I drank the Kool-Aid again. (Doesn't make sense? Don't worry... Detroit Lions fans understand.) Do you know that definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result? Well, I must be certifiably insane. Because this was the year the Detroit Lions were going to make big improvements. Whatever. Waiting for a flight to get back to Michigan, I had the opportunity to watch another loss. Well, 13 games more to go, but we are already effectively eliminated from the playoffs. Not that I expected we'd get to the playoffs, but I was excited at the prospect of meaningful football in December. Heck, For the last decade, I'd love to have meaningful football in September. But at least there's always next year. 09/26/2010

For people concerned about the possibility of lead paint in their house, the EPA now recognizes three lead test kits: LeadCheck®, the State of Massachusetts kit, and D-Lead®.LeadCheck® The EPA recognizes believes the LeadCheck® lead test kit can reliably determine that regulated lead-based paint is not present on wood or ferrous metal (alloys that contain iron). This kit is not recognized for use on plaster and drywall. State of Massachusetts The EPA recognizes that when used by trained professionals the State of Massachusetts lead test kit can reliably determine that regulated lead-based paint is not present on wood, drywall and plaster. It is not recognized for use on ferrous metal. D-Lead® The EPA recognizes that when used by a certified renovator the D-Lead® Paint Test Kit (manufac... 09/26/2010

How To Keep The Air Inside Your House Clean Have you ever gone into a house or building and smelled, for the lack of a more scientific term, yucky air? Not a pleasant sensation, and one that can ever cause health problems in the long run.   Potential Problem #1: The Coils One of the problems can be the heating or cooling coils in the HVAC system. These coils regulate the temperature of the air that passes by. In the case of the AC, the cooling coil also provides dehumidification. After passing through the filters, warm air is blown across the surface of the coils where it is "conditioned" -- cooled. That process draws moisture out of the air. And it typically results in the precipitation of significant volumes of water onto the coil surface.   Problems With The Coils As air passes the ... 09/25/2010

American Ingenuity: Embracing the Freedom to Dream   SE Michigan residents: The Lorenzo Cultural Center at Macomb Commnity College's Central Campus has some great programs coming up in October and November. The themes: innovation, invention and entrepreneurship. Things actually kicked off this afternoon when Joe Donovan, morning co-anchor at WWJ AM 950 shared how WWJ was the first commercial radio station in America, then covered its 90-year history. Several presentations are going on each week. The one I can't wait for happens on Friday -- Enjoying the Ride: The Story of Harley-Davidson. Another one I'm looking forward to is A Day In Edison's Lab, hosted by Thomas Edison's great grandniece, Sarah Caldlicott. You can find out more here.   09/25/2010

What You Can Do to Protect Your Family From Lead Poisoning So, there is lead paint in the house? Evaluate what shape it is in. If the paint is in good shape, you usually won't have a problem. Issues typically arise when the paint is chipped, sanded, etc. So, with that caveat, here are two simple measures to help keep the family safe from lead poisoning: 1) A not-so-obvious preventive measure to protect children is to simply make sure they eat meals high in iron and calcium (like spinach and dairy). Why? Because children with good diets absorb much less lead. 2) Clean floors, window frames, window sills, and other surfaces weekly. Keep play areas clean. Wash bottles, pacifiers, toys and stuffed animals regularly. Use a mop, sponge or paper towel with warm water and a general all-purpose ... 09/21/2010

So, let me get this straight: the recession is over? I'm sure it has been all over ActiveRain today, but I haven't been able to sit in front of a computer until 11pm tonight. But early this morning, I opened my Wall Street Journal to find this: It's official: The 2007-2009 recession, which wiped out 7.3 million jobs, cut 4.1% from economic output and cost Americans 21% of their net worth, marked the longest slump since the Great Depression. Well, that's great, but who besides incumbent politicians running for re-election declare we are out of a recession? The end of the recession occurred in June 2009, 18 months after the economy began sliding into a downturn in December 2007, said the National Bureau of Economic Research's Business Cycle Dating Committee, a group of academic economists... 09/21/2010

Likely Lead Hazards Here in the Detroit area, we have quite an issue with our children and lead poisoning. Occasionally news stories turn up talking about the dangers of lead poisoning... but how can we avoid the lead in the first place? Where is lead likely to be a hazard? Paint Chips & Dust Lead from paint chips (which you can see) and lead dust (which you can't) are serious hazards. Adults suffer most poisoning from working around lead dust, or carrying the dust home from a worksite to share with the family. Children are notorious for putting stuff in their mouths. And chips of lead paint are the most common sources for lead poisoning in children... but there is something new causing trouble.   Toys An increasing number of imported toys contain very dangerous levels of lead.   How Le... 09/20/2010

