mount vernon inspector: Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House): Missing Flashing - 01/14/08 10:50 PM
The photo is a bit dark, sorry, but the poor camera was flooded today. What a downpour. Anyway, there are a couple things here. First, the steps are built up over the composition wood siding. The T1-11 siding does not look too favorably upon being wet all the time. And, moisture … (2 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Your Vents Are Below Grade! - 01/09/08 10:12 PM
With an unconditioned crawl space an inspector does not want to see the vents below grade. When vents are below grade, rain and runoff water are likely to run into the crawl space -- which is something you do not want. Also, if they are far enough below grade, the dirt … (9 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Wiring Concerns - 01/08/08 12:50 PM
The photo below gives you a pretty quick idea that a non-professional has been working on the wiring. Electrical connections are designed to be inside junction boxes, not hanging out the side. This was a high fan and the other thing you have to wonder about is how well is it … (2 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Trees and Roofs - 01/08/08 12:36 PM
It seems that most homeowners do the realize that organic debris on the roof is a defect. In the past, I have written on moss before. However, while easier to deal with than moss, huge quantities of leaves on a roof are a problem too. I have inspected homes where even … (1 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Exposed Structural Lumber - 12/31/07 02:56 PM
Over time, lumber that is needlessly exposed to rain will decay. The most common example of this is usually fascia or rafter tails that extend out from, and are exposed, at the roof. In my experience, quality roofers will put a small piece of shingle, sometimes a flashing, over the exposed wood … (4 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Ferndale Home Inspector (King of the House, Inc): Beyond a Reasonable Expectation - 12/30/07 02:35 PM
A detail-oriented and thorough home inspector tries to look at as many standard components and systems in a home as is possible. This includes flipping the light switches and those that run fans, disposals, etc. Sometimes, even though the inspector has noble intentions, it is not possible to test, or even … (4 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: It's The Law: In WA State This MUST Be Reported - 12/29/07 06:33 PM
In Washington State, any for fee home inspection, involving a structure and a real estate transaction, must have a complete wood destroying organism inspection. This must be performed by a state tested, licensed and financially responsible (bond or insurance usually) structural pest inspector. If that inspector fails to call out conducive … (5 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Bellingham WA Home Inspection (King of the House): Leaky Roof - 12/23/07 06:21 PM
The photo below was quite an opportunity for a home inspector. Frequently an inspector sees a roof that has seen better days. If a composition roof, such as the one at this home, that can include missing granular material, tears, holes and penetrations, moss, debris, tar repairs, bad flashings or just plain … (0 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection Photos (King of the House): Carpenter Ants - 12/09/07 12:08 AM
I went hunting in a crawl space the other day and made a rather dramatic find. If you look at the top photo, this is evidence that a competent structural pest inspector will be on the lookout for. That is classic carpenter ant frass. Look above the sill plate. Now, honestly, sometimes an inspector wonders … (5 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Beware: Hairy Homeowner Does Electricity - 12/02/07 06:34 PM
That is not a typo. In this case, when I say Hairy Homeowner, I spelled hairy the way I wanted. This is one of the more bizarre things I have seen in the last couple months. This was in an older home where the owner had done much of his own … (4 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Whatcom County Home Inspections (King of the House): A Windy Topic - 11/13/07 04:32 PM
Here in Whatcom County, Washington, we had a big windstorm yesterday. There are still several thousand people without power. Winds up to 70 miles per hour knocked trees and limbs down and took power lines with them. Only three houses away from my home a large tree was "topped" by the … (0 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: When Anobiid Beetles Strike - 10/18/07 09:28 PM
This is another photo from the Pacific Northwest, where the anobiid beetles had been working in a crawl space. I enlarged the photo, so you can take a good look. All the little shot sized holes are where the larvae pupated, turned into an adult and then left the wood. The … (0 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Whatcom County Home Inspection (King of the House): Duplex Pricing - 10/18/07 06:22 PM
It makes sense to me, but sometimes people balk when they find that it costs more, or they have to pay more at least, to have a duplex inspected than a home of the same size. If you think about it, that should not be such a surprise. The uninitiated will think … (0 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Ground rods - 10/16/07 04:09 PM
In newer homes, the grounding electrode (or electrodes) almost always have been put in by licensed electricians. As a result of that, the electrode is done properly and usually driven deep into the ground. However, when I inspect older homes that had knob and tube wiring, which had no such ground originally, … (0 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Bellingham Wa. Home Inspection (King of the House): Unsafe Deck Surfaces - 10/16/07 03:49 PM
When it comes to decks, I have to reiterate again just how careful a person needs to be when walking on them. I did an inspection this weekend, where the deck surface clearly had some problems. In closer investigation, it was apparent that a person could step in the wrong place … (1 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: My Much Anticipated, Long Awaited Dissertation On The Italian Pizza - 10/11/07 03:42 PM
While in Perugia, which is in Umbria, I wrote about the real life Italian pizza. Now, truth is, there is quite a variation in pizza recipes just inside Italy. Naples claims to have invented the pizza and is quite snobbish about it. My wife's tutor came from that area and only … (2 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Skagit County Home Inspection (King of the House):Common Point Of Contact - 10/11/07 02:39 PM
Over the years, many building or construction details have changed. In the older homes - like the one I live in - they commonly had the ends of rafters, fascia or trim rest on the roof. And at my house, in spite of this taking place for 50 plus years, the … (0 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Anacortes Home Inspection (King of the House): Shedding Roofs - 10/11/07 02:30 PM
Sometimes, while doing home inspections, I see expensive and nicely applied roofs that are well maintained. That is the exception. I am astounded at how few people seem to realize that a roof takes some upkeep. For example, any roof that continually has moss, leaves, needles and other tree debris on … (0 comments)
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mount vernon inspector: Skagit County Home Inspector (King of the House): Unsafe Outside Electric Outlets - 10/05/07 02:03 PM
A home inspector sees many outdoor outlets. Probably the most dangerous outlet I have seen was in Skagit County, at a house between Mount Vernon and Burlington. It was a serious shock hazard. Some of the time outlets work great and are well maintained but others have problems. What kind of … (1 comments)
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