The Inspector's Weblog

Some ‘do it yourself’ tips involving electrical receptacles

2012-02-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

Last month we had a little discussion about new regulations involving Electrical Contractors, so this month I thought I’d continue with the electrical subject by giving you a few tips on things you should know about the electrical receptacles in your home and a few things you can do yourself to check their condition. I think most all of us take the electrical power available to us in our homes pretty much for granted and just flip light switches on and off as well as turn appliances on with out so much as a thought other than the absolute expectation that whatever it was we switched on had better operate. Unfortunately, the ease and reliability of our use of electricity in our homes actually lulls us into a false sense of security that can expose our family members and us to the possibility of a nasty electrical shock or worse. So, let’s ‘dive right in’ and see what we can do to make sure that at least some basic electrical items are safe.

First, to make your electrical safety check project a little easier and give you some decent information to work with, I’d like to suggest that you visit your local hardware or home improvement store and purchase a 3-prong socket tester. These inexpensive little testers have three lights on them that provide you with information as to the condition and/or manner in which the electrical receptacle was wired. The testers do come with instructions on how to interrupt what the tester lights are trying to ‘tell’ you. The last time I checked I believe that the testers were under $10.00. Starting at one end or the other of your home, begin by removing the wall electrical receptacle cover plate, which usually are plastic with one small slot head machine screw in the center that secures the cover to the receptacle. All of the electrical receptacles and wall switches should have cover plates installed that are not broken or have openings in them that could allow access to the energized wires and terminals in the wall box. After removing the outlet cover plate, inspect the outlet receptacle for any kind of damage (cracks, missing chunks of the plastic housing, charring or a broken off prong in one of the receptacle openings, which usually will be the round ground prong). If the receptacle is damaged it’s time to call an Electrician.

Next, take your tester and plug it into the receptacle outlet and wiggle the tester to see if the outlet or the electrical wall box itself is loose. If either is loose, you have the decision to make whether you feel confident enough to secure the outlet or the box safely and properly, or whether you’d be better off having an Electrician perform the job. If you decide that you can handle the job, make sure you de-energize the circuit that the receptacle is on by switching the appropriate circuit breaker in the main electrical panel to the off position, and then testing the receptacle with your tester or a lamp to make certain the circuit really is dead. If everything has checked out OK with the receptacle up to this point, the next thing to do is plug your tester into the outlet and read the indicator lights on the tester. For most testers, the lights mean the following:
· Two green lights means the outlet functions properly
· A single green light means the outlet has power, but is not grounded. In
essence, it is a 2-prong outlet, which is safe only for two prong plugs. If you
want to use a 3-prong appliance, you need to have the receptacle repaired.
· An amber or red light indicates a serious fault that should be corrected. Don’t
use the outlet until it is repaired.
· If none of the lights on your tester light up, it means you have no power at the
receptacle or the receptacle itself has a problem. Check the circuit breaker or
fuse in the main panel, and if they are OK and on, then the problem is with the
outlet and you need to get it repaired.

Never use a 2-prong adapter on the cord of a 3-prong appliance or power tool to utilize a 2-prong receptacle as you will be defeating the grounding safety features of the appliance or tool and subjecting yourself to a possible electrical shock hazard. Always avoid the use of electrical extension cords for ‘permanent’ installed appliances as they have been determined to be one of the main causes of fires in the home. And, as we are talking extension cords, when using an extension cord to power a tool, make sure the extension cord is sized right (the proper gage wire) for the length of the cord and amps of electricity that the tool will draw. Avoid use of multi-outlet strips or plug-in cubes that can over load the single receptacle outlet and circuit that they are plugged into because of the possibility of numerous appliances running simultaneously and drawing too much power. If there are toddlers in the home, installation of those small flat plastic caps into the base of wall receptacles will prevent the curious child from inserting something metal into the outlet prong opening and getting electrically shocked. And finally, make sure that all the receptacles that are with-in 6’ of a sink, all those in the garage, and all those around the exterior of the house or in a damp/wet area are the special GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) type receptacles, or are wired into a GFCI protected circuit. The GFCI is designed to immediately turn the power off at the receptacle if the unit senses a possible power surge going to a ground, which will protect you from an electrical shock or worse. I hope this information will help you make sure that your home is a safe one.

