While sleeping, you wake up to the smell of fire and smoke alarms. In a panic you head to the door, touch the knob and it is very hot. You look around trying to find another way to escape out of the room. Two ways of escape. Every bedroom in a house needs two ways […]
Last month, seven people living in an apartment in Marion, IA were hospitalized after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. The culprit was a faulty water heater. Tragically, about 1,200 people die each year from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. And only 14% of families in the US have properly functioning CO alarms installed in their homes.* […]
The sound of birds chirping outside is fun to listen to. The sound of chirping smoke detectors will drive anyone crazy after just a few minutes. While the sound may be very aggravating, it is incredibly important to pay attention to it and be sure to get resolved right away. When was the last time […]
Just because it’s a new house doesn’t mean it’s right. In a perfect world, every new construction home that gets built would be just that, perfect. No mistakes, defects, deficiencies, problems, or issues. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a perfect house. Even new houses have issues. And some of them have a lot […]
What do you get when you mix warm moist air with something cold? Answer: Condensation. While this may look cool on a nice cold beverage glass in the summertime, it’s not something you want happening in your attic. Improper Ventilation to the Exterior One of the most common things we find in an attic during […]
Stories from a Home Inspector – Vol. 2 Forrest Gump once said ‘Life is like a box of chocolates‘. You never know what you’re gonna get.’ For home inspectors, a crawlspace is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. This past week I (Tim) had an inspection of an 850 […]
It isn’t very often home inspectors have to issue a ‘Do Not Use’ warning. Recently one of our inspectors found a deck that was on the verge of collapsing. To the untrained eye, everything looked fine from the surface. Even walking on it gave no hint that in its current condition, it was a major safety […]
Stories from a Home Inspector – Vol.1 *The following story is a true tale from a recent home inspection. The names and identities of those involved have been concealed for their privacy and sometimes dignity. Any guess on what is going to follow? “I opened the door to the three-story townhome and saw my opponent […]