home inspection: Room with a View
- 09/01/10 12:17 AM
U.S. Inspect inspectors are in new places every day. They can find themselves belly down in a rodent-infested crawl space one day, and catching a glimpse of spectacular displays of natural beauty the next. And when I'm lucky, some of those inspectors send me pictures of the wonderful places where they live and work so that I can share them here.
This particular view belongs to a condo in Pompano Beach (Fort Lauderdale area) inspected by one of our Florida Inspectors, Jack Fuquay. Thanks to Jack for sharing it with all of us.
Posted By: Chrissy Doremus, U.S. Inspect Blog
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home inspection: Bananas Unite! It's National Banana Lovers Day - And We've Got Some Inspection Pictures That Are Truly Bananas!
- 08/27/10 03:16 AM
Everyone stand up!
Bananas unite! (place hands together straight up over head)
Bananas split! (open arms and place at sides)
Pick bananas, pick, pick bananas (reach up and pick bananas from a tree)
Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas (peel a banana in your hand)
Smash bananas, smash, smash bananas (clap hands)
Eat bananas, eat, eat bananas (stuff banana in mouth and sing with mouth full)
Now--Go bananas, go, go bananas! (do a crazy dance)
Did you know that today is National Banana Lovers' Day?! Just for fun on the this important National Holiday, … (16 comments)
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home inspection: A Merry Can: A Little Toilet Humor
- 08/25/10 08:23 AM
I just heard this story from my friend and co-worker, Dave Rothbart, a U.S. Inspect inspector in Florida. Can you believe this one??
Dave: "I met a guy today who was a retired employee of American Standard. The house I inspected had an American Standard HVAC system and toilets. He told me to look at the American Standard logo and tell him what I saw. I had no clue, so he broke it down for me (see picture below) The company, originally manufacturing just plumbing components, put breaks in the word American so that it would read, "A Meri Can" (obviously … (8 comments)
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home inspection: Electrical Safety Tips That Could Save Your Life
- 08/24/10 02:16 AM
Each year, more than 41,000 residential fires (fires that claim about 350 lives and cause over 1,400 injuries) are due to incidents that involve electrical equipment, such as extension cords, outlets and light bulbs. When was the last time you proactively looked for and corrected electrical safety hazards in your home?
Help protect yourself from electrical hazards by taking a few minutes to check your home for unsafe conditions. Here are a few tips of what to look for:
Make sure cords are in good condition. A frayed or cracked cord could cause a shock or fire. Replace old and damaged … (1 comments)
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home inspection: National Air Conditioning Appreciation Week: AC Checklist
- 08/17/10 07:00 AM
Did you know that this week is National Air Conditioning Appreciation Week? Well it is! And U.S. Inspect happens to be partnered with Petro Heating & Air Conditioning Services, so I got together with my friend Barry over there and we put together this "cool" checklist--and thought this was the perfect time and place to share it! Enjoy!
Chill Out About Summer Energy Costs With this AC Checklist
AC checklist:
Get the right equipment and get it installed correctly – Replacing old cooling equipment with a new, energy-efficient model is the best way to save energy costs. But to reach its … (2 comments)
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home inspection: Happy Friday the 13 to you...Happy Friday the 13th to you...
- 08/13/10 05:05 AM
Today has finally arrived.
That means it's Friday the 13th and my 30th birthday.
(And if that ain't "scary," I don't know what is!)
As for the Friday the 13th date, it can actually be a lucky day for many. My birthday has fallen on Friday the 13th exactly five times (including today) since my birth, and will once again in 2021. (I'll have to be careful to avoid going under any ladders while I'm zipping around in my flying car). Even so, I'm happy to say that no little black cats, or madmen in hockey masks have ever taken away … (13 comments)
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home inspection: Friday 13th: 5 Ways to Make the Home Inspection Less SPOOKY!
- 08/13/10 01:31 AM
Buying a home is exhilarating. It is not only a time of excitement and joy, but also a time of making decisions and to-do lists. The home inspection is a very important step during that process. But for some reason, it is a step that can give some buyers—and even some seasoned real estate agents—an awful fright! So, since it's Friday the 13th, I thought it was a great time to share my 5 Ways to Make the Home Inspection Less Spooky!
The Spook: Home inspections are just plain scary.The Scoop: OK, they are only scary if you let inspection … (3 comments)
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home inspection: Why It's So Important to Look Before You Leap Into Any Home Project
- 08/13/10 12:27 AM
Sometimes what we don't know about an aspect of our home or how something works in our home can really complicate a situation. Knowledge really is power, and having it--especially when it comes to our home--can ultimately save money, time, and aggravation. I think everyone can relate to that. Has anyone ever gone ahead and began repairing something in your home or making a decision about something, only in hindsight to realize that you should have read up on it first? Or worse, that you did the complete opposite of what you now know was right--yikes! We've all been there.
It's … (5 comments)
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home inspection: The A,B,Cs of Grading
- 08/11/10 01:49 AM
What is Grading?
Home inspectors tend to talk a lot about grading around the house, and its implications. What is grading? Simply, the grade or grading around your house is the level of the ground. The ground level and how it’s graded is the deciding factor of where storm water will flow.
Positive and Negative Grading
There are two types of grading: positive and negative. Positive grading is good, negative grading is bad. Positive grading slopes away from your home, directing storm water away from your foundation. Negative grading slopes toward your home, directing storm water toward your foundation. When storm water consistently … (12 comments)
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home inspection: The Critters We See: From the Home Inspection Scrapbook
- 08/06/10 03:24 AM
It never ceases to amazed me, the beautiful creatures we can come across during a simple home inspection. Thanks to Alan Brown from our U.S. Inspect Raleigh Team for sharing this with us. We are thankful for your attention to detail or we might have missed out on this beautiful bug!
