nashville tn home inspections: My Former Occupation? Why Did You Ask?
- 03/16/16 09:34 PM
There is lot to be said about the age old adage and pictures and what this contractor did to this beautiful new cabinet is a crime. They should be arrested. Nevertheless, in the haste to get the new vanity installed, caution, craftsmanship and quality was thrown to the wind and the resulting butchering of a perfectly good cabinet reflect this attitude.
Additionally, the plumbing stops need to be readily and easily accessible. They are below the level of the floor skin or cannot be easily turned. The correct way to do this would have been to extend the supply lines … (15 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: A Little Common Sense Goes a Long, Long Way
- 03/15/16 07:20 PM
Older properties can pose challenges to any home inspector in any area of the country. However; with a little common sense, costly repairs can be avoided especially while sprucing up the property for resale. Far too often, in the haste of slapping up some paint, common sense sometimes takes a back seat and outlets sometimes get painted along with the walls.
There is no real good way to remove paint from a contaminated outlet like this once it is filled with paint. The inside contacts form a insulation barrier which might allow enough contact for light amperage uses such as … (9 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: Things Generally Work Better When One Finishes the Job
- 03/07/16 07:56 AM
As part of the inspection process for most States, inspectors are required to test smoke detectors for functionality. For the most part, current standards require smoke detectors to be interconnected so that if one goes off, they all go off.
As luck would have it, the first detector failed to work so I decided to check to see if it was even connected. Sure enough, it wasn't. I generally find that things work better when the electrician finishes the job . . . now it is up to the homeowner to pay for an electrician to correct what the … (14 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: Things are not Always What they Seem
- 03/03/16 06:05 PM
I will be the first to admit that I do not know it all and I do run into situations that are quite perplexing. One in particular are the cracks that have been filled in copious amounts of sealant. At first glance, the damage appeared to have been caused by the poor installation of the gas line. But after looking at all the "clues" I determined that the brick ties that hold the brick veneer to the block walls were failing and unless repaired in a timely manner, the brick veneer could become a new brick patio. The … (15 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: How Safe is Your Dryer?
- 02/22/16 06:26 PM
On average, a typical 12-pound load of laundry will weigh about 20 or more pounds when placed into the dryer. This means that the dryer has to dispose of about a gallon of water with every load. Generally accepted standards require dryers to exhaust to the outside since indoor exhausting can cause mildew and other problems.
When it comes to dryer vent connections, most folks do not give it a second thought. They purchase something from the big box stores, stick it on and forget it. Below are types of available vent materials in order of preference:
- Rigid metal … (20 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: Never a Dull Moment . . .
- 02/18/16 06:29 PM
There is a lot to be said about out of sight, out of mind and older properties like our more experienced population have stories to tell. Although not perfect, older properties were built to last as there was a lot of pride that went into the construction process. More so than the repair to the structural pier that is supporting one of the main girders.
I hate to think that someone paid good money for such shoddy work. For the most part, homeowners will not go into the crawlspace to verify the quality of the completed work and so repairs … (19 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: Home Inspections . . . It Isn't Rocket Science!
- 02/12/16 08:45 AM
Home inspecting isn’t rocket science. For the most part, it’s just plain, o’l common, horse sense. If something I’m looking at doesn’t look right or isn’t functioning correctly . . . something is wrong! Some of the more problematic areas generally revolve around plumbing and electrical. Unhandy home owners and tradesmen are not competent in various trade disciplines and because it is available in the big-box stores, they think it is ‘code legal’ or just like to take shortcuts. Sometimes the easy way out is best for doing home repairs or remodeling.
For example; standard plumbing systems use water … (13 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: Duct Tape - My 2₵’s Worth
- 02/06/16 07:39 AM
For over a half a century, duct tape has been keeping airplanes together, nuclear subs together, it makes race cars faster, has been used in space missions and was used on the moon. Needless to say, it is a universal standby for patching up millions of fix-it projects. I believe it can temporary fix anything except a broken heart. I’m guilty of using it myself {BLUSH with embarrassment} and I know better.
In 1998 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) researchers performed a 3-month experiment to see if duct tape could hold up to normal conditions generally found in air … (16 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: Duck Tape
- 02/05/16 06:20 PM
Duct tape! Is not all it is quacked up to be and it is used for almost any type of repair that the human mind can imagine. However, duck tape had an interesting beginning:
The duct tape that we know today was first created and manufactured some time in the early ’40’s by Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceuticals and its use was to keep moisture out of the ammunition cases. Because it was waterproof and was made of cotton duck, folks gave it the nickname "Duck Tape."
Military personnel quickly discovered the versatility of the product and used it to … (21 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: What is Your HIIQ? V01
- 02/03/16 08:16 AM
It is not uncommon for home inspectors to get asked by a customer, “What all do you inspect?” There are some that will say everything. Really? According to most Home Inspection Association and the State Home Inspection Standards, there are items we shall do and then there are things that are we are not required to do. Some items are optional. The questions in this video came from Association the State of TN Inspection Standards. Watch the short video and test your Home Inspection knowledge.
