Salem, Oregon Home Inspection Blog

Universal symbols are everywhere these days. Traffic signs especially have pictures and symbols instead of words so that any person, know matter what language they speak, can understand what is expected of them.  There are universal symbols that all good home inspectors should recognize as well....

The cabinet under the kitchen sink is a highly neglected area. This is the area that we shove highly noxious cleaners and surfactants. Many people even have garbage cans under their sinks. For me, the soap and cleaners are no exception however I do not keep any garbage under my sink. In fact I k...

The best thing about being a home inspector here in Salem, Oregon is the chance to learn CONSTANTLY!  There is always stuff to learn about with homes, materials and situations.  Sometimes education comes from the most unlikely places..........like agents!  (just kidding!) A few years ago I was o...

Believe it or not this post is not about incontinent home inspectors.  That will have to be another post. This post is about fuzzy critters and how they get under your home. These tight, nasty, potentially wet areas are easy to neglect.  Low, out of sight and most likely disgusting it is usually...

  Written by:  Jim Allhiser President/Inspector Millipedes do not usually chew on your home, however if conditions are right they will eat any organic material.  Moisture is key and if your home or wood debris under your home is moist it can become food for all sorts of wood eating critters.  If ...

Since the first of August of 2010 some major changes have happened regarding wood stoves and what  needs to happen to them during a real estate transaction. Just like the wonderful smoke detector laws (ORS 479.297) the new wood stove rules will be one of the few requirements that sellers will ne...

Written by:  Jim Allhiser  President/Inspector No this post is not actually about belly button lint but it is about a potential fire hazard in most homes. The consumer product safety commission estimated that in 1998 clothes dryers were associated with 15,600 fires, which resulted in 20 deaths a...

Can you tell me how to  find, how to find a roof leak…… While most people complain about our recent downpours they have been providing me with much-needed rain to make leaks light up.  One of the biggest benefits having a thermal image camera is the ability to see things you can’t see with your ...

The most important part of a good home inspection is the education about the home.  Above and beyond the defects that good home inspectors will find, helping the new home owners understand the weird knobs and switches that are in a typical home is really where good inspectors earn their wage. On...

Written by:  Jim Allhiser President/Inspector When I trained to become a home inspector I went to a national school and learned about all sorts of things that good home inspectors should be aware of when inspecting homes.  Over the years of doing inspections in Salem, Oregon I have noticed real ...