Real estate blog entries tagged with home inspections connecticut ct by James Quarello, Connecticut Home Inspector (JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC)

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home inspections connecticut ct: Fishing, It's Not Just On The Water - 01/07/11 12:09 AM

Fishing is a great past time that I enjoy when I can get away. The thing with fishing is, sometimes you catch something and sometimes you don't. The hard part of finding fish is you can't see them under the water. The top of the pond looks the same no matter where you look. So you find a good looking spot and cast your line and wait. Some times you can wait all day and never get even a nibble or if you're lucky the fish are there and you're taking one off the hook in no time flat.
Did you … (12 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: A Vent - 01/06/11 01:15 AM

Everyone has to vent once in a while, life will tick you off at some point necessitating a spewing of your pent up frustrations. This post is not a rant, all though I suppose in some way it might be. Instead this is about venting of the house, specifically attic ventilation.
A home has to breathe and yet so many are choking. Let's take a look at an attic from a recent home inspection. The home is close to 50 years old, a typical Connecticut colonial, and has changed hands several times over the years. The current owners have done numerous … (6 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: Wordless Wednesday -- Winter, Bleak Or Beautiful - 01/05/11 03:40 AM

James Quarello2010 - 2011 SNEC-ASHI PresidentNRSB #8SS0022JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

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home inspections connecticut ct: What Do You Do When No One's Watching? - 01/03/11 12:20 AM

There's a saying that goes something like; A true measure of the quality of someone's work is the job they do when no ones watching. Those words ring especially true for me as a Connecticut home inspector. You see I go where most homeowners rarely if ever venture in their own homes, to deep dark attic nooks and damp crawl spaces. The only brave souls who venture to these places are me and contractors.
When we hire someone to a job we are incapable of doing ourselves for whatever the reason, we place trust in that person. Trust that they will … (48 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: An Unusual Discovery In The Attic - 12/30/10 08:13 AM

Attics are one of those places in a house where things get put and forgotten. Because of that walking (or crawling) through an attic one can happen upon the strange and unusual. I found something unusual in the attic on my last inspection, snow.
We had a big snow storm here in Connecticut Sunday into Monday. High winds and a blizzard warning made this an unusually dangerous storm. The wind does weird and wonderful tricks with snow. In this instance it blew the snow into the attic through a roof vent. This is a great example of a freak occurrence that … (17 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: A Cool Bath Vent - 12/27/10 01:21 AM

One problem I find again and again is to do with bathroom ventilation. The most common problem is the fan vents into the attic, not to the exterior. Believe it or not the building codes say a window or a fan is acceptable ventilation. In my opinion a window is not good ventilation and is no substitute for a fan. Who is going to open a window in December when it's 20 degrees outside? The other problem with opening a window is it doesn't remove the steam, but instead creates more condensation.
One aspect of inspecting homes is the unique perk … (33 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: Are Battle Lines Being Drawn? - 12/22/10 12:28 AM

There have been of late more than a few posts on mold here in the Rain. Many of the home inspectors who are regular contributors have written practical posts on mold and indoor air quality. Not surprisingly there have been opposing views from a few inspectors (who conduct mold sampling) and mold related service providers. No bias to their opinions they say. Hmmmm.
As a former mold sampler, yes I admit it, I fell for the save the unsuspecting public from the mold scourge rhetoric, so I can speak from a unique position on this topic. I provided mold sampling services … (71 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: Building Blocks And Towers - 12/20/10 12:31 AM

Who doesn't remember playing with blocks as a kid? After your apprenticeship as a block builder you graduated to the advanced block set, Legos. With a set of Legos you could really get wild and creative.
Tradesmen are not really all that different when starting out. They have to begin on the "starter set" of wires, pipes or ducts under "adult" supervision. They train an advance until they earn a full license to ply their trade. Every once in a while I find work done by a tradesman that makes me wonder, was he pining after his childhood days of building … (12 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: A Frosty Winter Tale - 12/19/10 04:50 AM

A few weeks back I wrote about attic condensation which typically occurs in the winter here in Connecticut. Another home inspector here in the Rain, Reuben Saltzman, wrote about basically the same phenomenon in his part of the country, Minnesota. One important difference between our two locations is climate zone and thus the temperature, which is an important variable in to what degree condensation will occur in an attic or if it occurs at all.
As I wrote before typically and almost without exception when I find this happening in CT it is due to over humidification. Reuben attributes condensation to … (13 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: Trying to Defy Gravity Or Can Water Flow Up Hill - 12/17/10 01:23 AM

Scientists tell us that gravity is one of the weakest forces in nature, yet is keeps us and everything firmly glued to planet earth. Because of gravity we know that if you knock over your glass the milk will run over the table seeking the lowest point. This is usually through that crack where the table leaf fits.
An interesting trait of water is it can flow up hill under the right conditions. This does not occur in nature, but can be made to happen by man. A sink trap is a good example. Water will push its way over the … (12 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: The Plumber Should Be Given The Boot - 12/16/10 01:29 AM

