Snow is now here

With the arrival of the snow comes difficulty with inspecting roofs. With snow and ice walking on the roof as part of the regular home inspection becomes too dangerous.
Home buyers understand the difficulty and no one has ever expected that I risk my life climbing an icy roof. What normally happens if the roof is snow or ice covered is that I inspect what I can and then offer to walk the roof once the conditions are safer.

I did have an inspection in the morning however since it began snowing the night before the buyer asked to reschedule the inspection for the following day in the hopes that the snow conditions will be more favorable for my walking on the roof.

Who cares about the home buyer?

I had a phone call yesterday morning from a listing agent regarding the home inspection I had completed a day or so before. She was not happy that I did a thorough inspection of the home. There were issues, like there are in every home but nothing tragic. Odd that she would complain that I was the inspector when she uses me to inspect for her buyers. Apparently I am preferred when it will protect herself and her buyer but not when she is the listing agent of the property.

Caring for the buyer should be a consistent quality that is found in all agents and in all fields of business.

There are reasons why some struggle in rough times and other continue to excel and grow.

Busy summer for home inspections, at least for me

It has been a busy summer so far for the home inspections I perform in Central Ohio.
Ohio home inspections overall are down from what I am being told from other home inspectors and real estate agents.

I am up by a few percentages above last year despite there being incentive last year that may have artificially inflated early 2010 home buying.

My client testimonials keep coming in.

Home Inspection of crawl space

As I do my duties as a self employed Ohio home Inspector is get inside crawl spaces. Moisture can be an enemy of any home if it is allowed to collect and get high enough. Inside a recent crawl space I found dryer vents being routed into the crawl space therefore dumping all that moist dryer air in to the crawl space under the home.

As a result of years of this the sill plates and joists had rotted and mold is growing. Be sure to have your home, your new home and your investment properties under go a home inspection. If this property had a home inspection years ago this issue could have been avoided.

Urbana Ohio Home Inspector

Grove City Ohio Home Inspector

Dublin Ohio Home Inspector

Russells Point Ohio Home Inspector

Bats in the Attic

Did a home inspection recently in Marysville, Ohio and as I was going though the attic I found a bat hanging at the ridge beam. I am not a wuss at all, however I did not like going underneath the fellow so as to get to the end of the attic space.

Luckily for me it appeared to be sleeping and did not fly about. If it did I would have left the attic really quick.

Attic gutter system

Yes, I have finally seen it first hand.  The attic gutter. Instead of fixing the flashing around the chimney someone decided to install a gutter/trough system to catch the water that entered the attic.  Funny

Wood Shake Roof

Wooden Shake roofs can last quite a long time if properly taken care of. The image is of home in which the shakes are beyond life expectancy and are in need of removal and replacement.

Home Inspection Prospect Ohio

Columbus Ohio Roofing

How to find a good Home Inspector

Here is an article on finding a good home inspector.Home Inspector

Selecting a Good Home Inspector

Here is an article on selecting a good home inspector

Consider also checking out home inspections in Ohio website

Ohio home inspector, grove city home inspector, galloway home inspector, columbus home inspector

March home sales up 54 percent over February - Topix

March home sales up 54 percent over February - Topix

My home inspection business is up by a larger percentage.

http://www.homeinspectionsinohio.com

Columbus Ohio home inspection

Contests

Does anyone use contests in their home inspection business? Let me know

I find it a great way to add fun and to remain memorable for when a need for a home inspection in the Columbus Ohio area comes up

http://www.homeinspectionsinohio.com

Columbus Ohio Home Inspector

Columbus Ohio home inspection

The pace of home inspections this time of year is normally brisk.  As I do my Columbus home inspections in Columbus of course but also surrounding areas as well I see common concerns.  One such concern is that of water flowing in towards the home and basement.  Often this is the result of downspouts that do not direct the rain water far enough away from the home.  Columbus can gets lots of rain in a short amount of time so it is important that the water be directed away from the home by way of downspout extensions, buried drain lines and of course having the soil near the home slope away from the home.  These things in combination help to keep the basements and crawl spaces dry.

