bellingham: Nice House, Bad Bugs
- 07/16/07 08:00 AM
When I arrived at this house to inspect it, a nice young couple buying their first house, I thought that this one would be easy. 70s rambler that appears to have been kept in nice condition. New roof, new siding, sweet. As I looked around I found a few things that made me suspicious. Soil against the siding; crawl space vents at or below grade with inadequate wells.
When I went into the crawl space this is what I found. The outside conditions were a clue to this space. Severe Anobiid damage to beam, note the rust on the hanger. This beam is damaged … (12 comments)
bellingham: More Trees
- 06/25/07 04:00 AM
On a previous blog post I showed a number of specimen trees on my property just outside Bellingham, Washington. The trees I'm showing on this post are some more mature ones. These I didn't plant, but were instrumental in making the decision to buy this property ten years ago. The gardens that are visible were not here when we bought the place. These are two very large Black Locusts located in our front yard. This may be the largest Weeping Willow in Whatcom County Washington. The tree to the right is an English Walnut. The large trees in the background are a row of … (0 comments)
bellingham: Garden Tour
- 06/25/07 03:14 AM
On Saturday, my wife and I went on the Whatcom Horticultural Society's Tour of Private Gardens. This is an annual event that hilights private gardens in Bellingham and other communities in Whatcom County. This years tour was the 21st annual. There were five gardens in the tour (self guided), all in more rural areas of the county this year. The garden styles ranged from a very wild forest garden to a very formal, professionally designed garden. I personally tend to prefer wilder looks over the formal. The following are a few pictures from the tour.
This is the stump of an old … (0 comments)
bellingham: Dutch Treat
- 06/21/07 04:57 AM
Yesterday I was doing an inspection in Lynden, Washington. Lynden is a small town Northeast of Bellingham, Washington. It was founded in the late 1800s by Dutch immigrants. Lynden, Washington is a very clean and well kept community. The downtown area looks like a little bit of Holland.
Lynden also has a unique entry. The gateway to Lynden is, I believe, the only one anywhere that is flanked by a pair of cemeteries. Lynden is also the home of the Whatcom County, Washington fair. The permanent fair grounds occupies a large area on the South side of Front Street, the main drag of Lynden, Washington. I … (4 comments)
bellingham: Is It a Prince? or What?
- 06/19/07 12:08 PM
Took a break this afternoon and sat out by the pond for a few minutes. I happened to look over at the water lilies and this is what I saw. This has to be the classic prince pose.
I've heard that one has to kiss a lot of frogs before finding the prince. This guy looked regal enough to be a prince, but I'm not going to kiss him. Just another crummy day in the paradise of Bellingham, Washington. Thanks for looking. David Helm www.helmhomeinspections.com … (8 comments)
bellingham: Bellingham's Working Waterfront
- 06/19/07 07:03 AM
Many people get to see marinas with yachts and other pleasure boats. These are a few pictures of the working water front in Bellingham. This is one of two floating drydocks at the shipyard on the southside of Bellingham. If you look closely, you'll see one of the peaks in the Canadian Rockies just to the left of the drydock. Research vessel checking on the conditions of eel grass beds, prime herring spawning habitat. The Bellingham fishing fleet has to go far and wide to make a living these days. Since the decline of local salmon runs, the local boats go to Alaska, Oregon, … (0 comments)
bellingham: My Town; Downtown Bellingham
- 06/18/07 07:36 AM
There are many new buildings in downtown Bellingham, Washington that are interesting. The buildings I am posting here are all old. Some of them are on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. I hope you enjoy this pictorial. This section of the Whatcom County Courthouse is fairly new. I believe they did a pretty good job of keeping faith to the original architectural style. Also known as 6 flags over Bellingham, this is the City Hall. A classic of its type, the Mount Baker Theatre is on the National Registry. There are no square corners on this building. This is currently the tallest building in Bellingham. … (5 comments)
bellingham: Ocean to Snow Road
- 06/16/07 05:30 AM
I had the occasion to work in the village of Glacier yesterday. It was a grey rainy day but thought I might take a few pictures of the diversity we find on State Route 542, more commonly known as the Mt. Baker Highway. This road travels from near the water in Bellingham, through small towns and villages and ends up at the Mt Baker ski area. Glacier is the last town before climbing in switchbacks to the 4500 foot base of the ski area. While the ski area isn't high altitude compared to areas in California or Colorado, it consistently gets more … (5 comments)
bellingham: Urban Trails in Bellingham, Washington
- 06/14/07 11:38 AM
There are a number of magnificent trails in and around Bellingham, Washington. They are all a part of the city's Greenways program. Here is a list of five that Bellinghamsters use regularly. 1. Interurban Trail - This trail, for much of its distance, follows the old interurban rail line road bed that connected communities in Whatcom County to communities in Skagit County. The trail starts on the Old Fairhaven Parkway, makes its way through some residential areas, old forest, Arroyo Park, open areas and ends up at Larrabee State Park. It is seven miles one way and is well worth the effort. 2. Lake … (2 comments)
bellingham: Garden Tour, Bellingham/Whatcom County Washington
- 06/12/07 10:22 AM
On Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24, the 21st Annual Tour of Private Gardens, put on by the Whatcom Horticultural Society, will take place. This is a magnificent, self guided tour, of usually, 5 to 6 private gardens. My own garden was on this tour a few years ago. This years gardens include: A flower-filled garden in the woods, A wildlife sanctuary filled with ornamental shrubs and trees, An immaculate homestead using innovative recycled materials, A beautiful sprawling garden with recycled sculptural treasures and A bird haven with numerous water features and exotic plants. Tickets and directions are available at … (3 comments)
bellingham: Bellingham, Washington Outdoor Art Part 3
- 06/12/07 09:00 AM
This outdoor art blog, the third in a series, features art found in Downtown Bellingham, Washington. The sculptures on the back lawn of the Bellingham Public Library, are part of a revolving display. Pieces are kept for a period of time, then replaced by others. Some of the downtown Bellingham pieces have been in place for some time.
