home inspector mankato mn: Identifying Hail Damage
- 07/12/10 05:42 AM
There have been many homes in the Greater Mankato area from Mapleton to Minnesota State University damaged by recent hail and high speed winds. In southern Mankato, roofers and insurance adjusters have been overwhelmed with the amount of requests from homeowners. While siding repair and replacement is being made the majority of the damage appears to be roofing related. In the past 2 weeks, southern Minnesota has had some wild weather and unfortunately the season isn't over just yet. If you think you have had recent weather damage to your home it is highly recommended that you contact your insurance provider to … (0 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: Breaker Filler What?
- 03/18/10 02:43 AM
Breaker filler plate, what is that? This is a common question I receive on home inspections...and for good reason. I find open knockouts and breaker slots on main panels and remote panels (sub-panels) on a very regular basis. Simply put a knockout or breaker filler plate is meant to block an opening within an elecrical panel. Openings can exist for a number of reasons but one way or another a knockout was removed accidentally, or a change in the panel was made over its life, whether it be from a remodel, new wiring, moving circuits around, or a different change. Nonetheless, when … (1 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: Tandem Breakers, A Split Decision?
- 02/19/10 01:42 AM
Tandem breakers, sometimes called split breakers, provide two separate circuits in the space of a normal sized breaker opening. Every main electrical panel has a limited number of circuit openings available. The problem that many people encounter is that when the openings are all used up and you still need to add another circuit, such as maybe a few extra outlets in the garage or a home remodel, what do you do? You could change the main electrical panel or you could "double-tap" a breaker, but this is not an approved application and can place to much strain on a circuit resulting in overheating, the … (2 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: Water Heater Maintenance
- 02/13/10 10:44 AM
Few homeowners know that in order to keep your water heater running smoothly and hopefully get an extra year, two or more it needs maintenance. As water enters a water heater tank, dirt, sediment, and various minerals also enter, and eventually settle to the bottom. Depending on your community or local water supply these extra minerals and sediment can end up robbing your water heater's energy efficency and ultimately decreasing its life. So what is a homeowner to do? A little preventative maintenance...and a hose and bucket might help too! The preventative maintenance I am referring to is draining your water heater, … (2 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: Infrared Imaging Finds More For Our Clients!
- 01/22/10 04:16 AM
Just this past fall after extensive training we finally launched infrared thermal imaging (ITI) technology into our already large array of home inspection tools and services. During our standard home buyer's inspection we give each home ITI scans, and you would be suprised what a well-trained infrared thermographer coupled with an experienced home inspector can find. Below you can see some of the images also called thermograms retrieved from a recent inspection.
What you are seeing in the pictures above and below are walls from the top floor of a home's livingspace. The dark (purple) areas of the infrared images (right images) are showing cold areas confirmed … (6 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: Act Now To Prevent Costly Ice Damage Later
- 12/03/09 01:03 AM
Ice dams may not be something the average homeowner has ever heard of, but they occur all too frequently during the winter months, resulting in costly damage. Left unaddressed, water seepage from ice dams can ruin ceilings, walls, attics and roofing. Ice dams usually form when heat from inside a home causes snow on the roof to melt and trickle to the roof's edge, where it refreezes on cold eaves, blocking gutters and drains. Since water cannot flow over the built-up ice, it backs up behind the ice, creating pools, and seeps into the home under the shingles. "A … (6 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: Save By Preparing For Winter
- 11/25/09 02:47 AM
Getting ready for winter often means changing to warmer clothes and taking stock of mittens and hats. But it's also a good idea to prepare your home's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system for winter, too - especially if you want to keep energy bills down. Heating can account for almost half of the average family's winter energy bill, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Taking a few steps now will help your furnace and other heating components operate more efficiently throughout the winter, helping you save money. So this winter we would like to offer the following tips for winter home … (2 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: Mankato's Best Just Got Better!
- 11/12/09 02:28 AM
At Progressive Home Services we are always looking for ways to improve our service and deliver the best possible inspection experience to each and every client. In order to do that it takes continuous education, improvement and keeping up with industry cutting edge technologies. This month we have launched the addition of Infrared Thermal Imaging to our inspection services and are giving our clients another great tool to offer true peace of mind.
After weeks of training in infrared thermal imaging applications including thermodynamics and the use of an infrared camera we can now definitively show clients in a viewable … (0 comments)
Why don't skeletons ever go out on the town? Because they don't have any body to go out with! Why did the vampire go to the orthodontist? To improve his bite!
… (3 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: Winter Preparation - Exterior Faucets
- 10/22/09 09:32 AM
With winter weather and consistent below freezing temperatures on their way in Minnesota its important to take some preparations. Over the coming weeks I will post about some of the important preparations to make, and today it will be exterior faucets. There are many different theories on the best approach to take when winterizing exterior faucets, but in my opinion unless you have a handy frost free hose bib on the exterior of the home its quite simple.
