shoreline wa home inspector: Has the "over-the-hill" bar been raised? - 07/25/08 08:41 AM
-----or is it just the illusion of a generation that refuses to either grow up or admit how old we actually are? I got thinking about this the other day as I was scratching the moss off my roof. There is no way in hell my grandfather would have been up … (13 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: How many chickens will fit inside a cow? - 07/22/08 09:07 AM
It is 1:04am.
I am in the middle of a great crawl space dream. I have my respirator, my goggles and my full-body condom on----and all is well in my dark, low and womb-like world. All of a sudden there is this ringing sound-----it is my cell phone. I … (36 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: What would be "different" on your Planet? (or, is "going green" un-American?) - 07/10/08 08:20 AM
Over the years I have often said that on "The Planet Charles" certain things would look different than they do on "The Planet Earth."
One of the things that would be different, is that there would be NO vented crawl spaces (actually if I thought about it long and … (23 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: The Inspector goes to a Pajama Party! - 07/07/08 08:01 AM
Whenever I inspect the attic in older homes, I look forward to some of the cool things that I sometimes see there.
There is the usual stuff that interests me as a home inspector, like vermiculite insulation, rat and bird infestations, leaks, asbestos wrapped duct-work, knob & tube wiring etc. But … (20 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Like Bill Crystal says: “its better to look good than feel good.” - 07/06/08 02:13 PM
I see a lot of damaged B-vent pipe while inspecting and I have blogged about this issue before. (B-vent is the typical type of vent pipe used to vent mid-efficiency gas furnaces.) Usually the worst of this damage is limited to the portions of the pipe exposed above the roof. … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Snakes in Real Estate - 07/05/08 03:05 PM
I love crawl spaces.
Tons of great stuff gets found in crawl spaces----ideal for blog fodder.
On a recent inspection of a very large crawl space there was one area (actually several) that I could not squeeze myself into, but I could see that there was some sort … (28 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: I am so busy these days I am feeling a little “disconnected!” - 06/29/08 08:33 PM
While perhaps not "technically" new construction, this 5 year old Condo had an issue with one of the plumbing vents that has been wrong for 5 years. On the outside----other than being a little crooked----the vent looks relatively normal.
On the inside we can see why it is … (17 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Houston---we have a problem! - 06/26/08 09:47 AM
Click here for some "appropriate" Theremin music to listen to while you read this blog.
Like a hot-air balloon rising above the landscape in the blue twilight of a far off moon, this light bulb dangles from one filament (upside down)----no longer lighting up anyone's life … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Are you ready for the Rat Olympics? - 06/25/08 06:26 PM
I got to thinking about the Olympics being in China, and its being the year of the Rat and all----while I was entertaining myself at an inspection the other day. Plus I just love to blog about rats.
Specifically, I was thinking about the "high-jump" and how the current … (13 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Do I vent----or rant? - 06/24/08 09:14 AM
20 year old homes, with gas furnace heating systems, that have the original furnace, will likely have the original B-vent chimneys as well----if that is the type of venting system used. It can be pretty much universally stated that these 20 year old furnaces will be at the end of … (13 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: What can I say----YOU just won the lottery! (Or, “Is your inspector ever wrong?”) - 06/23/08 11:17 AM
When the home is brand new, or relatively new, the "expectation" that the Jurisdictional Building Inspectors have done there job goes way up. I inspected a 3 year old condo unit a few weeks ago----one of perhaps 50 units in a very large building. These types of buildings come under … (12 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Why is there a “57 Chevy” engine in the attic? - 06/18/08 01:31 PM
We all have too much "stuff" don't we? Storage facilities are popping up all over the place that look like mausoleums---places to bury our "stuff."
In our homes we fill every nook and cranny with stuff to the point that the primary purpose of the garage is no longer … (16 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Why is that horse pushing that cart? - 06/16/08 02:53 PM
The other day's inspection was another one of those inspections where the lesson of "not jumping to conclusions" was repeated.
Every once in a while I find where the roofer has installed the roof-to-wall flashings over the top of the siding---instead of being properly counter-flashed by the siding. Installed … (8 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Why is Oscar the Grouch on my roof? - 06/15/08 03:49 PM
He is grouchy today because he can't inspect the chimney. As an old girl friend used to say whenever I was in trouble, "Oy Vey"---Ivy! Too much ivy is never enough I guess. The Oy Vey on this chimney was actually holding some bricks in place---keeping them from falling onto … (14 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: But what if I don’t have an electric tooth brush? - 06/14/08 09:03 AM
Can you see what is wrong with this picture? The picture is of my circuit tester plugged into a typical GFCI receptacle----like the ones you probably have in your bathrooms and kitchens----and other places around the interior and exterior of the home.
