troy michigan home inspections: Michigan Houses And Aluminum Electrical Wiring
- 11/21/10 01:58 PM
Michigan Houses And Aluminum Electrical Wiring Many Michigan houses built from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s used aluminum wiring as a substitute for copper wiring. The price of copper was rising, so this made financial sense. And after all, a metal is a metal, right? And metals conduct electricity, right? So this shouldn't be a problem, right? Well, it isn't that simple, and after about ten years of this practice, we discovered aluminum wire wasn't a terrific replacement for copper. Aluminum simply doesn't work as well Properly maintained aluminum wiring is acceptable, but aluminum's physical qualities make it become defective … (0 comments)
troy michigan home inspections: What Makes Radon Gas So Dangerous In Michigan Homes?
- 11/21/10 01:34 PM
What Makes Radon Gas So Dangerous In Michigan Homes? We all have heard about radon, the colorless, tasteless, odorless gas produced by the decay of uranium and radium. But what makes it so dangerous? And how likely is it to be a problem in the typical Michigan house?
Radioactivity The basic problem is this: radon is radioactive.
Take a look at the pictures above. This is hydrogen. At left we have an electron and a proton... no problem, it is stable. In the middle picture, we add a neutron. Again, no big deal, the hydrogen is stable. … (3 comments)
troy michigan home inspections: Indoor Air Pollution And Ventilation
- 11/21/10 01:25 PM
Indoor Air Pollution There are many sources of indoor air pollution in any home. Inadequate ventilation can increase these pollutant levels because there won't be enough outdoor air to dilute emissions or carry the pollutants out of the home There are a multitude of indoor pollution sources, releasing gases or particles into the air. High temperature and elevated humidity levels can also increase concentrations of some of these pollutants.
Some common sources include fuel products like wood, gas, kerosene or coal; tobacco products; building materials; products for household maintenance; central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices; and even outdoor … (1 comments)
It is the code battle you probably never heard of... Every three years, the International Residential Code (IRC) is updated. The Michigan Residential Code (MRC) is fine-tuned using the IRC as the template. One of the big changes in the recent IRC is the mandate that new homes be built with residential fire sprinkler systems (very similar to what you'd see in a commercial building), which adds a major amount of money to the construction cost. While the idea was championed by organizations like the National Fire Protection Association for the safety … (3 comments)
This weekend, I noticed several neighbors taking advantage of a fairly warm Michigan autumn to hang their Christmas lights. I really enjoy this time of year, and the different displays across the neighborhood. All made possible because of electricity. Of course, electricity also has the potential to cause great harm -- electrical fires nationwide claim the lives of hundreds of Americans and injure thousands more. Some of these fires are caused by electrical system failures and appliance defects, but many more are caused by the misuse and poor maintenance of electrical appliances, incorrectly installed wiring, … (2 comments)
"Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let The Bedbugs Bite." When I was growing up I thought they were some fictitious little creatures in a rhyme my Grandma used at nighttime... which, coincidentally, scared the stuffing out of me. But as it turns out, unfortunately, these critters are for real. And they are making headlines as they make a big comeback across the nation. Not too long ago, I saw this headline in a Newsweek magazine: Bedbug Nation: Critters Make A Comeback
So, how bad is it? Several weeks ago in New … (4 comments)
troy michigan home inspections: This Chimney Was A Fire Waiting To Happen
- 11/14/10 02:10 PM
This Chimney Was A Fire Waiting To Happen The National Fire Protection Association recommends annual inspections of chimneys, fireplaces, and vents. These inspections will help prevent fires, carbon monoxide poisoning (from improper ventilation), and ensure safe and efficient operation of your fireplace, home heating system, and solid-fuel appliances. I inspected a house (for a seller) recently that had creosote all over the flue. On the outside, many of the bricks were damaged due to water intrusion and the freeze/thaw cycle. So I pointed it out to the client and strongly suggested that a chimney expert should inspect further... and that the … (0 comments)
troy michigan home inspections: Older Homes and Asbestos
- 11/14/10 12:09 PM
Older Homes and Asbestos Asbestos is a mineral fiber that, in the past, was added to a variety of products to strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance. Most products manufactured nowadays do not contain asbestos, and anything that does is subject to strict labelling requirements. However, until the 1970s, many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes contained asbestos, such as: steam pipes, boilers and furnace ducts insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape resilient floor tiles (vinyl asbestos, asphalt and rubber), the backing on vinyl sheet flooring, and adhesives used for … (2 comments)
troy michigan home inspections: The "Other" Air Quality Problems
- 11/14/10 11:55 AM
The "Other" Air Quality Problems We hear about mold, asbestos and many other air quality problems. Here are a couple of the "other" IAQ issues that don't get as much press, but are still quite the threat:
Legionnaires' Disease Legionnaires' is caused by a Legionella bacteria, and gained widespread notoriety in 1976, when many people who went to a Philadelphia convention of the American Legion suffered from an outbreak of this disease. Legionnaires' Disease, a type of pneumonia, and although this type of bacteria was around prior to 1976, more illness from Legionnaires' Disease is being detected now. Each year, … (0 comments)
troy michigan home inspections: Are We Breathing Clean Air Or VOCs?
