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

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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

2010 

This is a significant blog, and of importance, written by Charles Buell.      This is the 3rd in a series of posts I am doing on pending legislation that affects Licensed, Washington State, Home Inspectors----which in turn affects the real estate industry as a whole.      Senate Bill 6433  would...
01/31/2010
Normal water pressure is defined as between 40 and 80 PSI. Frankly, most plumbers feel that 80 PSI is too high and that it puts extra stress on plumbing fixtures. At a one-story home, most plumbers that I know suggest a reading of about 50 PSI. If there are more stories at a house, then add abou...
01/27/2010
Posts, and any structure designed for support, have to have bearing. That means the component has to rest on something stable, like a footing. In this case, at an older home, this post has no bearing. It is hanging. Sure, it would be nice if it also had an impervious membrane under the post to p...
01/25/2010
How much water is acceptable in the crawl space? Well, in theory, the answer is zero water. On a more practical level, you want as little water as is possible. Unfortunately, at least in Bellingham and the wet northwest, the fact is that many homes are built on lots that, in one way or another, ...
01/21/2010
A home inspector spends a significant amount of time inspecting the exterior of a home. That inspection will include decks, gutters, soffits, siding, etc. Along with finding siding problems, and all the other issues that can turn up, an inspector is likely to find issues with either wood trim or...
01/19/2010
Working in Bellingham and Whatcom County at King of the House Home Inspection, I know that, often, homeowners do not understand why there are mice or rats under the home. For the home inspector the answer might be quite obvious. That answer is that the rodents have easy access. These access poin...
01/16/2010
Often, when doing a re-inspection, the home inspector finds that the contractor only "half- read" the report so the contractor only got the repair "half-right." This photo would be an example. The copper pipe at the left is the drain from a TPR valve on a water heater.  Using basic guidelines (I...
01/15/2010
Most of us in real estate, inspectors or agents, know that wood to soil contact will, over time, lead to the wood decaying. While pressure-treated lumber is more suitable than ordinary lumber when wood is in contact with soil, it too will decay. With pressure-treated lumber, if you really want i...
01/11/2010
Frost-free hose bibbs are designed to drain when the water is shutoff. It will run out past the valve and by draining all of the water, the hose bibb is not so prone to freezing. The point where the water is really shutoff is inside the home or the wall where it is warmer. The whole purpose of t...
01/10/2010
Especially in wooded areas or where people garden, they often like "natural" steps. These are likely to be wood, such as logs, or stones such as in the photo below. People can put in whatever kind of steps that they fancy. The fact is, however, that the risk of a tripping fall increases with the...
01/10/2010
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Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspector
local_phone(360) 319-0038
smartphone(360) 319-0038
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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.