This is not really a "trick" … (19 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Astrological Home Inspections - 06/13/08 05:00 PM
From a list of information about Astrological signs on Wikipedia I was able to cull the following two-word statements that sum up the characteristics of each sign. Based on this information, I thought it would be "entertaining" to ask the HOME INSPECTOR of each sign to answer the following common … (12 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: If all else fails----follow the instructions. - 06/12/08 08:46 AM
"If all else fails----follow the instructions." I actually read this in the installation instructions for a sliding door once. While it showed a sense of humor on the part of the manufacturer, it really cuts to the heart of the matter----that you "never know what you don't know." As inspectors we … (6 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: I just have to vent today! - 06/10/08 01:04 PM
Last week I inspected a 12 year old townhouse. For twelve years the ducts from the two upper bathrooms have been venting into the attic----they were never terminated to the exterior. Considerable moisture can be vented into attic spaces----as is indicated by the staining of the attic floor near the ends … (7 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Snap! Crackle! Pop!----just add milk! - 06/09/08 10:33 AM
You have to wonder about the chances for human survival when put up against something that can hang out in the ground as nymphs for 2 to 17 years (depending on species), then emerge, shed their under-ground clothes, dance around, and make some of the loudest noises capable of being … (8 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Would YOU buy this house? - 05/20/08 07:55 AM
In one of my favorite movies "Barfly," (what can I say, anyone that likes writer Charles Bukowski can't be all bad), starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway, there is a line by Henry (Mickey Rourke) where he states, "if there is anything I can't stand, its obviousness." The movie portrays lives … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: The President's Plumbing - 05/19/08 08:53 AM
I think there is a tendency to write a "great" blog and fantasize that whatever the blog was about has been successfully communicated to the ENTIRE WORLD. Wouldn't it be nice if that was true?
The reality is, that on a really good day, a really well received blog, … (14 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: The Phantom---Act II - 05/18/08 10:02 AM
----some of the content of this blog may fall under the category of: "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!"
In my previous blog, "The Phantom"---Act I, I started a conversation about Phantom Voltage. Now I will attempt to show with a demonstration board how this phenomenon happens. In the first … (12 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Well, that's a “no-brainer”------ - 05/17/08 08:51 AM
Inspectors and agents get to see LOTS of houses.
While it is fun to pick on the "defects" of homes for blog fodder, there are many times that it would be fun to share some of the really cool stuff we see as well. In this post I will show … (16 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: HELP!---I’m locked in the reading room! - 05/16/08 08:46 AM
This could be a case of advanced "potty training," where the kid is locked in the bathroom until------.
Or------
It is actually a case of the installer putting the handles on the wrong side.
While the lockset will be functional in the strictest of definition of "functional," … (13 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: What do all these “CAPITALS” mean anyway? - 05/14/08 09:33 AM
Many of you have water heaters in your basement. Sometimes the TPRV (Temperature Pressure Relief Valve) drain runs to the exterior sometimes to the floor. As has been discussed before, the drain can not run up hill because water will be trapped against the valve leading to possible failure of … (6 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: The Crystal Ball says: “NAILS!” - 05/13/08 08:08 AM
Sometimes aspects of homes reveal themselves in unexpected ways.
It is often not possible to determine what types of fasteners were used to attach the asphalt shingles on the roof. If the adhesive tabs are working properly it is usually very difficult to lift the tabs to see what … (3 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: This guy cracks me up! - 05/11/08 10:41 AM
My buddy Steve, King-of-the-House Smith got so hectic with inspections last week that he made up his mind to take some well deserved time off from inspecting. He decided that because he had nothing better to do, that he would make the hour and half drive down to my house … (17 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Why buy the cow---- - 05/10/08 04:28 PM
-----when you get the milk for free.
On the farm this was an expression my grandfather used when referring "negatively" to the business of people living together before marriage.
