Posts Tagged ‘maintenance’
And, what is engineered wood flooring? I Googled up “Engineered flooring” and got About 30,900,000 results (0.98 seconds)
Technically, engineered wood is any wood product that is not solid wood. Producers of wood panel products like to call plywood the first engineered product. Plywood consists of thin veneers of wood that are stacked so that the grain of one layer, or ply, runs perpendicular to the plies above and below it. An adhesive is applied between the plies and they’re bonded together on a hot press.
It is nearly impossible for a home inspector to know how many layers of laminate flooring are involved or how many times it can sanded (if any). Sometimes we might find a left over piece of flooring somewhere on site. If we are really lucky there might be a box of it sitting around. Then, you can do some research to find out general care instructions.
Thanks to Home Inspector Kevin Rose for sharing this photo.
” The ENTIRE plumbing system was updated about 20 years ago” says the seller!
Bay Minette, 1950’s house.
Yet another good reason to get a home inspection. Are you going to go into the crawlspace under the home to inspect it?
Newer building dictates that there is a catch pan under the water heater if a leak will damage the interior materials and belongings.
I believe these folks misunderstood and inserted the can under the pipe over the water heater
Maybe they were getting ready to make an MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) and just needed to add some hot water?
I came across this outdoor a/c condensing unit the other day. It’s sitting on top of a high rise condominium along with 50+ other newer units. It was the last original one still standing in the large crowd. I believe the only thing holding it together was oxidization. For some reason it worked as well as a new unit as far as making the condo cold inside.
The more I use my infrared camera, the more problems I find and the bigger the benefit for everyone concerned. I have discovered it is not a perfect tool, but it is a great aid in detecting some problems. I currently use it mainly for moisture intrusion problems. Typically any home I suspect has a water problem, I will take my camera out of the car and use it. Between my infrared camera, moisture meter, and experience of inspecting thousands of homes, I get a little more comfortable with it and so should the buyers.
The digital picture on the left (top) looks normal as you view underneath the window banks. The infrared picture on the right (bottom) shows dark stains inside the wall as a result of moisture getting into the wall cavity and rearranging the insulation. Since the insulation has been moved, it created a difference in temperature, which is what we actually see.
There are a few HVAC insulation duct covers that don’t hold up well to our southern attics and sunshine. A recent home inspection revealed this problem. The current owner stated she just paid someone to fix her ducts but wasn’t able to get in the attic to check them. During our home inspection it didn’t take long to surmise she didn’t get everything she paid for. Approximately half the ducts had been poorly repaired and the other half nothing was done to. The outer plastic shell degrades quickly here and they loose some of there efficiency. You can see by the photo’s people will be paying to heat and cool their attic spaces.
This lower picture is another example of the attempted repairs
While inspecting this pool recently I had a friendly reminder, look before you leap. I started inspecting the leaf basket and drain, while lifting the top off I peeked under to find a frog giving a ride to a spider.
Frog rider
Remember to look first while cleaning your pool
WE were told that the pool company had fixed the pool and the closing was set for that afternoon. The buyer requested we check out the pool before closing…So we ran out to the home to find the pool water level was still to low to inspect it or the equipment. If you look close enough at these picture you can see the old and new water level had changed in the past few days.
Water level
Looks like they may need a new liner.
It is common practice here in the south to pour a cup of bleach down the a/c condensate drain line which can help in preventing an ugly water mess inside the home.
Check it out.
Ask The Home Inspector 