Harold Miller's (kelly1) Blog

It was a rainy Sunday and my wife and I were arriving home after a 6 hour drive from Spokane, WA. All we wanted to do is come home and relax before the start of a new work week. Our first clue that things weren't right was the garage door would not open. ......hmmm?  I get out of the car and let ...

Well it was a rainy day in the Pacific Northwest when my wife called to inform me that our basement carpet was sopping wet. I had just wrapped up an inspection an hours drive away, and proceeded directly home. In the meantime I talked my wife through some things to check. First we had to establis...

Why would anyone build a house so poorly that termites, wood boring beetles, ants, and wood rot fungi would easily infest the structure?  The answer is .......research and training. Washington State University and numerous sponsors have constructed what is called a "Structural Pest Research and D...

Most people do not know that their decks are improperly attached, when I find the defect during a home inspection. They assume that since they bought the house new, the code compliance officer should have made sure the builder installed it right. Seems logical, but the reality is that many detail...

                        Generator                                 Manual Transfer Switch With Fall and Winter storms approaching, and already one large wind storm under our belt for the season, many people may be considering the purchase of a generator. There are some very important safety consid...

Here in the Seattle area we are known to receive a fair share of precipitation. It is no surprise to me  when I crawl under a home and find ponding, pooling water. Modern homes typically have a footing drain installed around the exterior foundation perimeter during construction. Inside the space ...

Several months ago I was driving through Marysville, WA and saw a huge column of smoke rising into the air. I decided to alter my course towards the fire. I came upon a controlled burn being performed by the Marysville Fire Department. It was the first controled burn I had ever seen.I was surpris...

The other day a web developer saw the phone number on my truck, so he decided to call and ask if I needed a web site.  I already have a website (which is free) and politely declined his offer.  It got me started thinking about all the places I advertise for free on the internet. MICROSOFT OFFICE ...

These examples are from a 1989 one owner home. There was some significant deferred maintenance, which led to very serious consequences. This is not composition (LP, Weyerhauser, or Masonite) siding. This is real wood. The owners just did not pay any attention to the caulking and paint, so water w...

An old adage says "He who represents himself, has a fool for a client"  As much as this is true in the court room, it also carries into other aspects of our lives. Take the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) method of selling real estate as an example. In my ten years as an inspector, I have inspected nume...