I’M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS ONE……

2012-01-15T08:31:00.000-08:00

A little over a year ago, the C.S.L.B. (California State License Board) announced a new zero-tolerance enforcement policy that will initiate legal action against any C-10 (licensed Electricians) Electrical contractor who willfully employs even one uncertified electrician to perform work as an electrician. Electricians are defined as any person who engages in the connection of electrical devices for C-10 contractors. It is C.S.L.B.’s position that a certified electrician or an approved apprentice must perform electrical work. Non-certified workers may perform other work that may be under taken by a C-10 contractor in the performance of their jobs such as trenching, concrete, framing, and other types of work that does not involve connecting electrical devices. C.S.L.B. is legally required to open an investigation and initiate disciplinary action against the C-10 electrical contractor, which may include license suspension or revocation, within 60 days of receipt of a referral or complaint from the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (D.A.S.). Subsections within Labor Code Section 3099 clearly state that certification by D.A.S. is required for anyone who performs work as an electrician for C-10 Electrical contractors. D.A.S. is required by Labor Code Section 3099.2 to report violations to C.S.L.B.

Wow, that’s pretty serious stuff! But, I just don’t understand what the C.S.L.B. thinks it is really accomplishing. I ‘get it’ that they are trying to protect the general public against possible improper or substandard electrical practices performed by inexperienced electricians employed by a C-10 contractor, which are used because their wages are less than a certified electricians may be. However, any homeowner can perform electrical work on their home although they are supposed to get a Building Permit to do so, but most don’t. And, any General Contractor can still perform electrical work as long as it is one of at least three different types of work necessary to complete a project. I’m not sure that the C.S.L.B. has really accomplished much other than to just burden the C-10 Electrical contractors further.

As a Home Inspector, I see some incredibly scary wiring issues in some of the homes and structures that I am asked to inspect, which are probably performed by homeowners, but probably also by unlicensed handymen. Nothing the C.S.L.B. does will probably have any affect on this type of unsupervised activity. I’m certainly not one for more government intervention, but if providing safety for the general public through safe electrical wiring practices was C.S.L.B.’s intent, I think that they have missed the mark. I’m not sure what the proper course of action really ought to be, but I think that the C.S.L.B. and other involved entities need to go back to the ‘drawing board’ and come up with a better solution to the issue. Just my opinion, what’s yours?

ENERGY HOGS

2011-12-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

It’s December and winter is upon us once again. Winter with it’s own type of beauty and activities like the holidays, snow, snow skiing and friends over for a visit and maybe a meal culminating in a sit ‘n talk visit session in front of a warm fire or near a warm, burning wood stove. But, with all the good and fun comes the inevitable increased propane gas and electrical bills we will be faced with to pay as we struggle to keep our homes warm and lit up. As winter grinds on and the energy bills keep getting higher and harder to afford, some of us begin to realize that we live in ‘energy hogs’.

Just what is an energy hog? I’m not sure that there is a precise description anywhere as to what exactly is an energy hog home, but my personal opinion is that it is a home structure, usually 15 or more years old, but could just as well have been one built in a rush during the 2000 through 2006 ‘boom years’; homes that were built without close regard to details. Details such as:

· Installation of an energy efficient heating system with air tight duct system
· Proper insulation installation with no gaps and material contact on both
sides
· Building envelope that is ‘tight’ with no gaps, cracks or air leak openings

There are many other energy conserving details, but those are the main ones, and, many homes fall far short in those areas. Older, vintage homes really ‘leak’ conditioned air because when they were built, energy costs were minimal compared to today so energy use was not of much concern. Fortunately, the good news is that making our homes more energy efficient many times is not that difficult to do or expensive.