- 11/11/10 08:20 AM
Are We Breathing Clean Air Or VOCs In Michigan? We all have heard about mold, and what it does to air quality. We all seem to have an idea of how allergens can impact our indoor environment. Then there are nasty things we watch out for, like radon gas, lead and asbestos. Address all of that, and we should have healthy indoor air quality, right? Wrong.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) don't receive as much press as the other items listed above, but they make a tremendous contribution to health risks, repiratory problems, and headaches across America.
What is a … (2 comments)
troy michigan home inspections: Thank You Veterans... and Dad
- 11/11/10 04:35 AM
Thank You Veterans... and Dad So we've come to another Veterans Day. This one is rough, with so many family members serving overseas, and with my hero, my Dad, going downhill in health. Dad was just a young punk on December 7, 1941. My grandparents were hard-core church attenders, but Dad happened to miss church that fateful morning by offering to watch my aunt, who was really sick at the time. Then came that news over the radio. He went off to work at the shipyards in Virginia until he was old enough for the Marine Corps. Then he spent the … (4 comments)
troy michigan home inspections: Indoor Air Quality Facts
- 11/08/10 03:30 PM
Indoor Air Quality Facts New research reveals that the risk of developing asthma and allergy increases when children are exposed to plasticizers. Plasticizers are often used in plastics and vinyls for softening purposes. Professor Jan Sundell states, “Plasticizers in the indoor environment represent the largest risk factor for developing asthma and allergy among the environmental factors that we have information about, larger than maternal smoking...".
A study from the University of Arizona found that mold is flourishing in places you might not expect: On 88% of windowsills On 83% of refrigerator seals On 82% of sinks On 49% of shower … (13 comments)
What causes different roof surface temperatures? Most ice dams form at the edge of the roof, where it is colder. Approaching the top of the roof, the temperatures rise, heated by the warm air rising through the house, into the attic. In a house, heat moves through the ceiling and insulation by conduction (heat energy going through a solid) through the ceiling. In many homes, there is little space in regions like this for insulation, so it is important to use insulations with high R-value per inch to reduce … (4 comments)
troy michigan home inspections: Tankless vs. Tank Water Heaters
- 11/07/10 03:17 PM
Tankless vs. Tank Water Heaters One of the common questions I get during an inspection is: "what exactly is a tankless water heater?" After I give my answer, another question inevitably follows: "should I get one?" It isn't my position to tell people whether or not to make such a purchase, but I am always happy to explain the differencess: We are all pretty familiar with the traditional tank or storage water heater. The water heating system is installed in a special insulated tank. Cold water is supplied to the tank through an inlet pipe and is heated according to the … (4 comments)
troy michigan home inspections: What Causes Ice Dams? Part I
- 11/07/10 02:42 PM
What Causes Ice Dams? Temperatures are dropping. On Friday, it started snowing as I drove off to pick up dinner. Granted, it didn't stick, but we all know winter is on its way. Every year I see Michigan homes damaged by ice dams. A lot of people have heard the term "ice dam," but don't really understand what it is, what it does, or how to prevent it. An ice dam is, essentially, a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof. It prevents melting snow from draining off the roof, causing water to back up behind the … (1 comments)
One of the joys of a Michigan winter is the opportunity to build a fire in the fireplace. Fireplaces and wood stoves are designed to burn only one type of fuel. They are not all-purpose incinerators. Used incorrectly, you can expect, at a minimum, the following hazards: Harmful vapors can vent into the living space. Even the most efficient fireplaces will vent directly into the living space while they’re opened and closed for cleaning and refueling, exposing everyone in the house to potentially dangerous fumes. Harmful vapors will vent to the outdoors. Most newer fireplaces and wood stoves … (3 comments)
As the thermometer goes down and down and down, I hear a lot more talk about heating and energy savings. Here are some facts on the subject: Many people believe that furnaces work harder than normal to warm an area back up to a comfortable temperature, which will counteract energy savings gained from turning the thermostat down. This belief is a misconception that has been disproved by years of studies and research. Fuel is saved between the time the temperature is stabilized at the lower level and the next time heat is needed, while the fuel … (4 comments)
troy michigan home inspections: Speechless Sunday: A View From The Enemy Camp
- 11/07/10 12:31 PM
I'm a proud University of Michigan alumni. My two post-college roommates (also my closest friends) went to Michigan State and Western Michigan University. Our wives kindly let us travel together to three football games a year, one home game for each University. Yesterday was the Michigan State game. As a former Michigan Marching Band trumpet player, halftime is my favorite part of the game. Here is the MSU Spartan Marching Band.
Michigan Houses And Aluminum Electrical Wiring Many Michigan houses built from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s used aluminum wiring as a substitute for copper wiring. The price of copper was rising, so this made financial sense. And after all, a metal is a metal, right? And metals conduct electricity, right? So this shouldn't be a problem, right? Well, it isn't that simple, and after about ten years of this practice, we discovered aluminum wire wasn't a terrific replacement for copper. 
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