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

Fire Hazards: Aluminum Wiring And Your Electricity Many houses built from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s used aluminum wiring as a substitute for copper wiring. Since the price of copper was rising dramatically, this made financial sense. And after all, a metal is a metal, right? If aluminum ladders under a power cable can conduct electricity, shouldn't aluminum wires be able to carry electricity throughout a house? Well, it isn't that simple, and after about ten years of this practice, we discovered aluminum wire wasn't a terrific replacement for copper. Why doesn't it work as well? Properly maintained aluminum wiring is acceptable, but aluminum's physical qualities make it become defective faster than copper... that means connections in outlets, switches and light fixtures become incr... 09/10/2010

Mike Sher will be this years Short Sale Expert Speaker for the MACPA's Michigan Conference October 28th in the state capital. Mike will be speaking about the Strategies Short of Foreclosure: Real Estate, Short Sales and Beyond.  To learn more about Mike Sher check out his blog. You can contact Mike Sher at his Max Broock Office (248) 644-4700 or email him at ShortSale@mikeRealtor.com   09/10/2010

Water Intrusion: Roof Leaks And The Chimney Chimney flashing is actually a two-part system. There is the step flashing, which gives it that -- surprise! -- stair step look, and the counter-flashing, which is embedded in the brick and covers the counter-flashing. They become a two-part overlapping flashing that provides great protection from water... as long as it is in good condition. But when it is in poor condition, the flashing is one of the main causes of a leaking roof. Failure typically happens for two basic reasons: 1) The flashing is punctured or torn, or 2) It has come loose from the brickwork.   If the chimney is on the downslope of the roof, there should be a saddle (also called a "cricket"). This diverts water around the brickwork so it won't pool at the back side of the chi... 09/09/2010

What's The Difference Between A Chimney And A Flue? I am asked that question frequently. The chimney is the visible outside structure -- the brick, block, slate or rock. The flue is the internal shaft (from a fireplace, a woodstove or a burner) that vents the gases and smoke produced from the fire to the outside. Oftentimes, the terms "flue" and "liner" are used interchangeably, although the flue is technically the air space inside the liner.   If a flue is cracked or broken, gases or flames can breach the opening and get inside the house. Not a healthy situation. 09/08/2010

Most of us have heard of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), but treat it with that glassy-eyed stare reserved for high school chemistry classes. So what the heck is a "volatile organic compound" anyway? According to the EPA, "Volatile organic compounds are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. They include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects." Translation: products that you use in both your home and office every day emit gases that can harm your health. Sometimes they can harm your health immediately... sometimes it takes extended exposure. So what emits these gases? Many products emit volatile organic compounds, so there's a decent chance you'll find some in your car, home or workplace. Here are some of the culprits: Air... 09/07/2010

Attached garages are wonderful, but they do present certain risks... like an increased risk of a fire spreading from the garage to the rest of the house. There are plenty of things that we can do to prevent garage fires from spreading to the rest of the house, or better yet, to keep them from starting in the first place. Why do many garages pose a fire hazard? Where are you most likely to do any welding, or any work on your car? These activities require working with all sorts of flammable materials. Water heaters and boilers are sometimes stored in garages, and they can create sparks that may ignite fumes or fluids. Car batteries, too, will spark under certain conditions. Oil and gasoline can drip from cars. Given the proper conditions, these fluids may collect unnoticed and eventually ... 09/07/2010

Child Safety: It Can Be As Tricky As Beating Jason Bourne I have four young children running around my house. They are wonderful and smart... and more adept than Jason Bourne at overcoming security devices. My kids are proof that no device is completely childproof. Determined youngsters have been known to disable "childproof" equipment each year, not to mention getting into medicine cabinets or gun safes. In fact, across America, about 2.5 million children are injured or killed annually by hazards in the home. Any safety device you buy should be sturdy enough to prevent injury to your child, yet easy for you to use. Here are a couple of my favorites:   The Water Heater  Some males are manly. I think of Vince Lombardi or John Wayne... manly men. Other males are guys. I think of Gilligan ... 09/06/2010

