John Martino's (looksmart) Blog

The guidelines of the National Fire Protection Association state that chimneys and fireplaces should be inspected every year before they are used. Creosote which is one of the products of combustion can get thick and sticks to the inside of the fireplace, damper and chimney liner. This combustibl...

As part of the requirements for a properly performed New Jersey home inspection the electrical service panel cover is to be removed. The New Jersey home inspector is required to inspect the internal electrical connections located on the inside of the service panel. One of the defects or condition...

What is that tank there? The question relates to an expansion tank found on water boilers. When the water inside the boiler is heated the water expands. The space in the expansion tank provides room for the water to expand as it is heated. Inside the expansion tank there is water and air. As the ...

Cantilevers are floor joists that extend through the house wall to form the floor of a balcony or deck structure. These types of structures are usually found in the upper floors of the home. The reason for cantilevering is that it would look unsightly to have posts or columns supporting the deck ...

While performing home inspection in new Jersey. I see more and more flexible gas piping in use instead of the conventional black pipe that was used for so long. I must say that this newer type of flexible pipe does have some major advantages over the rigid gas pipe. The proper name for the flexib...

Plastic water pipes or (PEX pipes) are becoming more and more common. I see a lot of plastic water pipes while performing home inspections in New Jersey. Plastic has become more and more popular because of its ease to install, time savings, and cost savings over traditional piping materials such ...

It is standard practice to have a New Jersey home inspection when you are considering purchasing a home. It is becoming much more common for sellers to have a pre-purchase home inspection. In a slow real estate market as we are in now it may be worthwhile for a seller to have a home inspection. O...

Wood stoves are getting more and more popular and I see then quite frequently while performing home inspections in New Jersey. Most of these types of wood stoves are safe but I do see quite a lot of improperly installed wood stoves while doing NJ home inspections. Problems can come about when the...

While performing home inspections in New Jersey, I find that many of the older homes have an electric service size that is too small for the size of the home. A home with an electrical service which is too small is not a safety concern but it is a concern of convenience. A small electric service ...

While performing home inspections in New Jersey I do come across my fair share of slate roof coverings. Slate roofing is a highly specialized roofing system that dates back hundreds of years. A slate roof is rather simple in design. It consists of thin layers of slates overlapped so they create a...