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ATN Inspection Services: Posted on Monday, April 25, 2011 11:27 AM
Maintaining your plumbing system. Tips
and Hints The average household plumbing system represents an investment of about fifteen percent of the value
of the house. No part of the house is more important. Nothing in the house is used more often. A smoothly functioning plumbing system is essential to a healthy and more convenient home. These tips and hints were written with the objective of helping home owners as well as renters keep
their plumbing systems in good operating condition. This list is a set of general guidelines and should not be relied upon as the sole source of your maintenance efforts. |
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Alton Darty: Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 5:44 AM
Defective electrical components Electrical systems in residential structures can and do require some attention over time. While the wiring itself will normally last a lifetime some of the other components of the system will require replacement. The National Association of Home Builders has published its research into the typical lifespan of building systems and components atInspectapedia site athttp://www.inspectapedia.comis a great source of information on all these panel types. Mr. Friedman goes into great detail and includes information from the Consumer Products Safety Commission and from a number of research facilities which have conducted testing on several of these panel brands. |
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Melinda Wenner Moyer as posted at www.redbook.com: Posted on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 12:15 PM
Is Your House Making You Ill? As the weather cools, we shut our windows and batten down the hatches. But we may be closing ourselves in with nasty chemicals. Read this and take easy steps to clean up indoor air pollution. By Melinda Wenner Moyer Most of us assume that when we walk into our homes, we slam the door on exhaust, secondhand smoke, and other air-pollution ugliness. In your own house, everything is safe and clean. Oh, if only. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), levels of about a dozen common chemical pollutants are two to five times higher inside homes than outside of them. |
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Alton Darty: Posted on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 7:38 AM
Did the report really say that the house is that bad, or is that what you are getting from the report? I have never said that a home is terrible in an inspection report, I always try to present the issues in a fair & unbiased manner and then allow the client to decide for themselves. Let’s examine some possibilities & see where it takes us. When I hear this from someone my first thought is that the inspector gave a long list of problems, many of which were probably minor issues, and now the buyer is overwhelmed by the sheer number of problems identified. |
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Alton Darty: Posted on Monday, October 18, 2010 3:15 AM
The electrical system of the home usually does not receive any attention at all unless there is a problem. When was the last time that you actually checked the TEST function of the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) in your home? As long as the breakers are not tripping or the GFCI doesn't need to be reset what can you do to check the system anyway right? There are a number of areas of the electrical system that should be checked on a normal basis. |
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Alton Darty: Posted on Monday, October 18, 2010 2:52 AM
Ok, I have just about finished getting ready for colder weather. I have throughly cleaned and serviced my furnaces, cleaned the gutters, and re caulked some windows and doors. I spent some time in my attic checking the ductwork to make sure that everything looked ok. While I was in the attic I also checked around for insulation that might have moved out of place and I made sure that all my attic vents were still unblocked. I also checked the attic for any sign of leaks since this spring and in general just gave the entire attic some attention to make sure that everything was as it should be. |
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Alton Darty : Posted on Thursday, October 14, 2010 3:10 AM
Buying a home is stressful, and expensive. Taxes, insurance, earnest money, appraisals. Everybody has their hand out for some of your hard earned money. The home inspector should only be concerned with being fair and impartial. The inspection should reveal problems & issues without downplaying any problems or without overstating any issues found. In todays real estate market there are normally plenty of homes for sale in any area. Recent sales trends have left us with a buyers market, and buyers can get some really good deals on homes right now. |
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