connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: Are You Smarter Than a Home Inspector?
- 08/21/09 01:41 AM
My apologies for the tile as I "borrowed" it from the show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader". My oldest daughter loves the show and we all have fun watching it together. If you have never seen the show Google it and check it out. The impetus for this post is a recent blog by Robert Snowden titled Is There Any Value In A Home Inspection? It was not so much the blog itself that gave me the inspiration but, a few of the responses that I found to be a little, let's say unrealistic. Whether you're a home buyer, … (10 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: KERPLOW!
- 08/09/09 06:28 AM
Ice is a remarkable substance. It has great strength and the ability to reshape other materials that are actually harder than the ice itself. Ice has 14 known types of crystalline structures, more than any other known substance. And let's not forget it keeps our drinks cold and the food in our summertime coolers from spoiling. Ice is great stuff! In the winter ice on lakes and ponds is fun to skate on, but if it forms inside a house that can be big trouble. One of the reasons ice has the ability to reshape substances is that when water freezes … (15 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: Spelunking Down in The Grotto
- 06/29/09 11:10 PM
I had the opportunity to do a little spelunking not long ago. I must say it wasn't all that pleasant of an experience. It was extremely wet down in there and incredibly confined. You can see the water dripping from the top of the cave in the first photo. It wasn't that large of a space, which made it hard to navigate my way through. The mud didn't help either. The walls and ceiling were an eerie sort of yellow to green color that lent a weird glow to the place. The dripping water made tiny iridescent points through out the … (16 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: A Little Help
- 06/19/09 12:03 AM
One of the most common elements on a home is the windows and doors. So common in fact I'm sure no one gives them much thought. But there are those that should give some thought to how a door is installed. When a door or a window is put into a home the wall structure into where it's placed is compromised by the opening. The wall studs have to be cut out of the way to fit in the door or window. To strengthen the gap a "header" must be installed at the top of the opening. A header is a … (8 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: We All Need Our Space
- 06/18/09 01:04 AM
You ever feel crowded, boxed in, no room to breathe? We all need some space around us or a comfort zone. Sometimes we want more, like when you're steaming mad because some just cut us off on the highway. Then there are times we like to very close and intimate. With homes there are no emotions involved, instead we have rules or codes that define much of how components should be built or installed. The rules often state specific parameters for an installation. One rule is how much space is required around electric panels. A specified amount of space is necessary … (10 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: How's it Hanging
- 06/16/09 11:00 PM
If there is one part of a home that is built wrong more often than right it has to be the deck. It is almost a guarantee when there is a deck on the home there will be something wrong with some part. Sometimes it's small and sometimes it's a whopper. An important structural component of a deck is a joist hanger. You know that metal thingy's (that's a technical term) that the wood boards rest on. Joist hangers are actually engineered by the company that produces the hanger. Because of all the technical stuff that goes into making them like … (15 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: Staring Into The Abyss
- 06/15/09 10:57 PM
Sometimes during an inspection I come to a dark and uninviting part of the home. It's usually some tiny crawlspace or attic with no light. But there is one area in many homes that's usually soot black and often hard to get to, the chimney liner. I always try to get a look inside the chimney flue, especially when it's used for the heating system or a wood burning stove. The flue liners can become deteriorated over time from general use and abuse. I discovered this large hole (top of first photo) on an inspection not long ago. There appeared to … (14 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: You Keep Me Hanging Out
- 05/08/08 06:07 AM
I was in an attic the other day which highlighted through the deficiencies found the importance of specific design elements of these spaces. The first photo shows roof trusses and rafters. The left side is framed with rafters supported by a beam and purlins. The purlins are installed under every third rafter. As you can see when the addition was added they did not support the end of the beam. The trusses are seen in the right half of the photo. From the exterior large dimples could be seen where the sheathing was failing due to poor support and lack … (6 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: Electrifying Heights, New Haven, CT
- 10/03/07 05:28 AM
