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Articles from About Your Home

Electrical Safety Rules 2008-02-16 12:07:54 Always disconnect a circuit before making repairs on it or before installing a light fixutre. Never work with or near electricity when your hands are wet or your feet are damp. Don’t use outlet multiplier plugs (the device that plugs into an outlet and allows for more plugs to be added) to connect lamps and appliances whose amperage totals more than the capacity of the circuit. Avoid using extension cords whenever possible. Never rn them across hallways or doorways, under carpeting or furniture, or through walls. Never staple then in place. Never replace a blown fuse with a larger amp fuse. Don’t cut the grounding (3rd) prong off a plug to fit it into a two-hole receptacle. Keep electrical appliances (e.g., hair dryer, radio, shaver) away from bath tubs, sinks, and showers. Don’t pull cords out of receptacles by the wire; hold the cord by the plug and pull. Always replace worn or frayed lamp and appliance wires. Don’t try and extenguish small electrical fires ...

How to Measure the Degree of Slope for Drainage 2008-02-16 11:09:41 The number one concern I receive in my pre-inspection interviews relate to foundation movement. There are many factors that can affect a solid foundation. Expansive soils and foundation design are two of the most critical. However there is one common suggestion amoung both design professionals and soils experts that play a vital role in maintaining a healthy stable home. Drainage. Poor surface and subsurface drainage can lead to water ponding around your home, leaks in your basement and water seeping into your crawlspace.  Successful drainage requires leading surface water away from the outside foundation wall at the appropriate angle.  What is the correct angle? According to standard building practices the grade immediately adjacent to the building should be sloped a minimum of 5% (or 3 inches every 5 feet) for at least 10 feet outward from a building foundation or as far as practical. Here is how to measure the slope. Slope is the ratio of the length of the rise (the vertical ...

Revised Regulation Position Statement Puts ASHI in Spotlight 2008-01-24 09:45:58 It appears that the media agrees with ASHI: the regulation of inspectors for public protection is a big deal. This has drawn attention to ASHI as the undisputed voice of the profession. At least 10 major media outlets, including the Boston Globe, Palm Beach Post and Philadelphia Inquirer services, representing major metropolitan home buying publics, have contacted ASHI in response to a press release announcing the revised Position Statement.  Furthermore, the Associated Press (AP) picked up the release, and it was run on several AP outlets, including three in the New Orleans/Baton Rouge market. That put ASHI in the local news on the eve of InspectionWorld in New Orleans. Nothing wrong with that. ASHI’s Position Statement is the definitive view of the pros and cons of inspector regulation. It represents ASHI’s long experience working with legislators and it offers invaluable analysis to inspectors and lawmakers on when regulation may be needed and what constitutes a law t ...

Brrr…I Guess It Is Winter Again 2008-01-15 12:22:24 Old Man Winter is at it once again!  He has been creating those strong northerly winds that can cut you like a knife, putting a layer of frost on the morning landscapes that can make pine saplings and cedars glow in the early daylight hours, burning our once beautiful perennials into an unrecognizable mass of straw and twigs, and making our once beautiful lawns turn into a dismal display of natural browns and khakis. The Old Man can be cruel for sure, but all of this is not done in vain.  Winter is a time when certain species are in full glory.  Some of these plants have been waiting for their time in the spot light and have been producing buds and the promise of a colorful explosion for weeks on end.  Whether it is your favorite Camellia in your front yard inviting your neighbor’s eye for a visual treat, the vast sweeping bed of Nandina that lead you to your back yard, or the majestic Hollies that you have as specimen plantings hugging your property line, these plants have b ...

What’s in Your Report? 2008-01-13 20:37:14 Are you buying a home? One of the most important aspects of hiring the home inspector is the opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and understanding of his/her experience. An in-depth understandings of the principles of residential construction are paramount and should be considered vital in your pre-inspection interview.   In the State of Mississippi, to help eliminate inconsistent reporting and establish a more unified profession, certain standards were adopted.  In order to create this standard Mississippi chose the American Society of Home Inspectors’ (ASHI) Standards of Practice as a guideline. The state also adopted ASHI’s Code of Ethics to guide inspector conduct.  Section 2.1 of the standard reads in part:  “The purpose of these Standards of Practice is to establish a minimum and uniform standard for home inspectors”…  However, the establishment of a minimum does not limit the inspector to the quantity of information reported, the means by which the report i ...

