John's Blog

CSST Punctured On Re-Roofs

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:29:09 -0500

After storms went through Texas & many homes needing to be re-roofed there were several instances of CSST gas line, that was run through the attic & too close to the underside of the roof decking, being punctured by the roofing nails during installation. This is also a good example of why a home inspector may write up things that have passed code inspections. Please view this video, Video On Demand | WFAA.com

Church In Ghana

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 08:08:17 -0500

I have a very close friend from Ghana, West Africa who is a pastor & church planter there. They face many different struggles on a daily basis, but one without a doubt is financial. They have been working to complete their mission house where around 20 people will be living at any given time. They have had to go ahead & move into it before it is actually complete & they have the foundation for the church done where they have set up tents for their services until finances allow for it's completion. I have known pastor Eric, his full name is Eric Assare Bediako, for going on 10 years now & I have seen his many sacrifices & how everything he does goes toward advancing the Kingdom of God.

This morning he informed of an urgent financial need & I am posting this here just to say that if God leads you to help us with this need then please contact me thru active rain or you can call me @ 931 801 1575. I have not posted pics here before, but I am going to try to put some of their mission house & church below. Thanks & God bless

Eliminating Ladder Whistle

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:11:40 -0500

If you haul a ladder on the top of your vehicle on a regular basis you are probably familiar with the ladder whistle that is caused by the air rushing by the holes at each end of the rungs. While this can be a temporary annoyance for a one time project, if you are hauling your ladder every day for work like I do it begins to close in on insanity. Well, here is how I solved my ladder whistle problem. I put the ladder on saw horses & sprayed expanding foam in each rung hole, then when the foam had set up I went back & trimmed it flush with a long razor blade. Even if you don't haul a ladder on a regular basis this can still be of benefit in preventing things like a wasp nest & the accompanying sting when you drag that ladder out this spring for your projects around the home.

Problems With Stair Riser Height

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:08:07 -0600

Billy S says, We were originally going to have a vinyl floor in our addition, but have decided to go with 3/4″ hardwood, the stairs have already been installed & the change in flooring means that the first step will now be 3/4″ shorter than the rest of the steps. The contractor has said that either we can live with it or pay to have the stairs torn out & re-framed. Please tell me there is another option.

I think you will be glad to hear this because there is a relatively simple fix for this problem. Click Here

Marketplace Ministries Transformation Clarksville Update

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:49:01 -0600

Customs House Museum
200 South Second Street, Clarksville, TN 37040
Saturday, March 1, 2008 • 8:00am - 1:00pm
Contact: Pastor John Renken
Xtreme Ministries • (931) 220-4502
Registration Fee: $35.00
Topics:
1) Five Pivotal Paradigms for Transformation

These are the foundational understanding that is changing the way the Body of Christ functions and understands her role in the world. It is then leading to entire cities and nations coming under the massive influence of the presence and power of God. We will unfold these simple but profound truths that form the path for transformation.

2) Prayer Evangelism and Changing the Spiritual Climate of the City

Resistencia, Argentina was the first modern city to be completely reached and transformed by the united church. The principles pioneered by Harvest Evangelism and that are documented in That None Should Perish by Ed Silvoso form the basis of what we now call Prayer Evangelism. Tod and Rick will share these principles, illustrate them practically and also show documented examples of cities changed when the church implemented Prayer Evangelism to change the spiritual climate.

3. A Strategic Path to Follow for Transformation Clarksville

A Step by step strategy for the church to work together to reach Clarksville. Proven and powerful.

4. A Five Step Spiritual Business Plan and the Role of Your Success in Gaining Influence

Releasing and commissioning marketplace ministers to take the principles taught in the seminar to start filling the city. Pastors will have a key role in this portion of the seminar.