Well, it was a two-and-one weekend. Starting things off, my alma mater knocked off (barely) a never-say-die team from Massachusetts. That was a nailbiter. I was performing a home inspection during the first half, and the real estate agent had the game blaring on the radio. Normally I can block out such distractions, but it was a real challenge yesterday. Then last night, the Michigan State Spartans beat Notre Dame in overtime. No offense to Irish fans, but I am always cheering when the Irish lose (unless they are playing Ohio State). Then, to cap off a great Saturday of football, the Detroit Lions balanced out the weekend with a tough loss to the Eagles. I fell asleep during the first quarter, and woke up to my girls watching a Barbie movie, so I just checked in with ESPN.com to find ou... 09/19/2010

What is radon gas? Uranium breaks down (decays) into radium,after several intermediate steps. Radium, eventually decays into radon gas and is released into the surrounding air or water.   Radon-222 Isotopes are different forms of the same element. They have the same number of protons, but a different number of neutrons in their nucleus. The specific isotope we are concerned with for health reasons is Radon-222.   Decay is measured in by the half-life. If we have two pounds of radon-222, in about four days we will only have one pound. Officially, 3.8 days is the half-life. This means there is plenty of time for both radon and the decay products (called RDPs) to be inhaled. Typically, 50% of the indoor RDPs are airborne (and breathable), while the other 50% are "plated out," and unbreatha... 09/18/2010

Drinking Water And Lead Contamination Bad news: Michigan is a high-risk state for lead hazards. At least, according to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC). While the greatest danger of exposure comes from dust (for adults) or paint chips (for children), lead is also often present in drinking water, not so much from water sources, but from the corrosion of lead plumbing materials used in older houses.   Side note: many historians believe lead poisoning contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire.     While homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead (pipes, fixtures and solder), new homes are also at risk... That "lead-free" plumbing may legally contain up to 8 percent lead. Up through the early 1900s, it was common practice to use lead pipes for interior plumbing. Copper pipe... 09/17/2010

Fire Hazards: Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST) CSST is a relatively new type of gas tubing that has been widely installed in houses and in commercial applications in recent years...  but it is believed to make it susceptible to fire due to lightning strikes. When lightning travels down the CSST, it can burn holes into the tubing. Not a good combination -- gas leakage and lightning. While CSST is thought to cause fires from these leaks, in some cases the leaks have lead to powerful explosions. Additionally, CSST can be damaged from even nearby lightning strikes. These claims have lead to a class-action lawsuit against CSST's manufacturers.   Identification of CSST Typically, these products may be visible in attic spaces, along floor joists, above basements, or connected to expose... 09/17/2010

One of the houses I inspected last week was built in 2002. When I got to the basement, I was greeted by an area converted to a bedroom. Now, I'm not a code inspector, but I did see something wrong with this bedroom... primarily, there is no easy way to get out of Dodge in case of a fire. The window does not meet the emergency egress requirements.   Section R310 of the 2006 Michigan Residential Code covers emergency egress (the new code is due to be released in December). Here are some of the problems: 1) The bottom of the window was almost six feet above the floor. However, "The sill height shall not be more than 44 inches above the floor (R310.1)." 2) The window measured 32" x 18". However, "all emergency escape and rescue openings shall have a minimum net clear opening of 5.7 square f... 09/17/2010

Michigan Furnace Weather and Healthy Indoor Air: Part I - Carbon Monoxide Faulty furnaces and water heaters emit carbon monoxide (CO) gas, and unfortunately, hardly a winter goes by where we don't read a story in the newspapers about a family killed by CO exposure. (Side note: CO can affect commercial and industrial buildings too.) The problem with CO is that even minimal exposure can cause illness and really work over the body. (image courtesy of www.tssa.org) When CO enters the lungs, it reduces the ability of the hemoglobin to carry oxygen... so small amounts start the process of asphyxiation. Since CO flows into room air (not necessarily upward like smoke), this can lead to problems throughout the living space. The ideal carbon monoxide level is zero parts per million (PPM). Typical... 09/16/2010

