The Helpful Inspection Blog
Deuteronomy 22:8 &The Code of Hammurabi
Unless you study the Bible, you may not recognize the name Hammurabi. However, most folks will recall the Bible's Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. Written by Moses in approximately 641 – 609 BC, chapter 22 verse 8...
There is a lot of confusion in the world of Real Estate Sales and Inspections about Ground Fault Circuit Interruption (GFCI or GFI) protection & devices. The average home buyer has no or only a vague understanding of what these are or when and where they are needed.
Yes, exhaust fans are important! Whether located in a bath, laundry area or at the cook top you really should use them. Exhaust fans are needed to remove warm moist air from the house. I the south Texas area we already have enough humidity!
Many of you have heard of infrared (IR) cameras and the supposed unbelievable feats they can perform, but most have not taken the time to uncover the real truth about them. In 2010 a Canadian television celebrity, d.b.a. Mike Holmes, declared himself to be the leading authority of the home...
The following information is for anyone who has suffered damage from a hurricane or tropical storm or flash flood of any nature. There are several things to be done to get the recovery process moving and some things have priority over the others. What I hope to do here is provide you with...
What does WPI-8 mean? What is it? Who needs and why?
I get those and similar questions often. If you are moving to the Texas coastal area from just about anywhere else you have probably never hear of a WPI-8. I’m sure somebody in the Texas Home Insurance industry...
Fold down attic access stairs are often poorly installed. It is likely that if your home was built before 2006, the fold-down stairs to the attic are improperly installed. It is rare but I have personally witnessed two of the assemblies fall with men climbing on them. Fortunately the men...
First of all and most importantly, you should know that galvanized water pipes are going to leak. It takes a while but is basically inevitable. Galvanized steel pipes corrode over time and eventually leak. In a worst case scenario one will burst – usually during a hard freeze.
Were you aware of this? Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) created standards in 1991 that require all freestanding ranges manufactured after that year to be able to support 250 pounds of weight on their open oven doors.
Dryer fires are not something most us us ever think about. However, they are much more common than you might think. Over 2500 residential fires per years are caused by dryer lint fires. Here are two links for you to consider. The first is about the stats on these fires. The second is about an...
Before we can get far into this topic you need to understand the difference between step flashing and continuous flashing. Step flashing is metal flashing, usually galvanized steel but sometimes copper or other metals, and it is normally 10” wide by 7” long. It is bent at a 90...
Reading reviews and checking references will help you inspect the person inspecting the home you want to buy.
Before you buy a home, it’s always a good idea to get a professional home inspection. In most cases, you can make your purchase contract contingent on a...
Home buyers and their agents should make an effort to be sure a home is ready to be inspected before the inspector shows up. Many times I have gotten to a job and discovered that for one reason or another some part of the inspection could not be completed because the home was not ready....
I’ll try to keep this short but it is a concern that comes up from time to time while inspecting houses in South Texas. It is not unusual to see water stains or even black moldy looking areas near or around A/C vents or “registers” as they are called in the trade. I’m...
This is a very simple yet apparently confusing topic. Many home inspectors and quite a few plumbers and HVAC techs use the terms interchangeably and don’t really understand the difference. The general home buyer gives me a blank stare when I mention the need for and lack of a sediment...
Water heaters are one of those things that are taken for granted because they are generally very reliable. Most residential water heaters in my area (Texas) use either gas or electricity to heat the water which is stored in a tank and reheated as needed. There are also tankless water...
These things may cause a need to water your foundation. If you use a soaker hose, keep it 18” to 24” away from the slab and allow capillary action to wick water back to the slab. A soaker hose placed against the slab can wash away soil needed for support and/or cause small sink...
Effective the first of January, 2012 the State of Texas has adopted and supposedly will begin enforcing the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). It is hoped that the implementation of this code will "result in the optimal utilization of fossil fuel and nondepletable resources in...
Why should I have a new home inspected? This question is asked often but not often enough. One thing I have learned over the years is there are no perfect houses. No matter who your builder is or how many "City" inspections it has had, some things were missed that will be important to a...
Electric service drops from a power pole to a home should be at least 10 ft. above the ground or 12 ft. above a driveway. The one in this photo is over the ground but just inches away from the driveway. The pole you see propped against the service drop is a 10 ft pole. Obviously this service...
