The Pullman-Moscow Inspector

Spark!

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:31:54 -0600

Anybody that knows me, knows I'm a runner.

Not a particularly fast one. Nor very elegant.

But I run. It puts me in my "happy" place, so much so that my wife won't discuss anything important with me until I've run a couple or six miles.

I also hike and occassionally bike. And, in John Ratey's book Spark, I find that I have done more good things for myself than I ever could have imagined. The latest brain science is reporting that not only is exercise good for your body, it's even better for your mind.

Apparently, exercise (pretty much anything cardio from running to Dance Dance Revolution) will reduce stress, sharpen your ability to focus, boost long-term memory and make you happy.

It's a little different than most of the business or motivational books you might read but worth the time.

Now back to our regularly schedule inspection stuff.

Fire. Lead. Carbon monoxide..... Are you sure your house is safe?

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:22:32 -0600

A great post by Russel on getting timely info on recalls plus ideas on how to use it for marketing. Long but worth the effort.

Via Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector (Russel Ray, Property Consultant):

With Halloween behind us but Thanksgiving and Christmas knocking on our doors, it's time for a reminder about recalled products, safety, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Be the most knowledgeable Realtor, home inspector, mortgage lender, etc., in your service area and impress your family, friends, and business associates by knowing about recalls and safety concerns before they hear it on the news. I'll teach you how.

For those who are not familiar with the CPSC, they are the ones charged with protecting the public from lead paint, hazardous toys, unsafe appliances, and the like.

There are literally thousands of recalls and safety concerns that have been released since the Consumer Product Safety Commission began operating in 1973, and they all are listed. I recommend that you subscribe to all CPSC press releases. This will alert you to all recalls and safety concerns in all categories. Simply

Remember that not every recall makes the news or your local paper. But you'll think it is pretty substantial when you or a loved one suffers property damage, personal injury, or death.

Following is a detailed tutorial on how you can check on recalled products for your home and then sign up for the CPSC notices of recalled products. You can get notices before your neighbors hear about them on the nightly news.

First, make a list of your appliances: refrigerator, dishwasher, water heater, range, washer, dryer, etc. Then write down the manufacturer name, the model number, and the serial number. You should already have it for insurance purposes, but if you don't, well, we're getting two things done at once. We're multitasking!

Remember, though, that the very nature of numbers and letters means that numbers or letters might not have been read correctly. For example, the letter “O” and the number “0” can look the same, as can the letter “l” and the number “1.” Also remember to record spaces and dashes and any preprinted letters and numbers. It is possible to conduct research with only partial information, such as the manufacturer’s name and the type of appliance, but further evaluation might be required by a manufacturer’s representative or other specialist familiar with the equipment involved.

Now just follow the steps below.

Connect your Internet browser to the CPSC web site: http://www.cpsc.gov and then click on “Recalls and Product Safety News.”

Up pops a new window, “Recalls and Product Safety News,” where you can find recent recalls or recalls by month and year, product type, company, product description, or product category, such as toys, household products, outdoor products, etc. Product type, for example, will show you all the dishwashers.

Let’s do it. Click on “Product Type.”

Up pops a screen “Find Recalled Products by Product Type.” Over at the right you’ll see “Optional.”

Let’s do a search on Kenmore dishwashers since I know there was a recall issued on February 25, 2005. In the “Optional” box, type the first three letters of dishwasher, “dis,” and click on “Simplify search.”

The left side of the window is refreshed to show you all the product types that include the three letters “dis.” There are six categories shown. Click on “Dishwashers” and then click on “Find.”

Up pops a window “Results of Your Search.” You should see thirteen lines (as of 11/11/09); the eleventh line is Kenmore (yellow arrow). However, look at the date of the recall: February 15, 1993. Remember in Step #5 that I told you I knew there was a Kenmore recall on February 25, 2005? This is why I don’t use the “Product Type” category. In using the “Product Type” category, you will have to read all twelve of those dishwasher recall documents to make sure you haven’t missed any Kenmore recalls. Kenmore currently is manufactured by Whirlpool corporation, so the fifth line (as of 11/11/09), “Whirlpool Corporation Recall of Dishwashers (February 25, 2005; Revised April 8, 2005)” is the one we want (blue arrow).

