Inspector Brian's Blog

I see this quite often in older homes, and sometimes (believe it or not) the buyer does not care, and wants to roll the dice and try and live with it for a few more years.It seems that lately I have had a string of issues come up where my opinion of the condition of something was vastly different...

Am I being Used? This is what I have been asking myself for the last few days  before an inspection. The Client called and made the appointment for the home inspection, but seemed more excited about getting in the house and moving the current occupants belongings and searching the home for drugs....

I like Toms comment , this is pretty common on older homes in our area. The bear doo doesn't last long in our climate. Thanks Charles I have done lots of posts about flashings that seal around the pipes that go through roofs. At a recent inspection there were no flashings at all on any of the pi...

FOUNDATION CERTIFICATIONS provides an array of engineering services to the manufactured home industry.We provide support with your manufactured home transactions by providing an Engineer's Foundation Certifications.We have the most streamlined order process that wasdesigned with you in mind. Ther...

I have had a few inspections this week where HUD is not dewinterizing the homes and leaving it up to the buyer,who in turn expects me the inspector to do it. Sounds easy enough, just turn the valve on right? I wonder why the people that dewinterize charge upward of $250 (the same as my inspection...

Sadly, People trust the contractors and believe if it is new, that nothing will be wrong and therefore an inspection is not needed. I have not done as many new construction or phase inspections recently since the economic slow down, but a few years ago in the "hay day" they were building so fast ...

Charles always has creative bogs and this one pertains to life in general. The analogy is great and I would hope that everyone would take the risk of getting on the right bus. Now I have to assume that no one in their right mind really wants to get hit by a bus---but it does represent what it tak...

Water expands as itfreezes, which putstremendous pressureon metal orplastic pipes. Nomatter how strong a pipe is expandingwater can causethem to break.Pipes that freeze most frequently are those thatare exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hoses,swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkler lines,a...

There was a time when the only remedy for sinking sidewalks or uneven foundations was to tear out the old pavement slab and pour a new one, and spend a great deal of time and money in the process. Today, a less intensive alternative known as mudjacking (also called concrete leveling, pressure gro...

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow from draining. As water backs up behind the dam, it can leak through the roof and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and other areas.   How do ice dams form?   Ice dams are formed by an interaction be...