home inspection bellingham: Bellingham Washington Home Inspector (King of the House): Unsafe Decks - 10/05/07 02:00 PM
People tend to take decks for granted. Sellers, buyers, realtors, and inspectors too, will go right up on the deck - usually - without thinking twice about it. That is especially true of lower decks. They are simple and common structures- right? True, but often decks, even the low ones, can … (0 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham Washington Home Inspection (King of the House): Unsafe Panel - 09/28/07 01:44 PM
This is the electric cover removed from the main panel in a mobile home park. The burn or arc marks are from high voltage - 240V. At some point, the two legs of the 240 volt conductor came in contact with the metal cover. This was an old, and unsafe, main … (3 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham WA Property Inspection (King of the House): Leaky Faucets - 09/20/07 05:00 PM
While not a serious problem, and one that everyone seems to be able to deal with without anyone freaking out, the leaking faucet can be irritating and wasteful of water. The condition can be at any faucet in the home, you choose: Laundry sink, bathtub, shower, jacuzzi, kitchen sink, bath sink. … (0 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham WA Home Inspector: (King of the House): Chimney Flashings - 09/20/07 01:52 PM
A masonry chimney on the roof almost always has, or should have at least, a metal flashing around it. This is usually described in four sections. At the top, behind the chimney, is the head flashing. At the front, low side, is the apron flashing. Probably the most critical flashings are … (0 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House) Overheated Circuits - 09/18/07 02:06 PM
When looking at electrical safety, probably the two biggest concerns are shocks/ electrocution and fire hazards. With old wiring, as connections and insulation deteriorate, it can lead to wires and connections attaining higher temperatures. Physics is involved: You have voltage, amperage and resistance. As the resistance goes up, which happens … (0 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House): Conducive Conditions and Crawl Spaces - 08/25/07 12:21 PM
A common problem in crawl spaces is the plastic vapor barrier being out of place or missing altogether or at least missing in some areas. The photo below is a crawl space that is very damp, as you can see. As a result of that the insulation fell down and that … (3 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham Home Inspection (King of the House Inc):New wood destroying organism in Washington state - 08/13/07 06:50 PM
I am not sure that even many of the home inspectors know it yet, but in the past couple of months the Washington State Department of Agriculture has added another ant to the list of wood destroying organismsbusking their wares in this state. The state has also changed the WDO … (4 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham Wa. Washington Home Inspection (King of the House): TPR Drains - 07/21/07 06:44 PM
Actually, I do not need to be vindicated by the photo, as my concern in this post is based on standard plumbing practices. But this posting of the two photos makes a great point! I can tell you that, time and time again, an inspector will go under a home and … (3 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Crawl space ventilation and Washington Law - 07/20/07 01:28 AM
There have been a number of blogs, among us home inspector types, discussing crawl space ventilation and lack of same. Some inspectors in other parts of the country are recommending that crawl space vents be closed. As I have pointed out, in this state the rules on this go beyond mere … (2 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham WA Home Inspections: Raindrops Keep Fallin' In My Flue - 07/17/07 09:14 AM
Bellingham, Whatcom county and the great Pacific Northwet have enough rain that the title of this post is among the more called out items at home inspections -- especially at older homes. Often we see the brick chimney or a clay flue liner and there is no chimney cap over it. … (9 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham Wa home inspections (King of the House):Choosing a home inspector - 07/05/07 03:01 PM
This blog was written for Bellingham, Wa. and Whatcom County, but it applies about anywhere.People, including realtors, often ask what a consumer should look for in a home inspector. Those of us who work in the inspection field as professionals, and also teach home inspection for Bellingham Technical College, are often put … (4 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Birch Bay State Park, Blaine WA - 07/05/07 12:58 PM
Earlier in the week I had an inspection right by Birch Bay State Park. So I decided to drive into it, something I have not done since about 1975 -- yes about 1975! I was last there on a company picnic 30 plus years ago. Birch Bay State Park has quite … (1 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Point Roberts bomb story - 07/04/07 10:52 AM
Those of you who read my blogs know that I spend a fair bit of my time inspecting homes in Point Roberts. Getting there is a chore. It is a US city, landlocked,and to get there from the USA one has to first cross into Canada and then back into the USA … (2 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Let Me Take You Down: Crawl Space Horror, part 4 - 07/03/07 11:17 PM
I thought I would show you the photo below. It is quite illustrative of just how damaging to wood a water leak can be. That is the case, at least, if said leak is not noticed right away and goes on for a long time. I have no idea how long this … (6 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Thank you berry much - 07/01/07 11:47 PM
