Online Scheduling is Better Than...... - 01/18/09 04:28 PM
I have been working for myself for a little over a year now and I must say that I love my new boss!  I was a home inspector in the Willamette, Valley in Oregon for a little more than three years before I was financially able to pull the plug and take the leap.
That "training period," was incredibly beneficial.  It allowed me to not only work out the kinks in my own business on someone else's dime, but it also allowed me to view what worked well and shop things that needed improvement.  A big part of my business is … (9 comments)

A Flashy Little Trick - 01/17/09 09:58 PM
A vast majority of plumbing vents I see during home inspections in the Salem, Oregon area are sealed with a heavy rubber boot.  These are great little things.  The soft rubber is able to mold to most any angle it is forced into and still create a tight seal.  As the summer sun beats down and raises the temperature of the roof to 180 F+ the wonderfully elastic rubber boot allows the building components to expand and still remain sealed.  And as the cold winter temps cool everything down and the roofing and plumbing contract at different rates the rubber boot maintains a seal which … (6 comments)

Smoke detectors can detect much more than smoke - 01/17/09 04:18 PM
  2:30am  Instantly awake!  All of the smoke detectors in our Salem, Oregon home are going off.  BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!!! For close to 30 seconds then they turn off.  I jump out of bed and run into the hall between the kid's and our room ready to assess the situation and get the kids out of the house......Nothing, no smell of smoke, no crackling fire.  No indication of fire at all!  At this point, the sudden rush from being totally asleep to totally awake and high on adrenaline for no apparent reason has me more than a little irritated.
  Our … (14 comments)

Radon and the rough crowd it, "Rolls With." - 01/10/09 04:08 PM
Radon is a radioactive gas that is produced when uranium degrades.  Uranium has a tendency to geologically 'hang,' with granite and other igneous rocks.  This is significant due to the fact that the geology of granite and other minerals can be mapped.
  The EPA has a fantastic resource for general knowledge on all kinds of different environmental issues.  They have a radon exposure map that is based on a geologic map of the United States.  Basically it categorizes areas of the US depending on what type of rock is found in that area.
  Unfortunately this map is only a … (9 comments)

Edge metal flashing on rake rafters - 01/09/09 04:11 PM
I have not determined the exact percentages for how often I see this flashing is installed incorrectly during a home inspection, but it is probably more than 5% here in Salem, Oregon.
  It must seem like a good deal to put the metal on the top.  Maybe it seems like a good thing to cover the edge of the hand-cut shingles that, due to lack of experience, look like a rodent chewed on them.
  No matter what the reasoning, putting edge metal on top of the shingles is always wrong.  When rain is hitting and running down the top … (8 comments)

Comfort level: Regular, Delicate Sheer, or Permanent Press? - 01/09/09 11:15 AM
 Home owners are very creative people.  This is especially true of people from previous generations.
If I had a nickel for every automotive part used in plumbing repairs that I have seen....I would have enough for a happy meal....maybe.
Recently while diligently checking a home's heating system during a home inspection in Salem, Oregon this dryer control knob was noted on a wall heater.  I am not sure how hot 'permanent press' is or even ‘Delicate sheer' but I am sure the knob fits tight and with a little training, might help dry the home's air.
 
… (10 comments)

If it was a snake....it would have been too late. - 01/03/09 05:44 PM
We do get a fair amount of rain during the winter months in western Oregon.  All of that precipitation can sometimes lead to a high water table.  That is one reason there are so many crawlspaces in this area.  If water does come up out of the ground it is hopefully safely covered with a nice plastic vapor retarder, instead of wreaking havoc with finished surfaces.
It can be very common for inspectors to see standing water when it comes time to crawl around with the spiders.  I am not afraid of water, however when water is present with electricity that … (4 comments)

Where is this Water coming from? - 01/03/09 04:56 PM
Being an inspector equipped with a highly advance thermal camera I have been called upon to find quite a few leaks.
   Leaks can be very frustrating and challenging.  Our modern, climate controlled, super insulated and immaculately finished homes do not respond well to storm water on interior surfaces.  Window sills swell, drywall turns brown, and wood floors crack.  How rude it is when Mother Nature invites herself into the world we control.
   A very interesting pattern has developed after a few dozen, "....help me find where this leak is coming from," calls.  A majority of the calls that were … (6 comments)

 

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