the country.
As a home inspector in Connecticut inspecting the electric system is one part of the home inspection process. One of the most important parts of the electrical system in each and every house is of course the electric service panel. Typically the panel is located in some out of the way part of … (8 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Making Permanent Bonds - 05/13/12 05:09 AM
On this mothers day, we celebrate arguably the strongest bond in nature, the mother child bond. No atomic attraction, no chemical bond, not even gravitational pull can be said to be as powerful. A mother's dedication is so inherent, she will sacrifice her own well being to protect her children.
Since I am a home inspector, I may not possess strong motherly bonds, but I do seek out bonding. No, not hanging out the guys, I look for it in electrical panels.
Electrical bonding and grounding is a subject that will put the most enthusiastic student into a stupor. Believe me, … (6 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Everyone Loves a Warm Bath - 05/07/12 04:04 AM
You have finished up a long work out session with the lawn or maybe you just finished exercising, you're sticky, stinky and your muscle ache. A nice hot bath is just the ticket to loosen those tired tight muscles. If you happen to have whirlpool tub, so much the better.
I see whirlpool tubs in quite a few homes I inspect here in Connecticut. I also see many that aren't used often. How do I know? When I fill the tub and run those massaging jets, black goop spurts into the bubbling water.
Part of inspecting a jet tub is as … (8 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Sometimes They Get it Right - 05/04/12 05:04 AM
Anyone reading posts by home inspectors will eventually see the same theme regarding flipped properties, they are usually a nightmare providing LOTS of blog fodder. Not wanting to be a Debbie Downer all the time. I'm very pleased to report on a flipped house I inspected recently where the flipper did a great job.
Most often the a flipped house is prettied up with a new kitchen and baths, new floors and paint, but the 75 year old boiler is left untouched along with the outdated wiring, plumbing...you get the idea.
On this property the eye candy was kept to a … (26 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Things I Shouldn't See or How to Flash Legally - 04/16/12 03:43 AM
Let's face it, there are some things in life we shouldn't, don't want to ever see. A few come immediately to mind, but they are too R rated to continue, sooo... I can give you a PG example. I really shouldn't, don't want to ever see my sister making out hot and heavy with some guy. It skeeves me even now to imagine it.
Getting back on track, this is a home inspection blog after all, there are lots of things I shouldn't be seeing in houses, yet I see all the time. In fact there is stuff I find done … (8 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Attic Assets or Who's Living in Your House - 04/13/12 04:10 AM
Any home inspector who has been around for a time has at least one. No not flashlights or ladders, all though that would be true, I'm speaking of stories of critters found in the attic. Some inspectors have been scarred for life by these wildlife encounters, most have shrugged off the run in as an every day possibility of the job.
When home inspectors talk about animals in attic, they do not speak of the usual residents of the rafters, spiders, mice and assorted insects. However bees and hornets are in a class all their own. We talk of encounters with … (6 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: But it Still Works - 03/28/12 05:38 AM
What I find astounding is when inspecting a house I find a component that by all rights should not be functioning. For instances an ancient heating system that that looks like a cauldron from hell, but fires right up the moment the thermostat is turned. Often things that look bad, usually operate the way the appear or not at all.
Usually.
The one thing or should I say force that does not go by the looks bad is bad rule is electricity. As I just alluded to, electricity is a force of nature that man has learned to harnessed. We understand … (11 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Tales of The Dript - 03/27/12 05:29 AM
When strolling down the plumbing aisle at the local home improvement store, particularly the pipe section, can one not help remembering erector sets and tinker toys. The plethora of various shaped and sized pipes can be configured in a multitude methods. The mind reels at the possibilities. Then it's back to reality.
At least for the most sensible.
Recently while inspecting a furnace with an A/C coil on top, a splash of color caught my eye. The color was red. How appropriate.
Staring for a moment I saw this red tube was coming from the bottom of A/C coil section. It … (8 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Everyone Loves a Nice, Cozy Blanket - 03/25/12 06:04 AM
There is nothing like crawling under a big fluffy blanket on a frigid night. Snuggling yourself down into a wooly cover, creating your personal womb of warmth. It’s so nice and toasty you never want to leave.
Houses are also wrapped in blankets to keep them warm or in the summer cool. I’m speaking of course of insulation. The most visible insulation in most homes is in the attic. It is also where most homeowners add insulation in order to save energy. The attic is certainly the most effective place in a home to install extra insulation, as the largest portion … (24 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: No Escape - 03/21/12 05:05 AM
