HVAC Contractor Must Have Had a Bad Day . . . - 01/30/08 04:53 AM
The
HVAC contractor who installed the furnaces and air handling units for this new
construction property must have been having a bad day. The first error in the
attached picture is quite obvious. The HVAC contractor forgot to finish sealing
the ductwork to the side of the air handling unit. … (9 comments)
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Monday Morning Motivator - 01/28/08 05:40 AM
Monday
Morning Motivator
Nothing is more honorable than a Grateful Heart.
-
Arthor Unkown
This motivational moment
has been brought to you from your friends at Complete Home Inspections, Inc.
Questions or comments? E-mail us at
chi_inspector@bellsouth.net or call us … (9 comments)
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Electrical Codes Inspectors Miss More Than You Think . . . - 01/25/08 05:49 AM
Having
been an electrical engineer and a licensed electrician in a prior life, I am
critical on electrical issues especially when it comes to the safety of my
clients. Yesterday, I inspected a new construction property and one that was
about 4 years old that did not have an inspection … (14 comments)
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GFCI Failures Can Be Fatal . . . When Did You Last Check Yours? - 01/24/08 05:25 AM
Ground
Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) devices have been in properties in varying
degrees since the early 1970's. Failures in these devices are the number one
common electrical issue that I comment on when doing property inspections. Like
most items in a home, not too much thought are given to items … (9 comments)
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Rusted Flues on Package Units - Things You and Your Customer Should Know - 01/16/08 05:55 AM
As
part of the inspection process, we are required
to evaluate and comment on the condition of package units, furnaces and
compressor units. Periodically, I come across an older package unit where there
is excessive rusting around the exhaust venting for the enclosed built-in
furnace. As a rule, I see … (5 comments)
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How Hot is Your Water? - 01/12/08 05:40 AM
Hot water
systems must supply water at temperatures hot enough to meet cleaning demands
but not so hot as to risk injury to people. Children, the disabled, and the
elderly are most susceptible to hot water-related injuries. Currently, the
maximum
temperature criteria calls for temperatures to be in the … (5 comments)
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s Mold Killing Your Deal? Part I of 3 . . . - 01/11/08 06:02 AM
Just
mention the “M” word during an inspection, and
it seems as if all parties involved in the property transaction freak out! I
really feel that the whole mold situation has been grossly blown out of
proportion. It seems as if all molds are bundled into the same category as … (3 comments)
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Do You Check the Dishwasher During Your Final Walk-Through? - 01/10/08 06:41 AM
While doing your final walk-through, do you or
your clients check the dishwasher? This is one mechanical device that can
cause some homeowners some unexpected grief or expense after the closing at
escrow. Having completed over 2500 property inspections over the past 7 years,
here are some tips:
Start the … (7 comments)
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Garage Water Heater Installations . . . Flammable Vapor Protection - 01/09/08 06:18 AM
A few times a month,
I run across gas water heaters that has been installed either on the floor, or a
few inches off the floor. Mechanical codes state that for fuel burring units
such as gas and oil, the combustion chamber and ignition source should be a
minimum of … (2 comments)
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Photos of the Day . . . - 01/09/08 05:12 AM
Well,
it seems as if our old buddy Unhandy Andy has
been hard at work again - this time as an electrician. After spending months
building a work shop out in the back of the house, it seems as if he wanted to
find ways to burn it down in … (4 comments)
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Keep Your Butts Where They Belong . . . - 01/08/08 06:24 AM
As
a former 2 pack-a-day smoker, (quit in '82) I have been guilty of thumping my
butts out the window of my car. When I look out the window at the curbside and
see it just littered with butts, I think, "What an eyesore."
The other day, I was … (7 comments)
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Beware of Mold in Attics . . . - 01/07/08 06:21 AM
More and more these days, as production houses
get built, I am seeing more signs of mold in the attics. Many building
contractor are just pooh-poohing this off as "A certain amount of water staining
is considered normal". Water staining maybe, but mold? No! What they
don't want to say is … (1 comments)
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Monday Morning Motivator - 01/07/08 05:42 AM
Monday Morning Motivator
I have always been in alignment
with many of the great motivators, philosophers and teachers of this era. If you
can dream it, you can achieve it. This year as you set personal as well as
business goals, I hope that you remember to hold on to your … (5 comments)
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I Always Get Suspicious When ... - 01/05/08 08:39 AM
I
get a lot of comments from folks out there in AR
stating that I could probably write a book about all the things that I have
seen. There right! I never have to think what I need to write about. All I
have to do is go through my … (5 comments)
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More work from Unhandy Andy . . . - 01/05/08 08:12 AM
Well,
it looks as if the infamous Unhandy Andy has been
hard at work again. You know him, the knot-headed nitwit of the construction
world whose motto must be "We Will Make It Work". This guy must be ambidextrous,
because he can take a job and screw it up with … (7 comments)
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Looks as if Unhandy Andy has been working here . . . - 01/05/08 07:38 AM
It
has been said, that a picture is worth 998 works +/- a few, and this picture
shows you how not to flash a chimney! It looks as if this is
the handy work of the infamous Unhandy-Andy who lurks around town demonstrating
his utter lack of building skills and … (2 comments)
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Got MeMe'd Yesterday ... - 01/04/08 10:01 AM
Golly, I got MeMe'd the other day by my friend
Larry
Brewer and I am wondering where to begin.
Let's try warming up the pipes a little first!
Do .. Ray .. Me, Me, ME, ME, ME
... sounding better all the time!
Now that I have gotten the pipes … (2 comments)
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Photo of the week . . . - 01/04/08 06:47 AM
The
other day, I was inspecting a 3 year old property
and came across this in every room of the property. Granted, builders
often install dust covers on smoke alarms when they are in the construction
phase to keep dust and other contaminants out of the photo eyes. Generally, the … (5 comments)
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Catholics Must Have Lived Here - 01/04/08 05:07 AM
I
generally write about serious topics, but for the
time being, I am going to let what few hairs I have left down and write about some
fun stuff.
I really enjoy inspecting some of the older
properties in the East section of Nashville. The architectural styles and
building methods … (2 comments)
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Keyed Entry Doorlocks - Potential Fire Safety Hazard... - 01/03/08 07:36 AM
Several
times a week, I see keyed entry locks on both sides of the deadbolt lock.
Generally, I will see these in older properties or in rough neighborhoods where
the home owner feels that they need … (4 comments)
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Dryer Venting - What You Don't Know Can Cost You - 01/03/08 06:11 AM
For
many
years, the material of choice for clothes dryer venting was the common
flexible
plastic vent hose.
Invariably, I run across this material in some homes several times a month. As a
courtesy to the new home buyer, I write this up as a potential fire safety
hazard. There … (4 comments)
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January is Radon Awarness Month - 01/02/08 06:13 AM
According to the
EPA and other sources,
Radon
is second only to cigarettes as the leading cause of
lung cancer
in the United States. It has also been
labeled as the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers and smokers alike.
It is estimated that about 20,000 US citizens will die … (2 comments)
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Can Chickens Swim? - 01/01/08 05:43 AM
I'M
sure that is the burning question that every kid that grew up on a farm like I
did wants to know.
Many, many moons ago, Hazlehurst,
GA was a sleepy little rural farm town tucked away in the middle of nowhere. It
was so small, that we used … (4 comments)
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