Many insurance companies will no longer insure knob and tube wiring. Those that do tend to charge much higher premiums. In my view, often the biggest problem with knob and tube has less to do with the original wiring than the way people have butchered it over the years. For example, in the photo
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09/20/2007
For some reason, homeowners insist on putting in obstacles that make access to their electric panels unsafe. That in itself is a defect to be called out on an inspection report. To be considered accessible, a panel must have an open area at least 30" x 3' deep at the front; about 5 1/2' of space
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09/20/2007
A masonry chimney on the roof almost always has, or should have at least, a metal flashing around it. This is usually described in four sections. At the top, behind the chimney, is the head flashing. At the front, low side, is the apron flashing. Probably the most critical flashings are the step
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09/20/2007
The purpose of a junction box is to safely contain splices inside the box. This keeps people from coming in contact with live voltages. And, should the splices build up resistance and overheat, the box confines the wires and reduces the chances of a fire. If you think about it, it all makes sense
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09/18/2007
Keeping the duct from the dryer clean seems like a no brainer. On the other hand, this is one of the most often cited defects at the typical home inspection. What we inspectors see ranges from the duct having come loose behind the dryer (and lint is everywhere) to lint hanging from the exhaust h
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09/18/2007
A much misunderstood aspect of home maintenance involves caulking. What to caulk and what not to caulk, and where does it work? Basically, caulking is not a substitute for good workmanship. I have seen houses where the siding was cut short, with an inch between the butt end of the siding and the
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09/18/2007
When looking at electrical safety, probably the two biggest concerns are shocks/ electrocution and fire hazards. With old wiring, as connections and insulation deteriorate, it can lead to wires and connections attaining higher temperatures. Physics is involved: You have voltage, amperage and res
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09/18/2007
A home inspector never knows what to expect when inspecting wood stoves, fireplaces and chimneys. In my part of the country you can usually expect to find a dirty flue, full of dark, oozing creosote. It seems that lots of people think that having a chimney regularly cleaned applies to someone els
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09/12/2007
Out of sight, out of mind. That seems to be the attitude of many people when it comes to the condition of the crawl space. Often homeowners do not even know that the crawl space has problems because workers leave the mess and do not post signs saying they did a sloppy job. In crawl spaces, common
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09/12/2007
While the two photos below are not from the same home, they are presented to make a point. The top photo gives a great example of the way people let trees smother a roof. This kind of vegetation, pretty much no matter what you do, will create additional stress on the roof. Needles and leaves end
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09/10/2007
