HIABC
Electrical
Furnace
Home Inspection
Leaky Condo
Maintenance and Repair
Mold and Mildew
Plumbing
Roofing and Flashing
Smoke Detectors
The Gold Standard
By: Brendan Ryan, ACI
The ASHI Certification Committee recently released certification documents to all members who have attained ACI status. The documents unveiled the new Certified Inspector gold seal logo and included marketing information.
Use of the acronym ACI after the name of an ASHI Certified Inspector is allowed and verifiable by having completed an NCCA accredited certification program.
The distinctive gold standard logo and ACI acronym provide marketing opportunitie...
More
Home Inspection
Postcards from the Field
Roofing and Flashing
It was a great August. I had the opportunity to travel throughout Europe, starting in Paris, and driving through parts of Italy, then taking the ferry to Croatia, driving through Bosnia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany and ending up in the Netherlands. During that time I didn’t take my “home inspector” glasses off though. I couldn’t help but marvel at the longevity of some of the structures, and notice some of the ingenious methods builders of time past used to keep their structures living a ...
More
Home Inspection
Leaky Condo
Roofing and Flashing
So, you're looking at purchasing a home or condo? You can save a little bit of time and trouble by looking outside before you get excited about hardwood floors and big closets in the inside. Although I like those things too, having a keen look at your windows, roofing flashing, and how your sundeck is covered can save you lots of time and trouble in the future. It can also rule out a possible purchase before the home inspector is called.
Here's a few things to look for:
Covered Sundecks
A pro...
More
Maintenance and Repair
Mold and Mildew
Plumbing
Remove all old caulking and clean tub ledge and wall
Place masking tape on tub edge, approximately 3/16 of an inch away from the wall.
Place masking tape about 3/16 of an inch up the wall around the tub.
Fill tub with water to the overflow height.
Place caulking between tub and wall joint around tub.
Get some liquid dish soap and stick your finger into soap and smooth off caulking. Allow extra caulking to go onto masking tape.
Remove masking tape while still wet.
Leave water in tub till c...
More
Home Inspection
Leaky Condo
Maintenance and Repair
Mold and Mildew
Plumbing
Roofing and Flashing
Smoke Detectors
Spring Maintenance Tips for Your Home
Replace your furnace filter
Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and air filter
Check your electrical system
Always have a multi-purpose fire extinguisher accessible.
Make sure the light bulbs in all your fixtures are the correct wattage
Review your fire escape plan with your family
Consider installing a lightning protection system on your home
Protect all your electrical appliances from power surges and lightning
Have a professional air conditioning cont...
More
Before you start steam cleaning the carpets, getting the blinds cleaned, organizing the cupboards, it’s a good idea to improve your interior air quality. The indoor air we breathe is often dirtier and more polluted than the visible pollution we endure outside. Poor indoor air quality can cause such problems as asthma, respiratory allergies and aggravated emphysema.
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have been shown to act as a collection source for a variety of contamina...
More
Foundations
Mold and Mildew
This week we encountered a wet crawlspace. Having my handy-dandy smart phone on the job really works these days. I took a picture of all (or at least most) of the culprits, and they create a story....
More