As I mentioned in my blog message last month, many people think first about expensive projects like changing out all the windows to new dual pane units when far simpler and inexpensive projects actually reap way greater rewards in energy saving. I would suggest starting with examining the inside and out sidewalls to see how airtight they are. Caulking and sealing all the cracks, gaps and openings in the wall coverings will make a big difference in air infiltration. Installing simple, inexpensive foam gaskets behind the wall receptacle and light switch covers actually curbs a lot of air movement. Installing additional insulation properly in the appropriate places will make a home far more comfortable to live in and save far more money spent for energy than replacing windows ever would. Check out the weather stripping at the doors and windows to make sure it is intact and that it is making proper contact with the door or window. If you are in doubt as to what to do or where to start in making your home less of an energy hog, having an energy audit performed on your home would probably be a good investment. The reason an energy audit would be money well spent is that all the energy wasting leaks of your home will be found and brought to your attention, some of which will probably surprise you. The energy audit report will allow you to put together a plan to start turning your home into a comfortable, energy conserving star performer. So, roll up your sleeves and get to work so that you can start saving your hard earned money and live more comfortably in your home.

SAVING MONEY, OR THROWING IT OUT WITH THE WINDOWS?

2011-11-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

I’m fortunate that, as both a Home Inspector and a Structural Pest (termite) Inspector, I get to look at all sorts of different homes and structures. Although I can appreciate them all, I think I have sort of a soft spot for older vintage homes and structures. Many times they have all sorts of issues, which makes them more work for me to inspect and prepare the report, but the fact that these vintage buildings have stood the test of time is remarkable and commendable. I admire the quality of the materials used to construct them, especially the lumber and wood materials. We can’t even begin to find that kind of quality material today at the home centers and lumber yards we have to shop at. And then, there’s that incredible architecture of yesteryear that you just have to appreciate.

Many of these vintage homes are in the sections of town that have become somewhat affordable, which makes these older homes attractive to first time home buyers or investors for rentals. As I always invite my clients to accompany me during the inspection and I attempt to give them as much advice and tips as I can, we will almost inevitably get around to what the energy use of the home will be because it was built so long ago before energy was a real cost factor. Most clients zero in on the windows as THE place where they think the house will loose the most heat, and they might be partially right. A home that was built 70, 80 or more years ago most likely will have wonderful, beautiful wood casement windows and/or double hung wood sash windows. A lot of times these windows have been neglected and have areas where they are severely weathered or decaying, missing their putty glazing, have broken sash ropes/weights or are just plain inoperable because they have been painted closed over the years. Because of these issues and the perception that the wood windows are relics and totally inefficient, my clients usually are quick to tell me that they will be replacing all of the windows with dual pane vinyl, aluminum, you name it, new windows. This thought process is bolstered by slick advertising in many venues by window manufacturers and installing contractors. Replacing the wood windows is almost always the absolute worst, wasteful thing to do!

After listening to my clients tell me their terminal plans for these wonderful vintage wood windows, I try to lay out a few facts that they most likely have never heard or thought of, as they probably would not have the opinion about the wood windows that they do. The first thing, although probably the least important reason, that I explain is that changing out all the windows with new dual pane windows will have a miniscule difference percentage wise in making the home more energy efficient as compared to other procedures such as installing adequate insulation in the proper locations of the structure. Then I relate to them that these wood windows are very repairable and can be rather easily retrofitted to be nearly as efficient as the new dual pane windows are. If saving money is their goal, I point out that they are shooting themselves in the foot by replacing the windows over refurbishing them as the replacement process will cost way more money usually. And, many times the people that install the new windows don’t do it properly and the new windows become leak sources that allow water to enter the walls resulting in huge problems over time. And finally I explain to my clients what I feel is the most important reason, and that is that the wood windows are part of the vintage homes’ architecture and pleasing esthetics. Installing new windows changes the entire look, feel and charm of the home. If the home has any historical value what so ever, the replacement of the windows will immediately diminish the historical value not to mention the monetary value of the property as well. I also bring up the fact that if they are concerned about sustainability issues, what is more sustainable; refurbishing and getting extended use out of the existing time tested, beautiful wood windows, or, ripping them out, sending them to the landfill/dump and purchasing new windows that come from the whole material and energy consuming manufacturing and transportation process. What do you think?