Click on that line, and a new screen pops up, “NEWS from CPSC.” Scroll down and you’ll see that Whirlpool and Kenmore brands are involved. So you can see that if you just rely on headlines, your search could be faulty. Same thing with your local newspaper headlines. It’s important that you know that brand names are not necessarily manufacturer names.

Let me show you a better way that will give you all the information you need even if you don't know the manufactured. Click on your browser’s “back” button once and then click on "Conduct a New Search."

Now click on "Back to Recalls Page" at the bottom of your screen.

Now click on “Find Recalls by:” “Company.”

Up pops the “Find Recalled Products by Company” page; looks very similar to the screen shot in Step 6.

Under “Optional”, type the first three letters of Kenmore, “ken,” click on “Simplify Search.”

The screen is refreshed to show you all the companies that include the three letters “ken” in their names.

Click on “Kenmore” and then click on “FIND”.

The screen is refreshed to show “Results of Your Search.” You should see 30 lines (as of 11/11/09) of products that Kenmore has recalled. Note that the headlines show “Kenmore” in only eight of them yet you know that all 30 have the word “Kenmore” somewhere in the text of the recall notice. Therefore, just look for the ones that have “dishwasher” in the headline since you know that our search on “Kenmore,” coupled with “dishwasher” gives you what you want.

The list is in reverse chronological order, and you'll see that there are only four dishwasher headlines: May 16, 2007; February 25, 2005; May 29, 1996; and February 15, 1993. Now you can check your dishwasher's model and serial numbers to see if it was involved in one of the recalls.

Now, to complete our task, let’s go back to the CPSC home page. Click on your browser's "back" button once and then click on "Conduct a New Search," just like in Step 9. Then click on "Back to Recalls Page" like we did in Step 10.

Now click on “Join our recall notification list.”

Type your email address in the box.

There are many subscription choices, including subscribing to recalls involving only selected products, e.g., infant/child products, sports and recreation products, outdoor products, household products, and specialty products. I recommend subscribing to “All CPSC press releases, including recalls (list name: releases),” which is the second choice (red arrow). Click on the radio button (yellow arrow) and then click on subscribe (green arrow).

By subscribing to all press releases, you’ll get not only recall notices but great safety information, too. You'll never miss anything, regardless of how insignificant it might seem and regardless of whether or not the recall makes the evening news or the pages of your local newspaper.

As long as your email address is active, you’ll never miss a recall or safety concern notice, and the nice thing is that the CPSC encourages you to spread their recall notices and safety information far and wide, so you can use them to keep in touch with your prospects and clients, and even use them in your marketing campaigns. What coule be better than FREE marketing materials?

Lastly, go back and check on your own appliances from that list you made at the very beginning.

If you have any questions about anything, feel free to contact me.

Please feel free to re-blog this to give it as wide a distribution as possible and help save lives and property.

♫♫☼☼♪♪☼☼♫♫

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Orangeburg Pipe

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:08:19 -0600

My friend (and one of the folks that got me singing in the rain in the first place), Lori Cofer, has a post up on Orangeburg Pipe (member's only). She has most of the basics right (good job, Lori!) and I thought I would fill in some history.

Orangeburg Pipe (or bituminious fiber pipe for the code nerds out there) made it's first appearance in the 1860's in Boston where it was used for an experimental water delivery pipe. By all accounts, the experiment was a success and the water service was used until 1927.

The pipe is constructed from a combination of cellulose and asbestos fibers (what a wonderful and versitile material asbestos was!) saturated with a bituminious compound. In place of bituminious, think coal-tar. The joints were made of similar material and did not have any joint sealant.

That lack of sealant makes Orangeburg very susceptible to tree roots. It also doesn't handle pressure well. Sewer lines are gravity lines and here the material found a home in residential construction.

Demand for Orangeburg Pipe grew rapidly in late 1940's through the 1960's. It was cheaper than metal pipes and easier to cut and handle than clay.

The anticipated lifespan is about 50 years. We're at the end of the cycle for this product. It was phased out in the late 60 and early 70's in favor PVC piping.

