When sellers or agents hear that there is an ant infestation at a residence, the primary suspect will usually be one of the numerous species referred to as "carpenter ants." In the northwest, another common ant infestation involves "moisture ants." These opportunistic insects, moisture ants and c
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09/30/2012
Frost-free hose bibbs are nifty devices. For the most part, they end the worry about outside faucets freezing in winter. At least they do the job here in Whatcom County's maritime climate, where it never gets too frigid. I have seen problems with the devices but that is, usually, due to a lack o
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08/23/2012
A few weeks ago, I posted a video of an unsafe motorized garage vehicle door -- door failed to auto-reverse at floor level when it struck a 1-1/2" flat object that had been placed on the floor. A garage vehicle door, to be considered safe, must auto-reverse at floor level (1-1/2" over the floor o
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08/05/2012
This incredible nature photo was taken here in Whatcom County. Rick Warren captured the image when an eagle swooped in and stole his friend's trout. This picture is a great example of the life style we experience here in the northwest. This photo is from Lake Padden -- a popular lake in Bellingh
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07/01/2012
Garage vehicle doors are heavy. I have talked to people in my community who have had pets killed by motorized garage doors that did not have the proper safeguards in place to protect against catastrophic accidents. People, obviously, can be killed by these doors as well. The short video, that I
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06/30/2012
The next home inspector training course, to be conducted at Bellingham Technical College, will begin on Monday, September 10, 2012. That is the last inspector training course for this year (how fast it is flying by) at Bellingham Technical College. This is a state approved course and the student
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06/18/2012
Home inspectors are often in a position where we have to not only report on the past but, also, we have to predict the future. Whether all parties involved in a real estate transaction like that role of the home inspector is not the point. In this state, the law makes it clear that an inspector m
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06/10/2012
The number of people moving to this very northwest corner of the Pacific Northwest, Whatcom County, is ongoing and the numbers are impressive. This is, to a large degree, the result of our geographical location -- the proximity to the USA-Canada border. We have major border crossings in the count
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05/26/2012
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), states that, at the time of a real estate sale or the transfer of a property, a certified chimney sweep should perform a Level II chimney inspection. This suggestion makes sense. The home inspector is a generalist and provides only a very basic vi
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05/11/2012
In the Pacific Northwest, we have lots of precipitation and moisture. Since those of us who live here realize that, you would think that houses would be built in a manner that makes them resistant to moisture problems. It is amazing to me how many houses in our climate have roofs with poor to no
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04/29/2012
