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Leaks around skylights is not always about water
Skylights represent a host of problems: from installation issues, to energy efficiency issues. Why someone would put something of so little resistance to heat loss at the warmest place in the room is...
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Don’t you just hate masonry chimneys?
Perhaps the most important component of a chimney is the Crown (mortar cap) around the flue at the top of the chimney—-and a proper hat on the flue itself. This post is not about the kinds of damage...
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You want me to guess how much longer the roof will last?
One of the most common things a buyer wants to know about the house is, “How old is the roof.” This is code for, “How much longer will the roof last.” A little past its expected life These questions...
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Nothing but crap on TV anyway!
When something is not quite right on a home inspection—-it usually just does not “feel” right. When I went up on this roof, the following “defect” looked so “normal” that it did NOT jump right out at...
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Why is water coming out of the bathroom vent fan? Your Seattle Home Inspector...
A lot of the defects we find as home inspectors involve installations where someone knows that something is necessary but either doesn’t know quite how to do it properly or tries to make something work...
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When you have to go—you have to go!
At an inspection a while back, my buyer asked me what this pipe sticking out of the side of the garage was. Based on the washed away area (impact mark) on the ground under the pipe, I said that it was...
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Not crazy—just checking my gutters!
This porch roof slopes badly. While the picture doesn’t really do justice as to how much it slopes, I think you will still be able to understand my point. Look at the gutter. Can you see how the...
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When was the last time you pressure washed your roof—and was it the last time?
Just a little double entendre in the title to start you thinking. Every now and then roofs need cleaning. A simple Google search of companies that pressure-wash roofs in the Seattle area, reveals that...
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The latest in urban gardens?
Probably not. It is also not a picture of the one cloudless day in Seattle this past summer either. This is a gutter on a building with a very steep roof and very high gutters. These are rather...
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Nail Guns vs Hammers
Like any tool–pneumatic nail guns can be misused. Having spent a good part of my life framing houses, I would argue that for framing–nail guns are of little value. Sure they are faster, but you still...
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Sometimes it is the little details that make all the difference—know when to...
Today’s post is about one such little detail. In this case the risk of its being a “big deal” is small but I have seen similar installations where, over time, considerable damage does occur. This is a...
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A case of nothing ventured—nothing gained.
Before anyone can leave a comment on my blog on my website, there are hoops the commenters must jump through. These hoops are designed to reduce the number of spam comments but also so that I can have...
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Why does the edge of my roof look like a health food snack?
Why does the edge of my roof look like a health food snack? When OSB sheathing gets wet it acts like a sponge. And while I am picking on OSB because it is worse, this kind of damage can also happen to...
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Two approaches to wrong
The roof on a building I inspected a while ago had two steps where the elevation of the roof changed. Both were flashed improperly. The metal flashing at this transition should never be a continuous...
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I’ve got hard, wind-driven rain in my tool bag!
Rain can often be the inspector’s friend. While it might not make for the most comfortable of inspections–especially a typical rainy winter day in Seattle–rain can often give the inspector information...
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The futile business of cleaning gutters.
As long as people insist on not installing gutter-guard systems on their homes, the gutters will insist on regular maintenance—and even then will still require some maintenance. So what does “regular...
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I’ve got hard, wind-driven rain in my tool bag!
Rain can often be the inspector’s friend. While it might not make for the most comfortable of inspections–especially a typical rainy winter day in Seattle–rain can often give the inspector information...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The futile business of cleaning gutters.
As long as people insist on not installing gutter-guard systems on their homes, the gutters will insist on regular maintenance—and even then will still require some maintenance. So what does “regular...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dimensional Shingles on Low Slope Roofs
A while back, I inspected a new construction home that had dimensional asphalt shingles installed. It had a dormer on one side that had a 3/12 slope. The odd thing was the shingles were not...
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