Since Orangeburg Pipe was used primarily underground, it's particularly difficult to identify. Home inspectors don't dig up sewer lines for verification. All we can work with is educated suspicions and suggest follow up efforts by the plumbers.

Wordless Wednesday

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:24:59 -0600

Decommissioning Underground Oil Tanks in Whitman County

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:02:53 -0600

The last time I checked with the fire marshal, it was acceptable to abandon old unused oil tanks in place. A permit was required and there are some other considerations:

• The owner may be required, by the lender and buyer, to have the soil beneath the tank tested. Because getting soil samples from underneath an underground tank is difficult, this may cost more than removing the tank.

• The tank must be pumped out and cleaned before it is decommissioned in place. All oil, rinse water, and sludge must be disposed of properly.

• A tank that has been fi lled in place will be difficult to remove at a later date.

Once you have made the decision to abandon in place and have the necessary permits, it's time the tank was filled with an inert, solid material to prevent the tank from:

* Shifting in high ground water.

* Caving in as it deteriorates.

* Filling with vapors.

Inert materials such as sand, gravel, or a weak cement slurry are used to fill tanks.

Each type of fill has advantages and disadvantages. Check them out before deciding which is right for your situation. Semifluid materials, like foam or cement slurry, that are injected into the tank do a better job of filling than sand or gravel. Gravel is usually avoided as the voids provide space for future liquids but is capable of anchoring the tank.

For more info, contact the Whitman County Fire Marshall.

Underground Storage Tanks

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:55:07 -0600

The inspector shall "Report any evidence that indicates the possible presence of an underground storage tank. "

Part of the process with having the inspectors go through a licensing process is that we now have more consistency in the reports that get generated. That quote above right from the new Washington State Standards of Practice for licensed home inspectors.

Tracking these down can be tough though. Underground tanks were often placed by the side of the home and, in the forty or fifty years since they were used, those areas were converted to flower beds or shrubbery.

Normally, I'll look for a vent for the tank or the fill tube - though I had one newer house in Pullman that had a fill tube (it was even marked "Heating Oil" on the cap) with a house that never had an oil furnace.

The other place that needs to be checked is the area around the furnace. Is there an old copper line, probably crimped? If so, where does it go? Through the foundation wall? If it's there, I need to trace it as far as I can. Having an old oil tank isn't a disaster for the transaction (though it doesn't help). Most can be safely de-commissioned.

Foundation Cracks

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:18:17 -0500

I don't call for engineering review often with foundation cracks. When I first started inspecting homes, I had several agents complaining about home inspectors (imagine that!) that would over-emphasize concrete cracks. In some cases, the agents were right. One of the advantages of being code-certified (I was a certified Special Inspector in Reinforced Concrete, Pre-Stressed/Post-Tension Concrete, Struct. Masonry, Struct. Steel) is that I had a chance to work alot with the material and do a lot of testing.

So when I do call for engineering review, I rarely get the agent complaining that I'm going overboard. I tell my clients, "I would rather you have the engineer tell you I'm over-reacting than find out in three years the problem has gotten much worse." Everybody (except sellers) is comfortable with this.

So when I see something like the pictures below, no one gets terribly upset. They've been prepped for the next step and know where the process is headed even if we don't know the actual end point.

"Did you read the report?"

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:55:56 -0500

I get clients chuckling at the inspection because I have a line in the agreement that states that they will read the report. They think I'm joking.

Then I get a phone call from a client that I did an inspection for in August. He has issues with his furnace. Well, okay.

But I marked it as 40 years old (Lennox G8 - it's a beast but they still die sometime), called out a HUGE gas leak (my detector went off upstairs!) and called a probable cracked heat exchanger. It was marked defective in multiple areas. Recommended a full written evaluation by a HVAC contractor.

I know why he got surprised. I know I shouldn't be.

But sometimes I just want to shriek, "Did you READ the report!?"

End of rant

Wood Stove Installation

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:36:33 -0500

Neve str pull on Superman's cape.

A couple that were clients of mine when they purchased their home in Pullman had a company install a wood stove in the family room. Since we had some roof leaks initially, they were cautious about putting another hole through their roof and asked me to follow up.

I like to be neighborly (we have time for it out here - you don't even say hello to an acquaintance unless you have 20 minutes to get caught up) so I did a courtesy check for them.

