RECENT BLOG POSTS
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Home inspectors see cracks in concrete surfaces at nearly every home inspection. This backyard concrete patio developed a large crack within a few years of installation. What happened? Cracks of this size are typically caused by a combination of things: -          expansive soil -          poor ...
11/10/2011
Take one oscillating fan, wire for attachment and an extension cord... And you have all the makings of a low cost attic fan in the truest sense.   On the plus side: very creative thinking... On the downside: a portable fan at one exhaust vent is not effective... consumes electricity... adds more ...
11/05/2011
  Water weighs approximately 8 lbs per gallon.... In a large household, it's conceivable to flush a toilet, take a shower, run water in a sink, and have both the washing machine and dishwasher discharging water at the same time... a lot of water weight flowing through a drain/waste pipeline. With...
10/29/2011
  There’s a term used when two electrical wires are connected to a single circuit breaker lug called ‘double-tapping’.    For most home inspectors, double-tapping or double lugging is one of the top observations found in electrical panels.   In the photo, there are 4 pairs of double-tapped electr...
10/24/2011
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  The crawlspace… You know it as the dark, creepy place under the house, filled with spiders and other critters.   For the plumber, the electrician and the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) contractor… It’s the shallow unfinished space beneath the first floor to provide access to t...
10/21/2011
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  Merriam-Webster: Definition of SIGN: 6b - something indicating the presence or existence of something else Every so often, home inspectors encounter mushrooms in damp crawlspaces. When water seeps into a crawl space for many reasons, it creates the perfect environment for mu...
10/17/2011
Sometimes the home inspector discovers more than one condition requiring attention from a single photo.  A 10" floor beam supporting a 1986 Danville, CA house subfloor had been over- notched to accommodate a drain pipe from an addition... Not to mention that the cut end of the beam wasn’t support...
10/10/2011
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When ordinary window plate glass is broken, it breaks into angular shards which are very sharp, and can seriously injury someone… not so good.   One of the major disadvantages of plate glass is that it can be very brittle. For this reason, safety glass is used in situations where glass might be b...
10/06/2011
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Out in California, we're in earthquake country. Residential building requirements revolve around seismic bolting, bracing and retrofits - all in concert to minimize earthquake damage. Each time there's a sizeable earthquake in California, seismic engineers often study the damage done to buildings...
09/29/2011
It was obvious to the home inspector, that whoever installed this electrical wiring, failed Electrical Wiring 101.  Sometimes you just have to shake your head and wonder what else in the house could be a potential electrical safety concern. This is a great example why home inspections benefit hom...
09/29/2011
Rainer
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Glenn Stewart...

Can a house talk? Yes it can
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If a house could talk...