Home Inspector Blog - Columbus Indiana Home Inspector

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.

One Weekend DIY Projects to Increase Your Home Value

8/21/2020

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/.

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."

Interviewing home inspectors

1/1/2018

All inspectors are not created equal, yet many homebuyers assume that when they go searching for a home inspector. That's why the first question I almost always get from a homebuyer is, "what's your price?" This is a BIG mistake. I have spoken to many home sellers that said they wish they had hired me on their first inspection. I recommend asking inspectors the following questions:

How long have you been in business? The more experience, the better. I would not hire anyone with less than 200 inspections under their belt.
How long are your inspection reports? While normal people don't want to read a 75 page report, I don't recommend any inspector that writes ten page reports. My reports typically range from 20 to 35 pages and include many photos.
How does the state of Indiana define what is a "defect"? Surprisingly, the exam the state makes home inspectors take does not include this question. The response all home inspectors should give is, "items that do not function (for instance plumbing leaks), unsafe conditions (fire hazards, electrocution hazards, etc), and items near the end of their useful life." If he or she cannot answer this question correctly, then how are you going to know what is or is not a "defect".
How long do you expect the inspection to take? My inspections usually take between 3 to 4 hours, but can be shorter. However, I have never done a 30 minute inspection on any house. The exterior typically takes me 30 minutes.
I offer the InterNACHI "Buy Your House Back Guarantee", Free Termite Inspection with a home inspection, and I use thermal imaging to help me find leaks. Ask the other guys how they are different or better than that?
Do you have E and O insurance? The state does not require it, but I carry it because I feel that it is the responsible thing to do.

6 Reasons a house does not sell

7/11/2017

Houses are bought by people who all have different reasons for liking or disliking a home. While you can't change the location of your home or the number bedrooms however, there is a list of items that can help sell your home faster and for more money. Here is a list of items you should consider when selling your home. An experienced realtor should be able to help you with this list.

No Curb Appeal
If a house is blocked by over grown or dead brush and trees, then buyers may never come see the home. Additionally, you need to make sure the house is properly painted with an appealing color.

Scary Paint Colors
Some people like yellow or a young girl may like pepto-pink, but it is a reason people don't buy homes everyday. The solution is to re-paint walls with neutral colors like light gray and tan. This is very inexpensive and a quick fix.

Yuck
Nearly everyone starts the day by showering or bathing, because you want to be presentable. In the same way, people are attracted to cleaner homes. This means during showings there cannot be dishes in the sink, dirt cloths on the floor, unmade beds, unclean floors, or dust on the furniture. I know this seems pedestrian, but it matters to buyers. If the carpet is really dirty, have it professionally cleaned or replaced. Believe it or not, you will get it back in the sales price.

Reduce the Clutter
Many sellers are moving to larger homes because they have outgrown their current home. Buyers can't always see beyond the items in the home. If there is too much furniture or kids toys, then the house won't sell as quickly. Don't forget about the garage. People in Indiana want a place to park their car out of the winter snow and ice. If you can't park your car in the garage, then the buyers will think they can't do it either. For me, I moved items into a storage unit for a month while my house was on the market.

Trying to Sell without a Realtor
It's been proven time and time again, houses sell faster and for more money when listed with a quality Realtor. Realtors market your home, help you decide what price point to list your house at, help you identify the right way to stage your home, and negotiate on your behalf. It makes no sense to sell a home without a Realtor.

Waiting for the Buyer's Home Inspection
When you wait for the home inspection to be done after the offer, you can get side swiped with requests to repair defects. Some defects sellers don't know exist, others may not be all that important. If you get a pre-listing inspection, then you can preemptively make repairs. This gives you time to make repairs yourself or find price conscious contractors and repair people.

Are the Repairs Completed?

5/22/2017

So you negotiated a bunch of repairs and feeling good about yourself. But, were these repairs completed and completed correctly? Sometimes yes, but sometimes no. It's scary to think someone would agree to make repairs, then not complete them. You could end up with safety hazards and not know it.

How do you protect yourself? First, since repairs should be completed by contractors like electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and so on, ask for receipts. Sometimes the sellers will try to fix electrical issues themselves, but the odds are pretty good that they will do it wrong. Moreover, there is a reason electricians go to school and require a test to become an electrician. You wouldn't ask an electrician to make a gourmet meal or fly a commercial airliner. Why would you be ok with a seller making electrical repairs?

If they cannot come up with invoices, then pay me to have a repairs inspection. Cost is minimal and I have seen repairs that make me shake my head. For instance, one time the repairs to the electrical panel which disconnected power to one bedroom. That's right no power to the receptacles, light fixture, or ceiling fan. Good thing my client hired me.

Call me when you are ready for an Excellent Home Inspection.

Ten Facts about mold

4/24/2017

Mold is a word that strikes fear in many people. There are stories of people becoming very sick because of mold, but I think it is important to be armed with the best information available. Here is a list of facts about mold in homes.

Mold and mold spores are everywhere, even in every home in America. Mold spores are the seed that starts mold growth and they enter the home on our cloths, during the building process, and open windows. According to the US EPA, "There is no practical way to completely eliminate mold spores from indoor environments."
There is no acceptable level of mold inside per the US EPA website. Generally, everyone has a different tolerance for mold. Also, mold can cause asthma attacks, runny nose, watery eyes, and more. If you have someone in your family that is sensitive to mold, then you should have a mold remediation company inspect and test your home for mold.
Mold needs three things to grow; mold spore, the right temperature range, and moisture. We already know that mold is everywhere. Also, mold thrives in the same temperature range we keep our homes. So the only thing we can control is moisture. This means not just standing water in the basement, but also humidity. According to US EPA, you want to keep indoor relative humidity under 60%. This means turning on your bathroom exhaust fan during and shortly after showers. It also may require you to have a dehumidifier in your basement or crawlspace.
According to the Center for Disease Control, no one knows exactly how many species of molds exist.
Molds can be black, white, green, or other colors.
Mold can be in plain sight or hidden in walls, furnace duct work, under carpet, or other inaccessible areas.
The only way to truly identify mold is with lab testing. Yes, seeing black on drywall in the basement is a visible sign you may have a mold problem, but you cannot be 100% sure that it is mold without lab testing.
Mold can grow on paper products, wood, ceiling tiles, cardboard, dust, paints, wallpaper, fabric, and upholstery, according to the CDC.
Dead mold spores can cause allergic reactions according to the US EPA.
If you have a small amount of suspected surface mold it can be remediated with products like Concrobium Mold Control or simply removing the effected area. If you have larger areas, it is a good idea to should seek the help of a mold remediation company.

For more information see www.epa.gov/mold and www.cdc.gov/mold. Note: I am not a mold remediation contractor and my inspections exclude mold detection and identification.

I'm good and i back it up...

4/17/2017

Why do you spend the money for an inspection? Because you don't want to buy the money pit, but what if your home inspector isn't very good? You could still be stuck with the money pit, which is why most inspectors don't offer this service.

Call me today to schedule an Excellent Home Inspection.

812-371-9182