Home inspections are an important part of the home buying process. A home inspection is a thorough review of the home’s most important components, such as its structure, roof, air conditioning/furnace, and electrical system, before you purchase the property. The inspection usually takes at least a couple of hours and takes place after a seller … Read more
Mold in the Home Health concerns related to the growth of mold in the home have been featured heavily in the news. Problems ranging from itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing to serious allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and even the possibility of permanent lung damage can all be caused by mold. Mold can be found growing … Read more
Roofs, Roofs and More Roofs – All You Need To Know – Roofs play a key role in protecting building occupants and interiors from outside weather conditions, primarily moisture. The roof, insulation and ventilation must all work together to keep the building free of moisture. Roofs also provide protection from the sun. In fact, if designed … Read more
To protect the privacy of the individuals involved the names, location and details of A recent case in which a young couple died from carbon monoxide poisoning have been changed. I’m posting this sad story to highlight the importance of doing your due diligence. While you probably will not have a choice in the appraiser … Read more
Here’s a great article from Forbes Getty After the seller accepts your offer to buy a home, the most significant event before closing is the home inspection. It’s such a pivotal point that many home purchase agreements include a contingency that lets buyers dissolve the purchase agreement if major issues are found during the inspection. … Read more
From The Seattle Times Originally published February 27, 2016 at 8:00 am Updated March 1, 2016 at 11:59 am Beneath Seattle’s older houses and apartment buildings, broken side sewers are a festering problem that can cost many thousands of dollars to repair and can complicate or even derail a home sale. By Sanjay Bhatt Seattle Times business reporter … Read more
by Nick Gromicko, CMI® and Kenton Shepard Provided by InterNachi Bathroom ventilation systems are designed to exhaust odors and moist air to the home’s exterior. Typical systems consist of a ceiling fan unit connected to a duct that terminates at the roof. Fan Function The fan may be controlled in one of several ways: Newer fans may … Read more
by Nick Gromicko, CMI® and Kenton Shepard History Between approximately 1965 and 1973, single-strand (solid) aluminum wiring was sometimes substituted for copper branch-circuit wiring in residential electrical systems due to the sudden escalating price of copper. After a decade of use by homeowners and electricians, inherent weaknesses were discovered in the metal that lead to its disuse as … Read more
Knob-and-Tube wiring (K&T) was an early standardized method of electrical wiring in buildings, in common use in North America from about 1880 to the 1940s. The system is considered obsolete and can be a safety hazard, although some of the fear associated with it is undeserved. InterNACHI inspectors should always disclaim knob-and-tube wiring during their … Read more
What Is Asbestos? Asbestos is a mineral fiber that can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added to a variety of products to strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance. If your home was built before … Read more