FYI – SOME TIDBITS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW

2011-10-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

Things always seem like they keep changing, and it doesn’t always seem like it is for the good. In fact, things do keep changing and keeping up with that change can be a difficult task and confusing to sort out whether the change is actually good or bad. Take the recent controversy over increased awareness and enforcement of obtaining a building permit to install a water heater in Tuolumne County. Contractors and homeowners are not happy with the necessity and $110 cost of a permit to install or replace a water heater (The cost for a permit is actually more for a Contractor). However, the head Building Official of Tuolumne County says the $110 permit fee doesn’t even cover the cost to the County to perform the inspection. The Contractors feel that there is no necessity of the permit as installing a water heater is an easy job. I agree that installing a water heater is, for the most part, a pretty easy, basic job. Yet, time after time, deficiencies involving water heater installation and/or lack of water heater safety equipment are things I find during a Home Inspection and what find their way into my report. Obviously, many installers (whether it be a homeowner or Contractor) don’t know the proper safe water heater installation requirements, or they choose to ignore them for whatever reason.

A water heater that ‘runs away’ with it self and over heats the water can actually turn into a dangerous bomb and/or missile due to the steam build up in the tank. Improperly installed water heaters can cause bodily injury in several different ways as well as property damage, which is the reason the Building Departments want the opportunity to inspect the final installation. That really is the basic reasons for building permits in the first place – to have a knowledgeable person/entity have oversight of the construction and repair of the structures that we live and work in to make sure that they are safe. The Building Departments Inspectors make sure that the construction, materials, repairs or methods used meet building ‘code’ standards, which is a minimum level requirement of materials and methods employed. I always have to shake my head in somewhat amused disbelief when a Contractor or handyman says that he/she performs their work to ‘code’ level, like that is a really great accomplishment. What that really means is that they are performing their work to the bare bones minimum level of acceptability, and anything what so ever less would be unacceptable and would not pass code or be safe!

Another furor that has swept through the Construction Industry is the newly adopted requirement that new homes be equipped with a fire sprinkler system. Installation of these systems is expensive and causes the cost of a new home to increase considerably to the purchaser. Not only that, but the current systems available need periodic maintenance, which has to be performed by specialists in the fire sprinkler business and adds additional costs to owning the home. In fact, I’ve heard, but can’t verify for sure, that it was the fire sprinkler industry that was behind and pushed hard to get this shoved into the new home construction requirements. The reason used to make fire sprinkler systems necessary is supposedly to give people time to safely exit a burning home, not necessarily to extinguish the fire. This regulation needs to be repealed and re-thought out. The controversy over required fire sprinkler systems will continue, for sure!

ENJOYING & GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR DECK

2011-09-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

Many of us that live in the Sierras and foothills are fortunate to live in homes that have decks that allow us to enjoy the outdoors with our family and friends, which many times includes meals and barbecue/grilling. But, as we move into the dog days of summer, our decks may be starting to show the evidence of all that use we been giving them as well as the ‘hammering’ the deck has been taking from the sun. With the warm dry weather we’ve been enjoying, maybe now is the best time to consider sprucing up our decks and readying them for the up coming winter months. The place to start is to take the time to really look at and inspect the deck. Not just from the top, but the underside and the supports of the deck. Take note of any earth to wood contacts (including debris/leaves build-ups) and white growths (fungus), which is the precursor to dry rot. Re-grade (dig/rake) the soil and debris down and away from the wood members of the deck breaking all the earth to wood contacts while providing drainage away from the supports and their concrete piers. Probe the wood with a screwdriver at the point of any white growths or areas that had been in soil/debris contact to determine if the wood is still sound. If the flat bladed screwdriver pushes into the wood, repairs are in order.