First, make sure that you have disconnected all hoses, and extensions, or additional valves from the faucet to allow water to escape the faucet. Second, … (2 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: The Leaking Toilet
- 10/06/09 01:20 AM
I see it far too often. As, a home inspector you get the chance to see all kinds of problems from the attic to the basement, but one of the most common issues I personally see as a home inspector is plumbing issues. And the most common...loose toilet tanks and bowls. Loose tanks and bowls can be become a problem because they both have the potential to cause leaks. If the bolts holding the tank to the bowl become far to loose...expect to see water flowing from the bolt locations, and if the bowl becomes loose, well you could have a … (3 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: Schedule During October and $ave!
- 10/03/09 08:06 AM
This month at Progressive Home Services we're offering $20.00 off every inspection service priced $99.00 or more! Simply mention this blog post and schedule online at our website or call us at 507-382-7007, or use the text messaging center to the right.
Many ways to schedule and many ways to save on services such as: home inspections, roof inspections, deck inspections, mold screening and testing, and radon testing. Visit our website now at www.progressivehomeinspection.com for more information. Savings valid on all services scheduled on or before October 31st 2009.
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home inspector mankato mn: Frigidaire and Kenmore Smoothtop Recall Due To Fire Hazard
- 08/31/09 04:33 AM
Below is a recent article from the U.S. Product and Safety Commission for Frigidaire and Kenmore smooth-top ranges that contain a recall and sold from 2001-2009. WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Certain Frigidaire and Kenmore Elite Smoothtop Electric Ranges Units: About 200,000 Manufacturer: Frigidaire, a division of Electrolux Home Products Inc., of Augusta, Ga. Hazard: Depending on the model, the surface heating elements can: 1) turn … (0 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: Lower Your Energy Costs, With An Insulated Garage Door
- 08/26/09 09:58 AM
A leaky, un-insulated garage door may not be an obvious culprit in rising monthly utility bills, but it's worth a second look if you have an attached garage. Replacing an older garage door with a new, energy-efficient model can reduce energy loss through the garage door by up to 71 percent, according to a comparison study conducted by Clopay engineers.
Since attached garages typically share one or two common walls with the house, any hot or cold that travels through a door will ultimately affect the adjacent living areas. An insulated garage door can help stabilize temperatures in the garage … (0 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: 10 Simple Ways To Save Energy In Your home
- 08/17/09 12:24 AM
Most people don't know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy, and at Progressive Home Services we want to change that. Drastic reductions in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which homeowners can do themselves.
Why make your home more energy efficient? Here are a few good reasons: Federal, state, utility and local jurisdictions' financial incentives, such as tax breaks, are very advantageous in most parts of the U.S. It saves money. It costs less to power a home that has been converted to be more energy-efficient. … (1 comments)
Why is it Important? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that each year 21,000 people die of lung cancer as a result of being exposed to elevated levels of radon. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer for smokers and the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers. Although radon is present throughout the environment, radon levels indoors are generally higher which increase the risk of cancer. Why Is Radon A … (0 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: Spider Caught During Inspection
- 06/09/09 01:36 PM
While it is common during a home inspection to encounter many different things from structural issues, roof leaks, and improper wiring just to name a few it is not nearly as common to come across pests and insects, especially large ones. While I don't mind crawling through attics and crawlspaces I have to admit I am not entirely a fan of various pests. So, when I encountered an extremely large spider, one of which I have never seen in Minnesota I had to take a picture.
Above is a picture of the spider caught on my camera while inspecting the … (4 comments)
home inspector mankato mn: More Satisfied Clients!
- 05/28/09 07:49 AM
As the busy time of the year for Progressive Home Services has arrived we have continued to deliver great service and receive nice compliments from many of our clients. Below is just a few of the recent testimonials received over the course of the past week.
We are very pleased with everything you have done for us during our inspection process, we didn't feel like we were just another customer. I was very suprised how willing you were to stop and explain everything we had questions on, and you did everything possible to make it as pain free as you … (0 comments)
Pre-purchase Inspections
Pre-Listing Inspections
FHA/HUD Compliance Inspections
FHA/HUD 203k Consulting
New Construction
Roof and Deck Inspections
Energy Audits and Consulting
Thermal Inspections
There have been many homes in the Greater Mankato area from Mapleton to Minnesota State University damaged by recent hail and high speed winds. In southern Mankato, roofers and insurance adjusters have been overwhelmed with the amount of requests from homeowners. While siding repair and replacement is being made the majority of the damage appears to be roofing related. In the past 2 weeks, southern Minnesota has had some wild weather and unfortunately the season isn't over just yet. If you think you have had recent weather damage to your home it is highly recommended that you contact your insurance provider to … (0 comments)
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