We found these problems with this chimney during a recent home inspection. The base flashing had been removed and someone painted on roofing cement in an ill attempt to stop water leaks. From the ground these repairs looked a little off, but nothing very alarming. My home inspector antennae went up just enough to make sure I got a closer look. These repairs have been leaking for sometime and there is an unknown amount of wood rot surrounding the chimney in the attic. The chim

The more I use my infrared camera, the more problems I find and the bigger the benefit for everyone concerned. I have discovered it is not a perfect tool, but it is a great aid in detecting some problems. I currently use it mainly for moisture intrusion problems. Typically any home I suspect has a water problem, I will take my camera out of the car and use it. Between my infrared camera, moisture meter, and experience of inspecting thousands of homes, I get a little more comf

Our governing bodies from Florida & Alabama tell us we do not have to light any gas appliances. It is an individual inspectors choice weather we choose to light them or merely say, “it’s beyond our scope” and let it go. Tommy, a good friend of mine and fellow inspector and myself choose to light these appliances. As you can see from the picture it’s not always a good safety idea to do so. He took this picture of the exploded gas line into the fireplace after turning the gas d

#inspection #maintenance #flashing #leaks #water

Some things I can write-up on an inspection before I even get to the property. Among those items is the electrical wire for the water heaters. It is seldom installed in a conduit for protection. Many of these heater locations are in the garage and laundry rooms where all kinds of clothing, tools and miscellaneous items are hanging off from this exposed wire. This picture is one from today on a brand new home. So, if your wire at the water heater or elsewhere is exposed to hum

While inspecting this pool recently I had a friendly reminder, look before you leap. I started inspecting the leaf basket and drain, while lifting the top off I peeked under to find a frog giving a ride to a spider. Frog rider Remember to look first while cleaning your pool #inspection #maintenance #home #spider #frog #pool

I recently inspected this home built in the early 1970’s. The ceiling was a textured type and it looked like the older Celotex type covering. It felt more like Styrofoam. So, I found a loose piece of about 2″ square and brought it home to do some research. I got out a lighter and held it onto the piece for seconds – it didn’t stop burning and smoking for over a minute! #home #inspection #safety #smoke