Consumer Product Safety Commission Warning 2008-01-07 11:41:35 Use Portable Generators Outdoors Only WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing a warning to consumers confronted with severe winter weather. When there’s a power outage, exercise caution when using portable generators. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible killer. You can’t see or smell it. A generator’s exhaust contains poisonous CO which can kill you in a matter of minutes. At least 65 people died in 2006 from generator-related CO poisoning. Many of the deaths occurred after winter storms knocked out power. Follow these important generator safety tips:      Never use a portable generator inside a home, garage, shed or other partially enclosed space, even if doors and windows are open.   Use portable generators outside only, far away from the home. And keep the generator away from openings to the home, including doors, windows and vents.   Read the label on the generator and the owner’s manual, and follow the instructions.   Install CO ...

Concrete Cracks 2008-01-06 15:44:14 One of the most common questions I receive during my inspection orientation concerns concrete cracks and concrete failure. Why is the home’s concrete cracking and is this a shoddy job?The fact is, when installed properly; concrete is one the most durable and long lasting products in your home. But, there are well-established rules and guidelines with respect to installation that can affect its durability, strength, and resistance to cracking. Let’s look at a few reasons concrete cracks: •1)      Excess water in the mix. It’s no secret that concrete is heavy. When it’s being poured from the truck the concrete is stiff and hard to maneuver. In an effort to make it lighter and easier to move some contractors often add water to the mix. But the excess water also greatly reduces the strength of the concrete. As the concrete cures or hardens, it shrinks. This shrinkage is one of the main causes of the cracking and the wetter or soupier the mix the greater the s ...

Garbage Disposal Care 2007-12-27 10:28:21 Use a strong flow of cold water and keep it running at least 30 seconds after noise of grinding has stopped to flush all food particles through the drainline. Always use cold water when operating the disposer to solidify fatty and greasy wastes so they will be chopped up and flushed down the drain. Hot water will not hurt the disposer and you may safely run hot water from the sink through it. However, use cold water when you are operating the disposer. If you wash dishes in a sink with a disposer, check to be sure all small objects are removed from the sudsy water before you drain the sink. If you have a continuous-feed disposer, move silverware and other small items away from the edge of the sink counter to avoid accidentally knocking them in while it is running. Do put small bones through; they help to scour the sides of the grinding chamber. Follow directions in the manual with your disposer as to what should not be put through the disposer. Do not grind large bones, or fibrous mate ...

Garbage Disposal Odors 2007-12-27 10:15:46 Over time, food particles may accumulate in the grind chamber and baffle. An odor from the disposer is usually a sign of grease and food buildup, caused by insufficient water flow during and after disposer use. To clean disposer: Turn off disposer and disconnect power supply. Reach through sink opening and clean underside of splash baffle and inside upper lip of grind chamber with scouring pad. Place stopper in sink opening and fill sink halfway with warm water. Mix a one pound box of baking soda with water. Turn disposer on and remove stopper from sink at same time to wash away loose particles. Disposers may also be cleaned with Disposer Care®. This product is generally available in major home centers, hardware, and grocery stores. For more information on Disposer Care®, contact Iron Out, Inc. at 1-800-654-0791 or www.ironout.com. ...

Roof Inspection and Care 2007-12-25 16:35:43 Roofs are expensive, and even the smallest leaks can cause major problems, so you want it to last. The best way to extend the life of your roof is to perform semi-annual inspections and dentify and address problems as they occur.Because of their location roofs get more abuse from the elements than other part of the house. What looked fine in the spring has spent the past few months being rain-soaked and sun-baked. Now that the weather is starting to cool down, go up there and take another look. Be sure to set your ladder solidly on stable ground (don’t use a stepladder to get to the roof). , apply sun-protection, and drink plenty of water, then get ready to clean, inspect, & repair. Remove all debris that has collected on the roof, including around chimneys and other roof penetrations. Debris can collect and retain moisture, leading to the deterioration of your roofing materials.   Trim branches and shrubs that are touching your home. They can provide a pathway for bugs an ...