Several times I have gotten calls from solicitors that wanted to sign me up for a hefty monthly fee and … (9 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Making it to “Safer Ground” - 05/10/08 09:21 AM
While the grounding of electrical systems in the home is most likely well beyond the comprehension (or interest) of most homeowners, it is a very important component to be in place for both life safety and proper operation of electrical equipment. Home inspectors will attempt to verify visually that required … (6 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: What does “Thinking outside the box,” look like? - 05/08/08 09:49 AM
What is a box? The box we are interested in today is the one the mind is too often trapped in----usually unaware, except for the weight of the heavy lid---or the lack of "light"ness.
According to Wikipedia: "Box describes a variety of containers and receptacles...... A decorative box normally may be opened … (10 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Did you know that gas is run to your home in plastic pipes? - 05/02/08 09:32 AM
On more than one occasion I have had buyers ask me what the wire coming out of the ground next the gas meter is---and whether it is "Live" or whether it should be connected to something. On first glance it does look like it ought to be connected to something. … (3 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: “The END of the WORLD……” - 05/01/08 09:33 AM
It seems like, for as long as I can remember, there has been someone standing on a street corner of every city with a sign stating that the "End of the World is Coming." Now either I am missing something really important, or the guys with the signs are missing … (8 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: SORRY-----I don’t have time to talk to you! - 04/30/08 09:52 AM
When does the Inspection start?
It starts when the phone rings. From the moment you answer the phone, at least to your potential buyer, the inspection process has begun. Some calls are merely to set a time, but others are because you are being "interviewed" and you don't have the … (10 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Slay the “Fire-Breathing Dryer!” - 04/28/08 07:22 AM
The other day Preston Sandlin did a nice blog about the importance of cleaning dryer vents called "Clean-Me." Visit his blog for additional info and see a pretty cool tool for cleaning metal dryer vents.
Dryer vents are a common item in the home that needs routine maintenance for fire … (14 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: “No-brainer” house design. - 04/26/08 10:52 AM
Looking at the picture below, it shouldn't be hard for anyone to see that this is a bad design. On first glance it might all make visual sense but it is sort of like an Escher optical illusion. In the next picture the red arrow shows the flow of water … (13 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Why is the “toilet lid” always down? - 04/25/08 08:52 AM
I am enjoying remembering my recent sailing adventure.
It only took a week for my sea legs to go away---and that was on calm seas and only a four day trip. (My first soccer game after the trip was interesting to say the least.) From a home inspector's point … (10 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: HOT! Water Heater! - 04/23/08 07:14 PM
I love it when I come up with yet another way to make Barbara and Leslie go scurrying off to check their water heaters. Well beaten paths are easy to follow. Water heaters should be cool to the touch. Now if you put insulation around them, the tank will feel warm between … (12 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: First of all---Visualize me getting on my soap box! - 04/22/08 05:29 PM
Some of the earliest building codes date to the Code of Hammurabi in 1760 BC as part of a general writing down of laws that would govern the public. The fact that the public could not read these laws did not exempt them from them (kind of the way it … (6 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: "Little boxes, little boxes, little boxes made of ticky-tacky....." - 04/20/08 09:15 AM
Any inspector will tell you that a large part of what we do is related to electrical concerns. The electrical portion of my reports almost always takes up the most space, and wins the most spots on the Summary of Significant Issues. I like the electrical portion of the inspection … (9 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Finding the “Better-than-the-average-bear” inspector. - 04/19/08 09:06 AM
Questions one "COULD" ask---to find a "better-than-the-average-bear" inspector:
•1. Do you own and use a 32 foot (or longer) ladder? A negative response would mean they generally don't get on 3 story townhouse roofs---or they have it hung up on the side of their garage and enjoy remembering how they used to climb the … (30 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: The Zodiac---use it to keep your life “on course” - 04/18/08 11:39 AM
It is a REAL GOOD IDEA for home inspectors to know a lot.
The more the better. However, an additional quality to have, is the ability to recognize when something "isn't right" without necessarily knowing why---or even knowing what the thing is or does! This was brought home to me … (14 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Jack is all "pumped-up" - 04/17/08 08:29 AM
Pump jacks are a type of portable staging that are essentially very tall posts that sit on the ground and are attached to the building roof at the top. There will be a scaffold plank attached to the posts that can be mechanically "pumped" up and down the posts to … (14 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Why do we slope roofs? - 04/16/08 10:39 AM
Why do we put slopes on roofs? Seems like a simple enough question with an even simpler answer. What sort of builder would argue with this simple question and its answer?
