bellingham real estate inspector: Level II Chimney Inspections (King of the House) Bellingham WA Home Inspector
- 05/11/12 03:02 PM
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), states that, at the time of a real estate sale or the transfer of a property, a certified chimney sweep should perform a Level II chimney inspection. This suggestion makes sense. The home inspector is a generalist and provides only a very basic visual inspection of a wood or solid-fuel burning appliance and any associated flues and chimneys.
Clients want to know what is involved in a Level II chimney inspection. The inspection begins with the chimney sweep examining (inside and outside) the chimney, flue and the associated fireplace or stove. The … (6 comments)
bellingham real estate inspector: Garage to House Fire-Resistance (King of the House) Whatcom County Home Inspections
- 03/26/12 12:56 AM
I find myself loosely using the term "firewall" on occasion when I am reporting on the garage at a house I am inspecting. I am working on breaking that bad habit since "firewall" is one of the most misused terms in construction. I cannot even guess how many times I have heard someone, including we inspectors, reference that an attached garage at residential construction has a problem at the "firewall." The reality is that, in residential construction, a garage does not require a firewall. At a single family residence with an attached garage, the proper terminology is "limited resistance to the … (4 comments)
bellingham real estate inspector: "Nuke-testing" for Fun and Profit, Bellingham, WA
- 02/25/12 12:55 PM
A few months ago, a friend of mine who happens to be a home inspector, showed me this little gadget. The sole purpose of the gadget was to test the function of microwave ovens. Now, fact is, as a home inspector, the obligation for inspecting appliances in this state is pretty minimal -- we don't have to do so if we don't want to, per the state standards of practice. From a marketplace standpoint, most of us do take a look at appliances as a service. It is basic: We check that range burners come on, that dishwashers don't seem to be … (14 comments)
bellingham real estate inspector: Bellingham Real Estate Inspection (King of the House) Live Knob and Tube Wiring
- 02/06/12 02:11 AM
In an older home, the home inspector should attempt to determine if energized knob and tube wiring is present. It is not always possible to definitively make that determination, but often it is possible to do so. In fact, frequently it is fairly easy to state, no doubt about it, that there IS energized knob and tube wiring. It is more risky, and often harder to determine, that there is NO LIVE knob and tube wiring at an old home that was built in the era when knob and tube was the system of choice -- the era of Edison up into the 1950's. … (9 comments)
Steven L. Smith, King of the House Home Inspection, provides information for real estate buyers, sellers and real estate industry professionals.
Blog posts emphasize issues commonly found in Bellingham, WA and Whatcom County. Smith is Washington State Licensed Home Inspector #207, a state licensed structural pest inspector, ASHI certified inspector #252760 and one of the most experienced inspectors in the northwest corner of the Pacific Northwest.
Steven L. Smith is lead instructor of home inspection at Bellingham Technical College and teaches classes for Washington State University and the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Steve was a two-term member of the state licensing board.
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