Nothing but wood talk here when I says sister, sister. A technique for strengthening or shoring up wood framing is to "sister" another board beside the one you wish to strengthen. However, it pays to attach the two firmly and permanently with some form of bolt. Nailing the two together is tempor...

01/20/2013

Inside Job

14 Comments

Sometimes, just looking at things from the outside, you get a sense that there's going to be an inside job. Not every inside job is a crime, but in some cases... So, what was going on outside? The perfect storm between a tree, the edge of a slightly-sloped garage roof, and a gutter. As usual, if ...

01/19/2013

When Is It Too Cold To Paint Outdoors?

47 Comments

When is it too cold to paint outdoors? Driving through a neighborhood of new construction, and arriving at the finished house I was to inspect, I noticed something that disturbed me. I saw painters painting the foundation walls! That sets off alarms for me for SO MANY REASONS: 1. It was 34F outs...

01/18/2013

Can Wood Stairs Get Worn Down With Time?

30 Comments

So, did you answer? Can wood stairs get worn down with time? I love doing inspections on older homes, like this one just a block from the Capitol Building. The city is crawling with cops and security, getting ready for next week. They eyed me carefully walking around with the two bags of tools...

01/17/2013

But They're Cousins, Identical Cousins All The Way

39 Comments

An unusual 60-day inspection on a new house revealed some interesting problems, but different than the 60-day old house next door - that is exactly the same house! It's unusual to see the same house design side by side in a new neighborhood. It reminded me of the lyrics to the old "Patti Duke Sh...

01/16/2013

This Is What I Could See - What's Under The Drywall?

20 Comments

On a recent pre-drywall inspection, which turned out not to be pre-drywall at all, I was told by the builder that I should proceed anyway because I could see everything anyway. On a pre-drywall inspection I am looking for lots of things - load transference; whether heavy weight, like a load-beari...

01/15/2013

Jay's Tuesday Free Enterprise Quote - 15 January 2013

19 Comments

"Personally, I have never seen anybody slip on a banana peel." Jay, the Home Inspector Bananas are a very well-known fruit in our society. I say fruit, but technically they are an herb. Nonetheless, this is a food used in so many contexts, it is hard to imagine our lives without it! But bananas ...

01/14/2013

May Not Be So Accurate

35 Comments

One recent technique for spreading insulation in the attic may not be so accurate. It involves saying that there are so many square feet and this many bags of insulation was blown in, and therefore we have this certain R-value. I can think of soooo many ways that may not be so accurate! Wonderful...

01/13/2013

Battle Of The Bulge - What If The Bulge Is Brick?

34 Comments

The words "battle of the bulge" bring many things to mind - historical, personal, whatever. But, what if the bulge is brick? In this case, brick work is the star of the show. The house is 32 years old, and the brick is a facade. All three sides of this end unit townhouse are brick. I can only r...

01/12/2013

PRE-Drywall Inspection - You Won't Believe This

28 Comments

A very nice man called for a pre-drywall inspection, and we set up a time. When I arrived there were a lot of trucks outside the house. Typically the time for our inspection has been reserved by the builder and the house is vacant, and hopefully cleaned. Usually the builder schedules me before...

01/11/2013