Linas Dapkus's (ldapkus) Blog

At a recent inspection I found rotted sheathing at the rear sill plate of a 5 year old home. Poor grading and a lack of downspout extensions were the cause. These issues are common on many home inspections. See the remainder of my blog here

Maintain Indoor Relative Humidity in Your Home During the winter months it is important to maintain your Indoor Relative Humidity between 30%-50%.Warm air moves from warm to cold during the winter months. If your humidity is elevated, let's say in the 60% to 80% range you may notice frost forming...

 Thermal Infrared InspectionsAn infrared camera allows me to scan large areas of a home from a distance. Thermal infrared inspections work on the principal that different materials in the structure of the home have different thermal mass. In the daytime, the sun heats the exterior and as hidden m...

About 2-1/2 million children are injured or killed by hazards in the home each year. The good news is that many of these incidents can be prevented by using simple child safety devices on the market today. Any safety device you buy should be sturdy enough to prevent injury to your child, yet easy...

Septic System failure is no fun!!! Septic systems treat and disperse relatively small volumes of wastewater from individual or small numbers of homes and commercial buildings. Septic system regulation is usually a state, tribal, and local responsibility. EPA provides information to homeowners and...

Wood destroying insects and other organisms can cause serious problems in the wood structural components of a house and may go undetected for a long period of time.   New Construction   All chemical soil treatments, bait systems, and chemical wood treatment must be approved by the Environmental P...

The primary functions of the plumbing system within the house are as follows: To bring an adequate and potable supply of hot and cold water to the users of the dwelling. To drain all waste water and sewage discharged from these fixtures into the public sewer, or private disposal system. It is, th...

Did you know the following facts about lead?   FACT: Lead exposure can harm young children and babies even before they are born. FACT: Even children who seem healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies. FACT: You can get lead in your body by breathing or swallowing lead dust, or by eatin...

Sellers can speed their home inspection by following these suggestions. The inspection will go smoother, with fewer concerns to delay closing. Confirm that water, electric and gas service are on, with gas pilot lights burning. Ensure pets won't hinder the inspection. Ideally, they should be remov...

What Is Asbestos? Asbestos is a mineral fiber. It can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added to a variety of products to strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance.  How C...