Moisture Control: The Key To Beating Mold Yuck. Mold's a nasty problem. But it can be beaten. The key to mold control is moisture control. It is important to fix any water intrusion problems right away, and to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours (to prevent mold growth). Mold spores are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, they play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter, such as fallen leaves and dead trees. But while we find spores indoors, we don't want to see colonies grow. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without wate... 09/05/2010

  It is the end of grilling season… unless you are like my father, who would grille outside all year long, shoveling our backyard snow out of his way in the middle of winter. While grilling is a lot of fun, there are dangers. My neighbor just hours ago flamed out his grille while attempting to teach his son how to grille (hint -- don't use the entire bottle of lighter fluid). I don't know how the grilling lesson went, but I couldn't believe the speech lesson he gave. It would make a Marine blush. Anyways, that got me thinking about safety.   No, this isn't a picture of my neighbor's grille.   PROPANE GRILLS Propane grills present an enormous fire hazard -- more than 500 fires that result annually from their misuse or malfunction. Ignite a propane grill with the lid open, not closed. Pro... 09/04/2010

Bedbugs Make Comeback In Michigan   "Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let The Bedbugs Bite." When I was growing up I thought they were some fictitious little creatures in a rhyme my Grandma used at nighttime. Before I hit 10-years-old, I found out they were not the product of fiction, yet they were mercifully wiped out and no longer a threat. Then deep into my thirties, I kept hearing stories about their comeback. Hotels around the country were having infestations. No big deal, I thought to myself. I don't do a ton of travel away from home. And now... they are a crisis. While innocently drinking my coffee and reading the online Businessweek this morning, I was treated to this wonderful headline: Bedbug Nation: Critters Make A Comeback       Bedbugs: Not Just For Beds Anymore How bad is it... 09/03/2010

Smelly Dishwashers: Stop the Stink! I spent a lot of my youth washing dishes by hand, so I am a big fan of my dishwasher. But earlier this summer I had a major problem: it smelled like something was dead in there everytime I opened the door. Since I am a home inspector, my wife expected me to know what the problem was, fix it, and get the silly thing odor-free ASAP. Or else I'd be reliving my youth and washing everything by hand once again. I tried all the usual tricks. First I checked to make sure there was no blockage and then I double-checked the water around the house. Since the water in other parts of the house didn't smell, I moved on to the filter. (If the water smells funny in other areas of your house, there may be a bacteria or pH imbalance that is causing the odor. In a case... 09/02/2010

How To Clean Your Indoor Air Wow. September is here! And while it is 80 degrees F outside as I write this, as a Michigan native I know what's around the corner. Cold weather, and lots of it. So now is an excellent time to start thinking of the furnace. If you have a forced air system, it sends heated air through the supply ducts and return the air back to the furnace through the return ducts. And during the warm months (which are going by much too quickly, in my opinion), the same ductwork handles the distribution of cool air. Translation: if you have a forced air system, you probably have a dirty filter.   Forced air systems can be one of the biggest contributors to indoor air quality contaminants if not maintained. On average, the HVAC system is responsible for 50%-60% of a building's... 09/02/2010

2010 is the last year of good Big Ten Football. For some time now, we've watched the signs that the powers-that-be wanted to screw the league up. Now they have. Jim Delany, Commissioner of the Big Ten (with 12 members starting in 2011) has ruined the Michigan - Ohio State rivalry, the best rivalry (IMHO) in all of sports (at least, it is when we beat the Buckeyes). He stole Nebraska from the Big Twelve (which will have 10 members starting in 2011), making a two-division split necessary. As MSNBC reports: The Big Ten announced its divisional breakdown for football Wednesday night, and Ohio State and Michigan will be in different six-team divisions when the league expands to 12 members in 2011. Neither division has been named, but they break down like this: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Mich... 09/01/2010

