A good home inspection just like a good blog takes time. A good inspector will systematically poke and prod the systems of the home removing all panel covers, opening all hatches and water closets, crawling into attics and crawl spaces, bringing light to the dark places of the house that go unexposed without an inspection. A good blogger will do the same, bring light to a variety of subjects by poking and prodding those subjects until the truth is exposed.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Buyer's go to your Home Inspection
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Bleed those Radiators
Thursday, October 20, 2011
In November the Critters come Calling
Critters are freeloaders and scavengers. They’ll gladly partake of your leftovers from an ill-fitting lid on a trash can and the more industrious critters will knock over or gnaw through trash can if the left-over goulash is particularly pungent. Critters will cruise your garage for bird and grass seed, a sack of grass seed can support a colony of mice for a couple of generations. Nothing is easier or more welcome to a critter than dining at Fido's favorite bowl on the back porch. If you have apple or other fruit trees the critters will camp out around your yard and when the cold comes they’ll look to your house for warmth and comfort. Remove food sources and most likely the critters will head down the block for their sustenance and winter lodging.
Critters will try to find a way into your home. Mice need a hole the diameter of a pencil to get in your basement, squirrels and raccoons will chew and claw open fascia boards to get in your attic, skunks and possums will dig under your deck lattice work to get good and comfy in a nest close to the warmth of your home. You’ve got to be vigilant, critters in and around the house pose health threats, can be very destructive, and generally creep you out while they are in residence. So take a good close look at your house, inspect it, make sure your house is closed off to the critters.
Look closely for:
· Any unfilled holes in the foundation or siding caused by utilities (cable, gas, HVAC, plumbing, electricity);
· Inspect the eaves of the roof, particularly soffit and fascia boards for wood that has been chewed on to gain access;
· Check for signs of digging around porches, decks, and the foundation;
· Check for torn screens in the attic at the gable vents;
· Don't leave dog food, bird or grass seed outside the house or in the garage;
· Keep the tree limbs off your house;
· Make sure there’s a critter guard on the top of the chimney.
Critters are going to eat and keep warm whether it’s at your property or your neighbor down the street. So keep them moving, let them enjoy the hospitality of others so that you can enjoy the warmth and comfort of your home with loved ones and invited guests.
Mark McCaffrey
McCaffrey’s Home Inspection
IL Lic. # 450.0003556
mcc@hominspect.com
847-363-9733
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
How much does a home inspection cost around Chicago?
Friday, March 4, 2011
Home Inspectors w/o ladders
Friday, February 18, 2011
Home Sellers should not be at the Home Inspection
Friday, January 21, 2011
Trust your real estae agent
Monday, January 17, 2011
Keep the Attic Well Ventilated
Besides a poorly ventilated roof a number of other factors can contribute to mold in the attic:
- A poorly insulated attic floor including air gaps around lighting, fans, plumbing and the attic entrance;
- Vents from the bathrooms, kitchen, and clothes dryer venting directly into the attic;
- Furnaces and uninsulated duct work located in the attic;
- Leaks from the roof, chimney, plumbing vents etc...
Limitations on Home Inspection
Friday, January 14, 2011
Why you need a Home inspection
Many home buyers don't have much experience with the inner workings of a house and those that do probably won't subject the home to a thorough inspection. The home is made up of some fairly complex systems.
If I'm buying a house, some of the things I would want to know:
- Is the plumbing galvanized steel?
- What's the condition of the roof?
- Is the electrical wiring dated?
- Is the attic ventilated and properly insulated?
Really the home inspection is a heads-up to the home-buyer for anything that might need repair now and may need upgrading or replacement in the future. That way, if the home has a 25 yr. old furnace the home buyer knows that its possible that the furnace could die this winter or next and he or she can be prepared for that.
How to inspect a sump pump
Spring is here in Chicagoland and as our thoughts turn to sunshine and baseball we also know that the rains will come, heavy rains, basement flooding rains. And nothing can kill those good Spring vibrations quicker than a flooded basement. And if your basement is finished and converted to a rec room or an office or a bedroom then a flooded basement is more than an inconvenience.
If your house was built after 1950 you probably have a sump pump that take the excess water from the rain storm and pumps it out of the sump pit and away from the house. But if that sump motor stops working during a heavy rain then the water will overflow the sump pit and flood the basement. As a home owner you should consider doing an annual inspection of the sump pit and motor.
The modern sump motor is more resistant to rust and corrosion and is now made mostly of plastic and stainless steel. The sump motor is like any other motor, whether it's a lawn mower, a leaf blower, or an automobile, the older it is the more likely it is to breakdown. The estimated lifespan of a sump motor is much debated, ranging from 5 to 15 years, if it is over 10 years have a plumber evaluate it and replace if necessary.
Lou Manfredi, of Mr. Fix-it fame recommends a plumber does an annual check-up on the sump motor. However, you can give it your own spring check-up and the only tools you'll need are a flashlight and a bucket and about 10 minutes. A sump pump is a pretty simple operation. Most sump pumps have a float switch, when the water rises the float activates a switch, the motor turns on, and the pump pulls the water out of the pit and sends it up through the PVC piping.
To inspect the pump:
First, unplug the sump pump (modern electric code calls for a GFCI outlet) from the outlet.
Next remove the sump cover (if your home has a radon mitigation system the sump cover needs to be removed by a professional).
Look into the sump pit. Look to see if there is a little oil slick on the water in the pit. If so the pump is releasing coolant and should be replaced.
Look to see if there is any debris in the pit and if so remove it. Find the water intake on the pump (a round hole with a screen) and remove any debris with your hand. Next examine the float switch and make sure no debris is interfering with the float going up and down.
Plug the sump motor back in, get a bucket of water and slowly poor it in the sump pit. Watch the float rise and the motor activate. The motor should run smoothly, in rhythm, and shouldn't be noisy, or race, or sputter, if so you probably need a replacement. The motor should stop when the water is removed.
Finally, you should have a battery back-up in case of an electrical outage. The batteries come in a variety of strengths and are priced according to the protection they provide. Many people now have a 2nd or back-up pump inserted in the sump pit and if the motor on the 1st quits, the 2nd will kick on saving the basement from flooding.
Mark McCaffrey
McCaffrey's Home Inspection
847-363-9733