What is it? This a Rose Maple Moth. They have fuzzy little bodies and pink antennae and legs. As you can plainly see, they also have beautiful pink and yellow wings. It's a North American moth and, as its name implies, it mostly feeds on Maple trees.
Posted By: … (7 comments)
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home inspection: Radon in Water Q&A
- 08/05/10 04:34 AM
As radon testing providers for almost 25 years, U.S Inspect receives many questions about the effects of radon in water. Because August is National Water Quality Month, I thought it was only fitting that I share the top twelve questions and their answers.
Radon in Water Q & A
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Q: Should everyone test their water for radon? A: While radon gets into some homes through the water, it is important to first test the air in the home for radon. If a high level is found during the air test, and the home has a private well, it … (3 comments)
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home inspection: What's Wrong with this Picture?
- 07/30/10 08:47 AM
ANSWER: Dryer Vent Needs to be Relocated A couple things come to mind with this picture. Apart from not complying to code…some of the reasons not to do this would be: the air from the dryer vent is very moist. So whatever it is venting into would become moist, leading to mold buildup and maybe even surface deterioration. Also, dryers eject lint which is ejected out of the vent, and will also collect in the vent, especially those flex pipes. Lint is highly flammable. So, if you are venting a dryer directly into a chimney, well, you’re asking for trouble!Some … (4 comments)
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home inspection: Home Sick Home? Indoor Air Quality
- 07/29/10 03:57 AM
How's the air at home? If you're like most people, your eyebrows raised and you find this to be an odd question. But you might just want to take a little time to learn more about the air quality in your home. Besides, wouldn't you want to reduce the risk of allergic reactions, chronic bronchitis, nausea, headaches, fatigue and breathing problems, not to mention minimize the chance of slow or sudden toxic gas poisoning?
Visibly, your home may seem immaculate, but there are a number of sly culprits that contribute to indoor air pollution. And in newer, more energy efficient and … (7 comments)
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home inspection: Wordless Wednesday:
- 07/28/10 03:24 AM
Okay, so I wasn't quite so wordless this week ;-)
What's Wrong with This Picture? ANSWER: Gutters in need of cleaning Time for a little spring cleaning! There's a whole tree growing in here! This is a great picture from my buddy Jack, a U.S. Inspect inspector in Florida.
These roof gutters are clogged with debris. Gutters are an integral part of a roof water management system. Clogged gutters can lead to premature deterioration of the home’s roof covering as the water will have nowhere to go. Additionally, the water is blocked from flowing to downspouts, which are designed to … (5 comments)
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home inspection: Walmart Really Is EVERYWHERE!
- 07/27/10 08:59 AM
This photo was snapped by our Director of Reserve Studies, Keith Ruehl, who was performing the site-work for a Reserve Study at a resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. As he was working, this cruise ship appeared to pull up and dock right in front of a Walmart. You can see it there to the left of the ship in the background. It seems that Walmart is in fact everywhere.
Posted By: Chrissy Doremus, U.S. Inspect Blog
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home inspection: Boston Beauty
- 07/23/10 04:34 AM
U.S. Inspect building consultants work in some of the most amazing American cities all over the country. And when we're lucky, some of those inspectors share pictures of the beautiful places where they live and work to include in our U.S. Inspect Scrapbook.
Here's a great snapshot of "Downtown" Boston from U.S. Inspect inspector (and fantastic photographer), Rob Amaral. Thanks for sharing this wonderful piece of your day with us, Rob!
Posted By: Chrissy Doremus, U.S. Inspect Blog
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home inspection: Garbage Disposal Problem? I think I nailed it!
- 07/16/10 02:58 AM
This is sure to throw a monkey wrench in the works! But I suppose a nail is better than an actual monkey wrench! This nail has apparently gone through the garbage disposal (in more ways than one!). OK, who was eating nails for dinner again? This picture was taken on an actual inspection last month. And actually this occurrence is not uncommon! If you don't believe me, Google "nail in garbage disposal." So if you are prone to accidents like this while working near the sink, it's a great idea to purchase a garbage disposal cover or stopper (less than … (4 comments)
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home inspection: Trained Racoons Used to Inspect Chimneys
- 07/14/10 04:16 AM
We like to think outside the box at U.S. Inspect. And so I am very proud to introduce on my blog today our new specially trained racoons for inspecting in tight spaces, including chimneys and crawlspaces!
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Seriously though, this surprise guest greeted us at the chimney opening! This picture taken on an actual inspection, by my friend, Reid Stever, U.S. Inspect Philadelphia Inspector.
Posted By: Chrissy Doremus, U.S. Inspect Blog
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home inspection: Top 10 Defects Of New Construction
- 07/13/10 02:25 AM
Yes, I said new construction. New construction is just not immune to issues even though we might think it should be. Did you know that according to a Realty Times article, many county building inspectors are seeing over 30 homes a day? That’s less than 15 minutes at each site. It's simply a lot to see in a very short amount of time and it's one of the reasons why home inspections on new homes can be so beneficial.
So based on data compiled from actual inspections, I've compiled a list of the most common defects found in new construction:
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home inspection: They Just Don't Make 'em Like They Used To!
- 07/09/10 01:54 AM
U.S. Inspect Colorado inspectors, Larry Vowles and Dana Aderman had never seen a boiler like this before. So they took a picture to share with us! This boiler was an original to the house, built in 1903, was originally a coal burner that appears to have been converted to natural gas around the 1940’s. It is still working and on the job after all these years! I guess they really don’t make them like they used to. It was manufactured in Holland Michigan by the Holland Company.
Posted By: Chrissy Doremus, U.S. Inspect Blog
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