safety: Careful with those lawn bags. - 05/20/11 02:35 PM
Yesterday I decided to cut my grass in between rain showers. I know that's the not best time to mow your lawn but we have had so much rain here lately my yard was starting to look like a vacant lot. Not wanting to be "that" house on the block I jumped on it as soon as the sun started to peek in between the clouds. I usually mow my lawn with the bag attachment so I can collect the clipping of grass, and weeds, and have them picked up at the street. Finishing up I decided to store the … (5 comments)
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safety: Point Click Shoot - 08/06/10 08:45 AM
After my first year in business I started providing electronic reporting with photographs. Prior to that I used MATRIX forms (check box style reporting) which actually took longer to complete and even longer to mail out. People seem to like the idea of having a photograph of the areas of interest along with a description and receiving the report via email is convenient for both of us. While reviewing the report they can actually look at the issue rather than trying to figure out what a particular component is.
Recently a photograph I took of an issue not only allowed my … (5 comments)
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safety: Open Ground (Electrical) - 03/18/10 06:17 AM
While performing a recent Canton Michigan Home Inspection I was finding your typical "Homeowner Maintenance" areas that are common in the majority of Pre-Owned homes. The term "Homeowner Maintenance" is actually verbiage used in my report to describe those areas where the homeowner is supposed to perform periodic maintenance such replacing deteriorated caulk in the bathroom.
Recently I was called out by an agent for reporting on homeowner maintenance issues but it's important to maintain a home to avoid bigger problems down the road. A good example of this would be trees or bushes planted close to the exterior. It's … (8 comments)
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safety: Step By Step Inspection Process - 03/12/10 06:35 AM
Home inspectors all have their own way of performing the inspection based on what they feel is efficient. My procedure has always been to start on the roof, complete the exterior, move to the interior, basement and lastly the attic. Unless there's a crawlspace, I always do that last. Following this step by step process allows me to keep track of where I've been so I don't forget to inspect anything.
That step by step process has been my way of inspecting for years but I still find myself going over the inspection in my head as I pull … (8 comments)
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safety: Fireplace Clearance - 02/05/10 07:01 AM
Anyone can go out and purchase a gas fireplace and install it where they like. I admit I'm not one to follow directions when putting together an entertainment center or helping the kids assemble their toys. My wife usually steps in with the booklet and points out why the extra screws and bolts are in fact important. Having said that I do know when to call in the professionals.
The photo to the left was taken inside an attached garage where the firewall separation was altered to make room for a gas fireplace. Not shown in the photo are the … (8 comments)
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safety: It's Properly Installed But Is It Safe? - 12/22/09 09:22 AM
Being interviewed by a prospective client I'm often asked whether or not I will be able to tell them if they home they are buying is safe to live in. The most important purpose of a Metro Detroit Home Inspection is in fact to determine whether or not various components are properly installed and safe. Of course properly installed and safe do not always go hand in hand. Outside of building your home inside a protective bubble there are general safety tips every homeowner should follow. Information on home safety tips can typically be found on your insurance provider website. … (13 comments)
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safety: Proof Is In The Packaging (Environmental Concerns) - 12/10/09 08:15 AM
The Ancient Greeks named the mineral asbestos, meaning inextinguishable. Apparently even the Greeks were aware of the harmful properties in asbestos and the effects of breathing asbestos dust. The Greek geographer Strabo and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder mentioned a sickness common with slaves who created cloths using asbestos fibers. Although they noticed this sickness in those who worked with asbestos, they were in such awe of asbestos's magical properties that they ignored this. Used extensively during this time it was seen as a sort of naturally occurring miracle mineral that was used for wicks, table cloths, napkins and a … (9 comments)
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safety: Where do these go anyway? - 11/04/09 12:26 PM
Believe it or not this is a "not so uncommon" installation. Either the installer put them their to.... well I don't know. I tried to come up with an excuse for this install but I have nothing.
Photo eye / safety beams, electric eye or whatever you want to call them do have a proper installation procedure. The ceiling isn't part of that procedure as far as I know. Photo sensors are installed to prevent the vehicle door from closing on a vehicle or worse, a child who happens to be playing in the path of the door when it … (2 comments)
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safety: HOT HOT HOT!! - 06/17/09 03:20 PM
It's that time of year again here in Michigan when attic temperatures can be dangerously hot. Often times I enter attics at temperatures of 120° F or more which for those of you down south is probably on the cool side. Staying in an environment like that with an extra layer of clothing and respirator is just torture. One of my early investments was in a cool vest which I put on under my attic clothes. It lowers my core temperature allowing me to work in an attic longer and will less danger of heat exhaustion.
Another important purchase was in … (5 comments)
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safety: Downspout Extensions - 02/19/09 07:00 AM
This should have been added to my Common Issues Blog being one of the most common installations. While installing downspouts so they terminate above the roof surface isn't a "defect" I always recommend routing downspouts to the gutter below. In this application there is about three fee between the downspout and gutter. Adding an extension here would have been simple.
The below images show an extreme example of what could happen. When I walked up to this house the first photograph I took was an image of the entire front of the home. Next I photographed the downspout terminating on the … (8 comments)
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safety: Homeowner Type Repairs - 01/14/09 11:12 AM
We all see them and some leave us scratching our head wondering, "what were they thinking?"
The most common repairs I see are electric related and I can't help but wonder if all those online "do it yourself" sites are a good idea after all. Looking over a few diagrams doesn't automatically make one a qualified (insert trade here). Fortunately just about all do it yourself jobs are repairable with a little help from a qualified contractor.
Here are a few images from an inspection showing repairs by a self proclaimed handyman.
… (6 comments)
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safety: Respirators - 06/24/08 11:57 AM
Great video on wearing a respirator. The video repeats with the second half in Spanish. … (7 comments)
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safety: Brown Recluse Spider - 06/23/08 07:17 PM
I'm sure I've run across a couple of these but didn't know what type of spider it was. I will spare you all the various images out there showing the damage caused by a bite from one of these spiders but I promise you it's not a pretty picture.
Adult Brown Recluse spiders are yellowish-tan to dark brown. They have long, thin gray to dark brown legs covered with very short, dark hairs. Both male and female spiders are similar in appearance and are equally venomous.
Young Brown Recluse spiders are smaller and somewhat lighter in color. The most distinguishing mark … (12 comments)
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