Well, the sunshine was out today and I had a day off and some time out in the garden. It has been several days, but I took a look at the berries. I tend to grow some of the fruit, the wife does the flowers and vegetables. The first photo is … (9 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Let Me Take You Down: Crawl Space Horrors, pt 2 (this photo might gross you out) - 06/30/07 06:20 PM
Yesterday, when I posted part one of my blog "Crawl space horrors" I saw that there were lots of comments among non home inspectors about what we see down there. It seems there is an uneasy fascination with crawl spaces, like with horror movies -- fun to speculate and watch but do not … (8 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: 8 Miles High and not ducting worth a darn - 06/30/07 05:22 PM
Pardon the title but I always liked the tune 8 Miles High. I saw this duct the other day and it was the longest and worst bathroom exhaust fan duct work I have seen -- shy of those that vent directly into the attic. At least the homeowner made an effort … (3 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Furnace safety - 06/30/07 10:38 AM
I will be the first to say that I am not an HVAC professional. Fortunately, to be a home inspector I do not need to know how to repair every problem that comes up with buildings, including their appliances. The job of the inspector is not to be a repair professional, … (4 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Is the home inspector just being a petty jerk? - 06/30/07 10:36 AM
I have met people who feel that a home inspector, who points out some smaller issues such as gutters full of debris, is a petty jerk. They say: "That is not a real problem! Too minor to mention." Obviously a gutter can drain with some debris in it, but it depends on … (8 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Up on the rooftop - 06/29/07 05:50 PM
We home inspectors spend lots of time up on rooftops. What we are usually looking at is the installation of, and the condition of, the roofing materials. That includes the flashings, appurtenances, the chimneys, B-vents and other things that we can see up on the roof. One of the things we … (0 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Connecting the dots - 06/29/07 05:37 PM
Sometimes, when dealing with mechanical or electrical devices, one has to think beyond the obvious problem. For example, in the photo below, the initial reaction would be: "Boy what a mess, that is gonna be a pain to cleanup." The next thought might be: "Boy all that moist, hot air floating … (1 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: We're gonna have a blast! - 06/27/07 12:15 PM
The photo below has got to be one of the most misunderstood safety devices in all of plumbing. Safety devices in plumbing? What could be the big deal, you ask. After all, as one plumber explained to me once: Plumbing is pretty easy, if you put water in a pipe it … (3 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Broken limbs and overworked code inspectors - 06/26/07 01:24 PM
Many people feel that if they buy a new home they can count on the state, the city or the county code inspectors to catch anything that is wrong. Sometimes that is true, but not all government employees are created equal and some of them are swamped with inspections. I have … (1 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Railroad Avenue, Bellingham - 06/26/07 12:12 PM
There is always something happening on Railroad Avenue. It might be good and it might be bad, but something will be going on. Railroad, historically, was a center for street car and train operations in Bellingham. Those industrial uses are gone and today it has a huge assortment of people -- … (1 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Testing 1, 2, 3, testing - 06/24/07 09:04 PM
It seems, from past discussions, that realtors and home inspectors are generally in agreement that it makes sense to have new homes inspected. The thought, out in the general public, seems to be that it is optional or overkill. Builders of course hate it and try to get around the inspector by offering … (4 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Boring details, part II - 06/24/07 04:43 PM
Yesterday I wrote about bonding of electric panels, main panels and distribution or sub-panels. That post showed a sub-panel that had the neutrals and the grounds connected, which was incorrectly done. Below, is a photo of a correctly wired sub-panel. The neutral buss (left) and the ground buss (right) are not bonded to … (0 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham Home Inspector (King of the House): Boring details - 06/23/07 06:09 PM
I have to be careful here that I do not make this too boring, as it is more detail oriented than what I would normally write about at a non-technical forum. If you are a realtor, have you ever had an inspection report where the inspector made some comment about the … (1 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Three silly lillies - 06/23/07 12:45 AM
I had the camera out today and we actually had a few hours of sunshine in Bellingham, prior to a number of cloudbursts. I wandered about the wife's garden and took photos of three different lillies. She has probably a dozen and they all bloom at different times. Here are three … (7 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Lorraine Ellis Park, Bellingham - 06/23/07 12:13 AM
In Bellingham's Columbia neighborhood is a small park. Lorraine Ellis Park. It is not far from either Elizabeth Park, Bellingham's oldest park, or the other small park, Carl Lobe Park. Lorraine Ellis Park is a nice spot but not far from the traffic. It's not big but there are attractive old trees … (1 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Anobiid Beetles -- Smaller than a grain of rice yet they destroyed this home! - 06/22/07 11:53 PM
