danbury home inspector: Japan and Preparing For Emergencies
- 03/28/11 10:13 AM
Japan and Preparing for Emergencies What a horrible loss of life. Countless people made homeless. Radiation contamination. Lack of food and water. Cities and towns swallowed whole by the ocean. After-shocks. It is devastation on a massive scale. Everyone's thoughts and prayers go to the people of Japan in their time of trouble. Charitable donations are made as we watch the news, dreading a nuclear meltdown. By all accounts the Japanese have taken many precautions (stringent building codes, sea walls, etc.) to avert just this sort of disaster. Some preparations helped while some went awry (building the nuclear plants close to the … (1 comments)
danbury home inspector: Barbeque Safety
- 03/21/11 12:51 AM
With barbeque season coming homeowners should heed the following safety precautions in order to keep their families and property safe. Propane grills present an enormous fire hazard, as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is aware of more than 500 fires that result annually from their misuse or malfunction. The following precautions are recommended specifically when using propane grills: Store propane tanks outdoors and never near the grill or any other heat source. In addition, never store or transport them in your car's trunk. Make sure to completely turn off the gas after you have finished, or when you are changing the tank. Even a … (0 comments)
danbury home inspector: Aluminum Siding Inspections
- 03/20/11 02:25 AM
Aluminum siding is generally in decline as an exterior cladding material because vinyl siding and other materials have become more popular choices. However, it is still among the most common forms of siding found today. It provided many advantages over other materials when it was introduced in the 1940s. It was installed on many affordable homes through the 1970s. Inspectors will encounter aluminum siding on many home exteriors and can benefit from knowing more about this common form of exterior cladding. Homeowners may be interested in the drawbacks of this material, as well as some of the advantages it still provides … (2 comments)
danbury home inspector: Your Home Energy Audit
- 03/07/11 12:45 AM
Your Home Energy Audit Scheduling a home energy audit makes great sense. You'll get a detailed report from an expert showing you ways to save money and make your home more energy efficient. Many times you can get the audit for little or no cost - local utility companies sometimes offer free or low cost programs to customers (Connecticut CL&P customers can click on http://www.cl-p.com/home/saveenergy/rebates/homeenergysolutions.aspx). Energy-conservation contractors can provide free or low cost evaluations and also provide the needed services to upgrade the home (one example is http://www.drenergysaver.com). Some home inspectors offer energy audits, but normally for a higher fee and without … (3 comments)
danbury home inspector: Sealing and Insulating
- 02/21/11 10:18 AM
Sealing and Insulating Your Home Sealing and insulating your home is one of the most cost-effective ways to make a home more comfortable and energy efficient -- and you can do it yourself. A tightly sealed home can improve comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility bills. An en-ergy auditor can be hired to assess envelope leakage and recommend fixes that will dramatically increase comfort and energy savings. The following are some common places where leakage may occur: electrical outlets mail slots around pipes and wires wall- or window-mounted air conditioners; attic hatches fireplace dampers weatherstripping around doors baseboards window … (0 comments)
danbury home inspector: Electric Heat and Mold
- 02/19/11 09:14 AM
Electrically heated homes may experience a higher level of indoor humidity because of a lack of a chimney, and therefore, have lower rates of air exchange. Also, since the heat is only dispersed primarily through natural convection it's dispersal can be uneven. The uneven heating through an electric heater can cause cool spots to occur, possibly dropping temperatures to below dew point at some areas, creating condensation. Make sure your dryer and bathroom fans vent to the outside, that you cover your pots with lids when cooking, and take shorter showers as needed. Eliminate any sources of moisture in the basement and crawl … (2 comments)
danbury home inspector: Heating Flues
- 02/15/11 07:32 AM
The heating flue is a pipe connected to your hot water heater, furnace or boiler that exhausts carbon monoxide to the exterior of the home. The fumes produced by combustion need to go outside or a dangerous condition exists. The pictures below show flues that are not properly connected to the chimney of the home. Openings are present where gas can leak out into the house. A reading was taken with a carbon monoxide detector - levels were indeed elevated in the basement and the occupants of the home were in danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. Check the flue pipe connections … (0 comments)
danbury home inspector: Ice Dams
- 01/18/11 11:32 PM
Ice Dams An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow from draining. As water backs up behind the dam, it can leak through the roof and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and other areas.
How do ice dams form?
Ice dams are formed by an interaction between snow cover, outside temperatures, and heat lost through the roof. Specifically, there must be snow on the roof, warm portions of the upper roof (warmer than 32° F), and cold portions of the lower roof (at freezing or below). … (2 comments)
danbury home inspector: What's That Pipe?
- 01/17/11 01:16 PM
As a Connecticut home inspector a phase I hear pretty often is "what's that pipe on my roof?" Clients usually can't imagine that checking their plumbing system is one of the things I do while climbing on their roof.
The plumbing vent pipe allows sewer gasses to exit to the exterior rather than inside the home. It also allows air into the waste system, allowing traps to equalize and function correctly. Most homes in North America vent directly through the roof. There are also devices called air admittance valves (usually used when remodeling or adding plumbing fixtures) that can allow … (1 comments)
danbury home inspector: Garage Safety
- 12/12/10 05:59 AM
Next time you find yourself in the garage take a few moments to look around and make sure the following safety features are in place: Photoelectric sensors - A photoelectric sensor consists of a photoelectric beam that extends across the garage door opening. This sensor is designed to detect an obstruction while the door is closing and to send a signal to the garage door operator to reverse the door movement, thus avoiding a potential entrapment situation. Garage door springs (see photo) - if your garage auto door has springs on the sides you need a cable or other retention device … (0 comments)
Japan and Preparing for Emergencies
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