Last night my wife as she was heading to work came and told me to come outside and look. Then there it was a big beautiful moon rise. So I grab my handy camera and take a photo.Here is to the Howling
"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls." George Carlin
If you find any errors or have additional information that would (4 comments)
Home inspectors are trying to look out for the new home buyer. Often I find that the home is already being occupied by another.
Here we have the House Sparrow that has taken up residence in the soffit of the home. These chirping little brown birds that were brought over from Europe in the 19th century.
The House Sparrow since arriving in the New World has been busy and can be found pretty much wherever humans habitats are.
Unfortunately bird nesting on the home can lead to sanitary, cleaning and maintenance issues. The (7 comments)
Do you hear the call, sort of like a deep prehistoric sea leviathan. A calling from behind the vale of the walls. Yes it is “Water Hammer”. It can be a long moan that sounds like song of some hidden creature or a banging or thumping. And in this case the sound can virtually shake the house.
It’s cause is typically closing or opening a valve quickly that causes pressure transients in pipelines. Water hammer arresters and or properly securing your piping often will be needed to silence the moan. In (12 comments)
The short answer on mold is “something is wrong in the environment”.
Mold is really more of an indicator species that something is wrong and action needs to be taken to correct it. It is really a sign of excessive moisture in the building.
Setting the stage part one. We are going to rule out anyone who has a specific allergic response to molds. This subset of individuals do have a very specific health issue in which molds and other environmental conditions may exacerbate the underlying health issue. This would be the same for (26 comments)
As a home inspector I get to see a lot oddities out there. Some are just very interesting. I also am a bit of a geek and history buff so that has lead me to collecting old code books ,especially the National Electrical Code (NEC).
Old fuse panel
From the National Electrical Manufacturers Association- NEMA - Here is a little history of electrical codes-
“National Bureau of Standards Circular No. 49—1914
“The 1st Edition of Bureau of Standards Circular No. 49—Safety Rules to be Observed in the Operation and Maintenance of Electrical Equipment (8 comments)
Bonding or grounding what do you think is more important? Heck many do not even know the difference?
So let’s start off with terminology .
From the 2014 NEC Article 100-
Bonded (Bonding). Connected to establish electrical continuity and conductivity.
Bonding Conductor or Jumper. A reliable conductor to ensure the required electrical conductivity between metal parts required to be electrically connected.
This material was extracted from Mike Holt Training Materials copyright 2007 by permission. Visit mikeholt.com or (6 comments)
Ahh the infamous four letter words. We all know what they are, or do we?
Well in the world of home inspections “THE FOUR LETTER WORD” is “CODE”. This word will evoke many emotions in the world of home inspectors. It seems that we avoid the word like leprosy. Why is that, and really what is the logic behind it, it is the set of rules that dictate how it is to be done, at a minimum.
Okay who did not like Lincoln Logs? Come on ladies we know you really did too and where sneaking into your brothers bedrooms to have a little play time with these ! I know as a child I played with Lincoln Logs and had many a raids and battles with my Cowboy figures by the “Indigenous North Americans” (Indians) figures. Hour upon hours were spent building various configuration of forts and houses to only be destroyed by the marauders.
Now comes Lincoln logs for the big kids, Pan (7 comments)
“My house's out of the ordinary, That's might don't want to hurt nobody Some things sure can sweep me off my feet, Burning down the house”
Talking Heads- “Burning down the house”
Sometimes during a home inspection you find something that you go “How long before this catches fire?”
Wood charred from heat
On a recent home inspection I found the direct vent from a gas fireplace had begun charring the roof overhang from the vent. Often in areas where I do home inspections (8 comments)
Ever wonder how the GFCI ever came about. Well it turns out that Charles Dalziel(1904–1986), a professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at UC Berkeley, back in the early 1960’s was doing experiments on the physiological effects of electric shock on humans.
Charles Dalziel
Link to his research paper- Deleterious effects of electrical shock
In his study he conducted a series of test to determine the minimum current required to produce ventricular fibrillation of the heart. Some of this was based on an earlier (7 comments)
It is everywhere in our modern society, Electromagnetic Fields. The sources come from radios, TV’s, phones, receptacles, power lines and even from the heavens above… energy of the clouds.
