I only saw the round end and dug it out and saw that it was a bullet. (I keep a tube of sealant in my truck and sealed the hole) It amazes me at the ignorance some people have when it comes to shooting guns in the air, as if they think the bullets disintegrate in midair. Or maybe they just don't care. About 10 feet from this area was a backyard equipped with a swing set and other play equipment....scary. Just last November a lady I know, … (1 comments)
home inspection: Pretty Wild Stuff.....Scotch Tape Xrays!
- 10/23/08 11:35 AM
Did you hear about the discovery scientists made involving Scotch tape? It seems that ordinary Scotch tape, the kind you use to wrap packages, when unrolled can emit enough radiation to make xrays! It seems another scientist back in the 1950s came up with the concept, but was recently proved. They placed a roll in a small vacuum chamber and with a mechanical spool, unrolled the tape at the rate of about a foot every 5 seconds which is about as fast as if you were to pull a piece off and measured the emitted radiation with a geiger counter. One … (4 comments)
home inspection: Is it Just Me?
- 10/18/08 05:35 AM
Is it just me or is there something just not right about this wheelchair ramp? I just happened across this pic on the net and thought it was funny. Would love to know the story behind it. If it isn't a wheelchair ramp, not sure what else it would be. Doesn't look like it's been photoshopped or stairs added to the top. I'm sure there are guidelines about how steep and the length handicap ramps can be, but that doesn't make sense either.
Kent Keith Fort Worth / Dallas Home Inspector www.fortworthinspector.com … (21 comments)
home inspection: Away From Home Freezer Tip
- 10/07/08 03:28 PM
I was talking to a friend tonight after her and her husband returned from a ten day cruise and thought I would pass along a tip that might be useful. She indicated that while they were gone their electricity apparently went out because the alarm clock on their nightstand was blinking 12:00am. She was worried about the food in the refrigerator and freezer because she did not know if the electricity was off for just a few seconds or if it was off for days and then back on since they knew some storms came through during that time. They live … (11 comments)
home inspection: More Door Lore......Hope it's not a Bore
- 09/23/08 01:51 PM
I posted a blog a couple of weeks ago about how to see if your deadbolt is installed right. Here is another blog about door locks that may interest some and bore most.....but hey, what can I say.....I want my fellow Active Rainers to be safe. Many exterior door locks have a security feature and most people don't know about it and if you have this type, it may not be correctly installed, which defeats it's purpose. Have you ever noticed locks that have an extra pin on the bolt of the lock that latches the door? Some have these and … (2 comments)
home inspection: My Life Flashed in Front of My Eyes Yesterday.....Literally!
- 09/21/08 10:42 AM
This post is a reminder for inspectors to be so careful when it comes to breaker panels. Yesterday I was inspecting a new home and almost got the shock of my life, and could have lost it as well. We sometimes get in a flow with our inspecting and don't think to check certain things. I now have new items to check when it comes to the breaker panel's dead front cover. After inspecting inside the box, I was putting the cover back on while talking to the buyer and just remember seeing a flash of light, hearing a POW and … (19 comments)
home inspection: Is It OK To Mark Defective Items?
- 09/18/08 11:15 AM
I performed a home inspection today on a house that had just been previously inspected by another inspector. I noticed right away that he (or she) had marked defective items such as doors, windows and receptacles with blue painters tape with information on the tape as what the problem was. Unless I'm missing something here, I don't believe an inspector should do this. I have seen many inspectors mark receptacles or windows with a small dot sticker and I understand the purpose is so the items are more easily identified, but I still think this is wrong. The time it took … (10 comments)
home inspection: Dryer Hose Danger......Check Yours Now!
- 09/16/08 12:07 PM
While performing a home inspection today, I was reminded to make sure everyone check their dryer hoses and make sure you don't have one of the old plastic hoses. These are no longer sold or allowed and can be fire hazards. Look behind your dryer and see if it a plastic, nylon or vinyl hose. They are usually white and look like the one in the picture. IF so PLEASE change it immediately! I don't want to read about you guys in the paper! They cost about $9.00 at the big box improvement stores and are made of metal and can … (3 comments)
home inspection: A Way to Save Some Warmth this Winter
- 09/15/08 02:37 PM
With winter just around the corner, it's time to start checking door weather stripping and thresholds, caulking around windows and other areas that cold air can get into your house and warm air inside can escape. A very cheap and easy way to accomplish this is to install receptacle and switch insulators. You can buy these at most hardware stores and are very cheap. They are made of a foam insulation that simply installs between the receptacle or switch cover and the wall and takes only a minute to install each.
First, remove the screw(s) that hold the outlet or … (3 comments)
home inspection: It's Scary What Some People Will Do!
- 09/09/08 12:25 PM
I was inspecting a home today that was owned by an elderly widowed woman that passed away and her family was having to sell the house. I noticed that the house was full of all sorts of items that she kept instead of throwing away....old newspapers, boxes, many clothes hangers ect. She either was a hoarder or just remembered the depression too well. When I went into the attic to inspect it, I was shocked! She had kept all the styrofoam packing materials and packing peanuts she ever had and distributed them in to attic, I guess for insulation. I'm not … (14 comments)
I was inspecting a crawlspace of a home in an older neighborhood and while I was crawling around under the bathroom area, I kept feeling something strange under my body......not exactly dirt or a liquid but slippery. To my surprise as I shined my flashlight around me, I realized that I was lying on a thick bed of literally hundreds of double edge razor blades! I carefully rolled off them and took this picture. The ones you can see are the ones that slid down the small hill, … (21 comments)
On one of my inspections yesterday, I found this on the roof.
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