Sunny Days, Sweepin' the Clouds away - 05/29/10 07:22 AM

Can you tell me how to  find, how to find a roof leak……
While most people complain about our recent downpours they have been providing me with much-needed rain to make leaks light up.  One of the biggest benefits having a thermal image camera is the ability to see things you can’t see with your visual senses.  A recent inspection on a home on Sesame Street and no I don’t need you to tell me how to get there, I found a leak that wasn’t showing through the finished surfaces yet…
Although advanced in age the surface of the roof did appear to … (6 comments)

What does that plumbing valve do? - 05/25/10 10:18 AM
The most important part of a good home inspection is the education about the home.  Above and beyond the defects that good home inspectors will find, helping the new home owners understand the weird knobs and switches that are in a typical home is really where good inspectors earn their wage. One type of knob in particular that I see often in more recently built homes is the "hose bib winterization valve." It seems simple enough however they usually are not anywhere near the hose bib (outside water faucet)! In a two-story home, these valves are usually stuffed under an upstairs bathroom sink.  The placement is good … (4 comments)

Aluminum: Good for cans and boats, but wiring?.....not so much. - 05/21/10 09:30 AM
Written by:  Jim Allhiser President/Inspector When I trained to become a home inspector I went to a national school and learned about all sorts of things that good home inspectors should be aware of when inspecting homes.  Over the years of doing inspections in Salem, Oregon I have noticed real patterns in building materials that were not reflected by the home inspector schooling. Bricks for one thing are very popular in other parts of the country.  My schooling spent hours on the issues that can be noted with brick siding.  We have brick siding here, but at a very small percentage compared to … (8 comments)

 

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