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Home Standards: Providing a Higher Standard of Service
Moisture Concerns from Window Wells
I periodically read in disclosure statements that water has entered the lower level through a window well. This normally happens in older homes, where the well does not have a drain system installed. In heavy rains, the window well may fill up and start to leak into...
Lead Water Pipes in Omaha
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...
Human Nature and the Brick
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...
Flashing Between Siding
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...
Ducts in a row
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 living...
Structural Anomalies
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....
Radon is Here to Stay
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...
Fireplace Fun and Function
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...
Buyer’s Expectations
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...