It wasn't any better in the attic. None of the support brackets had been installed nor the clips to attach to the sheathing. It was also in contact with combustible materials.

So I gave my clients the bad news that the contractor had complete goofed it up and suggested that they contact him to get it corrected per the manufacturer's specifications - which he had left with them making it very handy to point out all the things he did wrong.

That appearently didn't go well so the couple contacted the buidling department. The Building Official came for a visit.

The contractor show up on site with him. And then proceeded to argue with the Building Official that installing it correctly wasn't necessary, it was overkill, it didn't really need to be done.

Wish I had been there. Pullman Wa has a good building department and I think that Greg Colvig does a terrific job as the Building Official but he doesn't tolerate a whole lot of stupidity.

My clients apparently enjoyed the show. And their wood stove and roof were fixed, correctly this time.

Organizing the Major Defects

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:21:45 -0500

Sometimes, all it takes is one quick pass through the house and you know you've got a doozy on your hands.

In this house, I made it to the closet in the converted garage. It a bad picture but it was a cramped space. I ended up writing a book just on the stuff in this closet.

Dogs Better Exercise Companions Than Humans

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:33:27 -0500

I thought this was interesting.

The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI) finds dogs do a better job of getting older adults out for exercise. ReCHAI sponsors several projects that attempt to further the understanding and value of the relationship between humans and animals. In 2008, ReCHAI sponsored the “Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound and Stay Fit for Seniors.” In the preliminary program, a group of older adults were matched with shelter dogs, while another group of older adults were partnered with a human walk buddy. For 12 weeks, participants were encouraged to walk on an outdoor trail for one hour, five times a week. At the end of the program, researchers measured how much the older adults’ activity levels improved. “The older people who walked their dogs improved their walking capabilities by 28 percent,” Johnson said. “They had more confidence walking on the trail, and they increased their speed. The older people who walked with humans only had a 4 percent increase in their walking capabilities. The human walking buddies tended to discourage each other and used excuses such as the weather being too hot.” This bit about humans discouraging each other contrasts with my own experience with dog walking. They are not interested in excuses. They want to go galloping up the road. They think exercise is just plain great. A good dog is a great professional trainer.

If you have a bit of time, your local shelter could use your help. With the economic downturn, surrenders and abandoned animals are up and support is down. They can always use a dog walker.

Sandpoint Scenic Half-marathon

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:35:52 -0500

Below is an email to my running friends with a race report about the Inaugural Sandpoint Half-marathon in Sandpoint Idaho. It was a pretty course, well-organized and the people were just wonderful. Very nice race and a nice addition to the running schedule.

Howdy everybody!

Numbers first, I guess. I turned a 1:47:31 for the half which placed 4^th in my age group, 52^nd overall at the Sandpoint Half. While it's a minute per mile slower than I ran 5 years ago, it's still really nice to be able to step to the line and race. I didn't realize how much I missed racing.

So the course - it's advertised as the scenic half and it lives up to that name. The course takes off from the beach in the city center and, after a couple of left turns takes you out the long bridge across the lake. It was a little tight before you get to the bridge because they were doing some construction on the trail that connected to the bridge. It's not paved at the moment but was relatively flat with decent footing - no worse than running a good gravel road.

Once you pick up the bridge, it's a straight flat shot for a couple of miles. If you want to know where you stand, this is your chance to find out. Personally, I was sightseeing and looking for someone to draft behind. Fat chance though I had a crowd right behind me.

Across the bridge and up the trail next to Hwy 95, the route follows the trail generally uphill (though not very steeply). One thing I hadn't thought about was that the lake is naturally at the bottom of a bowl. To run an out and back means that you will have an uphill. It just didn't occur to me until mile 3 when we started our baby climb. It's small rollers with one decent hill at mile 4.5, a left turn at Sagle Rd, another half mile to the turnaround - which was really well done - the race organizers used a parking lot to run us around a parking lot so we didn't have to do a screaming U-turn (I hate those).

6.5 miles back the way you came and, voila, it's time to kick. Unfortunately, I had to kick. Someone was catching me from behind on the finish. Terribly rude of them but as I've told the kids, kicking won't kill you. It just hurts like heck.

