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Photo of the Day . . . - 04/30/08 05:41 AM
How to Burn Your House Down With Out Really Trying . . .
Much as been written and posted on the Internet and here in Active Rain about dryers and dryer venting and why proper venting for these appliances is so very important. A friend of mine, Charles Buell an inspector in Seattle, WA, recently wrote a good post on dryer systems. This is a picture of a disaster just waiting for a place to happen. Are those sirens that I hear in the distance?
The more I ponder the dryer sitchooation, I reckon dryers are trickier than I thought for … (9 comments)
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Photo of the Day - 04/28/08 04:49 PM
Home inspectors are not just a pretty face in the crowd. They really have to know their craft especially when it comes to new homes and framing inspections. As part of the services we offer for our clients, framing inspections are imperative since far too often, major framing faults and structural failures are hidden forever by drywall.
While conducting a framing inspection for one of my clients in the Brentwood, TN area, I came across this framing fault, which by all intents and purposes, is a failure within the structure waiting to happen. Keep in mind that all structural loads … (7 comments)
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Running Out of Hot Water? This May Be Why . . . - 04/28/08 04:31 AM
It seems as if here lately I have been running into many 40 gallon electric water heaters in my inspections, especially in new construction and rehabs. Depending upon the application, I write these up as being improperly sized. Here’s why.
The selection of a particular type hot water supply system for a house is determined by several factors including the utility connections available, utility rates, hot water demand, and builder or owner preference.
There are several methods used to calculate the hot water demand, each possibly giving different results. No one single method is a perfect indicator of the actual … (4 comments)
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Earth Day - Should It Only Be for One Day a Year? - 04/26/08 04:26 AM
This week, Active Rain was all abuzz with postings about Earth Day as there must have been at least 2 zillion posts about it. And, I think that is great because we only have one planet, and once this one gets screwed up, there ain't no going to another. Being good stewards does not follow political lines, it follows what is in your heart. What can I do today to save some of the Earth's remaining precious resources for my children and grandchildren? Every little bit helps, whether it is recycling old cell phones, computers, or handing out "green" reusable grocery … (10 comments)
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Photo of the Day . . . - 04/25/08 05:24 AM
While inspecting a two year old townhouse in Nashville, TN's west side, I saw this unusual installation for the water heater. The fan unit is not what is unusual, as it is not uncommon to see this forced systems on gas water heaters in this area. What is unusual, is that the unit is plugged into a GFCI protected outlet which controls the exterior outlets. If the GFCI circuit should experience a fault, the power for the fan will be turned off, and if the gas water heater is running, CO will spill into the property. Gas fired units that incorporate … (13 comments)
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How Old Is Your Heating & Cooling System? - 04/24/08 06:47 AM
This is the first in a series of posts that I am going to make on how to read the serial numbers for the more popular units in my area. I am going to start with Goodman heating and cooling products out of Houston, TX. These are very common to see throughout the south and here in the Middle Tennessee area. One of the questions that I get asked quite frequently by real estate agents and home owners alike is what the age of the unit and will it adequately cool my house? As inadequate tonnage and older units can lead … (5 comments)
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Photo of the Day . . . - 04/23/08 05:09 AM
As a member of The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) for the past five years and a licensed home inspector for the state of Tennessee for the past 2, there are certain guidelines that we must follow when inspecting a property. I cannot speak for other home inspectors in other states as each state, if licensed, has their own guidelines for inspecting. Here in Tennessee which follows an old 1991 ASHI Standards of Practice, we must open electrical panels provided that the conditions are safe for the inspector. The purpose for this is that many properties have irregularities in the … (6 comments)
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Photo of the Day . . . - 04/22/08 09:49 AM
The attached photo is a classic example why insurance companies classify extension cords as a fire safety hazard. The home owner used an extension cord that was designed and rated for light duty use such as lamps and other light duty appliances to run the air conditioner unit. Depending upon the size or tonnage of the unit, these can pull any where from 12 - 15 continuous duty amps which severely overloads the capacity of light duty cords such as this. These can only safely handle 5-7 continuous duty amps and even that is a stretch. For your own personal safety, … (9 comments)
