by Home Standards | Apr 5, 2016 | Plumbing
The lead contamination problems in Flint, Michigan cause many of us to wonder about our own water. There is good reason to be concerned. After all, the problems that lead poisoning can cause children are profound and possibly life changing. There are lead pipes in the...
by Home Standards | Mar 28, 2016 | Plumbing, Roof
While inspecting a roof, I saw a brick near the furnace flue. I made my way over to investigate. I reached down to pick it up and realized it had been tarred to the roof. I came to the conclusion that the homeowner had put the brick there to secure the flashing...
by Home Standards | Mar 21, 2016 | Buildings Exterior
When you see stacked vertical siding, you must have a piece of metal flashing between the two pieces of siding (commonly known as drip edge) to keep out any possible water penetration. If not, you will usually find soft/deteriorated siding at the...
by Jon Vacha | Mar 8, 2016 | Uncategorized
In the photo there are two vent openings on the living room floor. One is a supply vent and one is a return vent. When vents like this are so close together they aren’t very efficient because they just cycle the air from one vent to another and not through the...
by Home Standards | Feb 18, 2016 | Newsletters
Recently, while inspecting the floor framing visible from an unfinished basement, I spotted something that 25 yrs of experience around lumber had never presented to me. I have seen several different types of defects in wood joists such as insect damage or wood decay....
by Steve Vacha | Jan 2, 2016 | Newsletters, Radon
Radon is Here to Stay By Steve Vacha Radon is here to stay, literally. The uranium dropped off by the glaciers millennia ago is buried deep in our soil. As many of us who have been around awhile know, nothing in our environment stays the same for long. Uranium...
by Jon Vacha | Nov 29, 2015 | Newsletters
Fireplace Fun and Function By Jon Vacha As the weather turns cold and families gather in living rooms, people start to turn on their fireplaces. Or they say- “We’ve never used that thing, I don’t even know if it works”. During a home inspection walk through we...
by Steve Vacha | Oct 22, 2015 | Newsletters
Buyer’s Expectations of the Home Inspection By Steve Vacha Expectations can be everything. If a person has an unrealistic expectation about anything, they will probably be disappointed. (Some of us football fans will never learn) When it comes to home...
by Steve Vacha | Aug 16, 2015 | Electric, Newsletters
Electrical Panel Concerns By Steve Vacha Most of us have an innate respect or fear of electricity. Be it our parents warning us about it from an early age or maybe having the outlet spark on us as we tried to plug in a damaged tool or appliance. Our homes today have...
by Steve Vacha | Jun 19, 2015 | Electric, Heating and Air, Newsletters
Energy Steve Vacha Where would we be without it? We only have to remember how out of sorts we get when there is a short power outage at our homes. The cost of energy is going up. We pay more and more to heat our homes and keep the lights on. The cost to the...