16 roadkill on the final 5 miles without getting passed, so pacing was good. It was windy on the way out so I ran fairly conservatively to the turnaround. I was sub-8 on the way back and felt in control until about Mile 11. Then it was time to be stubborn and hang on. Gratifying.

Tottering on my doddering years

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:30:26 -0500

I don't remember getting into my doddering years. After all, I'm still nimble, I can still beat some of the junior high girls in a foot race (if I make it long enough to bore them) and I almost always can find my way home.

So I was a little surprised to receive an email from the Whitman County Association of Realtors thanking me for volunteering to the strategic planning board.

Huh!?

I remember filling out the survey they sent. They sent me one because I'm an affiliate - usually that means the people that sponsor the treats for meetings but the WCAR has done a nice job of trying to include their affiliates.

And because they're nice folks (and I'm doddering), I'm inclined to try to help. I have a few ideas but thought I'd seek the collective wisdon of AR.

What suggestions, based on your experiences with your associations would you consider putting forward.

And please play nice. I like these folks!

When will collapsed U.S. real estate prices regain their prior peaks?

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:10:52 -0500

This handy little map from the folks at Moody's is a bit pessimistic but interesting.

Especially insteresting to me is the pattern at the coasts. There are definitely some places where the pain will continue for a while. Moody's doesn't expect California to recover until 2030. Ouch!

When do you figure we'll recover to peak levels?

h/t Barry Ritholtz @ http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/

Licensed at Last

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:53:55 -0500

Well, we're finally into the home stretch on Home Inspector Licensing. I can't say it's been a fun process but it definitely has been a long overdue one.

I took and passed the test early in June - though not without a few glitches along the way. First, the test permission form was sent to my old address in Idaho. Haven't lived there for three years and all my WA state paperwork goes to my Asotin, Wa PO Box. Rhonda Myers (who's been terrific throughout the whole campaign) got it straightened out and I got the test scheduled for June 13th. It should been fine - the 13th was a Saturday, not a Friday.

Only it wasn't. It's a bad, rotten, no-good start to the test when, as instructed, you show up 30 minutes early to find the proctor trying to pick the door lock. Turns out that my proctor was a trainee himself and the trainer - who should be canned - told him that "he lost his keys and wasn't coming in - handle it". The poor trainee was losing his mind trying to find a way in.

Now here's a piece of advice - if you're ever in a position where all the other individuals are substance abuse and dependence counselors, just plan on taking the lead. Nice folks and I really did appreciate the way that they set up their joint therapy group to deal with the situation but at some point an action step really is needed.

Fortunately, this was an interior office in an office building. Unfortunately, they actually built it to code and the interior hall had a fire separation wall to the roof. Windows were sealed so chance of (easy) entry there. My skill at picking locks is minimal - I did pick one once but that only happened becuase the Gods of Irony were messing with my wife who was absolutely sure that we would never get into the house.

As luck would have it, the office space was a sub-divided area with a marketing firm next door and, surprise! - someone was working the weekend. A little pleading later and quick sprint ot my truck for my ladder, and I was popping cieling panels to see if I could go over the wall.

Nope! As skinny as I am, there still wasn't enough space to get it done without crash landing into the test center. But the door between the offices didn't have a knob - it had a handle. A quick look around located a broom and, viola', we're in.

the trainee starts processing us through the computer and mentions he has all 7 tests in the system. Except there are 8 of us. Great.

One hour and thirty one minutes later after much effort on the part of the trainee to find me in the system, finally sat down to take the test. It literally took longer to get seated for the test than to take it.

But, I passed the knowledge section, the State Law section and the obstacle course.

I sent in the forms (and the check - can't forget the check!) and a mere 7 weeks later finally got my license.

I'm now a Licensed Home Inspector, #215, in the State of Washington.

House Keeping

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:55:13 -0500

I've made a change to a previous blog entry and deleted some information at the request of another inspector.

His complaint was that the post that I made in February indicated that he was not licensed - which was true in February as he did become licensed until April 29th, 2009. However, I believe it is easier to remove the offending data then start a large fuss over it.