I hope these pieces are enjoyed by all who look. There will be one more part in this series. Hopefully I'll have that one up later this week. Thanks for looking David Helm www.helmhomeinspections.com … (4 comments)
bellingham: Bellingham Outdoor Art; Part 1
- 06/09/07 04:53 PM
Bellingham, Washington is a town that is known for its patronship of the arts. This blog series celebrates sculpture at various venues around the town. The first venue is the campus of Bellingham Technical College. This school, one of the most dynamic technical schools in the country, hosts an annual welding rodeo where artists make metal sculpture. Some are on permanent display around the campus.
Th sculptural art displayed at the Bellingham Technical College is mostly by local artists. Thanks for looking. David Helm www.helmhomeinspections.com … (4 comments)
bellingham: The Stimson Reserve, A Little Known Gem of Bellingham and the Whatcom Park System
- 06/09/07 05:35 AM
On the Lake Louise Rd. route out to Sudden Valley one can notice an unmarked small parking lot on the left. This is parking for the trailhead at Stimson Family Nature Reserve. The core of this reserve was donated to the Whatcom Land Trust in the year 2000 in memory of Edward and Catharine Stimson by their seven children. The Reserve consists of the 138 acre Lake Louise Natural Resources Conservation Area, 196 acres owned by Whatcom Land Trust and 34 acres jointly owned by the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County. The Reserve is managed by the Whatcom County Parks … (0 comments)
bellingham: More Historic Homes in Bellingham
- 06/07/07 09:20 AM
This is a continuation of my blog on Bellingham, Washington historic homes. Most of these are in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Bellingham. The neighborhood is very desirable, and has seen major appreciation in values over the last several years.
Again, as before, you can see that all these beautiful homes have been well maintained and have retained there original character. www.helmhomeinspections.com … (12 comments)
bellingham: Some Bellingham Washington Historic Homes
- 06/07/07 08:48 AM
Hi all. I've read a number of blogs concerning historic home renovation, and the pitfalls of buying them to flip. Bellingham has an association of historic home owners. They do a tour every year. The homes I'm showing in this blog are not on a tour, not for sale. They are a representative look at what people here are doing. Local people see the ownership of historic homes as both a privilege and a responsibility. They are, for the most part, meticulous about keeping them maintained.
As you can see, all of these homes are well maintained. www.helmhomeinspections.com … (0 comments)
bellingham: Some Interesting Plants
- 06/04/07 11:01 AM
The following photos are of a few interesting plants in my garden. The gardens are quite large and have many unusual and interesting perennial plants. This garden is located just outside the town of Bellingham, Wa. at approximately 49 degrees north latitude (just south of the British Columbia border). The profusion of green is a function of the mild weather brought to this northerly area by warm ocean currents. We are much milder here than most inland areas cosiderably farther south.
www.helmhomeinspections.com
… (3 comments)
bellingham: Washington Wood Destroying Organisms (WDOs)
- 03/20/07 11:04 AM
By far the most common wood destroying insect in Western Washington is the Anobiid Beetle(sometimes called the Western Death Watch Beetle) Hemicoelus Gibbicollis. Often misinformed people call this the "powder post beetle". True powder post beetles(Lictyds) infect hardwoods and appear in Washington primarily in furniture. The Anobiid infects softwoods; important because it infects structural lumber. They are common in crawl spaces and thrive in a moisture level of 13 to 18%. The larvae spend as much as five years eating wood before exiting to breed and continue the cycle. Control includes removal and replacement of any severely damaged wood (There could … (2 comments)
bellingham: Ask the local inspector
- 03/11/07 10:39 AM
If you have any questions regarding inspections, problems with homes, the inspection process, please post them here and I will answer them to the best of my ability. … (8 comments)
My blogs offer a wide range of topics, from home inspection to cooking to woodworking to gardening to local area information and photos. I love talking about Bellingham, Washington and its surrounding area. Home inspection is my work; life is my passion.
When I arrived at this house to inspect it, a nice young couple buying their first house, I thought that this one would be easy. 70s rambler that appears to have been kept in nice condition. New roof, new siding, sweet. As I looked around I found a few things that made me suspicious. Soil against the siding; crawl space vents at or below grade with inadequate wells.
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