Inspecting a home in Oakwood I had the feeling that we may have inspected it fifteen years ago. The house had been updated with a new kitchen, bathrooms and of course new colors on the walls not to mention the new owners furniture. Going up the stairs the inspection started to come back to me. […]
What Is “A Light Switch Away?”
There have been many comments about light switches and this “one light switch away from” electrifying or possibly electrocuting the user. We take modern wiring for granted, fumbling for a light switch in a dark room without the possibility of getting shocked. This is more like something Dracula would have used to terrify movie audiences. […]
Baling Twine
The steel girder supported by a standard steel post supports all the weight of the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms as well as the roofing system and shingles. This home built in the mid 80’s has been bought and sold numerous times without anyone taking a closer look at the baling twine. The post is secured […]
A Bit of Forgotten Dayton
In Englewood I was inspection this lovely one owner ranch and came across this box in the garage. It’s “dated” color and design invoked a happy memory of Rikes, one of Dayton’s lost landmarks. The owners of the house bought it new in 1961 and may have had the box for years, the box has […]
Forgotten Greats…..
At the time I saw this when inspection an older home in Dayton I thought nothing of it, other than this is an old furnace with a name that has disappeared and no longer builds furnaces. For sentimental value I took a photo of the manufacturers tag and thought I would be able to find […]
Selling Your Home?
Have you ever thought of the home inspection your home will have? The inspection requires the inspector access all the areas of your home along with access to all the components like water heaters, electric panel, main water shut off. The covers need to be taken off electric panels, if that can not be done […]
Basement Damp (What’s It?)
In a basement there is a plastic or metal strip around a section of or all round the exterior walls (foundation). What is it you wonder, looking further you notice that the floor was removed and filled back in and there is a cover with a pipe. This basement has had a history of wet […]
Window Fogged (What’s It?)
It’s not privacy glass even though it works as one. Insulated glass that is standard in all modern windows is made up of two panels of glass separated by a filler piece. The seal between the filler and the glass develops a small hole allowing air into the space between the glass panes. The moist […]
Incorrect Certification
Inspecting a new construction home last week we observed and noted that the thickness of the insulation in the attic was between two and eight inches deep, as opposed to the twelve inches that should have been there according to the foreman. There was no card (as required) stapled at the access stating what the […]
Dryer Vent (What’s It?)
This often evokes the question, what is that? It is not a chimney, it’s not a plumbing vent, an oil tank filler or any of the other suggested uses we have heard.The answer is simple, it’s an exterior clothes dryer vent.This vent remains sealed when the dryer is off, air from the dryer opens it […]
Garage Door Opener could be the unwanted Key to Your Home
Video: Would you leave a key in your front door lock when leaving your house, your garage door might be its equivalent.
New Construction Hand Built ?
This photo is all the lumber that is needed to build a home on a basement. The floor joists are the only part of the structural framing that has to be put together by hand. The exterior walls come as pre-made panels with the window and door openings already cut in. They are most of […]
20 Year Membership
It’s hard to believe that we have been in business since 1999 and members of the Dayton Area Board of Realtors all that time. For years we taught classes at the DABR to help new Realtors understand what a home inspection was all about and how to deal with needed repairs. There have been so […]
Lead Water Main is Hazardous
In the basement of a home from the mid 1800’s there was a heath hazard that no one noticed. Buyers, the current owner who had purchased that home six months ago, real estate agents and our clients all walked past this piece of pipe as they anxiously looked for potential issues with the house. The […]