Generally, I oppose sending things down the memory hole but am making an exception in this case. If it were an error of mine, I'd leave it.

New Technologies

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:54:58 -0500

One of the disadvantages of living in a rural area is that the newest technologies and techniques take a while to get to you.

For a person that is a habitual "early-adopter", this has been really frustrating.

A new technology that I have been waiting to get into my area was a fully wireless capability for internet. I send a lot of information by email to clients and agents but was either stuck finding a free wi-fi location or waiting until I got to the office at night. The first was iffy and the second was demoralizing after a ten or twelve hour day.

The fix: I signed up for Verizon Broadband service now that it is available. So far, I like the results. I'm able to send reports, respond to queries and book inspections online without a fear of double-booking (only happened once, thank goodness!).

And, of course, when I have 10 minutes of down time, I can blog to ActiveRain.

Mold Testing

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:30:35 -0500

Mold Testing

I had an interesting experience the other day when discussing mold with two different agents. In the case of the first agent, we were working for a buyer who was concerned about the potential for mold in the crawlspace since there was moisture present. The second agent represented a seller where I had done an inspection for the buyer.

The reason it was interesting is that in the first case, we discussed what mold testing could and couldn't accomplish. For this, I relied on websites from various government environmental health departments. The Minnesota site was a terrific resource...

What Testing Cannot Do

As described earlier, the commonly used testing methods are limited in what they can detect and measure. Skilled investigators are aware of these limitations and don't rely on testing when it is not appropriate. However, many people have unrealistic expectations of what mold testing can do and they can be taken advantage of by those who perform testing poorly or for inappropriate reasons. Below are some impractical reasons commonly given for requesting mold testing.

Poor reason for testing #1 "To find out if there is mold"

A complex mixture of mold particles normally exists in all occupied indoor environments. If appropriate testing is done, it is expected that molds will be found. There is, however, an important distinction between the normal presence of mold particles, versus mold growth and accumulation indoors. Unfortunately, even when it is done well, testing may not be able to distinguish between "normal" and "problem" conditions and it may even give misleading results.

When mold is allowed to grow and multiply indoors, it poses a potential health risk and damages what it grows on. When mold growth is visible or mold odors can be smelled, it is common sense that there is a problem that should not be tolerated.

http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/mold/moldtest.html

The second had a mold test done by home inspector. That leads to point #6 on the website, namely....

Poor reason for testing #6 "To decide how to correct a mold problem"

Knowing the specific types of mold does not change what ought to be done to clean up the mold or fix the moisture problem. All mold problems should be handled in the same general way, with safety precautions based mainly on the extent of the contamination and how likely the mold will be disturbed by removal activities. All visible mold growth, should be captured and physically removed to the greatest extent practical. In all cases, fixing the moisture problem is critical.

There is a pretty high likelihood that the seller wasted a bit of their money with the testing. I understand that there is a concern with mold especially for individuals that already have underlying pulmonary conditions like allergies and asthma. A $50 test is probably not the answer. If the concern is serious enough, full testing by a licensed laboratory with full-time technicians trained in sampling techniques, sample handling and analysis should be sought. Unfortunately, at this point in time, there is no national standard though some states such as Texas have licensing for mold testing.

If your home inspector says he does mold testing, find out his sampling protocol and methods, handling procedures, chain of custody procedures and education in environmental science. The odds are, he has had a short seminar training session without any deeper education to support it. He might not even have that.

Make sure you check.

Price Sensitive Industries

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:41:19 -0500

Russel Ray (if you're not reading his blog, I highly recommend it) made a great comment on one of my earlier blog posts regarding the marketing tactics used by some home inspectors and how counter-porductive it can be to price-cut.

Different strokes for different folks. Unfortunately, home inspectors work in a price-sensitive industry, so gimmicks quite often work, but only if the person continues persistently and consistently to offer such gimmicks, which they usually don't. Ultimately the original gimmick gets old and they run out of creativity coming up with additional gimmicks, so they quit offering them. Then it falls back on their expertise and bedside manner, and when those are factored into the equation without gimmicks, they usually are not the best. It can get quite cutthroat in price-sensitive industries, though.

I read his comment just after getting the following email:

Thanks, Paul.They really thought you were great. You spent time with them and explained everything - then had the report all ready at the end. Good job....and at a reasonable price.

