Ray Wilson's Blog

By
Home Inspector - Meticulous Home Inspection Corporation - 16000008857
RECENT BLOG POSTS
This statement is one I hear more often than not. I find a defect in an old house that I have to bring to the attention of the buyer. I realize your house has not collapsed, but certain modifications should never be done, and just cannot go unnoticed and unreported. I did a home inspection in St....
01/30/2011
Because us Long Islanders live in one of the most highly taxed areas on planet earth, some of us resort to converting garages and basements into illegal apartments. While I see this all the time, the term "illegal apartment' never appears in my inspection report. Even though this hurts us all as ...
01/29/2011
Many people look at me like I have three heads when I tell them the house is balloon framed. This was the way old houses were built from the early 1900's to WWII. Part of what this means is that that the 2 by 4 wall studs are very long and extend all the way into the attic. These studs are usuall...
01/29/2011
Over the years I have developed my professional persona to keep all parties invovled aware of what a home inspection is, and is not. I have had very positive feedback from sellers and their agents alike. I usually meet the seller at the door, and do a quick presentation. I invite the agent when p...
01/27/2011
Many people on Long Island have oil-fired equipment (boiler) and a gas-fired water heater, and both vent to the same chimney exhaust. This is considered an improper installation, but has become somewhat commonplace. The heating technicians will normally connect the flue pipe for the gas water hea...
01/26/2011
Inspectors are sometimes in the right place at just the right time to see a possible defect, or prevent a possible disaster. Take a glass shower door. Today in Brightwaters NY I observed a recently refurbished bathroom on the first floor of a small cape. The workmanship was pretty good in this ba...
01/26/2011
I read a blog recently and it was about inspectors who don't inspect certain aspects of the houses they look at. They merely say "have a licensed bla bla bla evaluate the bla bla bla". The feeling I got from this blog was that we try to pass off as much as we can to the next higher authority, and...
01/25/2011
I had one hell of an inspection in Miller Place NY today. The seller had an attitude from the word go. I was told I could not enter one of the bedrooms. I was not allowed to turn on the washer or dryer cause she did not remove the clothes before I got there. I was told I could not adjust the ther...
01/24/2011
I have been getting more and more calls lately regarding buyers of older homes in the New York City and Long Island area regarding lead based paint. Several articles have been recently been published in local newspapers, and of course the internet abound with information regarding this topic. Som...
01/23/2011
Of all the defects I see consistantly, the most consistant of the consistant is poor wiring/electrical practices. Electrical work done by homeowners and their "professionals" (Uncle Louie) is many times sub-standard. I inspected a home in Greenport, NY yesterday and found tons of electrical issue...
01/23/2011
Rainmaker
175,023

Ray Wilson

NYS Licensed Home and Building Inspector
local_phone(631) 902-6761
smartphone(631) 902-6761
Contact The Author