Bellingham WA Home Inspector's Blog -- King of the House Home Inspection

Follow me
By
Home Inspector - King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Home Inspector Lic #207
Steven L. Smith, King of the House Home Inspection, is a licensed and working home inspector and lead instructor of home inspection at Bellingham Technical College. Smith was a two-term member of the WA state licensing board and is adjunct faculty for Washington State University and the Washington State Department of Agriculture. ASHI certified inspector. The information in this blog is designed to appeal to residents of the Pacific Northwest.

ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS

2009 

I know that I have talked about this before, but below is an excellent photo of how dryer flex ducting should not be used. Okay, let us be practical. People like convenience and using a short little section of this accordion style flex duct right behind the dryer is par for the course even at ne...
11/29/2009
This is one that people seldom think about. Either the food disposal grinds and operates, it does not grind or it leaks. What they never think about is how the disposal is wired. I would say that, at least 25% of the time, I find that disposals are wired with the wrong cable. The disposal should...
11/29/2009
Here outside Bellingham, we have what you might call a bedroom community on Lummi Island. Lummi Island is a small island, part of the San Juan Islands. The last census, another one is going on now, put the population at 822. A real estate office on the island states that, as a result of the buil...
11/29/2009
Homeowners don't always do it, but most of them know that they should have their furnace cleaned and professionally checked-out and serviced about every year or two. On the other hand, it seems that these same people have no clue that the gas log fireplace also requires periodic cleaning and a p...
11/28/2009
The other day a seller gave me his blunt opinion of home inspectors. He made it clear that he disagreed with the general idea of a home inspector citing a problem at an older home if that problem might be, reasonably, expected at a home of that age. I guarantee you that if an inspector used that...
11/28/2009
It seems like almost everyone knows that wood to earth contact is and will lead to rot. That is one fact that I find even novice clients have been told, and pickup on, during inspections. But, the thing that fewer people know is that even the various masonry sidings should not be down in the soi...
11/27/2009
Since I was a kid, I have heard a number of people refer to those of us in Washington state as "moss backs." I am not sure it is all that flattering a description but it is, also, not all that untrue either. To get that point across, I will show you some photos of our moss. Our climate, no doubt...
11/26/2009
In the wet Pacific Northwest, it is essential that roofers put metal flashings or even a shingle over the various rafter tails or fascia that extend out from the house -- typically at the ends of the gutters. When that simple step is neglected, it ends up that, inevitably, there will be deterior...
11/25/2009
Sometimes I find the psychology of working with clients interesting or even amusing. I think that, to a large degree, that is the result of the general public not really knowing what the home inspector is looking for. Are we there to straighten the pictures on the wall, or something more signifi...
11/22/2009
Vinyl siding is a very common siding in my area. Some people love it, others hate it. I have found it on high-end homes and low-end homes. I knew one fellow who had it put on a very high-priced custom home because he never wanted to paint. As the years go by, vinyl tends to get brittle. I think ...
11/22/2009
Rainmaker
1,248,786

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspector
local_phone(360) 319-0038
smartphone(360) 319-0038
Contact The Author
Steven L. Smith, King of the House Home Inspection, provides information for real estate buyers, sellers and real estate industry professionals. Blog posts emphasize issues commonly found in Bellingham, WA and Whatcom County. Smith is Washington State Licensed Home Inspector #207, a state licensed structural pest inspector, ASHI certified inspector #252760 and one of the most experienced inspectors in the northwest corner of the Pacific Northwest. Steven L. Smith is lead instructor of home inspection at Bellingham Technical College and teaches classes for Washington State University and the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Steve was a two-term member of the state licensing board.