arlington home inspector: Human Betrayed By Water Heater - 01/10/08 05:23 PM
This is a photo of an unfinished basement (lucky) that was victim to a sudden and unexpected water heater leak. The tank had a small leak one day, a plumber was contracted to get a new tank installed but, before that could be done the tank developed a major leak. The … (8 comments)
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arlington home inspector: Classic Damage -- L-P Siding - 01/09/08 09:58 PM
For some reason, not sure why, I have been seeing a number of homes lately with L-P innerseal siding. This is the OSB (oriented strand board) installed prior to 1996. The photo below is a great photo of the siding in distress. It is de-laminating. Frankly, when it starts going it … (3 comments)
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arlington home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Evidence of Leaks - 01/01/08 07:35 PM
A home inspector needs to, consciously, look at upper wall and ceiling areas. Sometimes it seems like an inspector is so busy running around looking at things that are eye level and below, that one might forget to look up above. Ceilings are a primary place to find signs of past … (8 comments)
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arlington home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Lack of Flashing - 12/31/07 02:10 PM
Although at times it seems redundant, I am not sure that an inspector can overemphasize the importance of having a proper metal flashing at a deck that attaches to the exterior wall of the home. As a review, the flashing goes up under the siding, then comes down over the ledger … (0 comments)
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arlington home inspector: Proper Cover For In-Service Use on Outdoor Outlet - 12/30/07 11:36 PM
It seems like we home inspectors spend much of our time posting photos and descriptions of problems. I saw this photo and decided to post a photo of something that is right. While it does not have anything plugged into it, this is an "in-service" cover for an exterior outlet -- … (4 comments)
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arlington home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspections (King of the House): Private Wells - 12/26/07 04:11 PM
In an earlier post today, I wrote about septic tank inspections. Since septic tanks and wells often go together, I thought this information would be appropriate as well.A private well is a specialized and complex system, mechanically and biologically. Generally speaking, these systems are beyond the scope of a standard home … (0 comments)
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arlington home inspector: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House): Septic Tanks - 12/26/07 03:36 PM
Often homebuyers want to know why a standard home inspection does not include an inspection of the septic system. The truth is that the home inspector is not equipped to do a septic inspection. And, due to the nasty nature of the job, people would not want him or her doing it … (0 comments)
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arlington home inspector: Mount Vernon WA Home Inspections (King of the House): Knob and Tube Wiring - 12/23/07 08:57 PM
Below is another photo of a situation that is frustrating to the home inspector. To begin with, as real estate professionals I imagine everyone here knows that knob and tube wiring is a concern in older houses. I am not saying it is automatically going to cause a fire, or is … (0 comments)
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arlington home inspector: Why Gutters And Downspouts Help - 12/03/07 12:20 PM
In some climates they might not be necessary, but here in the wet Pacific Northwest, the runoff water and splashing from missing or damaged gutters or downspouts can lead to decay of structure. The photo below is typical. In general, the deck is holding up; however, just above this rot there … (6 comments)
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