Homeowner Tools: What Should Every Homeowner Have On Hand?   While I am enjoy every opportunity to inspect a house, I particularly enjoy inspections for first-timers. About 99% of the time, I get something close to this question: What kind of tools do I need, at a minimum, to run this house? Here is my top ten list to that question. This is list is obviously not exhaustive, but it does cover a minimum tool collection that every homeowner should be able to use -- regardless of mechanical prowess -- if accessible.   The Top Ten List   1. Plunger Do I really need to say any more? It is best to have two plungers — one for the sink and one for the toilet.   2. Flashlight None of the tools in this list is of any use if you can't see. A traditional two battery is usually sufficient. The "coalm... 09/16/2010

Ten Reasons To Buy A Home   I remember looking at the front cover of the September 6 issue of Time Magazine a few weeks ago. "Rethinking Homeownership: Why Owning A Home May No Longer Make Economic Sense" was the feature. I shook my head at the doom-and-gloom "reporting" and sensationalism. Fortunately, the Wall Street Journal had a short-but-interesting piece today called Ten Reasons To Buy A Home, by Brett Arends. Besides poking fun at the Time piece I disliked so much, it pointed out 10 really good reasons that -- surprise -- it may be a good time for many people to buy. But I thought his last point was the most significant: sooner or later, the market wll clear. That seems to be a fact that many analysts fail to bring up. Regardless of the type of market, people need to live somewhe... 09/15/2010

Avoiding Flooding I inspected a building this afternoon. The basement was a soggy, moldy mess due to water intrusion. I wasn't surprised. Even a cursory look at the landscape grading showed it drained directly into the foundation. And the downspouts discharged improperly. Only one accordion extension was actually attached (see below for the best downspout)... the others weren't even on anymore. I guess whoever mowed the lawn didn't bother to re-attach them.             Also in the words of Mike Holmes, "unacceptable." This extension terminates about 12 inches before the parking lot, then slopes right into the building.  Water is one of the most savage forces on a building or house. The grading should move water away from the building, not right into it. And downspout extensions won't do... 09/14/2010

Fire Hazards: Lightening No one wants to experience a fire. And while we often take lots of precautions to reduce our fire exposure, preparing for lightning is not near the top of the list. Lightning is simply the visible discharge of static electricity within a cloud, between clouds or between the earth and a cloud. It is unpredictable and a serious threat to houses, buildings and occupants.   Facts about lightning: Between 2002 and 2005, lightning caused an annual average of $213 million in property damage. Lightning comes up from the earth –- as well as down from the cloud -- from high vertical features such as chimneys and trees. A typical lightning bolt carries 50,000 amps, tens of millions of volts, and can reach 50,000° F. “Superbolts” may be 100 times more powerful than typical ... 09/13/2010

Wildlife damage management is the opposite of managing property to attract wildlife.   To manage for wildlife, you must make sure that animals have sufficient food, water, and cover throughout the year.   If you have unwanted animals around your home, it is a sure bet that there is food, water and cover in the area.   The solution is to remove at least one of these elements. And if you can remove two, that’s even better.   Try this sequence in thinking through a wildlife damage problem: Identify the wildlife species causing the problem. This is the most important step. Correctly identifying the species of wildlife causing damage may seem simple, but it can be challenging, under certain circumstances. Learn about the life history and habitat requirements for the wildlife species that may... 09/12/2010

Controlling Wildlife Around The House Did you ever grow a garden, only to have the deer come by and eat your hard work up? Or do you step outside to enjoy the fresh air, only to discover a nearby skunk wasn't happy about it? Most of us enjoy wildlife, but certain species of wildlife, at certain times, can become a nuisance.   Is Winter Worse? Wildlife damage can occur throughout the year, but the fall and winter months are times when food supplies and cover may become more limited for many wildlife species. When this happens, your home or landscape can provide an attractive alternative to fighting out the long, cold winter. Of course, spring and summer growth provide lots of yummy foilage and plants.   You Can Do More Than You Think You don't have to go Elmer Fudd on the damaging wildli... 09/11/2010

Identifying Aluminum Wiring -- And Options For Correction You may be interested in Part I -- Fire Hazards: Aluminum Wiring and Your Electricity.   So, what does aluminum wiring look like? You can see it clearly in this picture (along with some copper wiring):   Sometimes the color of the metal isn't visible, so what can we look for to determine if we have aluminum wiring? Here are some clues: Houses built between the mid-1960s and mid-1970 are more likely to have aluminum wiring than houses built before or after those years. Additions built, and electrical work processed, during from the mid-60s to mid-70s are more likely to have aluminum wiring than houses built outside of that range. Look at the wire jacket. Many have the word "aluminum" or the more cryptic "AL" printed or embossed on... 09/10/2010