ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS
2016
Removing insulation to install new light fixtures causes this.There were a lot of new electrical installations in this house, all done unprofessionally and the wiring was inappropriate.The old, single kitchen light was recently replaced with newer, chic halogen lights.Three to be exact.All were w...
07/30/2016
11
Comments
It's not often, but on this pre-drywall inspection there was a missing drip pan.Drip pans do what they say they do - catch small leaks and send them elsewhere.You will find drip pans under any appliance that handles or produces water - washing machines, water heaters, AC units and even high-effic...
07/29/2016
More HVAC return air flow is better than less.Most people think of their HVAC system as something that blows warm and cold air around.To get a really good return for your HVAC buck, it is very important to have balanced, and BETTER, return air flow. It's really a system of returning the air for ...
07/28/2016
8
Comments
Electrical receptacles CANNOT be shared.It's possible I have not seen this before. I don't think I have.This homeowner decided to finish the basement.Apparently a kitchen needed to be installed down there as well.A portion of the basement had been finished by the builder, but all that needed to ...
07/26/2016
10
Comments
Should drains go up or down?Of course you know the answer to that. I expect most elementary school children know that drains go down.Now, this photo is the end of a long drain line.It begins at a newly-installed "kitchen" in a basement. From there it travels a good 20' to finally attach to this...
07/23/2016
Caulking and goop cause home inspectors to snoop (as a group).Did that encourage you into my loop? Or join my troop?Certainly some things lead to other things.So what do we see here?The red arrows point out that:~ shingles have been glued down with caulking. This, of course, is NOT permanent or...
07/21/2016
Light fixtures like this are pretty perhaps, but dangerous!Codes may be minimal, but each of them exists for its own reason(s).Basically codes are to provide a standard, a floor, from which to begin.Any builder who says they build their houses strictly to code are not saying very much. There's n...
07/18/2016
Things we did not know about insulation before thermal imaging.I got into thermal imaging about 14 years ago because my son was on his second all-expense-paid-trip to Iraq and told me about some of the fun tools he used. Some of those tools included thermal imaging.He thought a thermal camera mi...
07/13/2016
One way to tell the water heater has reached the end - look underneath.People ask me how long water heaters last. The best answer is - it depends!How many people live in the house? A family of 5 or 6 will wear a water heater out faster than a single person.What temperature is the water kept at?...
07/10/2016
18
Comments
In this vacant house (a short sale) I had to pick up on a couple of clues that the windows were leaking.And there were just a couple.Looking carefully you might pick up on them too.Let's see: The previous owners had rolled up towels inside each window. One window had plastic over it, with the tow...
07/09/2016
Rainmaker
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Jay Markanich
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia
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An experienced home inspector's look at current home inspection events and conditions along with his useful recommendations.