Speakers:
Rick Heeren is Regional Vice President for the Midwest (US). Rick is one of this generation's pioneers in the concept of bringing prayer and intercession into businesses. He is the author of three books Thank God It's Monday!, The Elk River Story, and The Threshing Floor.
Tod Bell is a Nashville native and has been deeply involved in city-reaching efforts and marketplace transformation networking for many years. He formed and initiated Pass the Salt, a marketplace network in the Southeast region, and is also on the board of CEO Fellowship, an equipping ministry for business leaders.

Getting The Most For Your Money At The Pumps

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:26:05 -0600

Below are some useful tips I received for getting the best value at the pumps.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground
temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage
tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline,
when it gets warmer gasoline expan ds, so buying in the afternoon or in the
evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum
business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and
jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A
1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service
stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode.
If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and
high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low spe ed, thereby minimizing the
vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a
vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes
to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being
sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less
worth for your money .

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or
HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less
air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine.
Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero
clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation.
Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is
temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping int o the storage tanks
when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being
stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt
that normally settles on the bottom.

Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!

Marketplace Ministries

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:51:12 -0600

I wanted to share the below information from Pastor John Renken about the last market place ministries lunchean & upcoming events.

Hey everyone just wanted to give you an update of what took place yesterday at the Market Place Ministries Luncheon. We came together in order to promote the idea that Business Men and Women are the pastors of their respective businesses and have the opportunity to advance the kingdom of God in their workplace. I would ask you to please forward this to any Pastor or Business leader that might be interested in attending or seeing the fields of Clarksville harvested and brought into Gods kingdom!!! Additionally, as you all know we need prayer support. So if you know intercessors that would commit to praying for us and this endeavor forward this to them as well.

Just a quick summary

* Roughly 30 people showed up with 5 pastors from various churches.

* Announced March 1^st at the Country Inn and Suites ½ day seminar on how to use your Business to advance the Kingdom of God!

* Announced September 20^th Ed Silvoso is coming to our region to work with Business and Church leaders.

* Tod Bel talked about how he believes (as do I) that Clarksville is a detonator city. That when Clarksville is reached that it will spread to Nashville, then to the Middle Tennessee area!!!! He also spoke about training Business Leaders to advance the Kingdom in their workplace and networking with the various churches.

We have 3 objectives for the this year in regard to Market Place Ministry

•1. There is no list of Christian Business people. So if you are or if you have people in your congregation that are interested in networking email me at this email address and we will begin to compiling a list. This would be something similar to the shepherds guide. We are still working on this.

•2. Have a 1 day in service training seminar for Pastors and Market Place Leaders. This date has been set and will be March 1^st, 2008.

•3. Bring Ed Silvoso in for "ANOINTED FOR BUSINESS." This date has been set and is September 20^th, 2008

Dry Chapped Hands

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:09:13 -0600

If anybody is experiencing dry chapped hands this winter try putting vaseline on your hands & then putting on latex/vinyl surgical gloves. You can then put on a pair of regular gloves & go about your business for a while. I can not remember where I first heard of this technique, but will do it a few times every winter & it has worked very well for me so I hope that someone else may benefit from this.

Sidewalk Deicers

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:38:53 -0600

Deicers work by chemically lowering the freezing point below 32 degrees to melt ice. Regular salt (sodium chloride) is the best know & proven deicer, but it's not the best choice if your concerned about the environment, or if temperatures get well below 32 degrees F.

Avoid damage with any deicer by following the application instructions & quickly removing the ice once melted from the area. Deicers are not intended to be used alone, they are meant to be an aid in the removal process. Here are 3 types of deicers.

Sodium Chloride (NaCl)

Irregularly shaped crystals
Considered chemically safe for use on concrete, but may cause freeze-induced damage to other masonry
Lowest effective temperature 20 degrees F.
Leaves a white powdery residue when it dries
Toxic to vegitation

Magnesium Chloride (MgCl2)

Flake form less effective than pellets
May cause freeze-induced damage to masonry
Lowest effective temperature 5 degress F.
Leaves no powdery residue
Safer for humans, animals, vegitation, & environment, compared to other deicers

Calcium Chloride (CaCl2)

Flake form less effective than pellets
Poses least threat of freeze-induced damage to masonry
Lowest effective temperature 25 degress F.
Used as directed will not harm vegetation
Leaves harmful residue on carpet, tile, shoes, etc.

