nashville tn home inspectors: Things Generally Work Better When One Finishes the Job
- 03/07/16 07:56 AM
As part of the inspection process for most States, inspectors are required to test smoke detectors for functionality. For the most part, current standards require smoke detectors to be interconnected so that if one goes off, they all go off.
As luck would have it, the first detector failed to work so I decided to check to see if it was even connected. Sure enough, it wasn't. I generally find that things work better when the electrician finishes the job . . . now it is up to the homeowner to pay for an electrician to correct what the … (14 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: How Safe is Your Dryer?
- 02/22/16 06:26 PM
On average, a typical 12-pound load of laundry will weigh about 20 or more pounds when placed into the dryer. This means that the dryer has to dispose of about a gallon of water with every load. Generally accepted standards require dryers to exhaust to the outside since indoor exhausting can cause mildew and other problems.
When it comes to dryer vent connections, most folks do not give it a second thought. They purchase something from the big box stores, stick it on and forget it. Below are types of available vent materials in order of preference:
- Rigid metal … (20 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Entrapment
- 01/23/16 06:54 PM
Remember when you were a kid and sang songs like:
Here we go loopty loo
Here we go loopty li
Here we go loopty loo
All on a Sunday morning.
Not that I am against happy songs and a happy plumbers as we all need more happiness in this spinning orb. However, it seems as if some folks have the propensity to get a little too carried away and start drifting . . .
The S-shaped trap AKA the S-bend was invented by Alexander Cummings in 1775 and was replaced by the introduction of the U-shaped … (13 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: What's Your Prob? It Was Issued a CO!
- 01/20/16 06:38 PM
Many folks in the real estate industry are under the misconception that because a property has been issued a CO, everything is or has been installed as per codes. Really? I have heard that argument time and time again from agents when I write up some deficiency and the selling agent throws out what they hope will be the trump card to discredit my findings: "I was issued a CO from the Codes Inspectors. Everything has to be right!"
First of all, City or County codes officials are not the sharpest tacks in the box and they certainly do not … (12 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: High Drain Loops
- 01/15/16 08:58 AM
It is not unusual to see high drain loops not installed on dishwashers. I see it almost daily during my inspections and I often get asked by real estate agents and home owners alike why this is wrong. Hopefully, this video will help you understand the reason this is practice is not allowed and the reason home inspectors put this item in their reports.
TeamCHI - The Complete Home Inspections Team; Brentwood, TN
:-}
… (9 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: There is a Right Way and Then . . .
- 01/07/16 06:38 PM
Folks just love to fool around with electricity - the one thing that will electrocute them or burn their home down. Nevertheless, some folks love to tinker or they think they are an electrician. [Oye! Veh!]
The inset is one example of how not to power a garbage disposal. The soft-sided conductor is not designed for exposed use as the sheathing material can be easily damaged and the female plug is designed for use on extension cords. Extension cords are temporary power conductors.
The correct way to have done this was to put the soft-sided conductor in a protective sheathing … (24 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Dangling Participle
- 01/06/16 06:50 PM
One thing I can say about the home inspection business, there is rarely a dull moment. For the most part, folks who purchase investment properties to ‘fix and flip’, want to maximize their profits. It is not unusual for them to make do with what is offered.
Selling a rehab incorporates a lot of eyewash. New granite, stainless steel, flooring, paint . . . and the list goes on. Wiring and other components remain whether it was originally installed correctly or not.
An example is this light fixture. A wire was run through the ceiling panel and poked … (19 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Live in a Healthy Home
- 01/05/16 06:48 PM
January is radon awareness month. Both the EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General strongly urge all Americans who live in high radon belts to have their homes tested for radon gas because radon, is 2nd only to cigarettes as the leading cause of lung cancer here in the US. Middle TN is a hign radon belt and high levels can be successfully remediated. Have your home tested because I want you and your family can live in a healthy home.
TeamCHI
;-}
It is a GREAT day at Complete Home Inspections!
… (16 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: (not so) Speechless Sundae ~ 12.27
- 12/26/15 06:39 PM
There is the right way to do something, the wrong way and then . . . there are the ways that some folks here in Tennessee do things. I know, some folks across the country berate Tennesseans as being “One of those Redneck States” but with the steady influx of "Feriners", 'Good 'ol Boys' are hard to find. Well, I’m here to tell you that rednecks are alive and well in this State. Just goes to show you what one can accomplish with pack of Lucky Strikes, a half a case of beer, some Yankee ingenuity, an old extension cord … (14 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Don't Let WDO's Eat You Out of Your House & Home
- 12/10/15 06:44 PM
Lenders in most states require clear WDO (Wood Destroying Organisms) letters as part of the loan process and some states will allow home inspectors to do them as long as they have the right certifications. For the most part, the State of Tennessee requires a licensed pest control company to provide this service.
Although home inspectors are not considered part of the pest control process, we must be on the look out for damages to structural components from WDO’s. Oftentimes, shelter tubes along foundation walls are an indication of an active colony. Like any living organism, termites need food, water … (15 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: (not so) Speechless Sundae ~ 12.06
- 12/05/15 06:21 PM
I used to smoke. I was a 2 pack-a-day user until I pitched the butts out the window of my pick-up back in 1982. I understand, first-hand, how addicting and what a vile habit smoking cigarettes can be. I also understand how hard it is to kick the habit. I did it without the patch!
