HABITEC's Blog

When completing home inspections in the Nashville area, HABITEC Home and Building Inspectors check the service entrance conductors for proper attachment to the exterior meter panel or main panel.  Look at the pic below.  What's wrong? HINT:  Settling soil can be a powerful force. ANSWER:  Settlem...

HABITEC offers home and building inspections in Nashville and Middle Tennessee.  Almost all home inspections involve an attic staircase.  What's wrong with the pictures below? HINT:  Both staircases are in the same home.  In the pic below the ladder seems a bit short.   In the pic below the ladde...

 Mold and the empty house. Lately the issue of mold and the empty house has come to the forefront on Nashville area home inspections.  Unfortunately because there are obviously a lot of empty houses on the market.  The problems come when the owner, an individual who has moved already, or a bank, ...

How can you tell if a structure has single phase electrical power or three phase?  And what is the difference?  And what is a phase anyway?  Hint:  If its three, its one.  And if its four, its 3!  See the pic below. Answer:  Look at the electrical masts near the center of the picture.  There is a...

Light bulbs in a closet can be very helpful.  So what's wrong with this picture? HINT:  Light bulb temperatures can reach 150 degrees!   ANSWER:  Incandescent light bulbs in closets should be enclosed in a protective bulb and maintain minimum spacing to combustibles.  Failure to do so has been bl...

Chimney Caps are sometimes difficult to see from the ground.  But from rooftop, like we see in a Nashville area home inspection, they are easier to see and a lot can be learned from that view.  Look at the pic below of the missing chimney cap.  What's wrong with this picture?  HINT:  Where is the...

If you get a chance to go the New York City you might want to stop by Ground Zero to see what's going on.  Below is a pic of one of the new buildings going up on the site of the former World Trade Center.  This is what can be seen above the ground.  There is a large portion of the underground com...

At Nashville Home and Building Inspections, LLC, we are frequently involved in the process of inspecting walls of a home or building.  So one day on a recent trip to NYC, I went looking for one of the most famous walls in the world, the wall that gave Wall Street its name.  Hence the blog - Where...

HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, is pleased to announce the completion of another 6 hour course in Continuing Education for REALTORS licensed in Tennessee!   Thursday, August 12, 2010,  29 REALTORS participated in the TREC-approved course for Tennessee Home Inspection.  Lunch was serve...

WARNING - IF YOU ARE SQUEEMISH, DO NOT LOOK AT THESE PICTURES! What happens when a toilet leaks below the toilet?  Sure, that can be bad, but how bad can it be?  Brace for the following pics, because it can be real bad. In the pics below the wood has rotted and mold-like material has developed, t...