Columbus home inspection
Columbus Ohio home inspection
Ohio home inspector

Chimney Crowns

Inspecting a chimney is part of the whole house inspection.   The fireplace it self is checked along with the exterior portions of it such as the crown.  An area that I often see that is in need of repair and maintenance is the crown.

The crown is the top part of the chimney and is the part that helps direct rain away from the inner portions of the chimney.  When a chimney crown is cracked water is allowed to enter and deterioration begins to occur.

In areas in which there are cycles of freezing and thawing the deterioration is quicker.  When I do my home inspections here in Ohio I always check the crown.  Even a small crack needs sealed to prevent further damage.

Plumbing in Ohio

I want to be certain not to bash all plumbers here in Ohio.  Like any sector of business there are ranges in skill and effort.  The other day I believe I met the lower end of the scale.  As I do my home inspections with my company, Habitation Investigation I see lots of things.  The image I have to show you is a good example of "non standard" repair, to put it nicely.  It is packing tape used to join the waste/drain line.

Along with fine piece of work were six other active leaks from drain and supply lines.  The sad part is that the plumber was in approx two days prior and reportedly repaired all the leaks.

Just another reason to always have the home you are looking to buy undergo a Habitation Investigation.

Home Inspector in Ohio

Condensation in Shower vent duct

This is what is discovered earlier today while doing a home inspection.  The duct was long and uninsulated allowing the moist shower air to condense in the duct work.  This was caught early before any damage was done.

enjoy the link to the video, please comment on it.

Ice Dams

I thought I would show a great angle image of an ice dam.  From the angle you can easily see how the ice has created a wall/dam that will direct additional thawing ice and snow under the shingles and into the home.

If you have this problem the cause is related to low insulation levels in the attic, too little ventilation, or a combination of the two.

This image is not of a house I was inspecting, I saw this while driving to a home inspection. 

Checking attic insulation and attic ventilation is something I check while doing a whole home inspection.

My home inspection website.

Roof Inspections

Conducting home inspection in Ohio during the winter can be a challenge, especially the roofs.  Often the roofs are snow covered and simply cannot be seen.  If snow or ice covered they are dangerous to walk on. 

When I inspect a roof in the winter I do the roof last so as to increase the chance that the ice/frost has burned off.  If not safe to walk on then I check what I can and I offer to revist the home in the spring when things are safer.

If you ever need a home inspection in ohio, be sure to check out Habitation Investigation LLC
Serving central ohio, columbus, hilliard, grove city, etc

Foundation Issue found during home inspection

One of the important areas that a good home inspector will look at is the crawl space.  Crawl spaces are dark dirty and the air quality is poor.  With that being said there are ways to make entering these spaces easier.  I have what I call a dirt suit that I wear over my clothers so as to keep my regular clothes clean.  I also have a face mask I will wear to prevent breathing in lots of dust and mold spores. 

Even with this there are still areas that can not be seen due to duct work or too little space to squeeze into.  However by having these items increases the areas I can look at and the concerns I am able to find for the buyers.

http://www.homeinspectionsinohio.com/

Top home inspection finds of 2009

In the spirit of the new year here is a sample of my findings over the past year.  Enjoy the pictures and comments

It is the Top 9 Finding of 2009

Check Your Sump Pump

With wet weather the chances of getting a wet basement increases. If you have a sump pump it is important that you check to see that is is working. If it is old but still working it may still be a good idea to replace it to avoid problems.

In the image you can see a sump pit filled with water. The teathered float is trapped against the side of the pit preventing the switch from turning on the pump.


If you have this type of sump pump you should check it to make sure it is not able to get trapped leading to standing water in your basement.

Feel free to share this with others such as friends, family, clients, ect

Jim Troth, Certified Home Inspector
Habitation Investigation LLC
Ohio home inspection