While I have always been one to question authority, I pretty much stayed in the realm of the … (12 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: I live in a “Monochrome” world! - 04/15/08 10:12 PM
One of the things I hate to find on an inspection is when I open up the electrical panel to find it all nicely "mono-chromatic." Paint is not allowed inside these panels and never has been as far as I know. Careful painters will mask the panel so this doesn't … (10 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Maybe Barbie & Ken can keep an eye on it for you! - 04/15/08 07:54 PM
One of the "controversial" recommendations that inspectors will sometimes give is to "monitor". When the recommendation to monitor comes without "qualifiers" like a specific time frame, it can be quite meaningless.
For example if we note that the roof shingles are deteriorating---is it appropriate to say "monitor?" Does that … (13 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: MOM?---can Sparky come over and play? - 04/10/08 08:16 AM
Everyone knows that when water and electricity get together to play, they have to "play by the rules"----if, that is, no one is to get killed playing the game. For example we heat water with electricity because the electricity agrees to play by the rule of staying inside its heating … (8 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Come back---COME BACK---where is everybody going? - 04/09/08 10:18 AM
I know this blog is going to start a mad dash to go and check your own washing machines.
Wait---Come back Barbara & Leslie----I haven't told you what to look for yet.
Seriously though, it is quite common to find leaks behind the washing machine. With all of the … (19 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: "And behind door #1?" - 04/08/08 07:35 PM
Things aren't always what they appear to be. On first look we have a normal garage door in the closed position.
Inspectors won't typically think about the door again until they get on the inside of the garage, where they will run it though various safety tests (if it has … (16 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: This is NOT a trap! - 04/08/08 08:54 AM
"S"-traps, "P"-traps, "R"-traps---what is the big deal? With the exception of the "R"-trap we are talking plumbing----I'll leave the Rat traps for another "year" . There are oodles of different kinds of traps. In modern homes we are primarily talking about "P"-traps. S-traps were more common in older buildings where … (8 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Remodeling---HAPPENS! - 04/07/08 09:04 AM
With a level of predictability similar to that of the Sun rising and setting every day is the desire for people to remodel their homes. Whether it is because they have more actual space needs (the unexpected set of triplets) or they want to upgrade outdated components (but I love … (9 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: The making of "Crop Circles" - 04/04/08 08:29 AM
When I was a kid growing up on the farm in Connecticut, my cousins and I decided one day to harness the pony to the wagon and give ourselves a ride. We had several large ponies on the farm and we couldn't catch the one that was trained to pull … (9 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Well at least you will have plenty of firewood! - 04/03/08 10:06 AM
Trees and the Northwest are almost synonymous. We love our trees. We not only build our house out of them we would live in them if we could and certainly like to live among them. Really big, tall trees, too close to homes are common. As an inspector I like … (7 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Why is there a barbeque in my bathroom? - 04/02/08 01:20 PM
My recent blog about a bathroom ventilation fan being covered over by a decorative ceiling, made me wish I had some good pictures of how dirty these fans can actually get. Because home inspectors don't usually take these fans apart, our opportunity to take actual pictures of their interior condition … (12 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Where would "life" be without "decay"? - 04/01/08 11:45 AM
For those of you that follow my blogs, some of the pictures in today's post will look familiar. Let me start out by saying I find moss visually stunning. The colors it takes on, from fluorescent reds and greens; and various shades of brown and yellow all are incredible beautiful … (3 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Toilet in a phone booth! - 03/31/08 04:44 PM
I SWEAR this toilet is "functional" although just stating that it "flushes" is probably more accurate. It isn't just sitting there. It is another one of those great mysteries as to how it got to be this way. Who decided this was OK? Did they try it out? Even boys … (25 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: OK----I am going to wear a helmet on inspections! - 03/31/08 08:08 AM
With my latest example of "plan ahead" I just have to scratch my head in wonder. This bathroom remodel was quite expensive with floor to ceiling stone tiles, and a very cool looking decorative suspended ceiling.
The ceiling behind this wood lattice work was painted black and was only about ½" … (17 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Extraterrestrial life is real---I HAVE SEEN THEM! - 03/30/08 09:41 AM
It seems like all around the world there are places with no "authentic" claim to fame, that attempt to "create" fame.
