U.S. Inspect ~ Home Inspection Blog

ANSWER: Interesting choice for replacement part. "How in the heck did someone figure out their A/C could double as a BBQ? Brilliant!”- Jerry Blodgett, U.S. Inspect Calif.  Well, okay, they’re probably not using the A/C condensing unit as their BBQ, but this grille sure looks familiar? Nice fit, ...

A recently scheduled inspection for U.S. Inspect inspector Joe Donnelly began with these very clear instructions from a somewhat concerned, but very polite little homeowner. Joe thought this was too cute to pass up and decided to snap a picture to share with us (and we're glad he did!). He joked...

I recently came across an article in the local newspaper titled Smog Report: Clean Up The Air In Your Castle (5/15/2011). It's just one of the articles reprinted weekly from a national syndication. What I found interesting is the inference to the dangerous pollutants you may be exposed to in you...

Answer:  Gas Shutoff Valve Inside Firebox "Now where on earth did I put that gas key?" What you’re looking at is the interior of a gas log fireplace.The gas shutoff valve has been plumbed at the inside of the firebox. A much safer solution would be to have the valve completely outside the box, o...

Answer:  "Space Saving Setup" or maybe "Fold Your Clothes While You Tend To Business" A picture is worth a thousand words. Some pictures don’t even need a description. You decide for yourself why this might be beneficial, efficient, or inconvenient? Thanks to Jack Fuquay, of our Southeastern Flo...

I have read several blog posts lately on Active Rain about radon and some of the difficulties realtors encounter convincing homeowners of the necessity of determining home radon levels. Below is easy to understand data we've published in a flyer frequently delivered to our real estate community. ...

Answer: "Just didn't have time or tools to do it right." The outlet you are looking at is near an existing outdoor spa. It's too large to fit into the visible junction box. To make the arrangement “safe”, the installer protected the setup with a lot of electrician’s tape! The inspector who stumb...

Answer: Unacceptable Installation! There must have been a reason the installer of this water heater gas line looped it around the storage shelf framing? The picture just doesn't give us the benefit of the doubt. You decide and let us know your thoughts. At any rate, it's not an acceptable method...

This is a little delayed, as it was published on the 4th of July. I apologize. But, I thought it worth sharing with our readers. I've been on vacation and didn't read this until very recently. Happy Fourth of July everybody! On this holiday I thought we'd share a five-minute excerpt of an employe...

Answer: .....To Accomodate The Light Bulb! I suspect the homeowner thought long and hard about this dilemma. I'm curious to know which was installed first, the light or the door. At any rate, the problem was promptly solved with minimal disruption. Well, sort of..... Thanks to Bob Phillips from ...