There are two ways to approach the pricing question. The first is to focus on price and under cut the other inspectors in town. The options for undercutting are two-fold - just lower your price or add as many "free" services as possible to your fee to create perceived value. The whole "I'll give you a bag of groceries" gambit might be effective short term but then you have to top that gimmick with the next one. And the one after that. You get the idea.

Now, that is different than offerring multiple levels of service and additional services within the field. How? By staying within your core competancies. When I offer specials, they are directly related tot he service I provide. More importantly, I control the means of delivery so I don't have to worry about someone scamming a client or giving out confidential info to a third party.

So you can compete on pricing and giveaways. That's method one. The seocnd method that I was indirectly referencing was offering genuine value. My rates are among the highest of my competitors yet my clients felt that they had received a fair deal - a very good home inspection along with a reasonable price.

The later method is the one that I use and many successful insepctors use. I have different levels of service and different aspects of inspections (energy audits, thermography, etc) that related to the purchase of the home. Russel does the same (he publishes his rates if you're interested).

Personally, I like the second method - giving genuine value. I think it leads to better long-term success and, for me, better professional satisfaction.

Kitchens- Is the heart of your home really healthy?

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:16:28 -0500

For most of us, the urge to constantly eat and in some cases, feed all those around us, is what makes the kitchen the heart of our homes. This is the place where families and friends get together, when comfort food is doled out in times of crisis and where late night chats are held over endless cups of coffee (or tea). Even if it's only toast and eggs that are your specialties, when it comes to the kitchen you need to know what really goes on behind those closed cabinets.

Cookware:

According to an EPA (Environmental protection agency) study, 95% of humans have Teflon chemicals in our systems? Does that sound scary? You bet it is! PFOA, the compound used in Teflon coatings have been tied to thyroid damage studies, yet we surround ourselves with it - Teflon cookware, burger wrappings and other daily consumed food packaging. The US EPA has asked major manufacturers to phase out the use of this compound by 2015, and so while there's not been any direct advisory telling us to throw out what we already have, environmentalists are saying that we should be looking to see what we have in our kitchen drawers, and getting rid of them.

So, what can you cook in? Stainless steel may be a little stickier, but it's a whole lot safer. Just add a bit more oil (no cooking sprays please) and you're good to go. Cast iron skillets are another choice and if you really want to splurge, then think of investing in light-weight titanium. Glass is another great renewable source and makes excellent cookware. Copper and aluminum can be used, but ensure that they are stainless steel coated. A little copper is okay to ingest, a lot can be quite poisonous.

Bake ware:

This is where muffin makers sigh! What are the alternatives to baking in non-stick muffin tins? Sure, you can line them with paper cups, but then you're talking of bleached paper which is also disposable. So, what can an eco friendly baker do? Ceramics are popular for bake ware and look great on the table too. Silicon is another excellent option. It may look strange and come in funky colors, more suitable to kids play toys than serious adult cooking, but it's non-toxic and made from combining silicon (sand) with oxygen. And who wants to be serious while baking cookies anyways! You can literally stock your entire baking cabinet with items made from silicon, including spatulas, cookie sheets and oven gloves. Perhaps the best option though is stone bake ware. Most of this kind of bake ware is water-tight, unbreakable and chip resistant, ideal for clumsy bakers. And the best part is that you need grease it only once or twice to make it non-stick for life. Other options include stainless steel, but bake ware made from this can be hard to find and it may take time to get used to baking in them.

I'm tired of winter....

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:12:09 -0500

200,037

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:34 -0500

Americans would buy cars and trucks from the Big Three automakers if the auto companies would do on simple thing.

Make a solid vehicle that you can trust, day in, day out. Make it economical to run, on both fuel and maintenance. Make it comfortable.

My little Ford Ranger is a great example. It just rolled over 200,000 miles. I've put in one set of brakes, a clutch and a starter. It gets 28 mpg. And lanky 6'3" me has plenty of head room and knee room.

The engine is absolutley reliable and my kids are arguing over who gets her when I buy a new truck.

It may be a while.

