Had Enough Yet?

The picture to the left is a roof I was recently on. It was quite hairy to navigate and frankly, I've aged a lot this winter due to climbing these snowy death traps! No wonder I now possess a permanent facial twitch and shaky handshake! (only kidding!) I've had enough, how 'bout you?

Well, what can I say about the weather in general, and the snow and cold in particular? I'll say one thing for sure, I think they'll be a lot more people migrating south from the area before next winter arrives! This has been a brutal winter, both in terms of temperatures and in snow / ice storms. We can't seem to catch a break of more than a couple of days before the next cold wave or blizzard strikes!

If you want to bet on a sure thing, you know that when the temperature begins to climb and the snow stops coming someday (!!#$?%^&*), many, many people are going to have problems with their basements and crawlspaces because of the meltdown. There is sure to be problems everywhere, and there will certainly be a run on sump pumps at all the big box stores. In addition to this, many people will find that their gutters, downspouts and sump pump discharge pipes have been broken or altered in some way due to the snow, ice and cold. And to add insult to injury, improper grading tends to be a problem at the majority of the homes I inspect and poor grading will aid in the flooding problems to come, in fact, almost every home has grading problems that need to be rectified. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until spring to address any serious grading issues.

So what do you do to protect your home from flooding problems? There are a few things that you can easily do and a one that will take a little more effort. First, the easy things. 

Double check that if you have a sump pump, it is in fact operating (manually lift the float to be sure!). In addition, make sure that the discharge piping from the pump (if visible or readily accessible), is intact and discharging far enough away from your home. Also, make sure that all downspout extensions are attached and terminate as far away from the house as possible. A note on pumps. It might be wise to invest the money to have a back up pump, in case the one you have fails before or during the coming thaw. Its always a great idea to plan ahead for worst case scenarios! 

Now, something that is far more difficult, but quite important nonetheless, is to go outside in the cold (yes, I know how cold it is!) and shovel (yes, I'm for real!) and clear away all those snow drifts that have made the perimeter of your home look like one of those scientific observations outposts at the North-pole! If you can get the majority of the snow away from your home, you will have accomplished a great feat that will go a long way towards keeping your home's lower level dry. 

One more thing. Although this is a topic for another day, I just spoke about the need to plan ahead for worst case scenarios. Well, you know what might happen when the temperature starts to climb, especially if its accompanied by some type of crazy spring storm? The power might go out!  Then what? 

Well, then unless you have a generator and either a transfer switch or some other type of alternative wiring set up in your home that will run your sump pump, you're in trouble! So in addition to buying a back up pump, you'll want to seriously consider buying a generator because sooner or later, you'll need it and truly wish that you had one, not only for this type of issue, but also to help you through any number of natural disasters.  

Thanks for your time!

Marc

GET GOING WITH YOUR GUTTERS!

With all the rain we've had recently, and with more certainly on the way, now is the time to pay attention to an extremely important component of your home, gutters! The following necessary actions are normally very easier to perform, and also very inexpensive.

Fall is upon us, and with its beautiful days and crisp nights comes something else most of us would just as soon forget, leaves. Now is the time to make sure your gutter system is functioning properly. I have seen first hand over the last couple of weeks, homes I've inspected where multiple problems have been found regarding gutters and in a few instances, these problems have been the direct cause of mositure and water penetration in the basements of these particular dwellings. 

Lets make a quick list of things you need to do this week. First, be safe! If you do not feel safe getting up on a ladder to clean your gutters, than hire someone who does. Next, make sure that all the gutters and downspouts are properly pitched, secured and in working order. For those of you whose gutters discharge below grade, this will include making sure the downspout is properly within the connector leading underground. Then you want to make sure that your gutters discharge far enough away from your home, at least 5-7 feet away. This last  tip  is  imperative, is often neglected and is one situation where  MORE IS DEFINITELY BETTER! Discharging your gutters even further away from the house usually ensures even greater protection from water infiltration. Those little splash blocks you can buy just about anywhere are only nominally effective, in most cases. First of all they're usually are too short in length, secondly, unless they're a heavier type, they have a tendacy to move around, crack or get altered very easily. Some really light ones can actually blow away in the autumn breeze! Do yourself a favor and don't cheap out here! Get extra downspout material, black corregated piping or even PVC.One last thing, make sure your discharge locations aren't near driveways or walking paths, because you could end up slipping, especially at this time of the year, on some ice that formed overnight in these areas.

