Fred Hernden's Blog

No, not going to break into that song by Lynyrd Skynyrd... just describing the odor I smelled when I opened the bathroom door at an Inspection the other day! The fact that both bathroom doors were closed means they probably knew about it and decided to limit the area that the odors would pass to....

Waterbeds were really popular back in the 80's... and even earlier! Some people still have them today. They are pretty cool, and with the water warm you will never slide into a cold bed! The older ones were just a bag of water, and if you or your mate moved, you would be wiggling for a few minute...

It's getting to that time of the year that everybody has been waiting for.... fire up the fireplace and huddle around the fire with your loved ones and enjoy the warmth and coziness of the fire in your home. But wait... is it safe to use? Lighting a fire in your house may seem to be an oxymoron, ...

It doesn't happen all that often, and it is always amusing to me when the seller leaves notes for explanation when they know a Home Inspection is coming! I had a good one the other day. The guy had a 3 car garage, but he built shelves along the wall all the way to the garage door. The door would ...

I would bet that every Home Inspector here on Active Rain has written a blog about Double Tapped Circuit Breakers. I even wrote one back in 2012, seen HERE! I do see them occasionally, but ran into two of them at the same inspection a few days ago.The problem here was the guy has added on to his ...

Geeze, how many blogs have we posted about shoddy work, contractors or sub contractors not completing work or covering something up with caulk or paint and trying to slide it by the buyer? It is imperative to go back behind workers to insure they have done the things you ask them to do correctly!...

I done an inspection the other day on a house that the owner/seller attended. I don't mind that, I really don't, as long as they let me do my job and report to my client without interference. IMHO the seller should not be there, it can lead to uncomfortable situations and sometimes the seller fee...

It happens oh so often. I go to a home for an inspection and find things that make me say to myself "What the heck were they thinking?" I mean, how do they come up with this stuff, and at what point do they rationalize in their head that makes them think, "This is a great idea"The other day I ran...

We learned a long time ago that plumbing must be vented to allow smooth flow through the drain pipes. The way architecture is in our world today; people are putting water fixtures and sinks everywhere! The problem was the venting. Conventional wisdom had them running up the walls and through the ...

A man boarded an airplane and took his seat. As he settled in, he glanced up and saw the most beautiful woman boarding the plane. He soon realized She was heading straight towards his seat. As fate would have it, she took the seat right beside his. Eager to strike up a conversation he blurted out...