While inspecting a property in east Nashville the other day, the got a reminder of what cigarettes can do to the lungs and the property you live in. This, by far, was the worst case of cigarette smoke staining that I have seen in several … (16 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: To be God's Most Intellegent Creation . . .
- 12/02/15 07:06 PM
. . . some folks do some not so smart stuff! Just when I think that I have seen it all, someone comes up and puts a new fly in the ointment. While inspecting a property the other day, I ran across this interesting scenario. The person who owned this property loved to tinker and needed to add some additional circuits to the room he had just finished remodeling. The answer? Why not just add a double male plug to act as a "jumper" between the two circuits. Oh! The plug coming out of the phone box? Yes that is … (14 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Home Inspectors are NOT Codes Inspectors
- 11/28/15 06:37 PM
Let’s face it, if something was built by the human species, it will eventually break, spring a leak or go south for one reason or another. We live in a faulty world.
As a business owner, I do my best to teach the inspectors who work for this company to note any appliance that may be at or approaching the end of its anticipated service life in the report. This is not to make the deals harder, it is to notify the client that this is an item that needs to be budgeted for. It is also to help … (28 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Just Because it was Professionally Installed, Doesn't mean it's Right
- 11/23/15 06:27 PM
Plumbers! Ya gotta love 'em as it appears as if there are only two things they must know: (1) What flows downhill? (2) How much butt cleavage is appropriate to show when on a job site?
Just because you have an appliance or new pipes installed by a ‘licensed’ contractor, it does not always mean that it was installed as per ‘Acceptable industry standards’. For example, there are 4 things wrong with this new water heater installation. They are as follows:
(1) PVC is not designed to withstand temperatures of more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit. In the event of … (36 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Safety First! Change Out Those Keyed Locks
- 11/20/15 06:10 PM
Several times a week, I see keyed entry locks on both sides of the deadbolt lock. More often than not, most folks have a false sense of security because they feel burglars will not be able to reach through the broken glass and unlock the door. I promise you, if folks want to get in, they will. I have walked into new construction or vacant properties only to see the doors kicked off the hinges.
Typically, when I see this, I point this out to my clients and suggest that they may want to consider making the upgrade … (19 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Being Taken for Granted
- 11/21/14 06:23 PM
The chimney is one of the most taken-for-granted and neglected parts of a home. Because it is taken for granted, it does not receive the attention and maintenance that most other household items do. Despite indifference, abuse and neglect chimneys still perform their job reasonably well and as odd as it may seem, water causes more damage to masonry chimneys than fire.
Chimneys are not those passive black holes that most people assume them to be. They do perform several vital functions, and their simple appearance misrepresents their complex construction and performance requirements. A chimney deteriorated by constant exposure to … (40 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Multiple Layers of Shingles? Not a Good Idea. Here's Why...
- 11/13/14 06:23 PM
It is not uncommon to see multiple layers of shingles on older properties. Back some years ago there was no limitations on how many layers of shingles could be installed. Today, accepted industry standards limits the number of layers to two. However, even this is not a good idea. Here’s why:
1) Most manufacturers of shingles will not warrant the roof covering if it is installed over another layer.
2) Adding another layer of shingles is like adding another blanket. The two layers of shingles will now hold additional heat and cause excessive heat buildup causing the top layer to … (46 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Seeking My Priorities...
- 07/25/14 07:36 PM
As we all know, active rain has recently raised their blog tally to 20 week. While I know that there are some out there who can easily reach this number and then some; for me, it is not going to happen this week! This week my priorities have been working in the business and on the business.
There is something to be said about when one starts taking on employees. The dynamics of the business and one's priorities change. When one adds employees they are extending their family. The focus is on how to keep everybody's families fed. Then too, the … (9 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Just Inspected - Condo Close to Belmont, Lipscomb & Vanderbilt
- 07/09/14 07:56 PM
Earlier this week a member of the Complete Home Inspections Team had an opportunity to inspect a condo in the Belmont area of Nashville. This condo is in an area which is close to 3 of Nashville's universities - Belmont, Lipscomb and Vanderbilt.
Our special thanks goes out to John Rula of Latitude Realty for helping another person live their American dream.
The Complete Home Inspections Team - Brentwood, TN
… (1 comments)
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nashville tn home inspectors: Just Inspected - West Nashville
- 06/28/14 07:22 PM
A member of the Complete Home Inspections Team has helped another client on their way to home ownership as they have just finished inspecting this lovely cottage in the Sylvan Park area of west Nashville, TN. The Nashville,TN real estate market is very strong and show no signs of slowing down.
We would like to thank Jeremy Callahan of the Mohr Group at RE/MAX ELITE with for trusting us to help their client live their American Dream.
The Complete Home Inspections, Team
… (2 comments)
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As part of the inspection process for most States, inspectors are required to test smoke detectors for functionality. For the most part, current standards require smoke detectors to be interconnected so that if one goes off, they all go off. 
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