For example, take the Roswell UFO Incident in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 (Interesting---same year I was born---coincidence? That may "explain" a few things.) Or, consider the Loch … (8 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Snowless in Seattle - 03/28/08 02:46 PM
To counter the notion that it always rains in Seattle, I offer picture perfect proof that it at least sometimes snows! Took this a few moments ago in my garden. Snow and Daffodils is like the juxtaposition of right/wrong, left/right, yin/yang.
Charles Buell
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog … (9 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Things they teach you (or should) in Cooking School - 03/28/08 11:05 AM
As a totally inadequate follow-up to the now infamous "Oatmeal Blog"I thought I would share more things they don't teach you in cooking school (actually they probably do). In this case the kitchen range was installed too low (or the counter-tops to high) which allows the flames under a large … (17 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Aluminum wiring---BAD juju! - 03/27/08 12:15 PM
For some time now (without getting overwhelmingly technical) I have wanted to do a blog about Aluminum Wiring---the solid conductor stuff that was widely used from 1965 to 1975. It originally became popular as the prices of copper when through the roof. Like copper it was widely used in residential … (14 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: ActiveRain burned my oatmeal! - 03/27/08 11:43 AM
At today's inspection I had a mental picture of a typical ActiveRain Addict,
half-smile on his face,
frantically typing away,
attempting to keep caught up with the comments to his most recent featured blog----ignoring the incessant screaming of the smoke alarm in the back ground---ignoring the tears in his eyes, … (55 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Weekend project gone caflooie! - 03/27/08 11:06 AM
I did a post the other day about a Wacky Window installation that I found hard to believe anyone would leave the way they did. Today's blog is similar, in that it is a wacky installation, but in this case it is more than cosmetic or "aesthetic." In this case … (6 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Horizontally draining, stone cleaning device. - 03/26/08 09:07 AM
Finding leaking and overflowing gutters when it is raining is a lot easier than determining if they will leak or will overflow if it is not raining. One thing that inspectors look for when it is not raining is impact marks on the ground under areas of overflowing and leaking. … (7 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Barreling through the crawl space. - 03/25/08 08:28 AM
When I was a kid, hanging around with my dad on various construction projects, I used to see the old wooden barrels that nails came in. Even as a builder myself, I can remember some of the older lumber yards still having kegs of less commonly used sizes/types of nails … (10 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Not all "short-circuits" are electrical! - 03/24/08 03:20 PM
A while back, in a blog that asked "What is Giovanni Venturi doing in my attic?" I mentioned that combinations of different methods of ventilation can result in poorer or even no ventilation.
For example for the best method of venting attics---Ridge vents in combination with soffit vents---to function properly there … (5 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: There simply HAS TO BE some drugs I can Take for this! - 03/24/08 02:50 PM
Have you caught yourself wandering around the house at all hours of the day and night with a flashlight or screw driver,
1. checking to see how your chrome sink traps are doing, or
2. coughing your way across the attic to see if your attic vents have screens, or
3. looking to … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: "Nooks n' Crannies" are for English Muffins. - 03/23/08 04:12 PM
As we all know , ventilation fans should not be terminated in the attic. This type of installation can lead to adding moisture to the attic space resulting in damage to the roof structure and may lead to mold growth in the attic. All exhaust fans should properly vent to … (5 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Washington State Licensed Home Inspector (has a nice ring to it)! - 03/21/08 06:10 PM
I just want to post an announcement that as of 2:30 this afternoon Washington State became the most recent state to pass a Home Inspector Licensing Law when Governor Christine Gregoire signed ESB-6606 into law. On September 1 2009, it will be illegal for anyone to perform home inspections in the State of Washington without … (12 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Have you been screened for bugs? - 03/21/08 08:38 AM
The attics of many older homes were often vented through the gable ends of the home. Today's homes sometimes have them also. Proper ventilation of attics could be fodder for many blogs, but today I just want to limit the discussion to Gable Vents. I don't want to get into a complicated … (9 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Do you know where your TPRV is tonight? - 03/19/08 08:33 AM
A common defect that inspectors find is improperly terminated drains from the water heater TPRV (Temperature/Pressure/Relief/Valve). While there are numerous ways that it can be improperlyterminated, today's blog is about when they are terminating at locations that are not "readily observable." These valves occasionally leak a little, and sometimes even … (5 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Out of sight----out of mind. - 03/18/08 09:22 AM
A while back, Leslie Bloss asked me to comment on how often people should have their homes inspected. It made me think a bit, because most homes never see a home inspector unless it is being sold. I will direct my comments to the North West, because we have conditions here … (10 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: "Jumanji!"----what is that flood coming down the stairs? - 03/18/08 09:09 AM
Newer requirements for water heater installation call for there to be pans with drains when the heaters are installed in areas where leaking might cause damage. I think these pans are a great idea for water heaters and washing machines. Second floor laundries are getting more and more common and … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Blowing bubbles is for kids.... - 03/17/08 12:28 PM
The other day I was working in my office and noticed someone walking into my back yard. It turns out that it was a local gas company representative checking the gas meter for leaks. I never even knew they did this; but given the number of leaking meters I have … (14 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: And behind door #2........ - 03/16/08 11:46 AM
Most water heaters have an outer door and an inner door to the burner compartment. The "outer" door is usually in place but quite often I find the "inner" door out of place.