TeamCHI ~ The Complete Home Inspections Team
615.661.0297
chi-tn.com
… (4 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: (not so) Speechless Sundae ~ 01.31.16
- 01/30/16 08:02 PM
Every property I inspect is a new adventure - no two are exactly the same. There is a lot to be said especially when inspecting a newly rehabbed properties. No two of them are exactly the same either. Sometimes I wonder if folks bubbles are off or do they just make do? Who knows? As in the old Jedi mind trick, "Nothing to see here . . . just move along . . ." Must be an optical delusion.
TeamCHI ~ The Complete Home Inspections Team
chi-tn.com
… (11 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: RE Agent vs Home Inspector - When Will the Insanity Stop?
- 01/29/16 07:36 PM
Home inspectors and inspections. As a listing agent, some cringe when they hear that Hank Heavyhand is doing the inspection. Then, there is Nicholas Nitpick, who literally picks a house apart and scares the client half to death and the buyer’s agent too because nothing is right with the property.
15 years ago, when I got into the inspection business, the inspection process was no way near as complicated as it is today. With agents, buyers, tradesmen and even inspectors being ignorant of their own States Standards of Practice, inspection reports have gotten more complicated and lengthy due to “Real … (67 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: Entrapment
- 01/23/16 06:54 PM
Remember when you were a kid and sang songs like:
Here we go loopty loo
Here we go loopty li
Here we go loopty loo
All on a Sunday morning.
Not that I am against happy songs and a happy plumbers as we all need more happiness in this spinning orb. However, it seems as if some folks have the propensity to get a little too carried away and start drifting . . .
The S-shaped trap AKA the S-bend was invented by Alexander Cummings in 1775 and was replaced by the introduction of the U-shaped … (13 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: What's Your Prob? It Was Issued a CO!
- 01/20/16 06:38 PM
Many folks in the real estate industry are under the misconception that because a property has been issued a CO, everything is or has been installed as per codes. Really? I have heard that argument time and time again from agents when I write up some deficiency and the selling agent throws out what they hope will be the trump card to discredit my findings: "I was issued a CO from the Codes Inspectors. Everything has to be right!"
First of all, City or County codes officials are not the sharpest tacks in the box and they certainly do not … (12 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: (not so) Speechless Sundae ~ 01.17.16
- 01/17/16 07:39 AM
It is not unusual to see folks take a creative license when it comes to the installation of common, everyday items. Creativity is something we are all born with and somewhere along the way, some folks convince themselves they don’t have the right skill set to be creative or artistic. I will have to admit, the artist was very creative; however, they did not convince me that that is switch installation conformed to local and industry standards.
TeamCHI ~ The Complete Home Inspections Team
chi-tn.com
… (6 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: High Drain Loops
- 01/15/16 08:58 AM
It is not unusual to see high drain loops not installed on dishwashers. I see it almost daily during my inspections and I often get asked by real estate agents and home owners alike why this is wrong. Hopefully, this video will help you understand the reason this is practice is not allowed and the reason home inspectors put this item in their reports.
TeamCHI - The Complete Home Inspections Team; Brentwood, TN
:-}
… (9 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: Monday Morning Motivator - 01.11.16
- 01/10/16 06:51 PM
As the new year rolls out, many are planning or have in place new business plans and goals for the new year. One thought that comes to mind is: “Fail to plan; plan to fail.” I hope that everyone has a good solid business plan in place and you can make your life what you want it to be.
TeamCHI - The Complete Home Inspections Team; Brentwood, TN
:-}
… (16 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: Penny-Wise & Pound Foolish
- 01/08/16 07:20 PM
Every home has a bomb tucked away somewhere. It may be in your garage, attic, basement or under your stairwell. There is enough potential energy in this bomb to level the average size property. The bomb I am referring to is your water heater.
It is not unusual to see water dripping from the Temperature, Pressure, Relief valve (TPR). Typically, weeping is an indication that excessive pressure is being built up in the tank and it is the valve’s purpose to relieve that pressure. If the pressure within the tank exceeds the design, it could explode with a force equivalent … (20 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: There is a Right Way and Then . . .
- 01/07/16 06:38 PM
Folks just love to fool around with electricity - the one thing that will electrocute them or burn their home down. Nevertheless, some folks love to tinker or they think they are an electrician. [Oye! Veh!]
The inset is one example of how not to power a garbage disposal. The soft-sided conductor is not designed for exposed use as the sheathing material can be easily damaged and the female plug is designed for use on extension cords. Extension cords are temporary power conductors.
The correct way to have done this was to put the soft-sided conductor in a protective sheathing … (24 comments)
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nashville tn home inspections: Dangling Participle
- 01/06/16 06:50 PM
One thing I can say about the home inspection business, there is rarely a dull moment. For the most part, folks who purchase investment properties to ‘fix and flip’, want to maximize their profits. It is not unusual for them to make do with what is offered.
Selling a rehab incorporates a lot of eyewash. New granite, stainless steel, flooring, paint . . . and the list goes on. Wiring and other components remain whether it was originally installed correctly or not.
An example is this light fixture. A wire was run through the ceiling panel and poked … (19 comments)
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There is lot to be said about the age old adage and pictures and what this contractor did to this beautiful new cabinet is a crime. They should be arrested. Nevertheless, in the haste to get the new vanity installed, caution, craftsmanship and quality was thrown to the wind and the resulting butchering of a perfectly good cabinet reflect this attitude.
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