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Not All Home Inspectors Are Created Equal . . . - 04/19/08 04:07 AM
Not all home inspectors are created equal. The truth to that statement became really apparent yesterday while inspecting a relatively new property in the Franklin Tennessee area. The owner agent for this property confidently told me that he had just had this property inspected by HIS inspector a few months ago for their 11 month warranty inspection and, I probably won't find anything. Ouch! I hate it when people tell me that. I thanked him and went on about my business of inspecting this property for my client. Now, just because the property has been inspected by someone else doesn't mean … (22 comments)
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Plastic Dryer Vents Are A Fire Safety Hazard in Your Home - Here's Picture Proof . . . - 04/17/08 05:59 PM
Plastic dryer venting has been banned from residential usage for several years now. This type of material is considered a fire safety hazard and should be replaced if you have this present in your home. While inspecting an older property in Brentwood, TN today I ran across sections of plastic dryer venting in the crawl space area of property. The burn hole in his plastic is an indication as to why this is considered a fire safety hazard. These people were lucky as their house did not burn down. This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property of … (5 comments)
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House Bulldozer, Bulldozer House, Now That We Have Been Formally Introduced . . . - 04/17/08 05:59 AM
If any of you have been in the real estate business for any length of time like I have, I'm sure that like me you have fond memories of people or properties that you would not have rather seen or met. I know that I say that a little bit sarcastically, but the other day I had an encounter with a very pleasant young man who was purchasing a rustic property in the Fairview section of Williamson County, Tennessee. This encounter got off to a rather auspicious start when I found out that I had to drive through a running creek … (10 comments)
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Photo of the Day . . . - 04/16/08 06:28 AM
I have seen mushrooms growing outside of a house as well as under a house. But, this is the first time that I've ever seen mushrooms growing inside a house! Obviously, the builders of this house from hell -- excuse me, I mean new construction property -- has a minor problem. As far as new construction goes, this was one of the worst houses that I've ever seen. Overall, the summary report that went to the builder and the real estate agent was 14 pages of items that needed to be addressed by the builder. To give a bench mark, most … (16 comments)
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Contunuous Radon Monitors v/s Charcoal Canisters - 04/14/08 06:48 AM
The middle Tennessee area is considered a high radon belt according to the EPA. There are several different types of radon monitoring equipment in the marketplace approved for real estate transactions. The most common are the charcoal canisters and the continuous monitoring equipment. Some home inspectors like to use the charcoal canisters for doing their radon testing. These are inexpensive costing about $10 each as compared to $1500-$4000 for a good grade of continuous monitoring equipment. I prefer to use the continuous monitoring equipment and here’s why: One cannot get instantaneous readings from the charcoal canisters. The charcoal canisters must be … (9 comments)
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Hillary and Abe . . . - 04/13/08 04:30 PM
Many of you who follow my posts, know that I have served this country as a Marine and really love political humor and satire especially during presidential elections. I have posted jokes about our current Commander In Chief and about Obama. Today it is Hillary's turn. I hope that you enjoy. Hillary and Abe...
Hillary Clinton gets elected President and is spending her first night in the White House.
The ghost of George Washington appears, and Hillary says, "How can I best serve my country?" Washington says, "Never tell a lie," Ouch! Says Hillary, I don't know about that. The … (9 comments)
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Historic Downtown Franklin, TN - Carnton Plantation House - 04/12/08 08:33 PM
About a mile East from the square in Historic Down Town going out Lewisburg pike, sets Carnton Plantation. The original plantation was built circa 1815 Carnton was built by former Nashville mayor Randal McGavock the 11th mayor of Nashville. All that remains of the original hose is the foundation. The current house was built in 1826. As Nashville was one of the leading political centers for this developing nation, many important figures visited Carton plantation a wealthy plantation on the outskirts of Franklin, TN. Guests to the plantation included American Presidents James K. Polk and Andrew Jackson. Carton was an important … (8 comments)
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Photo of the Day . . . - 04/11/08 06:08 AM
There is a right way and a wrong way to do things especially when it comes to installing a roof covering. The pictures in this post are a pictorial representation of how NOT to install rolled roofing or shingles for that matter. While inspecting a property in Franklin, TN, this 3 year old installation definitely had some problems that will cost the seller some bucks.