Yesterday I had the unpleasant job of letting a realtor and my client know that a home that was other wise not too bad, had been destroyed underneath by a secretive and very destructive wood destroying organism. I am speaking of the dreaded anobiid beetle. I have heard people say, "ah, don't worry about … (11 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Peace Arch Park, Blaine WA - 06/22/07 10:34 PM
When I drive to Point Roberts to do home inspections, or just to visit the Vancouver BC metro for a show, I usually go through the border at Blaine, although there are a number of other border crossings in the county as well. Peach Arch Park, known for the world famous … (0 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts, WA - 06/20/07 06:31 PM
Lighthouse Marine Park is a Whatcom County Park that many Whatcom County residents have never visited. Why? Because it is in Point Roberts, and it takes some effort to get there. Many locals never take the trek by venturing across the Canadian border at Blaine and then heading back into the … (3 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Gossage Garden, Bellingham - 06/20/07 06:14 PM
There is a pretty little neighborhood garden,right along Cornwall Avenue, which is one of the main streets in Bellingham. Actually, it is at the intersection of Cornwall, Alabama and F streets. This is Gossage Park and it is a colorful monument to the fact that you are entering into the letter street … (0 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: What to do if your flat roof has a slope! - 06/19/07 10:24 PM
First, don't be fooled by the title. If your flat roof has slope, that is good design as is explained below. The other day a blog I wrote about mold received a lot of interest from the real estate community. I decided to give the details of an inspection I did at a … (2 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: I want you to see my mussels! - 06/18/07 09:02 AM
Well, I am off across the border this morning. That is an odd thing about working out of Bellingham, hopping over to Point Roberts: going out of the US, into Canada, and then back into the US. Then reversing that to get home. If one was afraid of the customs, or … (2 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham, WA -- This time long ago, White City Amusement Park - 06/17/07 02:22 PM
In the Silver Beach neighborhood by Lake Whatcom, 101 years ago, White City Amusement Park was built. It closed in 1919. Having been in this region since I was a child, I knew people over the years who remembered and told me about the excitement of this great amusement park. We … (4 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Air accidents, pilots and a city park - 06/17/07 01:49 AM
Carl Lobe Park, in Bellingham, is a tiny park in the Columbia-Eldridge neighborhood --children's play equipment and a small ball field. This park has been around as long as I can remember, but most people have no clue who it was named after. Who was Carl Lobe? Information is scarce. When I … (0 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: An oyster a day - 06/16/07 10:30 AM
I remember, back to the 1950's, when my aunt worked at an oyster farm on Chuckanut Drive. At the time, it was called Rockpoint Oysters. Well, it has changed hands but, and I swear, some of the best oysters you will get anywhere are farmed right here in our corner of the … (4 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Where do all the vegetables come from? - 06/16/07 10:27 AM
Recently I wrote a blog about a nursery, with great flowers, here in Bellingham. This time, I am switching to vegetables. Clear back when I was a child, my mother would talk about getting produce from Joe's Garden, over on the south side. It was operated by an immigrant from Italy, Joe … (2 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham WA Home Inspection (King of the House): Mold In The Home - 06/15/07 10:28 PM
" John, is that bad mold growing in the attic?" I heard that conversation one day between a couple in a restaurant. The simple answer, and I did not interupt the conversation, was "yes, any mold in your attic is bad.!" As a Bellingham home inspector, I sometimes see mold from water … (12 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Edison 50 years later - 06/15/07 08:08 PM
As a Bellingham Home Inspector, I was in the Bow, Edison area today, so I thought I would take a couple photos. This is my old stomping grounds, from when I was a kid. It seemed like all my relatives lived down there and I used to visit them almost every weekend. … (1 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: If you sell real estate the ability to recognize either photo below will save you lots of grief - 06/15/07 12:12 AM
Have you ever heard the term, or seen an inspection report, listing the plumbing supply tubing as polybutylene. If so, the inspector is not doing this to make your life miserable by citing the issue. Polybutylene was a plastic pipe that had widespread use (most often in mobile homes) during the late … (7 comments)
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home inspection bellingham: Bellingham WA home inspection (King of the House): Identifying anobiid beetles - 05/12/07 10:19 AM
Along with rot being referred to as dry rot (almost always the wrong term), one of the most mis-diagnosed problems with wood is mixing up the damage caused by anobiid beetles and crediting it to "powderpost beetles." Here in the northwest, clients are always asking if I will check the crawl … (4 comments)
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