Whether your deck is in need of repairs or not, it is usually best to start off with clean and fully visible surfaces. The best way to accomplish this is by power washing all of the deck surfaces. You can rent a power washer, but I recommend that you practice a little on some old lumber or an area under the deck that won’t be seen easily so that you can get ‘the feel’ for how the power washer works. The stream of water that is delivered from the nozzle of the spray wand is strong enough to tear up the surface of the wood if you are not careful. After the power washing, let the deck wood members dry for a couple of days and then take care of any structural repairs that you have identified. Next, go on a search for any of the white growths (fungus), especially on the underside of the deck, and scrape and wire brush them off. Make sure to treat those areas with a fungicide to keep them from growing again in the immediate future. There are different types of fungicides available at home and garden stores, some of which are not so good for the environment. So, be sure to read and follow the label instructions carefully. Now is the time to give the top of the deck some attention. Any nails that have started backing out of the deck planks need to be set back down into the wood or pulled out and replaced with proper deck screws. Check the integrity of the guardrail and re-secure as necessary if it wobbles even slightly. Check the gap between the guardrail pickets and consider installing additional pickets, wire netting or some other type of material if the gaps are greater than 4”, as this can pose a safety issue of falling off the deck to small children.

Now that you’ve broken all the earth to wood contacts, cleaned all of the deck surfaces and made any of the repairs that were necessary, it’s time to dress up and protect your deck. Do not, let me repeat, DO NOT paint your deck. Although the deck will look great right after the paint is applied, over time the paint surface will crack from weather exposure and allow moisture into the wood members, but will not allow the wood to ‘breathe’ and expel the moisture, which will result in dry rot. The best bet is to apply a stain with preservative qualities. Consult your local paint store or home and garden paint department for advice on what product will give you the best protection and long term benefits. Applying the stain with an airless paint sprayer will probably give you the best results and get the material down into all the nooks and crannies, but a paint roller and brush will work also. So, I probably have you pretty worn out about now just thinking about how much work this deck refurbish will be. Yes it will be a bit of a project, but when you’re done the deck will be a clean, safe and inviting place for you, your family and friends will want to spend time on. And, if you need some encouragement to get the project under way, get an estimate or two from Contractors as to what the cost to replace the deck would be. I think that will give you plenty of incentive to maintain the deck you have in good shape! If you have any questions, give me a call (209-533-5044) or drop me an email note ( inspect@mlode.com ) and I’ll do my best to give you the information you need.

KEEP YOUR COOL!

2011-08-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

So, here we are heading into the middle of summer and we really haven’t experienced much in the way of hot temperatures so far here in the Sierra foothills. Unusual, but I’m sure that the heat will be upon us soon. Maybe a smart thing to do before the heat sets in is to give the cooling system of your home a little ‘look-see’ and maintenance before you press the system into heavy service. If your home has an evaporative cooler (many times called a ‘swamp cooler’ because of the odor that sometimes comes from the water in the unit) it should have been ‘winterized’, which means it was cleaned, emptied of water and covered. Now you reverse the process, but first you need to inspect the cooler. Look closely at the base of the cooler for signs of rusting, and if you see some, it’s probably time to apply the proper paint-on asphalt type coating to prevent rust through and leakage. Next, look at and check the condition and operation of the water fill valve and float after turning the supply water valve back on. Adjust the float to maintain the water level to the proper height in the cooler base. Then examine the cooler pads and clean or replace them as needed. Turn on the cooler with one cooler pad panel removed to see how the water pump and water dispersion system for the pads operates and to make sure there will be plenty of water spread across the top of the pads to saturate them. At this point you are almost done as all that you have left to do is oil (or grease) the electric motor and fan bearings and check the condition and adjustment of the fan belt.
If your home is equipped with a heat pump and/or forced air HVAC system that includes a condenser unit on the exterior of your home, there is a few things you can, and should, do, but any kind of real service work will most likely have to be performed by a qualified service technician that has the proper tools, equipment and materials such as refrigerant. But what you can do to help the unit work a little easier is to make sure that there is nothing stacked up next to the condenser unit and cut back any foliage that may be growing up against the unit. The condenser needs good airflow to operate efficiently. So, look down inside the unit and see if any debris has accumulated in it, and if so, see if you can vacuum or remove it safely. Don’t mow the lawn with the grass cuttings allowed to discharge at or around the condenser unit as the clippings will get sucked into the unit, and, the mower may pick up a hard object such as a small stone, which could damage the condenser. Make sure you disable the unit before attempting the cleaning by flipping the breaker switch of the disconnect panel box on the wall next to the condenser. Closely look at the case and fins (if any) for physical damage. Also look at the refrigerant lines (if any) to see if they are damaged or crimped. These lines are copper tubing and are most vulnerable where they leave the condenser unit and enter the wall of the house. The larger of the two lines should be cold when the system is on and the line should be insulated with a black foam type material with out cracks, deterioration or bare areas. The smaller tube should be warm it’s entire length. A certified technician should perform any further service or repair.

