These are a few gems we have found, it is amazing what some people will do to their homes. Let the buyer beware! In these first two examples, beams were severally overloaded causing significant bowing of the structure. To the left, a roof over a deck had a 4x4 as a beam with to few posts to p
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02/25/2014
We see freezers in garages plugged into GFCI outlets all the time; as well as communications equipment, sump pumps etc. If the GFCI were to pop you might flood your home, lose your phone service or ruin your frozen food. An alarm is a GREAT idea.What is a GFCI?It is a device that disconnects the
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09/26/2013
Toady's Home Inspectors tip: Buy a water shutoff tool before you need it! If you have a dripping sink or other plumbing problem and you want to repair it, how do you turn off the water? I worked in construction for years and learned a few things the hard way! When working on a homes plumbing, a
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06/15/2013
It is BBQ season and I thought it timely to remind people to be careful with you outdoor grill. We see this king of dammage several times a month. Gas grills were involved in an average of 7,100 home fires per year. Be especially careful near vinyl siding, it is super easy to melt it if the gri
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06/08/2013
Spring had sprung and the ants are out again. Here is a solution for nuisance ants in your home. Boric acid is recommended to control odourous house ants, one of the most common pests in our area. Read more about these here:http://www.hipspro.com/pubs/Odorous_House_Ants.pdfThis is a LOW COST meth
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04/30/2013
As an inspector one or the hardest calls I take is from sellers of property I have inspected. I ALWAYS do my best to explain what I have found and if is within my expertise, I often will give them repair tips. I had a client years ago buying a condo, and we found some relativity simple repairs
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12/17/2012
When we set our clocks back to standard time, there are a couple more things we need to do! 1) Replace batteries in CO and Smoke detectors. 2) Check and test your gas fireplace and/or have your wood burning chimney cleaned. Make sure to have enough wood on hand in case of an extended power outage
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11/16/2012
by Home Inspections of Puget Sound I get calls numourous times a year from real estate offices asking me if I want to be on their preferred list of Inspectors. Of course I always tell them I would as long as it's free, and it is never is. I think this practice is disturbing, unethical and li
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09/28/2012
Our Home Page - Articles and Advice - Our Reports - Testimonials - Our Company - Services We find holes in drywall everyday, and to call a professional to repair them can be expensive. So I thought I would share some tips for those that are inclined to do it yourself To fix holes in drywall lik
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09/28/2012
When we inspect a home, the first thing we do is ask if the sellers have disclosed any known issues. It is amazing what we will find and sellers don't disclose! During a walk around the property we pay special attention to the exterior for signs of water damage. On this inspection Suzanne noted t
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08/18/2012