I noticed some tiny trees growing out of the intersection between the deck and the house, so I suspected there was a nasty mess behind the siding. Click on the photo below for a larger version.
Read MoreJust as there is a big difference in the quality of work between different home inspectors, there is a similar gap in the quality of work between good chimney contractors and hacks. I'd like to share a couple of recent examples of hacks with trowels.
Read MoreAs I'm sure you already know, May is Deck Safety Month, so it's a good time to talk about deck inspections. Is your own deck safe? Now is the time to check. If you're going to have a party or a large gathering, you better be sure. The best way to be sure...
Read MoreI recently concluded that invasive moisture testing is the only reliable test method for stucco homes, but then had another home inspector in San Diego write an opposing post titled Invasive "testing"? Are you kidding?, wherein he opines that invasive moisture testing is outdated.
Read MoreStucco homes in Minnesota built since the late 80's or so have had a nasty history of catastrophic failures. Having a stucco home scanned with an infrared camera as an alternative to invasive moisture testing may sound like a great idea, but is this really a useful alternative?
Read MoreIf the power went out, the GFCI outlet inside the garage tripped, or the garage door opener failed, the owner would be locked out of this garage. The fix for this is quite simple - install an emergency release kit.
Read More
The most important part of controlling basement water intrusion is to control water at the exterior of the home. There are two very basic things that will prevent basement water intrusion in at least 90% of houses - and grading and gutters.
Read MoreIn the real world, the idea that you could ever come close to breaking even on your investment for new windows is impossible at best, and borders on downright dishonesty.
Read More
When these masonry chimneys go bad (and they all go bad) the repair can be very expensive. Repair is just one option. The other option is removal.
Read MoreJames Hardie lap siding is great product, but it only performs as well as it's installed. I've heard a few complaints about this product from various home buyers, mostly anecdotal evidence about how the material deteriorates, but I've found improper installations on every damaged section of siding I've ever seen.
Read MoreDeck guardrails must be 36" high and spacing must be less than 4". Easy. The tough part is that they must resist 200 - 500 pounds of pressure along the top rail.
Read More
About one-third of the fans that are supposed to be exhausting through the roof are exhausting to a cap with a backdraft damper that is stuck closed, which causes a good portion of the warm, moist air to exhaust in to the attic space.
Read More