When one hires a professional to perform work on their home, one would thus expect the work to be done professionally with competence and care. Oh yes and for a fair price. Yet this is not what always happens. Sometimes professionals perform their jobs like trained chimps, demonstrating no skill or care and at an exorbitant price.
Recently I inspected some new work done on a home. The homeowners had hired a contractor to add a shed dormer off the back of their house to enlarge the attic and some other smaller projects. This meant that some existing plumbing would need … (15 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: On The Way To Degradation - 12/12/10 02:27 AM

I recently did an inspection where right away I noticed the beautiful new copper flashing on both chimneys. Copper seems so regal. It makes you believe that a quality job has been done and this must be an expensive home. And usually that is the case. But does the job and material stand up under close scrutiny?
In this instance the contractor apparently was unfamiliar with basic metallurgy. Or perhaps he didn't want to spend the time to completely reflash the chimneys.
Chimney flashing is actually two separate sets of flashing. The first part is the roof or step flashing which … (14 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: Burnin' Down My House - 12/11/10 01:57 AM

Fireplaces seem to be a desirable feature and many homes in Connecticut have at least one. Wood and pellet stoves are becoming increasingly more common place as an alternative to the fireplace. Some of these stoves are installed into the fireplace opening. I very often see problems with a stove that has been inserted into the fireplace. The other day I found a great example of one of the most frequent issues I find with stoves installed into the fireplace opening, lack of a hearth extension.
This stove sits out on the hearth, just inches from the end. There is a … (13 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: Energy Audits; Truth Or Lies? - 12/07/10 05:48 AM

A few days ago I wrote about a phone call I received from a past client regarding a heating issue. She had an energy audit performed by in the hopes it would help resolve her problem. Instead the company that performed the audit and the other companies that followed, tried to seller her equipment or products she didn't need.
The problem, as I see it that currently exists in the energy auditing business is two fold;
No regulation or enforced standards for auditors Conflict of interest with some companies who perform audits Since I work in Connecticut I will be speaking … (10 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: And The Rains Came - 12/06/10 12:50 AM

Every year when the weather turns cold they come; the attic rains. Sure as the heats on, water will be dripping in someone's attic. Nor is this a once in a blue moon event, but a regular cold weather phenomenon.
The reasons for an attic rain forest can be several;
Over humidification inside the home, lack of adequate ventilation in the attic or excessive moisture from the basement or crawlspace. Any one of these conditions together or by it self can be enough to start a small cloud burst in the rafters.
Most often what I find seems to be the … (25 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: Honey I Can't Boil The Spaghetti - 12/05/10 01:30 AM

The stove or range has to be one of the most important appliances in the home. Without a stove you would be left to eating Spam and other kinds of precooked canned glop. Yum, yum! What I find, actually quite often, is stove tops with what I would call a cooking restriction. No it's not some type of new diet, but an installation issue.
The combination microwave - range hood has become as common today as microwave dinners. The "problem" I find is many of these units are extremely close to the cook top. This of course presents a problem for … (11 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: Falling Short - 11/30/10 02:23 AM

Coming up short, close, but no cigar, meaning an effort has fallen a bit short. Recently I discovered some work in a renovated home that made think a few people's efforts were shy of the mark.
Without question hand and guard rails have to be one item I continually find with problems. Older homes will have railings that do not conform to present building standards, and that is to be expected. The non standard issues are mentioned to the client with an explanation of that was the way things were done back in the day. If they have small children I … (11 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: Can You Have Your Cake And Granite Too? - 11/29/10 03:01 AM

Yesterday I wrote of wants and needs. In my experience people often seem to put their wants before their needs when it comes to their homes. Ignoring problems with the important and necessary parts of their home and instead opting to spend on cosmetic features.
What if there was a way for homeowners to have their cake and granite too? I suppose every homeowner would be begging to know the secret. Well there is a way and it's really no secret. All it takes is patience and someone to show you the how.
Energy audits are a good and sensible way … (9 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: Granite Trumps Structure - 11/28/10 01:10 AM

Everyone likes a good game of cards. I enjoy a good game of Go Fish or War with my two girls now and again. War is a simple game where the highest card wins or trumps the other, lower cards.
I find that when looking at houses certain features trump others in the grand scheme of building new or renovating. This prioritizing is most certainly dictated by budget. There is only going to be so much money in which to accomplish the wants and needs of the new or present homeowners. The wants are complicated by the fact there are usually … (36 comments)

home inspections connecticut ct: I Forgot - Twice - 11/27/10 12:11 AM

We all forget things, it is part of being human. We get older, life gets more complicated, and so the memory banks occasionally lose stuff in the shuffle. As a home inspector there are many things that I need to check through out a house. I jog my memory by carrying a computer and entering information into each appropriate area, this serves to remind me of what needs to be checked. It's kind of like having crib notes, but not having to worry about getting detention.
Recently I did two inspections where I found the exact same defect in new electric … (18 comments)

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