Home Inspector Blog - Columbus Indiana Home Inspector

Deck Safety Month

4/30/2021

May is National Deck Safety Month and I wanted to take this opportunity to educate people on the importance of maintaining and inspecting your decks. On average, there are 300 hospital visits per year due to deck failure. In 2013, a deck in New Albany, Indiana collapsed with 26 people on the deck, sending 25 to the hospital. See the video from that collapse.

It is important to inspect your deck annually. Look for wood decay, loose railing, and check posts to make sure they aren't fastened with nails or small screws. Call Excellent Home Inspections with any questions.

Automatic Garage Door Opener Safety

3/2/2021

A common defect, found on any age home, is automatic garage door photo eyes installed more than six inches off of the floor. Photo eyes are a safety feature required by the government agency Consumer Protection Safety Council on automatic garage door openers manufactured after 1990. This was mandated because approximately 73 children annually between the ages of 2 and 14 were trapped and killed by automatic garage doors. Furthermore, photo eyes installed greater than six inches may be too high for a child to break the beam and force the door to go back up.

Freestanding Cooking Ranges : Anti-tip device

2/12/2021

Anti-tip brackets are devices designed to prevent freestanding cooking ranges from tipping. They are normally attached to a rear feet of the range, but can also be screwed into the wall behind the range. Furthermore, they are included in all range installation kits. A freestanding range that is not equipped with these devices, may tip over if enough weight is applied to its open door. A falling range can injure, scald, or burn anyone caught beneath.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were 143 incidents caused by range tip-overs from 1980 to 2006 and 33 of those incidents resulted in death. Imagine a small child standing on an open range door in order to see what is cooking on the stovetop and accidentally cause the entire unit to fall on top of them, along with whatever hot items may have been cooking on the stovetop. This is not just a hazard for children, but adults too have been injured by ranges tipping over.
In response to this danger, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) created standards in 1991 that require all ranges manufactured after that year to be capable of remaining stable while supporting 250 pounds of weight on their open doors. Manufacturers' instructions, too, require that anti-tip brackets provided be installed. Despite these warnings, retailer Sears estimated in 1999 that a mere 5% of the gas and electric units they sold were ever equipped with anti-tip brackets. As a result of Sears’ failure to comply with safety regulations, they were sued and subsequently required to secure ranges in nearly 4 million homes, a measure that has been speculated to have cost Sears as much as $500 million.

Asbestos

2/10/2021

Asbestos is a mined mineral that was a commonly used material used through the late 1970's because it was very durable, cheap, and heat resistant. But, in 1960's it was determined to cause lung cancer and asbestosis (a scaring of the lungs). (source) In Indiana, a general home inspection excludes the identification of asbestos containing products, because it was in so many products and can only be positively determined by a lab. Furthermore, taking such a sample would require a Licensed Asbestos Inspector and permission by the homeowner or seller. While I am not licensed to do asbestos sampling, I can put you in contact with a Licensed Asbestos Inspector that can perform this service.
US EPA says that as long as the material is in good condition and not releasing fibers in the air, that you should leave it alone. (source) If you choose to remove asbestos containing products, then the removal and disposal must be removed by a licensed asbestos removing contractor.

8 Ways to Reduce your energy bill without replacing a furnace

11/20/2020

One Weekend DIY Projects to Increase Your Home Value

8/21/2020

Six Things Homeowners Should Fix Before Selling their home

8/3/2020

Roof leaks
Water in the basement
Clean up suspected mold
Fix foundation issues
Make sure all electrical junction points are in a junction box.
Make sure all windows open, close, lock, and none of the glass is broken.

ANTS!!

4/17/2019

Ants swarm during the spring, summer, or fall. The best way to prevent ants from invading your house is to locate and destroy their nest. Look in the soil around the building’s foundation.
One way to prevent ants in the home is an ant defense insecticide, which I personally use on my own home during late April or early May. You should read and follow manufacturer's label directions. Unfortunately, I forgot to do it last year and ended up hiring Burt's Pest Control. They did a fantastic job, though.

I've had varying levels of success with commercial baits. Just be careful installing them with pets and small children. To that end, there are a number of home remedies like borax in a dish, but with pets and children I can't endorse this practice.

I hope you've found this helpful. Check out my Facebook page for future articles - www.facebook.com/excellenthomeinspector/.

Inspection Checklist

6/25/2018

When you were a teenager you dressed up for prom and perhaps tried to lose a few pounds to make you look more attractive. The same goes for selling your house. You don't want potential buyers to think your house is ugly or undesirable. Unfortunately, I see too many good homes not sell because the home had so many items that needed repaired. Below are some defects that are easy to identify to help make the inspection go smoother. No these aren't the only items a home inspector are going to look for, but they are items that most homeowners can identify. If you would like help identifying defects, call me to schedule a Seller's Consultation, which is less expensive than a full home inspection.

Repair any broken or cracked windows.
Replace missing or damaged roof shingles.
Replace any cracked plumbing boots on the roof.
Fix any other roof leaks.
Clean the roof gutters of leaves and other debris.
Replace any missing electrical covers (receptacles or light switches).
Make sure GFCI's are functioning
Make sure all electrical junction points are in junction boxes with covers - check attics, basements, garages.
Make sure all lights are functioning, which may only require replacing light bulbs.
Fix plumbing leaks - look under sinks, around the toilet, basement, crawlspace.
Stop any water intrusion into the basement.
Consider replacing damaged vinyl siding.
Clean up any potential mold after water intrusion has stopped. Mold can also be encapsulated with special paint, too.
Fix any item that is not functioning. For instance, air conditioner, furnace, sump pump, water heater, waste disposal, garage door opener, etc.

I don't want to be SPAM'd

4/9/2018

I HATE telemarketer phone calls. This statement may feel like a duh moment, but it is why I don't share my client's data (name, phone number, or email address) with home warranty companies, home security companies, or Porch. Unfortunately, some home inspectors are sharing your phone number with these companies and more. So when you are searching for a home inspector, ask the question, "do you share my phone number with any third party." When you ask me, it will be a resounding, "NO."