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bellingham home inspector: Relocation Inspections (Whatcom County) King of the House Home Inspection - 05/26/12 08:06 AM
The number of people moving to this very northwest corner of the Pacific Northwest, Whatcom County, is ongoing and the numbers are impressive. This is, to a large degree, the result of our geographical location -- the proximity to the USA-Canada border.
We have major border crossings in the county -- Blaine (two crossings), Lynden and Sumas. The Department of Homeland Security, over the last several years, has been moving more personnel to this part of the country. That includes U.S. Border Patrol, Customs, Immigration and all of the staff that guards or manages the border. The other phenomenon that we … (4 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House) Neoprene Stack Flashings - 04/16/12 09:54 AM
The commonly installed neoprene rubber stack flashings may be acceptable for a few years when used to flash the plumbing vents where they exit the roof. But these flashings are prone to problems, including deterioration as a result of the harsh environment up on the roof -- UV rays being primary, but also wind. This is a problem I run into frequently at inspections in Whatcom County and Bellingham.
If they are used with a roofing surface that has a fairly short design life, then they might last about as long as the roof or develop problems simultaneously with the roof. … (2 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words - 04/03/12 03:44 PM
We have all heard the expression -- "A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words." Every once in awhile, on an inspection, there is a photo-op that turns out to be quite amusing. Often, for whatever reason, the photos, at least in my case, involve some pet that decides to help me out while I am on-site with my camera.
I think, even if this guy is innocent (or not) the photo is pretty funny with the report text.
The weatherstripping on the garage-house door is shredded, suspected pet damage. Recommend replacing the weatherstripping so the door seals when shut.
… (10 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Green Building, By Default -- King of the House, Bellingham Home Inspector - 03/25/12 09:09 AM
Green building is a buzz word in our society today. I hear many agents and builders discussing green building and I run into clients who wish they were buying a green building.
Despite there being considerable controversy over the whole topic of green building and just how environmentally beneficial it is anyway, there is a type of green building that involves no controversy at all. We see this one frequently in the northwest and we can all agree that it is not a green condition that you want to have going on at your own house.
That is a gutter … (5 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: "Nuke-testing" for Fun and Profit, Bellingham, WA - 02/25/12 08:55 PM
A few months ago, a friend of mine who happens to be a home inspector, showed me this little gadget. The sole purpose of the gadget was to test the function of microwave ovens. Now, fact is, as a home inspector, the obligation for inspecting appliances in this state is pretty minimal -- we don't have to do so if we don't want to, per the state standards of practice.
From a marketplace standpoint, most of us do take a look at appliances as a service. It is basic: We check that range burners come on, that dishwashers don't seem to be … (14 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Some Like It Hotter (Whatcom County Real Estate Inspection) King of the House - 02/18/12 07:52 AM
… (9 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Day of the Iguana - 01/25/12 05:16 PM
Years ago there was a famous movie called Night of the Iguana. It was first a Tennessee Williams play that became a movie and it took place in Mexico in the 1940's. Richard Burton was a priest in the movie that went on to win an oscar for costumes.
My wife and I have been in tropical southern Mexico for going on two weeks now. And we were sitting on our terrace when we heard a noise -- looked over by a pot and there was a big lizard.
This is the third time, in as many years, that we have … (5 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: You're In Hot Water -- Bellingham Home Inspection - 01/24/12 03:24 PM
My wife often tells me that I am in hot water. Actually, in most cases, that is an expression that refers to my poor behavior versus anything to do with water.
However, in the course of doing home inspections in Bellingham and Whatcom county, I often find water heaters that are set too hot -- the water temperature set so high as to lead to a high probability of a scalding burn.
In this photo, the water is almost 137 degrees F. To reduce the probability of a scalding burn, water should be set no higher than 120 degrees F. … (6 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House) Water pressure - 01/17/12 11:00 AM
Assessing the adequacy of water pressure, among residents of a home, is often a case of perspective. I have seen people, used to a well system out in rural Bellingham or Whatcom county, move into a city home that had marginal pressure, per city standards, and they were thrilled. Other times, I have seen people look upon what I considered to be adequate pressure as poor pressure. It is all relative to what you are accustomed to.
Despite my saying it is relative, there are tests, and parameters, for pressure -- done with a simple water pressure gauge. The gauge above is showing water … (6 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Whatcom County WA -- Rare Snowy Owl Migration - 01/12/12 04:01 PM
My friend Curtis Brown, of Curtis C Home Inspections, is not only a competent and an excellent home inspector, whom I often recommend to others, but he is, also, a wonderful photographer. Curtis loves to shoot (with his camera of course) birds. I have, with his permission, used his excellent bald eagle photos in past blogs and online videos. That shot above, taken locally by Curtis, is one of my favorite eagle photos. Well, here is something new and interesting. About a week ago, Curtis had a long awaited and an exciting opportunity. He received a call from a past client, who said … (10 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Happy New Year from King of the House - 01/01/12 11:31 AM
I was online reading a news story about how many people found 2011 to be one of the worst years of their lives -- unemployment, no money, the usual things reported these days. One person interviewed referred to last year as shared misery.
