unsafe fireplace: This Is Not, Not, Not An Appropriate Fireplace Repair
- 06/13/14 07:27 PM
Amateurs do this sort of thing all the time and this is not, not, not an appropriate fireplace repair. Fireplace boxes get hot and cool down. A lot. As such things expand and contract and what very often fails in a fireplace are mortar joints. The cracking and loosening of mortar has to be handled carefully. Trying to remove it with force can also encourage the bricks to shift out of place. It's best to have a professional repair all this. Flippers and homeowners are usually not trained. Repairs have to be done with materials that withstand high temperatures! Any mortar … (21 comments)
unsafe fireplace: Fireplace Credibility Gap
- 04/09/13 08:42 PM
When so many things have a credibility gap these days - advertising, our "leaders," the news, you name it, then certainly it must be a big bummer when a house has a fireplace credibility gap. I like to get into the fireplace and see as far up a flue as possible. There's a lot to look at! When possible I like for my clients to do so too, and I explain to them what they are seeing. Recently, looking up into a very sooty fireplace flue, I saw something that is never good. A gap. A sizable gap! About 11"x4" and … (24 comments)
unsafe fireplace: You Can ONLY See This Kind Of Thing PRE-DRYWALL - 3 of 3
- 08/17/12 08:49 PM
This is the last of a small series of three posts called you can ONLY see this kind of thing PRE-DRYWALL. Pre-drywall inspections are essential to the building process and this is being realized by more and more buyers. One of the reasons these folks bought this house was the master bedroom design. It takes up almost 1/2 of the upper level! The sleeping area is large, with an attached, and large, sitting area. The sitting area is down two steps from the sleeping area. Separating these two rooms is a gas fireplace. It can be seen from both sides. They … (13 comments)
unsafe fireplace: Not All Paints Are Meant For Every Application!
- 08/04/12 10:26 PM
Again, I see something that I can't verify, but don't trust to the point of having to flag it. Not all paints do the same job! Not all paints are meant for every application! Often, very often, I see the insides of wood-burning fireplaces painted black. That includes the big masonry fireplaces, and the smaller metal ones with the small, concrete firewalls. In this case it is the enclosed metal fireplace with the sectional firewall inserts. Who ever did this was thinking, "I see a concrete wall and I want it painted black...." Yes, there had to be some singing involved. … (23 comments)
unsafe fireplace: "Well, They Never Use It..."
- 04/21/12 09:34 PM
Sometimes the listing agent will show up toward the end of a home inspection to "see if there are any questions [the] can answer." Can I translate that into people speak? "Are there any problems I should know about now. I want to gird my loins." Sometimes the translation is: "I am ready to argue with you about anything." May I say, and I know who my major audience is here, I don't like it when the "other" agent shows up at a home inspection and I certainly don't like arguments. There is no place for this sort of thing. Buyers … (55 comments)
Amateurs do this sort of thing all the time and this is not, not, not an appropriate fireplace repair.
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