Have you opened your windows to enjoy spring temperatures? [caption id="attachment_9900" align="alignright" width="300"] This is a big no-no if you're testing for radon.[/caption] Just be careful if you're testing for radon gas - opening windows or exterior doors can fail a Radon Gas Test! Closed-House Requirements If you are conducting a 48-hour Radon Gas Test... Close windows and ex...

The rain can tell you a lot about how affective the drainage is around your home and if the grading around your property is effectively directing water AWAY from your foundation. So, how does it work? Simple. Just wait for a nice steady rain and observe how water flows around your home. See the guide at the right for step-by-step instructions. During a heavy rain, is actually the perfect time...

If you're planning to list your home for sale, now is the perfect time to fix odds and ends. Over the last 30 years, our inspectors have witnessed just about everything, whether representing buyers with our Home Inspection or sellers with our Pre-Listing Inspection. We've learned that there are specific issues that must be fixed before listing because buyers not only will not like the proble...

Got the urge to plant and landscape? Be very careful...what you don't know could damage your property! The law of unintended consequences, which applies to life in general, applies to landscaping in particular.  In other words, planting over here could mean trouble over there. We've delivered over 1 million home inspections over the last 30+ years - here are some simple landscaping do's and don...

Most of us have seen cracks in our homes. Some of us may have even seen cracks appearing on the foundation of the home. But do you know how to tell if a crack is structurally deficient? There are many variations of cracks, but there are three primary cracks that are commonly found--vertical cracks, horizontal cracks and diagonal crack. The following overview of the basic types of cracks s...

A garage door auto reverse is pretty much what it sounds like - a system which forces the door to quickly reverse if it encounters an obstacle, like your car, your cat, your chihauhua, or your child. [caption id="attachment_7936" align="alignright" width="300"] Eventual outcome of garage door reversing mechanism failure.[/caption] You've probably seen the mechanism in action but haven't give...

No matter what the size of your home, most of us try to eek every last inch of square footage. "Between the studs" projects are a great way to accomplish just that. By utilizing the hidden space found between the studs in a wall, one can create a bookshelf, a closet, recessed display area - and just about anything else you can dream up that's 16 inches (sometimes 24 inches) wide! Plan ahead and be...

As beautiful weather is sweeping the nation, many of us are opening the windows to let all that fresh air in. But if you are conducting a radon test this week, it's not the time to let in a breeze. Did you know that opening your windows, even for a short period time, can not only impact your test results, but render the test invalid? Know The Facts About Radon Testing Closed-House Requirements ...

Do you have more than one water heater servicing your home? Are they side by side in the utility room/closet? Do you know the difference between series installed and parallel installed? Simply stated, 2 water heaters installed in Series means cold water enters the first heater, often referred to as upstream, and travels through the second heater, referred to as downstream, on it's way to the ...

One of the most often neglected homeowner duties a home inspection will reveal is that of maintenance of the clothes dryer venting system. It's very common, beginning behind the dryer, to find evidence of restriction and lint buildup indicating this as an area the homeowner has been ignoring. Continuing to the crawlspace, sometimes attic, and/or exterior will reveal further violations of the syste...