I need your opinion on a feature of my website - 03/27/07 10:49 PM
I've installed landscape paintings as banners across the tops of most of the pages in my website. I think they look good but whether they look professional or are appropriate is another question. I'd like some opinions please!If you scroll through the top of the menu there are good ones and … (8 comments)
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Insulating Unvented Attics With Spray Foam - 03/26/07 04:31 PM
I didn't write this one, but it's good information...
by James Morshead
Closed-cell polyurethane foam provides the insulation, air barrier, and vapor retarder necessary for an unvented attic assembly
As a general contractor, I was taught that attic and cathedral ceiling assemblies should always be vented. Since then, however, studies have shown … (10 comments)
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Home Inspection Structural Problems: Recommend a Contractor or Engineer? - 03/26/07 03:52 PM
By Kenton ShepardOnce structural problems are found during the home inspection, the inspector will be faced with the decision of whether to recommend a qualified contractor or a structural or soils engineer. The agent and the client may or may not agree with with the inspector's decision.The advantage to recommending the engineer … (0 comments)
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Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: It can interfere with the transaction if not disclosed - 03/26/07 02:22 PM
By Kenton ShepardBecause agents I know have had problems with transactions falling apart because the buyer did not disclose a medical condition which left them sensitized to a variety of chemicals until after contracts wre signed, I am in the process of putting together a disclosure form to be made available … (3 comments)
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Straw Bale Home Basics - 03/22/07 03:19 AM
By Kenton Shepardedited by Laura Bartels Although homes have been built in the US using straw bales for over a hundred years, methods for their construction have evolved to meet the changing needs of their inhabitants.Building Science is the study of how buildings are affected by moisture, temperature changes and air movement.Rising … (2 comments)
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LOG HOME BASICS - 03/22/07 01:14 AM
By Kenton ShepardLog home types fall into two categories, Handcrafted and Manufactured.HANDCRAFTED LOG HOMESThere are two basic types of Handmade homes... Scribe-fit log homes are built using naturally-shaped wall logs which are each marked and cut to fit snugly over the log in the course below. A gasket material is … (1 comments)
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BUILDING SCIENCE BASICS - 03/22/07 01:07 AM
By Kenton Shepard BUILDING SCIENCE BASICSYour Home is Alive and Breathing IT HIDES BENEATH YOUR FLOOR It's always down there under the floor. Most of the time it's quiet and leaves you alone, but every once in a while, especially if you've ignored it for a long time, it … (0 comments)
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Why Proper Mold Sampling is so Tricky - 03/13/07 11:26 AM
By Kenton Shepard
If one compared airborne mold spore levels outside and inside the home over the course of a year, the results would look like a teeter-totter; higher inside during some weather conditions and higher outside during others. The same is true from one area inside the home to another. Notice … (0 comments)
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LIABILITY in Representing and Inspecting for Clients Who don't Speak English - 03/12/07 06:39 PM
By Kenton Shepard
Because of the process I went through while getting my English/Spanish phrase books for the building trades published, I have contacts with some pretty good translators. Translation is complicated by the fact that here in the US, we have Hispanics from all over Latin America, not just Mexico. … (0 comments)
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How Long will it Last: System and Component Lifespans - 03/12/07 01:54 PM
… (0 comments)
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Pre-listing Inspections - 03/12/07 01:39 PM
Having your home inspected by an inspector before you list is the recommendation found in the book, Sell Your Home For More by Nick Gromicko.
Eventually your buyers are going to conduct an inspection. You may as well know what they are going to find by getting there first. … (0 comments)
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The Not-for-profit Perspective on Mold Sampling - 03/12/07 01:23 PM
By Kenton Shepard
Mold is everywhere, every single home has it. Mold fungi are a natural, necessary part of the global environment. In the vast majority of homes in the US mold is not much of a problem and sampling to determine the species of mold fungus is a waste of time … (2 comments)
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Home Inspection Reports: What to Expect - 03/12/07 01:03 PM
By Kenton Shepard
In the early years of the Home Inspection Industry, Home Inspection Reports consisted of a simple checklist or a one or two-page narrative report. In the inspection business, descriptive phrases are called "narratives".
Prior to the mid 1970's, inspection reports followed no standard guidelines and for the most part there … (0 comments)
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How to Choose a Home Inspector - 03/12/07 11:25 AM
In choosing a Home Inspector it's naturally to want to get the most value for your money. In paying for an inspection, you should receive a professional Inspection Report meeting industry standards provided by a qualified inspector. You may find a cheap inspection or you may find a high-quality inspection, but you won't find a … (0 comments)
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Home Inspection of New Homes - 03/12/07 11:00 AM
A Building Inspector's job is to ensure that your new home meets code, not check systems and components to ensure that everything is installed correctly and working properly. He won't check details like door and window operation or alert you to any Miswired outlets (they're dangerous, but still work). He won't … (0 comments)
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When a Home Inspector Misses Something - 03/11/07 09:22 PM
By Kenton Shepard
Because they're human (yes, yes they are) sooner or later every home inspector is going to miss something. Believe it or not, this is actually a good opportunity.
One of the measures of an inspector's abilities is the gravity of the miss. Did they miss a structural issue … (3 comments)
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Home Inspection Abroad - 03/11/07 08:21 PM
As the recently-appointed president of the International Association of Certified Home Insepctors (InterNACHI) I'm tasked with developing inspection outside US borders.
We've been considering Latin America as a starting point for our efforts. In places like Mexico, buyers from the US, Canada, Japan, UK, Italy, Germany and France are spending lots … (0 comments)
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Inspecting solar homes: Passive and Active - 03/11/07 07:58 PM
By Kenton Shepard
In general, what to expect from a home inspector when it comes to inspecting passive solar, active solar or hybrid homes will vary with the degree to which the inspector you hire has taken the time to educate themselves. Most inspectors know a little about the common systems such … (0 comments)
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Inspecting strawbale homes: Will this Home Dissolve When it Rains? - 03/11/07 04:03 PM
By Kenton Shepard
Early last summer I was contacted by a woman suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) about inspecting a straw bale home. At the time I had a general idea of how they were built, but taking on the liability of inspecting one? Different story. I could disclaim the walls, but … (0 comments)
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Log home inspection: Disclaim the logs?!!! - 03/11/07 02:44 PM
By Kenton Shepard
When it was time to renew my E&O insurance and my provider told me they were requiring inspectors to disclaim the logs in log homes, I was shocked. They were forbidding me to give my client information about the most important system in the home! I'd like an explanation, Bob... … (0 comments)
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