These doors require "patience/perseverance" to get them properly back in place---qualities sometimes lacking in service personnel and homeowners … (6 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: But I "Love" my shiny chrome drains! - 03/15/08 09:37 AM
Chrome trap fittings ain't what they used to be. I have seen fifty-year-old fittings still going strong and fittings less than two years old with holes in them.
The problem is that the gauge (and possibly the quality of the brass as well) of the newer fittings is so thin … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: How about some "View" murals on those walls----please? - 03/13/08 03:16 PM
I did a blog the other day about tilting at windmills. Today I was driving down the street and saw what to me epitomizes the idea. What occurred to me is that there is a fine line (or at least a very large grey area) where it becomes difficult to … (12 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: I'll have a DRIP coffee please....to go. - 03/13/08 12:03 PM
Galvanized piping is still very common in older homes. It was pretty much abandoned as the first choice of supply plumbing and drainage system plumbing in the early 1950's. It originally had a life expectancy of anywhere from 40-50 years, depending on the type of water in the area. I … (19 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: I smell something-----eewwwww! - 03/12/08 09:00 AM
Some times as soon as I walk in a home my nose will alert me to possible problems. This particular house had an "unusual" odor about it that might have been the result of it's being vacant for a year, but somehow it seemed different than that. As I inspected … (12 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: This Mole-Hill IS a Mountain! - 03/11/08 09:15 PM
While this started out as a blog about moles, and kind of a follow up to my previous blog about Secret Tunnels in your lawn ---it is actually more about, or equally about, the Internet, believing, and priorities.
When trying to get good information about moles I was confronted with … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: HELP----I c a n ' t.......br...e....a.....t......h........e....... - 03/11/08 06:03 PM
I love it when Steve anticipates my upcoming blogs so that I can link his blog to mine to provide additional information on the topic. In this case it is about Whole House Ventilation in new construction. In the home that this blog is about, the whole house ventilation was achieved … (3 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Architects-smarkitects! - 03/09/08 09:50 PM
On my buddy Steve' blog the other day someone commented on the use of Architects for inspections. There are some great Architects out there. And none of the great ones I know would take offense from this blog because they know it wouldn't apply to them. But just like other … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: This walkway was NOT: "music to my ears" - 03/09/08 05:52 PM
Often times when an issue isdiscovered on an inspection there will be other issues that are related to or caused by the original issue. Sometimes these "secondary" issues are more serious than the original issue. Take the settlement of the concrete sidewalk. While it has settled at least 4" on one … (4 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: You may KNEED to read this! - 03/07/08 11:27 PM
I had an interesting thing happen the other day that reminded me of the truth of the statement that "You don't know what you don't know." Let that sink in. "You don't know----what you don't know." Seems obvious enough, but in relationship to home inspections I often hear people talk … (14 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: What do you mean there are "SECRET" tunnels under my lawn? - 03/07/08 02:01 PM
It seems like all around the country, every area has its own particular types of varmints committed to ruining the landscape; and plenty of Caddy Shack type characters committed to doing in these lawn wrecking, garden eating Al-Qaeda of the underground. As a kid in Connecticut, I remember woodchucks (like … (22 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Don Quixote here---when would you like to schedule the inspection? - 03/06/08 03:21 PM
I am thinking of changing my business name to Don Quixote Inspections, Inc. Tilting at windmills is, after all, what I am good at. If they would just stand still---I would be able to skewer them once and for all. One of my pet crusades is against the infamous "Count … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: "Bless its' Pointed Little Head" - 03/06/08 01:45 PM
No, this is not about the Jefferson Airplane's, great live album from 1969. It is about something else "pointed" that wanted my blessing---but was found to be wanting. I think in this case pictures say it all and writing at length about it would be a waste of time for … (14 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Who is guarding your house? - 03/05/08 09:04 AM
There are many different types of "gutter guards" available----all designed to keep debris out and yet still collect the roof water.
