ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS
2008
3
Comments
This is a picture of a missing shingle tab on a roof, close-up. You can see the gap and the exposed nails. From the gound, this may look like a small section, with a slightly different color than the surrounding roof. Broken off shingle tabs are usually caused by wind lifting up under the tab, a...
05/30/2008
9
Comments
This is a brick 1/2 wall in the front of a house that has severely separated from the house wall behind it. The cause? Improperly sloped and flashed/caulked at top of wall where the brick meets the siding. Years of water going behind the brick, freezing and thawing has caused it to push away. No...
05/28/2008
54
Comments
I was inspecting a home last week, where a very large tree had fallen the day before from the yard of the house I was inspecting (which was vacant), and had crushed the neighbors fence, and a large portion of the tree was now taking up the neighbors back yard. During the inspection, he came over...
05/27/2008
22
Comments
Had to do it last week on a vacant house, bank owned. It had a lock box hanging on the front door, with a locked storm door nobody seemed to have a key for. So the realtor tells me to break open the storm door. I of course say that I will not be liable for the damages, and then go ahead and do as...
05/21/2008
28
Comments
A few years back, the mere mention of the word mold sent many realtors and others involved in home sales into a panic. It was considered a deal-killer, basically because so many understood so little about it. Hopefully, by now the word has gotten out that in most cases, mold does not have to be f...
05/19/2008
9
Comments
Well, the door was THERE yesterday..... This an extreme example of overgrown foliage on the back of .... hmm... I think it's a garage. Ivy and similar foliage may be aesthetically pleasing wrapping around an arbor, or a fence, but if it is allowed to grow on exterior house (or garage walls) it c...
05/19/2008
22
Comments
A sump pump is genrally located in a basement, or sometimes a crawl space, and is intended to pump water to a higher location or drain. General uses include pumping groundwater from a homes footer pipes up and out to a drain, or pumping water from a low drain (like basement laundry sink drain) wh...
05/18/2008
16
Comments
"I thought my water heater was a just a big round thing that sits in the basement, and gives me hot water when I turn on the tap... NOW YOU TELL ME IT NEEDS MAINTENANCE?" Sorry to be the one who has to break it to you, but... yes, there are certain things that you should do to maintain your wat...
05/18/2008
14
Comments
IN EVERY GROUP...there seems to be few that stand out above the crowd... you know... the ones we all look up to for inspiration and guidance. The ones who set the example for the rest of us to follow, and who make it easier to navigate the paths of uncertainty that we all have to face from time t...
05/15/2008