mankato home inspector: Not All Roofs Installed Equally
- 09/02/10 02:12 AM
As many residents are aware, Greater Mankato and many Southern Minnesota homes were affected by storms late in the month of June. With high speed winds and heavy hail larger than golf balls in some communities, its not supring that a number of roofs have been replaced. With a high demand for roofing, siding and various exterior finish replacements, the area was flooded with numerous advertisements and contractors that aren't so "local" looking to get in on a chunk of the repair and replacement pie. Now that a couple of months have past since most roofing and finish repairs have been completed … (1 comments)
mankato home inspector: Removing That Smell From Your Fridge
- 08/24/10 04:31 AM
There is nothing worse then having a horrible refrigerator odor...and trust me I know. Being a home inspector means you're in a number of houses over a given year and have the chance to take a look at many kitchen appliances and not all of them smell like roses! Many things can cause your refrigerator to have a bad smell such as leftovers, cut onions or garlic, mold, bacteria and mildew growth. If you don't work to eliminate the refrigerator odor quickly, it can change the taste of all the food you have in it, and it can become a very unhealthy situation. Ultimately, getting the smell … (2 comments)
mankato home inspector: 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)
mankato home inspector: 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)
mankato home inspector: 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)
mankato home inspector: 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)
mankato home inspector: 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)
mankato home inspector: Ice Dams A Growing Concern
- 01/05/10 06:46 AM
If you've been in Minnesota the last couple of weeks, you know what cold really feels like. And if you've been following my blog you will remember the prior article about ice dams (if not check it out below). With the extremely cold temperatures we have been blessed with recently, comes more of those pesky ice dams, and I'm not the only one that has take notice to them.
Just this past weekend the Mankato Free Press wrote an article "Ice Dams A Growing Concern" to which I had the pleasure of contributing to. Check it out here or visit their site at www.mankatofreepress.com … (1 comments)
mankato home inspector: 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)
mankato home inspector: 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)
mankato home inspector: 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)
mankato home inspector: 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)
mankato home inspector: 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.
… (0 comments)
mankato home inspector: 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)
mankato home inspector: Another Broken Window
- 05/05/09 03:02 PM
One would be suprised how frequently I come across a broken or cracked window or window pane during a home inspection. As a home inspector you have the chance to see many things wrong with a home, and cracked windows are just one item on a list of many that home inspectors keep their eyes out for. I recently performed a home inspection for a very nice client looking at purchasing a twinhome in the Mankato area that was built just a few years ago. The home was in relatively good condition and the potential buyer thought everything would be just fine. … (2 comments)
mankato home inspector: Raving Testimonials From Past Week
- 03/23/09 10:36 AM
Last week was a busy week for me completing a number of home inspections and working quite late to make sure all of the reports were completed in a timely manner. It was exhausing at times but I enjoy my work and most of all when clients are happy! Here is just some of the testimonials I received last week: Thank you so much for the very thorough and helpful inspection you did on Monday. We feel very confident and we appreciate your explanation for maintenance of the heating unit, the humidity controls, and the air recirculation system. You were very … (0 comments)
mankato home inspector: Existing Home Sales Move Up
- 03/23/09 09:47 AM
I read an article today that I am sure many have already read but figured it is some postive news in a constantly bombarded negative media. According the National Association of Realtors sales of existing homes grew 5.1% to an annual rate of 4.72 million units last month, from 4.49 million units in the month of January. According to the article it was the largest jump since July 2003 with first time home buyers accounting for nearly half of all transactions posted for the month. Sales were expected to drop for the month showing some postive improvements and sales numbers, but still remains … (0 comments)
mankato home inspector: Ledger Boards and Flashing
- 03/23/09 09:29 AM
Now that spring has officially arrived many homeowners across the state are considering the thought of installing a deck for their home. While, a deck can create a beautiful living space for your family and friends it can also be a very big problem for your home and the safety of people on the structure if not installed and built properly. So, for the next couple of blog posts I am going to address the some of the various aspects of decks and their importance of proper installation. To start I would like to address the importance of proper ledger board flashing. … (5 comments)
mankato home inspector: Warm Weather and Water Diversion
- 03/14/09 02:38 AM
As this weekend we are supposed to approach temperatures close to 50 degrees or more in some areas, I thought it was important to make a post about the importance of gutter extensions and sump pump hoses. During the late winter and early spring months in Minnesota we usually have quite a bit of snow melt, and along with that snow melt comes water and the possibility for water issues in basements and crawlspaces for homes all across the state.
So, as the temperature rises it is a good time to remember to attach your sump pump hose and gutter … (1 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
As many residents are aware, Greater Mankato and many Southern Minnesota homes were affected by storms late in the month of June. With high speed winds and heavy hail larger than golf balls in some communities, its not supring that a number of roofs have been replaced. With a high demand for roofing, siding and various exterior finish replacements, the area was flooded with numerous advertisements and contractors that aren't so "local" looking to get in on a chunk of the repair and replacement pie.
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