Inspectors are constantly adding to what they know, as well as modifying what they already know. It can be daunting and overwhelming at times—but it is part of the job. Sometimes I feel like Monte Python’s, Mr. Creosote and if I receive just one thin wafer of information more I will surely explo
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01/31/2014
Bathroom exhaust fans must draw air and expel it outdoors to be functional. What could be more obvious? I have posted many times about how the simple test that an inspector can employ to verify at least “some” amount of function, without using complicated equipment. Generally I prefer to use an
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01/28/2014
There are lots of ways that moisture can get into house walls. When it does get inside the walls, pressure and temperature differentials and evaporation/condensation principles take over and the moisture will attempt to move. Bulk water can go anywhere that wicking and gravity will take it. As
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01/26/2014
I have been accused of “talking through my hat” on occasion, and while not exactly in those words as relates to this discussion—it amounted to the same thing. We are talking about “kick-out” flashings—and how important they can be. Whenever you have a lower roof that runs into the side wall of t
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01/24/2014
When I was a kid, I remember the foundation of the first greenhouse that my dad built. It was made of “cinder blocks.” Now lots of people call all manner of masonry units “cinder blocks” when they more accurately should be called “concrete blocks.” In fact they are called “CMU’s”---short for C
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01/21/2014
I suppose it comes with the territory that, as a home inspector, there are only so many guesses I can come up with, as to why someone did something the way they did. In many cases it just doesn’t matter and other cases it is prudent to just not try. The guessing can be fun though. At a recent in
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01/19/2014
Typically the home inspection starts with the roof. When I am on the roof, I am looking at lots of elements, and one of those elements is the chimney. It is not uncommon for me to be able to tell what the buyer had for breakfast, whether they have pets, or even how good a housekeeper they are, b
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01/13/2014
I have posted in the past about the importance of using the bathroom exhaust fan while showering. Being the coldest time of the year, when condensation problems in bathrooms are exacerbated, I thought it would be worth revisiting the issue. So how do you reduce moisture levels in your bathroom i
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01/12/2014
Anyone that knows me, I mean really knows me, knows that I have been involved with the green movement since way before there was a green movement--since the late 60’s to be more precise. Back in the early days it was actually about seeking alternatives to just about everything related to the ene
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01/09/2014
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