Ungrounded Ground-Fault Receptacles

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:39:51 -0600

"Is there any benefit to installing a GFCI outlet to an older circuit that has no ground wire?"

A GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) reduces the risk of electrocution by constantly measuring & comparing the current coming in on the hot wire with the current going out on the neutral. Any difference in the current means that electricity is flowing back to the source on some path other than the neutral wire. That other path may be through your body to the ground, & that is what a GFCI is designed to prevent.

A GFCI works as well without an equipment grounding conductor (ground) as far as preventing electrocution, But beware of using computers or other electronics on this ungrounded circuit, however. GFCI will protect people from shock, but will not protect equipment from lightning/ spike damage even with a surge protector & electronics also use the ground to dissipate static charge.

Any outlets downstream of an ungrounded GFCI outlets that have ground slots should also be labeled "no equipment ground".

Help With A Dead Outlet

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:58:01 -0600

Mike S says,

I just moved into a house & one outlet didn't work. I used my tester & none of the lights came on. It's not a switched outlet & it looks like it is hooked up right (black & white wires going to the right places) To view the rest of this article click here

Amazingly Simple Home Remedies

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 12:24:42 -0600

1. If you're choking on an ice cube simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat. Presto! The blockage will instantly remove itself.

2. Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold while you chop.

For more amazingly simple home remedies click here

Hidden Dangers Of Microwave Ovens

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:34:41 -0600

A few days ago I published an article on my home inspection blog that illustrates the hidden dangers of microwave ovens. Here is a snippet of the article below.

We've all heard stories about eggs & potatoes exploding in microwave ovens. Those stories are true because as the food cooks, pressure inside the skin builds. If the skin is as hard as an eggshell, the pressure can build quite high before the skin breaks & the egg explodes.

Click here to view the full article & feel free to drop me a comment here on ActiveRain.

GFCI Protection- Outlets or Breakers?

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:04:33 -0600

Ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI's) help to prevent electrical shocks by shutting off the current as soon as an imbalance in the hot & neutral is detected. Current codes require GFCI protection on all kitchen & bathroom outlets & in other potentially damp locations like basements & garages.

If you are building a new home or retrofitting an older one you can use either an outlet or circuit-breaker GFCI device.

A GFCI outlet, which costs 10-15 dollars, has it's own built-in circuit breaker as well as a reset button. When installed properly, a GFCI outlet will protect all other outlets on the same circuit as long as the GFCI outlet is the first one on the circuit.

A GFCI circuit breaker, 30 + dollars, is an easier way to ensure that all the outlets & fixtures on any given branch circuit will be protected. GFCI breakers also function like standard breakers to protect against overloaded or short circuits.

Is Your Dryer Venting Outside?

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:01:17 -0600

At least once a week I will find a dryer vent that is torn or disconnected somewhere in the crawlspace. A dryer venting into the crawlspace will introduce a significant amount of moisture into this area & this is never a good thing. The quickest & easiest way to check to check to see if your dryer is venting to the outside is to turn your dryer on & go locate the vent termination on the outside of the house & verify that there is warm air coming out of it. If there is not it is time to crawl under the house & locate the problem. I also recommend getting rid of any flexible vinyl duct & replacing it with metal duct that has no fasteners penetrating the duct that can catch lint & the joints running in the direction of airflow.

Dewinterizing for Home Inspection

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:17:37 -0600

I did an inspection today on a home that had been dewinterized & had the utilities turned on the day before, problem was, the TPR valve on the water heater had been opened for winterizing & never closed, so when the water was turned on it continued to flow out of the TPR drain for approximately 24 hours until we showed up for the inspection. The good news is that this TPR drain was run into the crawlspace, the bad news is the crawlspace was flooded, a lot better than flooding the house, but still not something you want to have happen.