The wire that brings electricity into a home is referred to as the service drop conductor (blue arrow). This is connected to the service entry conductor (red arrow). The point at which they are connected (yellow arrow) is most often the demarcation between the homeowners' responsibility and the utility companies' responsibility. The minimum safe height from the ground of these components is 10 feet for the service entry conductor (yellow) and 12 feet for the service drop conductor (blue). This particular service drop and entry was suspect on initial inspection. The lowest point of the service conductor, the drip loop, … (5 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: Electrifying Heights, New Haven, CT
- 10/03/07 05:24 AM
The wire that brings electricity into a home is referred to as the service drop conductor (blue arrow). This is connected to the service entry conductor (red arrow). The point at which they are connected (yellow arrow) is most often the demarcation between the homeowners' responsibility and the utility companies' responsibility. The minimum safe height from the ground of these components is 10 feet for the service entry conductor (yellow) and 12 feet for the service drop conductor (blue). This particular service drop and entry was suspect on initial inspection. The lowest point of the service conductor, the drip loop, … (18 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: It’s Raining in the Attic, Inadequate Ventilation, New Haven, CT
- 09/07/07 08:28 AM
When inspecting a 1940s colonial I noticed the roofing shingles had an unusual and uneven pattern of ageing. Viewing the home from the rear, the left side of the roof covering was distinctly more cupped, curled, and dried than the right side, which was fairly smooth. Going into the attic I noticed there was only one gable end vent, which was on the right side of the home as viewed from the rear. This was the side with the better looking shingles as described previous. I then look around on the floor of the attic for other tell tale signs of problems. … (1 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: It’s Raining in the Attic, Inadequate Ventilation, New Haven, CT
- 09/07/07 08:21 AM
When inspecting a 1940s colonial I noticed the roofing shingles had an unusual and uneven pattern of ageing. Viewing the home from the rear, the left side of the roof covering was distinctly more cupped, curled, and dried than the right side, which was fairly smooth. Going into the attic I noticed there was only one gable end vent, which was on the right side of the home as viewed from the rear. This was the side with the better looking shingles as described previous. I then look around on the floor of the attic for other tell tale signs of problems. … (2 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: Connecticut New Construction Progress Inspections
- 08/28/07 11:39 AM
You should be considering more than upgrades when building a new Connecticut home This article was written based on Connecticut contractor laws and regulations. The information and precautions however can be applied for any new residential construction. Having a new customized home built can be an exciting experience. Getting through the process however can be a long and at times difficult ordeal. People having a new home built often rely solely on their builder to help guide them through the construction. Unfortunately he may not be the best person to advise them on their project. Consider the following: Home builders and many contractors involved … (7 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: No Support, Plainville, CT
- 08/22/07 06:51 AM
Structural support is backbone or more apt the skeleton of a home or building. Without a correctly designed and installed support system the building will fold like a house of cards. Defects in the structural system can cause significant failures in the building. On a recent inspection it was discovered in a quite newer home (2005) a serious structural concern. The first photo shows the end of one of two main structural support beams in this home. This is the pre-formed pocket in the foundation wall made to accept the beam. As is evident in the photo the beam has been shimmed … (16 comments)
connecticut ashi certified home inspectors: Improperly Grounded Electric Main Service Panel, Milford, CT
- 08/21/07 09:08 AM
This main service panel was located in a home that was under going major renovations... for the last 12 years! The home was completely torn apart. No sheet rock on almost every wall and ceiling, no insulation in the walls or in the basement and crawl space ceilings. The structural supporting walls were removed and temporary bracing was in place. The real kicker was the home was actually being lived in. The owner, I was told and could see by the equipment in the basement, is an electrician. But it would seem he doesn't fully ground his main service equipment panel. The … (10 comments)
My apologies for the tile as I "borrowed" it from the show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader". My oldest daughter loves the show and we all have fun watching it together. If you have never seen the show Google it and check it out.
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