Yuck. What a problem. Maybe I live too close to strong electromagnetic fields (EMFs). (Full disclosure: my sweat really doesn't glow in the dark. I just used the headline shamelessly to get some clicks) EMFs include electric fields generated by charged particles in motion, and radiated fields, such as TVs, radios, hair dryers and microwave ovens. When we think about our favorite radio station, we realize these energies have the ability to influence particles at great distances. Back in the day, I could pick up WJR (which broadcasts from Detroit) when I was visiting family in West Virginia. Why? Because radiation from their tower in Detroit influenced the atoms all the way to that distant car radio antenna in on I-77, allowing it to pick up the signal. Sticking with the radio example, we... 09/01/2010

A lot of people have taken an economic pounding around the country. But here in Michigan, the bad news has been going on for the better part of a decade. And when I run into salespeople who've been let go ("downsized" is the politically correct term) or business owners who've lost their businesses, so many of them are defeated, going through the motions, and completely disengaged from life. I've been in that group in my pre-inspection life, and it hurts. One day I was designing, building and testing industrial and automotive prototypes. The next I was out of business, out of work, and out of luck. I enjoyed going to a local restaurant for coffee and a light salad a few times a week. Over the years, the owner and I had become good friends. As his business slowed down and mine went under,... 08/31/2010

Carbon Water Filtration Systems Are you interested in improving the flavor and quality of your tap water? You may want to consider purchasing a carbon water filtration system. These systems are easy to install, relatively inexpensive, and cover the basic functions of filtration. Water filter charcoal medium carbon is derived from coconut husk, and it is extremely absorbent of impurities. These kind of systems are also popular. It is estimated that among residences using some kind of water filtration system, 95% utilize carbon filtration. They are simple to install, relatively economical, and depending on micron level, will filter out the most deadly of contaminants, Cryptosporidium and Guardia.  How Long Do They Last? Good question. Here's the answer: it depends on the amount of usage ... 08/30/2010

Preventing Fires I've experienced a house fire in the past, so I have a passion for keeping people from going through such an experience. One major cause of house fires is the simple dryer vent. According to a 2009 report released by the National Fire Protection Agency: 17,700 reported U.S. non-confined or confined home structure fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines resulted in 15 civilian deaths, 360 civilian injuries and $194 million in direct property damage in 2006. Clothes dryers accounted for 92% of the fires; washing machines 4%, and washer and dryer combinations accounted for 3%. The leading cause of home clothes dryer and washer fires was failure to clean (29%), followed by unclassified mechanical failure or malfunction (24%). Thirteen percent were caused by some... 08/29/2010

After spending a decent chunk of the evening watching the Lions beat the Cleveland Browns, I am once again drinking the Kool-Aid. For the non-Detroiters reading this, "drinking the Kool-Aid" is the expression we use at the beginning of every season when we acknowledge that this season will be different. We'll be respectable. We are on the right path to building a contender. Yeah, right. Even those who don't follow football understand how pathetic the Detroit Lions have been over the last decade. Not that they were stellar before, but hey, even the cruddy teams of old didn't go 0-16. I've heard that the Roget's Thesaurus people have listed "Detroit Lions" as a synonym for futility. Yet after the performance tonight, I'm drinking the Kool-Aid again. The offense looked pretty darn good. T... 08/28/2010

Have you ever walked into a Lowe's or Home Depot, seen the plywood and OSB area, and wonder, "what the heck is the difference?" They appear interchangeable, but the manufacturing of each material makes for unique strengths and weaknesses. How Are OSB And Plywood Made? Plywood is made from layers of wood that are peeled from a spinning log (called "veneer"). The grain of each layer is positioned perpendicular to each adjacent layer and glued together with a hot press.  Sheets contain an odd number of layers to help cut down on warping. On the other hand, OSB is manufactured in cross-oriented layers from rectangularly shaped wood strands and heat-cured adhesives, giving OSB that rough look. (Since plywood is made from whole layers of logs rather than small strands, plywood has a less rou... 08/28/2010