So please check all your plumbing fixtures, faucets, & valves (including TPR) when having your property dewinterized for inspection.

Square D Recall

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:05:52 -0600

There is the possibility for the switch handle to be placed in the OFF position when the switch is still in an ON (closed) position. This may result in the potential for PERSONAL INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE.
This Notice is applicable ONLY to 30 Ampere and 60 Ampere General Duty Safety Switch Catalog Numbers listed below manufactured between September 11, 2006 and November 4, 2006.

D211NRB D211NRBBP D211NRBCP D221NRB
D221NRBCP D321NRB D321NRBCP DU221RB
DU222RB

DU321RB DU322RB

http://www.squared.com/us/squared/corporate_info.nsf/unid/D80CF820F4747CFA8525723D004E60DA/$file/GDSS_Recall.htm[url]

Be sure & check the Square D web-site as there is also a recall for some of their arc fault breakers & there have also been counterfeit Square D breakers found to be on the market.

CSST settlement

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:11:31 -0500

I recomend going to the CSST settlement site & getting familiar with the situation, the settlement outcome, & the fact that this will now be an item in a lot of home inspections that buyers will have questions about. http://www.pddocs.com/csst/default.aspx

Home Sellers Inspection

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 21:00:14 -0500

Home Seller's Inspections

If you're like most Clarksville Tn home sellers, you have probably lived in your home for more than 5 years. It is in these last 5 years some major changes have occurred in the sale process of a home

Sellers Disclosure.
The biggest change is the requirements of providing a "SELLERS DISCLOSURE." You the home owner must list all the known defects in the home.
Home Inspectors.
The home inspector is usually hired by the Buyer and arrives at your property after a contract is negotiated to inspect and list any defects, questionable areas, upgrade suggestions and maintenance.

When significant problems are found by the Home Inspector the buyer may:

terminate the contract.
or ask for inflated amounts to have the problem fixed.
or be so alarmed by the defect found, will terminate the contract without giving you the chance to fix it.

Either way your house is back on the market and the problem is still there for the next buyer to find.

The problem is the timing of the home inspection.
The trend is changing, and Sellers are having a home inspection at the time of their listing in order to repair or determine the condition of their home and to use it as a sales tool. A Seller's inspection will virtually eliminate all the hassles and blown deals inspections cause when the Buyer brings their inspector. It gives the leverage back to the Seller.

No more renegotiations after the home inspection.
No more alarmed buyers when the home inspector finds a problem.
No more does the Seller have to deal with inflated repair estimates that costs him or her money.
No more countless hours and dollars in energy to get a contract that is "blown out of the water" by surprise defects.
Above all, a Seller's Inspection is the ultimate gesture of full disclosure and will help protect the Seller.

How easy is selling a house with a Seller's Inspection?
If a seller's inspection is performed and significant damage or defects are found. there will be disappointment, but no hysteria or regret. No deal about to go sour. The agent will discuss the problems with the Seller and will determine if this listing is "AS IS" with full disclosure, or if any repairs need correcting to expedite the sale. The Seller then corrects any problem areas, and calls for a reinspection of the home. The home inspector returns a clean report. Next, a Buyer enters a contract agreement with the Seller. The Buyer will choose to trust the home inspection or will have another. No major problems should be found by the second inspection. The deal coasts downhill to closing. Everyone is happy.

Use the Seller's Inspection as an Internet sales tool!!
With HomeGauge home inspection software I use, your inspection report can be displayed over the Internet! We will provide you with a link address that you can give your Real Estate Agent or use it at another listing service. When prospective buyers see your listing on the web, they can view your report instantly. You can also have me return to approve of any repairs you made. The items will be cleaned up or removed from the report and a revised report will be placed with your listing.