Some perform better than others.
Some can be added to existing gutters while others are formed as part of the gutter. All are either "shedding" type or "filtering" type. … (14 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Sealed with a kiss? - 03/04/08 09:33 AM
I can not think of a scenario where a home would not have an electric meter. The power company would probably very much want to know about anyone that had a house without one----and the house had electricity. As an inspector I give every utility company seal a little tug to … (10 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: My BEETLE is stronger than your Termite! - 03/02/08 01:23 PM
NO my TERMITE is stronger than your beetle!
It is not at all uncommon to findmore than one wood destroying organism at a time in a crawl space in the NW. Conditions that are conducive to Dampwood Termites for example will likely also be conducive to Anobiid Beetles, and Rot. This blog … (3 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Who does the "heavy lifting" in your life? - 02/28/08 10:39 AM
Remember the kids story book The Little Engine that Could?
It was all about: I think I can,
I think I can,
I think I can,
I think I can,
I THINK I CAN make it over the hill.
This is the story of The Little Tree that Could, and how it said: I think I … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Licensed & Certifiable "Bird Bath" inspector! - 02/27/08 01:07 PM
I have finally gone over the top in the level of detail of my inspections.
I now inspect Bird Baths.
Well, not exactly,
---but I really don't know quite what else to call this installation. Without a downspout---a bird bath (or stagnant pond for mosquitoes) is about all this installation … (12 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: A new approach to heated floors..... - 02/26/08 01:18 PM
I recently inspected a home in which the forced air heating system had been removed and replaced with individual forced-air wall electric heaters. For convenience the location of the old heating system registers was used as a place to install the new electric heaters. While this was convenient, in some … (3 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: I am crushed----what do you mean I need STRONGER gutters! - 02/26/08 12:19 PM
The problem with "little" trees next to homes is that they can become "BIG" trees next to the home. This cedar tree started out small but because it was too close to the home it has damaged the foundation and is damaging the gutter at the roof.
Trees this close to … (2 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Roller-coaster deck - 02/24/08 02:39 PM
Having a deck on your home is almost as American as apple pie and baseball (I wish it was soccer instead). In spite of the fact that decks can be very hazardous, it is another one of those things that the average homeowner is willing to take on as a weekend … (7 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: MODOC-----another Star Wars Creature? - 02/24/08 10:52 AM
On the heels of my last blog, I though I would post something about the real "Modoc." And while Camplumbnotus Modoc is a very serious and aggressive pest, they don' usually do quite as much damage as Camponotus Modoc (Carpenter Ant).
These creatures are the largest ants we see in … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Wood Destroying Insect: "Camplumbnatus Modoc" (the Plumber Ant) - 02/22/08 07:39 PM
There is a standing joke in the trades and among home inspectors that Plumbers tend to raise havoc with the house structure, cutting wily-nilly through any wood component that is in their way. As with all the trades there are good plumbers and bad plumbers. I am not sure how … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: What's eating Gilbert Pipe? - 02/21/08 06:47 PM
I wrote a blog a while back about lead supply plumbing. Even after use of lead plumbing for water supply and drains was discontinued, it was routinely used until the mid 50's as the transition fitting from the cast iron drain to the toilet. These fittings are often visible from … (6 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: YIKES---there was a BEAR in the attic! - 02/21/08 11:33 AM
As a designer/builder I wrestled with the apparent disparity between New Construction and Older Homes. Older homes, with their many short comings have qualities that you rarely find in New Construction. The question for me was how can I create that "born in-lived in-loved in-died in" feel of a house … (10 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Be careful out there! - 02/20/08 04:29 PM
It is not hard to sell the idea of the importance of electrical safety, and yet as inspectors we find unsafe electrical conditions in most homes. Electrical safety issues are by far the biggest part of most inspection reports and they usually take up the biggest portion of the report … (11 comments)
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shoreline wa home inspector: Why can't I see the fire? - 02/19/08 03:02 PM
Gas fireplaces are very common----I am sure many of you have them in your homes. If you have had them for any length of time and use them regularly you have noticed that the glass fogs over when you first start them up. This is normal and is the result … (9 comments)
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