John Martino's (looksmart) Blog

NJ home inspectors should be able to identify and explain the difference between P-traps and S-traps. P-traps and S-traps are two types of plumbing devices that are commonly used in homes and buildings to prevent sewer gas odors and gases from entering the living space. They are designed to captu...

It is likely that New Jersey home inspectors will encounter older steam heating in older homes that that inspect in New Jersey. It is always advantageous to have an understanding of how steam heating works to heat a home so the home inspector in NJ can properly educate their client about its oper...

A New Jersey Home inspector should understand why sewage pumps are necessary in some instances and some of the issues that can develop with these waste pumps. Sometimes agents and buyers will confuse a sump pump with a sewage pump. They are somewhat similar in appearance but have two very differ...

New Jersey home inspectors should explain the benefit of having a sewer line inspection to their home inspection clients.  More and more home buying clients are having sewer line inspections during the home inspection process. Some home inspectors in NJ perform their own sewer line inspections an...

New Jersey home inspectors should be able to identify mold and offer solutions to their NJ home inspection clients.  Mold is a common issue that can be found in many homes, as a home inspector it is important to be aware of the potential for mold growth and how to identify it during home inspecti...

An important part of a complete New Jersey home inspection should be testing for radon gas. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends performing a radon gas measurement if you are buying or selling a home. New Jersey home inspectors should be licensed to perform NJ Radon Testing. Radon...

Something that seems very straightforward but is often ripe with problems is the attic pull down set of stairs. New Jersey home inspectors should understand what a proper installation looks like. Often these sets of steps are installed by nonprofessionals and have various safety defects that pres...

Now that winter is here a question that New Jersey home inspectors often get is how can clients save a little money on their energy costs in their new home? Energy and utilities of all types are as expensive as they have ever been. It is wise for the NJ home inspector to understand simple ways fo...

New Jersey home inspectors should be familiar with fire egress requirements for finished basements especially basements with bedrooms. The current International Residential Code (IRC) requires that all finished basements and basement bedrooms have two points of egress. The traditional basement st...

 New Jersey home inspectors should be familiar with identifying carpenter bees and the damage that they cause. The carpenter bee is an insect between 1/2 and 1-1/2 inches long. Carpenter bees have round bodies which are black in color. Male bees are aggressive and typically have a white or yellow...