What Is A Home Inspection?

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 19:41:17 -0500

What is a Home Inspection?

What is a home inspection?
A home inspection is a visual inspection of the structure and components of a home to find items that are not performing correctly or items that are unsafe. If a problem or a symptom of a problem is found the home inspector will include a description of the problem in a written report and may recommend further evaluation.

Why is a home inspection important?
Home Buyers: Emotion often affects the buyer and makes it hard to imagine any problems with their new home. A buyer needs a home inspection to find out all the problems possible with the home before moving in.
Home Sellers: More and more sellers are choosing to have a thorough inspection before or when they first list their home. First and foremost, you should have a home inspection for full disclosure. You will have demonstrated that you did all you could do to reveal any defects within the home. Second, you will save money and hassle by knowing now what your defects are, not after you have already negotiated a price and are faced with costly repairs discovered on the buyers inspection. Defects found before the buyer comes along allow you to shop around for a contractor and not deal with inflated estimates that a buyer will present.

What if problems are discovered?
All homes (even new construction) have problems. Every problem has a solution. Solutions vary from a simple fix of the component to adjusting the purchase price. Having a home inspection allows the problem to be addressed before the sale closes.

What is included in a home inspection?
A home inspector's report will review the condition of the home's heating system, central air conditioning system (temperature permitting), interior plumbing and electrical systems; the roof, attic, and visible insulation; walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors; the foundation, basement, and visible structure. Many inspectors will also offer additional services not included in a typical home inspection, such as mold, radon and water testing.

What should I NOT expect from a home inspection?

A home inspection is not protection against future failures. Stuff happens! Components like air conditioners and Heat Systems can and will break down. A home inspection tells you the condition of the component at the time the component was inspected. For protection from future failure you may want to consider a home warranty.
A home inspection is not an appraisal that determines the value of a home. Nor will a home inspector tell you if you should buy this home or what to pay for this home.
A home inspection is not a code inspection, which verifies local building code compliance. A home inspector will not pass or fail a house. Homes built before code revisions are not obligated to comply with the code for homes built today. Home inspectors will report findings when it comes to safety concerns that may be in the current code such as ungrounded outlets above sinks. A home inspector thinks "Safety" not "Code" when performing a home inspection.

Should I attend the home inspection?
It is often helpful to be there so the home inspector can explain in person and answer any questions you may have. This is an excellent way to learn about your new home even if no problems are found. But be sure to give the home inspector time and space to concentrate and focus so he can do the best job possible for you.

What is a Home Warranty?
A home warranty protects you against components that fail in the future. You may have to pay a deductible (service call fee) when you have a problem. If you choose to have a warranty, be sure and qualify coverage of your problem over the phone with the warranty company before they send a repairman. If you do not, you may find out that your problem is not covered and you still must pay the deductible or trip service fee. If you have a home inspection and you know your furnace or another major component is old, you may be better off to buy a warranty before you purchase. We recommend you look closely at what is NOT covered in warranty company policies as you compare prices.

Home Inspectors Directory

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Thu, 31 May 2007 20:09:51 -0500

There is a new up & coming home inspectors directory that I recommend home inspectors not in my competing area check out, just kidding, competitors are also fellow home inspectors & I recomend you check it out as well.http://www.homeinspectionsdirectory.com/

Clarksville Tn Home Maintenance Solutions

John Goad (Clarksville Home Inspections) — Tue, 29 May 2007 06:32:31 -0500

Do I NEED A HOME MAINTENENCE INSPECTION?

What is a Home Maintenence Inspection?

A Home Maintenance Inspection is a non-biased evaluation of the condition of your home, its systems & components.
It is designed to uncover items that need attention to prevent expensive repairs and to uncover items that need repair before they become expensive
Because the inspection is performed by a Certified, Licensed Clarksville Tn. Home Inspector, nothing is overlooked
A home maintenance inspection will allow you to prioritize your home repairs & to budget accordingly.