Well a German Student Dennis Siegel decided that with all of this free energy around there must be a way to tap into it.
Siegel designed a electromagnetic harvesting device, actually two depending on frequency to obtain the energy from.
These two types of harvester are aimed at collecting this energy, one is for most of the (6 comments)
You are full of hot air and you need to get it out, right!
Well in homes we have venting that has to be performed for various functions. There is plumbing vents and exhaust vents. Each of these has their rules that need to be adhered to.
During a recent home inspection I can across a curious situation. When homes (2 comments)
chelan home inspections: Safety… well it has always been that way.
- 08/29/12 11:32 PM
Safety… well it has always been that way. Wenatchee and Leavenworth Home Inspections As home inspectors one of the main issues is safety. As a former emergency response person I spent many years evaluating safety issues and planning. Looking for potential chinks in the armor as you may say, looking at probabilities of catastrophic failure and areas of risk. I have grown up and worked in earthquake country, the Pacific NW. This is part of the famous “Pacific Ring of Fire”. So we were always planning for “The Big One” as we would say.
(19 comments)
chelan home inspections: Lay over me… or not- Chelan and Quincy Home inspections- Roofs
- 01/27/12 01:21 AM
Lay over me… or not- Chelan and Quincy Home inspections- RoofsSo you need a new roof what should I do, and what is right?We all know that one layer of roofing material is best, right? This should always be the standard answer in my book, no exceptions but hey I do always get to write the rules.And it is very obvious that most think the code says we can add a second layer of roofing, right?Well hold on there buckaroo, the answer has a qualifier… The code actually states something that many overlook. So let’s take a peak what the (4 comments)
chelan home inspections: Deck Neglect- Chelan Home Inspections
- 11/22/11 03:21 AM
Deck Neglect- Chelan Home Inspections Decks are inviting, decks are a wonderful living space, and decks can be very dangerous!!!A very common item written up during a home inspection is the deck. In fact when I see one completely right I will make sure everyone in the rain knows.Decks are really are not that difficult to do and with a little planning can be performed quite easily. One major issue with decks beyond the initial build is maintenance. Often decks are not properly maintained and are usually exposed to pretty harsh environmental conditions, at least (8 comments)
chelan home inspections: Wenatchee and Chelan Home Inspections- Understanding your Electrical Service, 120V vs. 240V
- 08/24/11 12:56 PM
Wenatchee and Chelan Home Inspections- Understanding your Electrical Service, 120V vs. 240V When performing home inspection many times I will have discussions with my clients on the home’s electrical supply and how it is wired. Out of this it was apparent to me most people do not have a basic understanding of how electrical power is distributed to and throughout the home. This is a very general description of how these electrical system works.
In North America for residential and light commercial we use what is referred to a “Split-Phase 240/120V system”. Electricity is transmitted at high (8 comments)
chelan home inspections: Box Canyon - Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections
- 08/17/11 04:13 AM
Box Canyon - Chelan and Wenatchee Home Inspections Another trip in the “Metal Missile” tour. My son has got a drivers permit, so many a places I must go. On this little excursion we went to Box Canyon on the Entiat River.
Box Canyon is 70 million years in the making and an awesome daytrip. There was some salmon jumping up the falls but I was just not quick enough with the camera to capture the jumps.
Inspecting the World-One Home at a time” NCW Home Inspections, LLC is located in Wenatchee Washington (8 comments)
chelan home inspections: Panel Discussion -Chelan and Wenatchee Real Estate Home Inspections
- 08/16/11 12:53 PM
Panel Discussion -Chelan and Wenatchee Real Estate Home Inspections When performing a home inspection one of the most important components a home inspector will evaluate is the electrical panel. This is the heart and soul of the electrical system in your home. There are two very important items each panel should have. One-The panel should have proper clearances to access the panel in case of an emergency or for servicing. All electrical panels should have clearances of 3 foot in front, 6 1/2 feet for height and 30 inches wide of work area. Evaluate your panel and move things appropriately (9 comments)
It is very important to understand that these devices should not be kept in service for more than ten years from the date of manufacture. The NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) states: Replacement of Smoke Alarms in One- and Two Family Dwellings. Unless otherwise recommended by the manufacturer's published instructions, single- and multiple-stations smoke alarms (2 comments)