[caption id="attachment_6902" align="alignright" width="300"] Summer nights and pools are the prefect match![/caption]
Pools are like relationships: complicated!
But a pool also is just like any other property investment: Maintain = Enjoy vs. Neglect = Regret.
Why It Matters: How Many Pools?
Pools are a big market all over the nation- and world! According to the Association of Pool and Spa...
[caption id="attachment_6872" align="alignright" width="300"] Morning coffee...and ruin, quietly brewed.[/caption]
Imagine.
A bright, warm spring morning after a drenching rain shower. You’re perusing the morning paper on your iPad, sipping a cup of coffee, when, out of the corner of your eye, you notice a small insect land lazily on the nearby window sill.
Where did that bug come from? ...
Alas, poor Yorick, he tested positive for mold. Well, not Yorick, but his abode. Yorick's home has mold, lots of mold, elevated levels of mold.
In this post, we review mold remediation, which is just a fancy way of saying “fixing the mold problem.”
And what, pray tell does nutella have to do with all of this? See our previous post about challenges of mold and how best to conduct a mold insp...
You’ve been there, right? Open the pantry, untie the bread bag, drop a slice on the counter, slather liberally with Nutella, commence to munch, and then...upon closer observation...realize that the treasured white slice has various shades of green and gray! Suppressing the urge to vomit, you wonder what fatal fungi you just consumed.
(OK, that’s not really the mold to which we refer, but we li...
It's time to hack your home organization. Here are some GENIUS home organization hacks that you have to try!
1. Drawer Organization
At just about $1.50 each, craft board from your local big box home store could be the answer to your drawer dilemmas. Just cut to size and paint and you'll have a custom drawer organizer. Source: KevinAndAmanda.com. We also love the idea we found on Pinterest.com to...
According to realtor.com, summertime ranks a quiet third when it comes to the best and most popular times to sell (Number 1 and 2 being spring and fall). However, there are some perks to the season of which you can take advantage - foliage is in full bloom, light pours through your home highlighting its features, and many people are simply smitten with the sunshine and are eager to call your place...
Question
What are those black flakes in my whirlpool tub?
Answer
Hold your stomach...
The black flakes are mold and mildew, bacteria from human skin, oils, soaps, and other junk (use your imagination) that have been allowed to spawn in residual water left behind within the piping from the last time the unit was used.
Whirlpool tubs don't drain completely after use; water remains in t...
Since we are currently "enjoying" a cold winter day (week), I thought it fitting to write a couple of posts on "winterization".
It is always interesting when I arrive at an inspection to find signs on the windows and doors, as well as the water heater and all of the plumbing fixtures, proclaiming the house to be "winterized."
So, what is winterizing, why is it done, and when should it be don...
August is a great time to address grading issues before fall and winter (when you might not be so enthused about spending time in the chilly air remedying water control issues).
What is grading?
We home inspectors tend to talk a lot about grading around the house, and its implications. What is grading? Simply put, the grade or grading around your house is the level of the ground. The ground leve...
This weekend many will commemorate Memorial Day. Yes, it's a day that many of us view as the official beginning of summer, marked by picnics, BBQs, and relaxing with friends and family. But Memorial Day was established to give us a time to honor and remember the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.
In addition to picnics and BBQs, here are five great ideas for things...