What a treat it was to inspect this house built in 1750 – yes, 1750! Before we were even an independent nation. There were some issues, of course, and new additions and upgrades. But overall, the craftsmanship and quality from 270 years ago was just incredible. In addition to this home, last week […]
Gutter Guards/Leaf Filters … do they work? What is your experience with them? Despite the August heat, fall will be upon us soon and with that comes what seems like 10 million falling leaves. Many homes now have gutter guards on them, ideally to prevent leaves and debris from accumulating inside the gutters. But do
The woes of a wet crawl space… A high moisture reading of 32% was noted on the flooring structure in this crawl space. Typical industry standards state that wood flooring structures should be between 9% to 14%. High levels of wood moisture can cause warping, cracking, buckling, diminished wood strength, and fungal growth. Since crawl
This image can strike fear in the hearts of buyers, sellers, and agents alike. The issue here is called “stair stepping cracks” and they can occur in any foundations with joints and mortar (brick, cement). The good news is that stepping cracks are not an automatic deal-breaker. They CAN be repaired in most cases. The
May is National Deck Safety Month – and there is a reason deck safety gets a whole month. Nearly 5 in 10 decks are past their useful life and need to be repaired or replaced. Frankly, from a home inspection standpoint, decks in North Carolina almost always seems to have issues and some of them
Your home has a relentless enemy – do you know what it is? Water, water, water. Did the recent heavy rains turn the leaves in your gutters into mush? It’s very important to make sure your gutters are clear and that the water that accumulates has a way to exit down and away from your
Can you tell what is going on in this crawl space? Notice the dark spots on the foundation wall and the white wave-like deposits directly under the dark spots? Those white deposits are salt/mineral stains and are a phenomenon called “efflorescence”. Efflorescence is found when conditions inside the foundation are repeatedly wet and dry from water
It’s subtle, but can you tell what’s wrong in this picture? There is mild efflorescence (white salt stains) on the chimney. This means that there are either issues with the chimney’s masonry, sealants, or the chimney cap (or a combination). In this case, there are cracks in the masonry toward the top that are allowing
Our inspector, Rick Doherty, is diligently following all guidelines set by the state inspector association to ensure your safety (and his). Those guidelines include wearing disposable latex gloves and wiping down anything he touches with sanitizer wipes. It is also recommended at this time that real estate agents and buyers do not attend home inspections.
What an attentive audience! I had fun presenting to the residents of Fearrington Village who are considering selling their homes. They asked great questions about what a home inspector does, what to expect on reports, and how to make quick and easy fixes to your home before listing. For example, making sure your light bulbs
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