For comparison I have three 65 watt rated recessed lights installed, LED, CFL and Incandescent. Using thermal imaging you can clearly see the difference on energy output and costs. Ohms Law: Watts = amps x volts Heat / watts is just "wasted energy", when you use a certain ...
Lumber Liquidators linked to health & safety violations
60 Minutes found that Lumber Liquidators' Chinese-made laminate flooring contains amounts of toxic formaldehyde that may not meet health and safety standards. Visit the link here. ...
IR it’s not X-ray vision but sometimes its close
I was called to inspect an older home on a lake. Often these small homes start out as a small camp and owners throughout time add additions to them. With many of these homes the construction is substandard and anything goes. This is a foreclosed home with no information on the ...
Cost of home ownership
Imagine you’re out camping on a cold night in your sleeping bag and your zipper breaks letting in all the cold. I’m sure you would do everything you could to fix it to stay warm. Now consider your home or the house your looking to purchase do not the same principles apply? In fig ...
What’s that?
What’s that? My buyers and agent asked as they looked through my thermal imaging camera. What are the odds you’ll come across two houses back-to-back with electric radiant heat in the ceiling? Ans: Slim, but true. In both cases my buyers and agents responded, what’s that? ...
Experience Matters
Every buyer of a new home should understand the limits of a home inspector. The home inspection is limited to a visual inspection only. This means if the inspector cannot see it, it will not be reported. Why is this important? Experience has shown me that there are sellers out ...
The importance of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
In the past three months I’ve seen repeated news reports of home fires with fatalities that could have been prevented with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed. If you’re unaware, Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly less dense than air. It ...
Energy Saving Tip, Honeycomb Blinds
What’s the first thing that jumps out at you when you look at the house below? Since I was called to inspect it, first thought was damn, that’s a lot of glass. Second, with a size of 7,000 sq. / ft., that’s a lot to heat up. Windows and doors are the greatest source of wasted ...
Is your woodstove installed correctly?
Winter is upon us here New Hampshire and many residents will be using wood stoves to heat their home. Based on my findings as a home inspector many of these stoves are installed improperly. In the news this morning was a home destroyed by fire, cause a wood stove. Which begs the question, ...
Ladder safety tip and more
As a home inspector I have to view many roofs and all types of unpleasant weather conditions. If you had to placed a ladder on decking with snow, ice, or rain you know how slippery and dangerous it can be. I believe I have come up with a simple solution to hold a ladder in place on a deck very ...
