omaha home inspector: Foundation Cracks Covered Up REALLY Well on this Omaha home
- 01/16/18 01:23 PM
This home sits right at the bottom of a T intersection where the concrete street slopes downhill to the driveway. This is a perfect scenario to find "Street Creep". At a first glance at the concrete block foundation of this home I didn't really see any signs of movement other than some minor hairline cracks. Then I started staring at what was around the cracks and realized I was looking at a really good mortar patch job. They even went as far as hand troweling in fake mortar joints. What I had originally noticed as small hairline cracks were signs of … (0 comments)
omaha home inspector: House Settled, 1 Home Inspector Missed It, 1 Didn't, Why?
- 12/07/17 06:58 AM
Every Home Inspector should find at least the major issues of every house. When you have 2 different Home Inspectors inspecting the same property, at least the major issues that exist on that home should be found by both Home Inspection Companys. Right? At least that's a reasonable assumption. So why is it that Home Inspection Company A, who has a very favorable relationship with lots of real estate companies and is known for never being an alarmist, can't seam to find that a house built in 1995 has an entire living room on the front half of this house sloping downhill … (3 comments)
omaha home inspector: Why Was This Home Inspection Terminated?
- 03/03/17 12:44 PM
Look at the cockeyed front door. Look at the window openings. Look at the ridge line of the 2nd floor over the garage. The front door was a good clue. Then came the laser level readings of the first floor from left exterior wall to right:
Then the laser level readings of the 2nd floor from left exterior wall to right:
For more real situations our clients hire us for, go to our website and check out our sample reports: http://www.omaha-home-inspection.com
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omaha home inspector: Where the H-E-Doublehockeysticks is the electric panel???
- 01/01/17 06:56 PM
Some home inspections push our buttons. If you're a homeowner trying to sell your house or a Listing Agent giving your Seller advice on how to get ready for a home inspection, then here's a quick To-Do list for ya: 1. Put your dog in a kennel or have it stay at someone else's house during the inspection. We just "love" dogs that are constantly barking, getting under our feet, or better yet...actually bite us! 2. Pick up the dog mines in the back yard. You don't want us tracking the nice brown stuff into your house do you? ;-) 3. If your cat is … (0 comments)
omaha home inspector: Whole House Water Filter Helps Reduce Iron In Blair, Nebraska
- 12/13/15 12:01 PM
In the outskirts of Blair, Nebraska, our drinking water comes from a community well that is high in iron. With high iron comes rust stains in the toilet bowl, buildup in the toilet reservoir tank, rings in the sinks, rust marks in the shower surround, aerators clogging on the sink faucets, and filters getting clogged. What you can't see is the copper pipes get buildup along with the water heater tank also. Here is part of the solution on greatly reducing the amount of iron in your home's potable water as it enters your home: Obviously, the brand new clean filter is on … (0 comments)
omaha home inspector: Lamp Cord Burns Into Carpet
- 12/06/15 12:00 PM
Here's reminder that you need to pay attention to what you actually plug into outlets. If the cord is damaged, you might not be as lucky as this homeowner. For more home inspection photos from Omaha, Nebraska, go to our website: www.omaha-home-inspection.com … (1 comments)
omaha home inspector: Why Would You Ever Unplug A Lift Pump???
- 12/02/15 11:08 PM
I had the pleasure of inspecting an "easy" 1,100 s.f. condo yesterday. It had been flipped. Looked nice and clean. New carpet, new paint, new countertops, new fixtures, etc. The basement was newly finished with an unfinished utility room. I flushed the basement toilet a few times, ran the sink for a while, and everything checked out. I turned the washer & dryer on, let the washer fill up and run while I inspected the rest of the interior. I happened out of pure luck to go back into the basement just as the washer is discharging into the lift pump. … (2 comments)
omaha home inspector: So How Is This Furnace Supposed To Be Serviced?
- 09/07/15 02:52 AM
The main cast sewer stack was 8 1/2" in front of the furnace. The water heater was 11" in front of the furnace. Not that home inspectors are supposed to know code, but code requires a minimum 30" clearance in front of the furnace. Why? So the HVAC Technicians have enough room to be able to work on the furnace. Who's to blame on this house? The main cast sewer stack was original to the house. The water heater was older than the furnace. Whoever replaced the old furnace and installed the new one is the one that made this mistake. In … (2 comments)
omaha home inspector: My Handyman Installed the Water Heater...No Kidding!
- 09/04/15 12:14 PM
This was a recent home inspection on a modular home in South Bend, Nebraska. The Seller hired a handyman to install a new water heater. He screwed up on 3 items that ended up being 2 explosion hazards and 1 carbon monoxide hazard. Can you see what's missing? The answer is below the picture: The drafthood is missing. This can lead to the flue gases not drafting properly and potentially backing up into the home...aka carbon monoxide poisoning. He installed a 1/2" copper Temperature & Pressure relief valve drain line when it's required to be a minimum 3/4" piping. If the water heater … (3 comments)
omaha home inspector: Just a slight electrical problem...in Omaha, Nebraska
- 09/01/15 12:46 AM
Ever enter a house and wonder how in the world it hasn't burnt down yet? The main electric panel was located in the basement bathroom just to the side of the toilet. The kitchen sink was located directly above the panel. The sink leaked badly and had been for what appeared to be years. The basement bathroom ceiling & wall were water damaged. Mold was throughout the basement. The main panel had been getting wet for so long that everything was heavily rusted. The bottom of the panel with white neutral wires turned brown speaks for itself;-) For more electrical hazards we find … (3 comments)
omaha home inspector: Ever Wonder If An Elderly Person Had CO Poisoning?
