Rick Harrington's Blog

How many of you walk in attics?  Do you go in only if something grabs your attention?  Do you hunt for the bathroom vents if they are covered by insulation and not visible?   Wouldn't it be great if builders started adding walk ways that are high enough up to allow for proper insulation so that h...

I recently attended a great gathering organized by a group of engineers at the Ohio State University that focused on Energy Efficient homes and energy efficiency. The goal was 2 fold.  What obstacles were in front of us that was keeping home buyers and home owners from having the efficiency of th...

This can also apply to bay windows and cantilevered sections of homes.  In the picture below notice the prefab fireplace enclosure on the rear center of the house. Left of the wood stairs.  In this instance the board under the enclosure is not completely sealed.   In the below picture the yellow ...

Here is Columbus, Ohio it's been raining and freezing most of the day and most of my exterior activities have been postponed.  I will venture out to the Blue Jackets game tonight. As I try to catch up on book work and communications and what not on the computer I keep bringing up the Active Rain ...

As homeowners take up the carpet and move back to hardwood and hardwood laminate floors, it would be a good idea to be mindful of what type of floor is underneath. I have had numerous clients complain that slab on grade homes that have hardwood or hardwood laminate on that slab is cold.   In most...

While performing Thermal Scans with infrared camera here in the Central Ohio area,  (it is cold right now) clients are complaining of cold areas at the front door. What I have been finding on a regular basis is that these nice panels next to the doors are the problem, not the door and weather str...

Let's all remain positive and keep working at what we do. Hopefully this will turn around and we all can get back to the way things were or close to it. Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year in 2009 !!! I have every confidence that we can all succeed if we surround ourselves with good people. ...

My wife is always saying that the reason I like being a home inspector is that I like the toys that come with the job.  I can't disagree with her.  Well, here in Columbus and Central Ohio, there is a bit of snow and ice and some 3 story old homes that are difficult to reach and see the roof and c...

Another post on the board reminded me of this type of issue recently.  A lot of my friends are in this situation where I live. Their children are grown and out of the house and there are bathtubs, showers and sinks no longer used on a regular basis. The water in the trap evaporates. This water is...

I do some instruction for home inspections in the Central Ohio area and I always tell the class that there are 2 types of home inspectors, Group 1) those that have stepped through ceilings and Group 2) those that are going to.   I joined group 1 last weekend. The home owner insisted that the atti...