One of my favorite movies when I was a kid was The Great Escape with Steve McQueen. It would run for two nights on TV because it was such a long movie. The movie was set in an “escape proof” World War II German POW camp. Captain Hilts played by Steve McQueen is an independent character, who tries to escape on his own several times. After each attempt he’s quickly caught and thrown into the cooler where he whiles away his time bouncing a baseball off the wall. The cell is a concrete box with a door and a small window … (10 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: The Need to Come Out of the Closet - 03/19/12 05:05 AM
Let’s face it closets are made for clothes, so the only thing going into or coming out of a closet should be that, clothes. Now as a home inspector in Connecticut I know that people put all kinds of other stuff in their closets. I am not snooping, well yes I am, but I’m not being nosey. It’s my job to open every door look in every space. In my many years now inspecting houses I have seen a lot non clothes items inside of closets. People have to store their stuff somewhere, right?
Now as a home inspector there are … (6 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Structural Air Support - 03/17/12 05:41 AM
Air support is something you hear a soldier screaming for into a field phone in a war movie as his troop is pummeled by the enemy. Things look bleak until the flyboys come whistling in to save the pinned down grunts, strafing and dropping bombs all over the bad guys. It’s always a dramatic scene.
Home inspections can have some dramatic moments as well. Not that when I find issues I turn them into a little drama production, but instead they can have a dramatic impact on the buyer and ultimately the sale.
During an inspection not long ago I found … (8 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Piling On The Bad - 03/09/12 04:56 AM
If there is one thing I have repeatedly stated, it is that I dislike wood mulch. It’s not that I think it’s ugly or that it has an unpleasant odor, because it’s not any of those reasons. I hate what people do to their homes when they chose to heap it on repeatedly. Piling layer on top of layer until the wood mulch has come in contact with their wood house. That is unless their house is clad in stucco.
During a recent inspection on a house with a beautifully landscaped yard, I found the wood mulch plowed up against the … (10 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Too Much Ambition, Not Enough Knowledge - 03/07/12 05:20 AM
I find that younger people have almost boundless enthusiasm and energy. My two girls and their friends are a delight to observe, for they have a beautiful innocence to their minds. Imaginations as yet unfettered by years of non petitioned adult life lessons and the realities of growing up. It can make a grown up’s heart ache for the lost bliss of youth.
As a home inspector I also observe instances of bound less energy, enthusiasm and innocence not unlike a child’s. Quite often I find the home owner who is the consummate do it yourselfer….or so they would appear to … (12 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: The Consequences of Being Too High - 03/06/12 03:40 AM
Have you ever had a little too much fun? You don’t feel very well afterwards. Now can you imagine being in that state day after day? After a time, abusing your body will begin to take its toll on you physically. You will become worn down and sooner or later something is going to fail.
This is exactly what I saw happening the other day…to a house.
The most terrible thing I saw was one of the worst cases of being too high I have ever seen. Take a look at the patio along the back of this house. The slab … (6 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: Something Just for the Guys - 03/01/12 03:36 AM
Us guys have certain needs, just like the ladies. You know how it is men, the ladies are always telling us about their needs and how we can satisfy those wishes. Heck it’s a full time job, right fellas? Well how about a little something for the man of the house. Guys are simple creatures; it doesn’t take much to make us happy. For example how about this bathroom fixture. Now there’s something I could get used to. No more hearing about forgetting to put down the seat. 

 
James QuarelloConnecticut Home InspectorFormer SNEC-ASHI PresidentNRSB #8SS0022JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
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home inspectors in connecticut ct: It’s a Gusher! - 02/28/12 04:04 AM
I’m not prone to gushing. In fact I don’t believe I have ever gushed. My two girls on the other hand are most definitely gushers. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Now I hear that in the oil business a gusher is a well that is gushing lots and lots of oil. This is good gushing, just like my girls.

The other morning while starting an inspection on a home with an on site water well, no oil wells here in Connecticut, I found the outside hose spigot was off. Nothing unusually about that in February. I headed to … (40 comments)

home inspectors in connecticut ct: In Need of a Support Group - 02/27/12 04:02 AM
No, I’m not down on my luck; life hasn’t thrown me a wicked curve. There is no doubt however we all need a little boost to get us through a rough patch now and again. I was reminded the other day about the importance of a good support system.
While inspecting the basement of a house here in Connecticut, I rounded a corner in the basement and saw a saggy sight. This particular house was built in the 1960s. At that time copper was being used for the waste drain pipes as well as the supply pipes. Sometime in the early … (14 comments)

 


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