- 08/30/15 11:41 AM
I inspected an estate sale property recently where I found the B-vent flue pipe misaligned on the water heater and actively discharging carbon monoxide into the home. The Seller had recently moved into an assisted living facility. All of her belongings were left behind as her family had not had the chance to clean the house out and redistribute her things. When I stumbled onto the flue pipe leaking carbon monoxide, I couldn't help but wonder if the reason she had went into assisted living was from old age or from carbon monoxide poisoning. There are numerous times each year that I run … (1 comments)
omaha home inspector: Review of Omaha Home Inspector, Greg Wayman
- 08/25/15 11:16 AM
Check out our latest review posted on Zillow: "Outstanding and thorough inspection of my mother's home pre-sale. We wanted the home to be in perfect shape when we put it on the market, and Greg helped us do that. My contractor was pleased to have such a professional and comprehensive list to work with. Many items were minor, but a few were major. We saved a lot of money by doing all the work at once ahead of listing, not after a buyer inspection or complaint." - from Nancy D. in Omaha, NE
See what more of our clients have to say: www.omaha-home-inspection.com/client-testimonials.htm
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omaha home inspector: Heat index 112 F, Attic Nice-n-Cool;-)
- 08/21/15 12:39 AM
This was one of those dreadful days when you get out of your car for the home inspection and your entire body immediately beads up with sweat. It was 100 degrees F with 112 heat index. I saved the attic for last. Got out my infrared thermometer and was expecting it to be 140-150 degrees. To my surprise, it was only 105! The elderly Seller had a disconnected supply run that was dumping 50 degree air into the attic. That explained why the A/C wasn't cooling the house too well;-) … (1 comments)
omaha home inspector: Home Inspection Saves Buyers From Making Colassol Mistake! - Omaha, NE
- 03/11/15 12:48 AM
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of inspecting a 2-story home built in 1885. The Seller had paid a Contractor to remodel the home for $80,000. On the interior, there was new drywall, new carpet, 3 remodeled bathrooms, a remodeled kitchen. The windows were newer double pane. They had replaced all of the supply & waste lines for the plumbing inside the home. The furnace was a newer high efficiency unit. The electrical was updated throughout. The roof was newer. They had installed a 3-car wide driveway that led to a nice detached 3-car garage complete with a loft with a bathroom … (4 comments)
omaha home inspector: How HOT Did You Want Your Shower???
- 03/08/15 01:42 PM
This east half of the duplex had the only shower located in the unfinished basement, right next to the main electric panel that was inside the shower curtain, plus the floor drain backed up to make sure you'd get electrocuted!!! This was located in South Omaha. The listing should have read "Electrifying investment opportunity!" For more fun inspection pics, check us out at www.omaha-home-inspector.com
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omaha home inspector: Bathroom Exhaust Connected To Active Flue Pipe - Omaha Home Inspection
- 02/24/15 06:39 AM
Some people clearly should not try to fix anything in their home! This homeowner connected the bathroom fan vent hose directly to the B-vent flue stack that the natural gas water heater was actively discharging into. Let's just say that they had a "slight" chance of carbon monoxide and other flue gas entering their home through the main bathroom! For other reasons ASHI Certified Home Inspectors have job security, go to:
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omaha home inspector: Fun With A Laser Level...On Omaha Home Inspection
- 02/17/15 04:44 AM
From the outside, the brick exterior didn't look too bad. There were some cracks in the center of the wall where the dining room was located. The cracks weren't that wide, but when you eyed down the mortar joints, that's when you could see the house drop. When you walked in the front door, you walked uphill through the living room and across the dining room to the back wall. Using a laser level, the elevation change was 3". When you walked into the master bedroom, the floors seemed to drop even more. The laser level showed the house went downhill … (4 comments)
omaha home inspector: Bonding CSST Gas Line In Omaha, Nebraska
- 02/13/15 04:50 AM
The CSST gas line has a potential of rupturing leading to a fire or an explosion if a house is struck by lightning and that gas line is not properly bonded. "Bonded" means the gas line is connected & tied back to the main electrical ground of the home. CSST (Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing) gas lines are required to be bonded in the Omaha area since approximately 2007. The CSST gas lines began being installed in this area back in 2000. That's a 7 year span of new construction homes and remodels or retrofits where the CSST gas line wasn't bonded. … (1 comments)
omaha home inspector: Who's Responsible?...OPPD or The Homeowner
- 02/04/15 02:55 AM
Finding electrical hazards during our home inspections in the Omaha, Nebraska area is common, but who's responsible and where? On overhead service lines, OPPD is responsible from the pole to where the overhead service line splices together with the 120 lines coming out of the masthead and also responsible for the actual meter. From that splice to the masthead to the meter box to the main panel and everything inside the home, the homeowner is responsible. On underground service lines coming into the home, OPPD is responsible for the underground service line from the pole (or green box in the back … (0 comments)
My blog is packed full of home inspection related articles that are useful for homeowners, Buyers, Sellers, and real estate agents. I also post interesting inspection pics regularly as I run across something on my inspections that peak my interest.
Enjoy!
This home sits right at the bottom of a T intersection where the concrete street slopes downhill to the driveway. This is a perfect scenario to find "Street Creep". At a first glance at the concrete block foundation of this home I didn't really see any signs of movement other than some minor hairline cracks. Then I started staring at what was around the cracks and realized I was looking at a really good mortar patch job. They even went as far as hand troweling in fake mortar joints. What I had originally noticed as small hairline cracks were signs of … (0 comments)
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