This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property of Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc. providing home inspections for Brentwood, Nashville, Davidson and Williamson Counties of Middle Tennessee. The views and … (11 comments)
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Historic Downtown Franklin, TN - 04/06/08 03:52 AM
On October 26, 1799, The City of Franklin, TN was founded. Dr. Hugh Williamson, a member of the Continental Congress for whom Williamson County was named, named the city after his close friend Benjamin Franklin. For almost all of its existence, Franklin has been a small quiet town and the county seat of Williamson County, TN. Prior to the Civil War, Williamson County was one of the wealthiest counties in Tennessee and Franklin was the center of plantation economy.
However, after the Second Battle of Franklin, fought on 30 November, 1864, between the Carnton House Plantation and the Carter House … (8 comments)
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Photo of the Day . . . - 04/03/08 06:59 AM
The other day while inspecting a property in Nashville TN, I ran across this unique way of stopping a leaking gate valve. As this property had been rehabbed, and the caulking was still soft, I really cannot blame this one on the home owner. Once again, just proving my case that there are some real quality craftsmen out there that will stop at nothing to show their ineptness or their skill with a caulking gun. Well, at least they did not use duct tape!
This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property of Michael Thornton of Complete Home … (6 comments)
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The Carter House - Historic Franklin, TN - 04/03/08 06:19 AM
The Carter house located at 1140 Columbia Ave is about .4 miles South East of 5 points where Andrew Jackson attended the Indian Removal Council and Hincheyville, Historic Franklin, TN’s first subdivision. This modest brick house was build circa 1830 by Fountain Branch Carter. The surrounding farm and countryside was the center of one of the most terrifying and bloodiest battles during the Civil War or any American war, a battle in which nearly the entire Army of Tennessee was destroyed.
The second battle of Franklin, November 30 1864, lasted about 5 hours resulting in the Federal army withdrawing … (5 comments)
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Indian Removal Council - Williamson County Archives Park - 04/02/08 06:04 AM
Located on the Southeast side of 5 points in historical downtown Franklin, TN and about 100 yards north of Franklin’s first subdivision Hincheyville, is the Williamson County Archives and Museum. It is on this site on 20 August, 1830 when Andrew Jackson met with the chiefs of the Chickasaw Nation to sign the Chickasaw Treaty. In the spring of that year, Congress had passed the Indian Removal Act providing the President with the means to exchange the lands of the five civilized Indian Nations of the Southeast for lands west of the Mississippi River. The Chickasaw Treaty signed in Franklin, TN … (2 comments)
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These Bands Don't Play Cool Tunes! - 04/02/08 04:44 AM
Unlike the Fab Four, best known for their hit song, “I Wanna Hold Your Flashlight”, there are some bands out there that don’t play cool tunes. An example of this is the Carbon Fiber Band. Every time I see this group, it normally spells trouble.
Carbon fiber bands are generally applied to basement walls to abate movement caused by hydraulic pressure from ground water. Without some type of relief, excessive pressure will cause the block walls in basements and crawlspaces to cave inward resulting in weakened bearing walls. Although, carbon fiber bands will slow the movement, relief of the hydraulic … (11 comments)
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Historic Franklin, TN - Hincheyville - 04/01/08 05:46 AM
Just south of 5 points in historic downtown Franklin, TN sets Franklin’s first subdivision Hincheyville. The subdivision was developed in early 1819 by Felix Grundy, James Irwin, and James Trimble. The ninety acres, extending from Fair Street to Eleventh Avenue had 26 lots on Fair Street, 25 lots on Main Street and 8 lots on Bridge Street. The subdivision was named for Hinchea Petway who was a wealthy merchant who owned the land. His house, which had to be razed to build the subdivision, was located approximately in the middle of 8th Ave between Fair Street and West Main. The Hincheyville … (5 comments)
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Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector - 615.661.0297
Brentwood,
TN
More about me…
Complete Home Inspections, Inc.
Address: 217 Jamestown Park Road, Suite 12, Brentwood, TN, 37027
Office Phone: (615) 661-0297
Cell Phone: (615) 473-8803
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