It made me grateful to have my niche here in Whatcom County. I found last year to be a year of modest growth, although I did pretty much the same as the year before. I have gotten to a point where I can only do so many inspections so I have been sending overflow to some other friends … (11 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Merry Christmas from King of the House - 12/25/11 02:35 PM
I want to wish all of my Active Rain friends -- internationally, nationally, statewide and locally -- a great Christmas. As I write this post, we have a really windy day here. I am hoping that the power does not go out. I am so glad I no longer am involved in being an engineer in radio, wind often led to power outages and real headaches. And, due to the time of the year, this often happened between Thanksgiving and New Years. That is a responsibility from my past life that I do not miss at all. Dead air meant no … (7 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Stepping Back In Time: Appropriate Song for Christmas Day - 12/25/11 12:42 PM
The first Billboard Top 40 Charts of the rock era emerged in 1955 when the Bill Haley classic "Rock Around the Clock" hit #1. Anyone who is into the era, and the evolution of the music, knows that rock 'n' roll was a derivative of the soul and gospel music that was created and popular with African Americans.
It is not surprising that the first #1 hit by an African American group was on the horizon, shortly after the inception of the Top 40 Charts. This group, today, is lesser known than some of the big 1960's soul groups -- Temptations, Supremes, Four Tops. However this … (6 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: You Can't Always Do What You Want (Bellingham Home Inspections) - 12/25/11 11:09 AM
It is my goal, at a home inspection, to try to look at all components and systems. That not only earns me repeat business from clients and agents, but it provides some insulation against potential client complaints. Logic prevails: The more you see the less important stuff you miss.
It is not possible to find everything that might be wrong at a house. Finding 100% of the problems is not achievable within the confines of a home inspection. Sometimes mother nature herself interferes. This time of year, it is not unusual for the home inspector in this region to have restricted roof access … (1 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House) It's Cold Outside - 12/22/11 01:25 PM
Recently, as the weather has gotten colder, I did an inspection on a cold day -- at least it was cold based on our wimpy Pacific Northwest standards. It was 28 degrees F.
At first, I thought that someone had left the garage door to the outside ajar or open. On closer examination, the fit of the door was something less than ideal.
Since it was cold outside, and my little knees were knocking together, it made me think of an appropriate song for the season and the weather.
… (7 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Bellingham, WA -- David Lanz Winter Concert 2011 - 12/10/11 11:18 AM
Since David Lanz , a musician of international acclaim, moved to Bellingham about six years ago, he has been performing wonderful, and intimate, small Christmas or solstice concerts here in his new hometown.
David Lanz was one of the innovators of "new-age" music more than 20 years ago and he has had several best selling albums and numerous Grammy nominations. David had a #1 Billboard Hit, on the new age charts, with the instrumental Cristofori's Dream. This year's show will be Saturday, December 17, at the Amadeus Music Project on Cornwall Avenue. The concert is now sold out but it will be a … (5 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: First Ever #1 Hit By A Girl Group: January 1961 - 12/07/11 10:47 AM
There is much debate about what was really the first rock n roll song. One fact that cannot be disputed is that the firt rock song to top the charts, July 1955, was by Bill Haley and the Comets -- "Rock Around the Clock". To the casual observer, that might have seemed an anomaly, a blip on the radar, at the time, but the hot 100 charts would never be the same again.
Moving forward to January 1961, the charts had another first: The first ever #1 hit by an all girl group.
How time flies, that was 50 years ago.
… (7 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: An Attached Garage is Not a Fire-Rated Assembly -- Despite What You Might Have Been Told - 11/29/11 07:15 PM
I hear the remark, even from home inspectors, that the garage is not fire-rated or 20 minute fire-rated. Home inspectors are not code inspectors, but this kind of talk is based on codes and a misunderstanding of residential code requirements. Let's look at garage/house separation requirements. The book, Building Code Basics: Residential, was published, in part, by the IRC (International Residential Code) which dictates most of the codes that apply to modern construction. Codes may vary from one jurisdiction to another. Below (bold) are explanations, from the IRC, that apply to garages. Below that are my comments.
"Dwelling separation from garage -- Unlike separations … (5 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Get Off The John -- So I Can Inspect It! - 11/27/11 04:23 PM
They follow me everywhere, I cannot get away from them. This last week I had to work with, and around, five house destroying organisms at various residences in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Their stalking me might have been revenge for the widely circulated expose piece that I wrote about the species.
At one home, they followed me into all the bedrooms and hid under the beds. They tried to follow me out onto decks where they were not supposed to be. There is no question about it, house destroying organisms love to hang out with the home inspector. The home inspector has … (10 comments)
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bellingham home inspector: Happy Thanksgiving from King of the House Home Inspection - 11/24/11 12:04 PM
On behalf of the King of the House staff, I would like to wish all of my Active Rain friends, and my associates in Bellingham, a great Thanksgiving and a holiday season. I was reading an editorial today, in the newspaper, that claims that the period we are going through as a nation, right now, only compares in misery to, in order, the Civil War, the Great Depression and WWII as far as national gloom. It stated that the "true" unemployment rate is 17% -- taking into account those collecting unemployment, those who have been dropped from the rolls because their benefits ran out, and … (10 comments)
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Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector
Bellingham,
WA
More about me…
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc
Address: Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Sumas, Nooksack, Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish, Anacortes, Mount Vernon, Whatcom County, Bellingham, WA, 98225
Office Phone: (360) 676-6908
Cell Phone: (360) 319-0038
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