What the heck does "monitor" mean? An inspector friend of mine used to say, "Never use the word ‘monitor'-----it doesn't mean anything." Of course he was referring so some of the "standard boiler-plate" types of info that was built into most report writing software of the time----hopef
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09/30/2008
Back in the days when the market was REALLY HOT, it seems like every-other inspection was for a home that was being "flipped." They are not very common anymore. These homes often had their share of issues including, shoddy workmanship and lack of building permits. The whole idea behind th
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09/29/2008
Some parents are more concerned about what their children watch on TV than other parents are. Some want to create a really great experience for the little rug rats by getting the TV right down to their level. Of course this could just as well be Nutsy the Squirrel's house. I have known p
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09/27/2008
This is another one of those posts about how the trades don't talk to each other. We have become so compartmentalized in the building trades that I am wondering how it is possible to get anything right. I think a certain amount of basic info about all of the other trades should be incorpor
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09/24/2008
The worst words a man can here his sweetie say is, "We have to talk"-----sends a guy right to his cave. Believe it or not I got thinking about this when I took out the garbage this morning. I wasn't taking the garbage out because I was in the dog-house or anything----in fact she usually
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09/23/2008
I have written about the safety hazards that can exist where the power company connects its wires to the house wiring at the electrical mast. These connections should have proper coverings to protect persons from coming in contact with the hot connections. I had a really good example of
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09/21/2008
We are a country of both incredible "bounty" and "waste." Perhaps one isn't possible without the other. As a builder, I have seen people take perfectly good houses and remodel them into monstrosities, and I have seen "sows ears" turned into "silk purses." I really didn't like the
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09/20/2008
Distressed properties are not fun to inspect on so many different levels. Once you get past the initial curiosity, one must face the reality that the condition of the house somehow reflects how messed up we can make our lives. Behind all the "theories" of failed mortgages in the media, i
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09/18/2008
In the past I have gotten my Underoos all in a bunch writing about the installation of roof pipe flashings that are not "consistent" with the expected life of the roof. The types of pipe flashings that I am talking about are the ones that have a stretch-rubber component designed to fit
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09/18/2008
The other day I could have utilized the talents of Steve Smith's employee Nutsy-the-Wire-Walking-Squirrel. It really wasn't necessary in the long run because it just didn't matter whether the bulbs were dead----as the whole installation was "Nutsy." Outdoor electrical installations hav
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09/17/2008
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