Don't be caught unprepared! There is a direct correlation between improperly installed, maintained and functioning gutters and wet basements / crawlspaces! Proper grading is also crucial, but that topic is for another day. For now, use the means given you to properly channel and control the water around your home. Remember the old saying, "WATER WINS!"

That question may have entered your mind at some point in your life.  Certainly when you were getting ready to purchase your home you might have thought it prudent, maybe your realtor suggested it to you or possibly your mortgage company required it.  While some people would never dream of making such a huge investment as buying a home without having a professional and certified home inspector, others feel they either  possess enough general knowledge about homes, or construction in general, as to make hiring an inspector unnecessary.  Some  may even have a relative or a friend in a particular trade that makes them even more comfident in their decision to forgo an inspection.

In this age of do it yourselfers and weekend warriors, there certainly appears to be a greater understanding  of the  basics  when it comes to homes and their maintenance.  However, along with this new found  knowledge and eagerness  comes a little more misunderstanding or improper gauging of ones own limitations.  There are some jobs that are certainly within the reach of any above average amateur, such as installing a new faucet, painting a room or even replacing an existing ceiling fan.  There are other jobs best left to a professional, such as patching a roof, installing a new GFCI breaker in an electrical panel or servicing a heating system.  The point here is that although someone may be marginally competent in one or more trades, that in itself doesn't bring them up to the level of a qualified home inspector with the vast array of knowledge that they must posses in order to stay current within this ever evolving field.  This also doesn't even touch on the topic of new building codes, which are forever in flux and which require ongoing education for the inspector to stay abreast, even if they don't perform code inspections. There are some methodologies, such as installing deck flashing, that simply didn't exist years ago, and which were learned perhaps only by tragic circumstances after they occured.

So why do you need a home inspector, and when?  It is not an exaggeration to state that a qualified home inspector has probably saved more lives and properties from serious, even life threatening, hazards than any other trades person or entity.  When during the course of a home inspection, the inspector views an unsafe electrical connection in a crawl space of a home (which was perhaps performed years ago by an eager and "handy" neighbor, or even a relative), it is his or her moral duty to not only inform their client, but also the home owner as well, of the imminent danger uncovered.  A qualified home inspector can save a typical client (or homeowner) untold thousands of dollars by simply drawing their attention to a serious structural crack in a foundation wall, which if repaired now would save them from having to perhaps jack up the entire side of the house to repair it later, after the crack has immigrated to other areas and which will now significantly increase the costs.  Another example would be a roof which is nearing the end of its intended or manufactured "life", which if left alone instead of being replaced, could wind up being the direct cause of tens of thousands of dollars worth of interior damage inside the home!  When you consider that a typical home inspection on a $200,000 home may cost approximately $475.00, you are spending only about 1/4 of 1% of the value of the property for such thorough and invaluable information!  Where else can you receive such a return on investment?  The answer of course is nowhere!

Can a home inspector help out a home owner who is just looking to know what needs to be done in order to properly maintain their home?  Absolutely!  The inspector can give the homeowner an itemized "to do" list which will also prioritize the repairs or improvements needed, from most urgent to least.  An inspector can be a great ally of a recent widow whose husband took care of everything around the home and who is now left to fend for herself.  A home inspector can be contacted by a homeowner who was recently given an apparently outlandish estimate for repair by a contractor to fix some roof flashing and who does't know whether the problem really exists, or if it does in fact exist, whether the estimate could even  be considered reasonable.

The certified home inspector's job is to provide a general overview of the home.  They usually have a working knowledge of many components of the home, as well as a few of the building trades.  Their knowledge must be broad, compared to a particular tradesperson who may be a professional, or be competent, in one field only, such as a plumber.  They need to know alot about many things, something akin to a "renaissance" man or woman. They can be compared to a general practitioner physician.  Your general practitioner physician can help you with just  about everything that may be bothering you, in other words typical concerns, pains and ailments.  But when they encounter some abnormal condition out of their field of expertise, or something which warrants another opinion, they refer you to a specialist, such as a cardiologist.  Home inspectors are exactly the same.  They are your "general practitioner" who can handle just about everything that comes their way, but when they encounter something beyond their capabilities, they advise you to seek out a professional in whatever trade or field is applicable.

In closing, there are numerous reasons to contact a certified and professional home inspector.  Whether you are looking to purchase a home, already own one and are looking to put it on the market, or are simply looking to learned more about maintaining the one you have, you should call a qualified home inspector.  Knowledge is power and the more you know about a particular house, whether you are buying it or even if  your own one already,  the better position you'll be in to make informed and rational decisions regarding its maintenance,  care or whether you should purchase it.