Insurance Problems Caused By Home Inspection

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:23:00 -0500

This post by Reuban is just too good to share. With the older housing stock that we have in this area and insurance companies starting to tighten they're standards, we can expect some of this to happen in Moscow and Pullman.

Via Minneapolis Home Inspections - Reuben Saltzman (Structure Tech Home Inspections):

I received a very odd phone call last month; a customer (I'll call Mary) called to tell me her insurance company was dropping her policy immediately after reading my inspection report for her home. They told her there were 'too many problems'. I've heard of insurance companies having specific reasons for denying insurance, but never such an ambiguous reason as ‘too many problems'. I'm wondering if this is going to become a trend.

Mary jokingly told me that she should have hired a crappy inspector, but she was really looking for advice on what to do. I asked Mary, what would have happened if she had not given her insurance company a copy of her report? Mary said her insurance company requires any house that is over 40 years old to have a professional home inspection performed. That made me wonder - how do insurance companies define a professional home inspection? In Minnesota there is no such thing as licensing for home inspectors, so anybody can call themselves a professional home inspector.

I was able to refer Mary to a friend that works for Farmer's Insurance, and she ended up getting a new policy for her home and car with him the same day (and hopefully saved some money!). Mary had already tried a couple other companies, but as part of their screening process they asked if she had ever been denied insurance, and she was too worried about getting denied again to go any further in the process. Farmers Insurance doesn't ask about that.

While this was a strange situation because there wasn't anything that specifically made the company deny insurance, there are some specific things that you can look for. Many insurance companies will require correction of these conditions before insuring the home, or will give you a certain amount of time to have these items fixed:

• A fused electric service.

• Knob and Tube Electrical Wiring.

• Roof problems. Some insurance companies perform their own drive-by inspection (where they don't even climb on the roof), and if they don't like what they see, they'll require replacement of the roof at the owner's expense. There is no arguing with the insurance company about this decision.

• Tree problems. My friend at Farmers Insurance said that his company is on a big ‘tree kick', where they get very picky about tree branches being too close to the house.

If you're in the market for a house, I recommend checking with your insurance agent early in the process for any red flags that you should know about ahead of time. This quick phone call might save you a lot of hassle in the future.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minneapolis Home Inspections

The Newest Home Inspector Marketing Trick

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:03:14 -0500

I just received an email that encouraged me to participate in a "new" marketing program that offers my clients FREE gas and Groceries. Here's an excerpt:

Grocery Program Helped Me Steal A Sale. I was in a recertification program for my termite license today and my cell wouldn't get reception in the building. I leave this afternoon and found out someone left me a message this morning to get an inspection. Called back, he said he already booked with someone else and was ready to hang up. I said, "Do you mind if I asked who you went with?" He tells me. So I tell him about the grocery program and that you'll get your money back and more. So he says he'll talk to his wife and call me back. He called back in 5 minutes and booked the appointment(must of needed the time to cancel the other guy). THIS PROGRAM IS AWESOME!

TNSTAAFL! For those of you not familiar with the acronym, it stands for "There's no such thing as a free lunch!" and was one of the more memorable lines from Robert Heinlein's A Stranger in a Strange Land.

Maybe the Oregon Attorney General can put it into perspective:

Associated Press March 11, 2009 PORTLAND, Ore. -- The latest scams arising out of the recession include offers for "free" gas or groceries. The Oregon attorney general's office says the misleading and possibly illegal promotions typically lure consumers with offers of hundreds of dollars of free groceries or gas if they purchase certain products and mail the receipts. There's often a registration fee, such as $5. The scammer sometimes sends the first payment to encourage the consumer to participate. But future rewards fail to show up when consumers continue to buy the product and mail the receipts. The Oregon Department of Justice is participating in a national crackdown of the false promotions and has warned Oregon retailers about them.

Personally, I think that if an inspector needs a bribe to get business, he should work harder on building his reputation for integrity and competence.

Temp Help

Paul Duffau (National Property Inspections in SE Washington) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:05:15 -0600

I haven't had much time to blog lately (thank you, realtors!) but thought I'd post a picture of some temp help I had recently.

He was very gung-ho, checked out the whole crawlspace with me and then moved back to fetching.

I probably should have shut the access behind me but all end's well.