Here we have a cape with a gable roof that dumps onto a two-story building behind it. This cape is one of 3 condos on this building. This neighborhood has 6 of these type structures. Looking at the roof do you see anything missing? Ans: It’s missing the drain waste ...
Why Choosing the Right Color for Exterior Doors Matters!
As you can see with door number one, which is west facing, the paint is noticeably peeling. The picture of door number two was taken with a thermal camera during the winter. The outside temperature that day was only 12 degrees but the temperature of the door was 144! You can see that the paint ...
Deck Inspections 101
One of the most important items of a home inspection is the deck. If the deck needs to be rebuilt, it can be very costly depending on the size, materials and damage if the current deck is not flashed properly. The focus of this article is the give you insight into some quick ...
House on the Move
Often I am asked by clients if I inspect structure. Many new homebuyers do not know what structure is or how it can be very important to have an inspector that knows what to look for with regards to structural defects. Structural problems may cost the buyer thousands of dollars to ...
Ice Dam Prevention
Observing a past small snow storm I could not help but notice how fast snow melted on some roofs. Have you ever noticed that an unheated shed, porch, or garage never has an ice dam? The main cause of ice dams has to do with proper insulation, ventilation and heat escaping from the building ...
Common garage firewall-related issues
A common problem that I see in older homes here in New Hampshire is the lack of a firewall on the shared wall with the home. See diagram below. When I notice this flaw, many realtors will often remark that the firewall requirement is “grandfathered in,” which means it was not required ...
Brick Veneer with Structural Problems
Structural problems are possibly the number one cause for a buyer to pass on the home. As a home inspector, we are limited to visual inspections only. Therefore, if the problem is not a visual one, we must rely on experience in detecting hidden structural problems. On a recent home ...
Thermal imaging quickly finds roof leaks
One week, two separate home inspections one with a new roof and one with a recently patched roof. Thermal imaging spotted two roof leaks that may have gone unnoticed. Moisture leaks are displayed in blue shadows. The first roof leak recently patched by “Chuck in the truck” as is ...
Protecting the Client
Update on the following article, this house became a tear down. During a recent home inspection came across a situation in the foundation walls that was a cause for concern. I noticed three of the four corners the block wall foundation had separation. By itself this is not a major ...
Septic Systems
Septic systems treat and disperse relatively small volumes of wastewater from individual and small numbers of homes and commercial buildings. Septic system regulation is usually a state and local responsibility. The EPA provides information to homeowners and assistance to state and local ...