YOU, H2O AND YOUR $’s

2011-07-05T05:35:00.000-07:00

With summer finally upon us, one bill that you get in the mail that will undoubtedly be increasing is your water bill. For many of us this irritating situation occurs due to our summer ritual of watering whatever landscaping we have planted in our yards to keep the foliage alive and healthy. Although water from most of the local water utility providers has been relatively inexpensive up to this point in time, the cost of water has been creeping up over the past few years, and it is poised for a large increase in the near future. Those of us on a financial budget are most likely going to have to rethink how we use water in and around our homes, but especially for watering our yards. Lawns may well become a luxury we just can no longer afford. This thinking may give way to re-evaluating our entire yard and the landscaping/foliage in it as the new water rates will most likely be based on a rather aggressive tiered rate system that is predicated on how much water you use, a lot like the way electrical rates/bills are set up. If this is indeed the way we will have to pay for our water use, many of us will have to look at ways of ‘sculpting’ our yards to hold water on our property in and around the vegetation, installing drip watering systems that are controlled and metered (and sensitive to weather conditions) to provide just ‘enough’ water to plants at the appropriate areas, and possibly even trying to figure out how to capture and utilize rain water run-off from our roofs and paved areas. The days of ‘flood’ hand watering and/or placing a broadcast sprinkler out and just letting it go is probably a thing of the past.

We will have to re-evaluate our water use in our homes also in order to get a grip on the rising water bill. The very first thing we need to look at, and, should have done so long ago, is that our water system is intact and not leaking. Because plumbing pipes are run in many areas that can be hard to access or are completely hidden, finding leaks can be difficult. One easy method to determine if there even is a leak is to make sure every water faucet, hose bib and water using appliance is turned off and then go look at the water utilities water meter. The meter is located in a ground box usually near the street at the front of your property. Check and record where the needle is pointing and then compare that reading with another reading 15 or more minutes later. If the meter needle has moved, you have a leak and now you need to locate it to fix it. The next thing that probably should be done is to look at and assess all the water using fixtures and appliances in our home and determine what condition they are in and how much water they use. Some things like installing low flow shower heads will be pretty easy and won’t cost very much, while changing out a standard toilet or clothes washing machine for ‘water miser’ type units may involve a lot more work and money, which may also not really pencil out money wise.

One area of excessive water use that surprised me was that needed for dishwashing. I’ve always believed you could do a better job of cleaning the dishes by hand and save water at the same time over using a dishwashing machine. However, according to Green Plumbers, which is the name/trademark of Green Invest Limited of Australia that has an office in Sacramento, California, a new Energy Star qualified dishwasher will not only save energy, but will save nearly 5,000 gallons of water in a year over hand washing dishes. Contact me if you would like other water saving ideas.

DEFENSIBLE SPACE IS SENSIBLE SPACE!

2011-06-05T04:52:00.000-07:00

June? Springtime? Are you kidding me? With the ‘official’ start of summer less than three weeks away, I sit here looking out my window at rain falling on my property that looks like a war zone. This was the winter of incredible surprises. With several heavy snowfalls starting with one as early as Thanksgiving and culminating with a late one in April that caught many trees and bushes in full leaf, which resulted in even more broken and downed trees, tree limbs and bushes than had already been damaged from the earlier snows. The other ‘gift’ all of this rain and snow gave us beside all the debris on the ground is lush weed growth. Not only do we have a monumental clean up ahead of us, but we also have to get ready for the fire season that is just around the corner.

I’m sure that you’ve seen the signs along side the road put up by various Fire Departments and agencies that say: “defensible space is sensible space”. Many of us that live here in the foothills and the Sierra’s are at least somewhat familiar with the term ‘defensible space’, as we go through a yearly ritual to obtain defensible space around our homes. In fact, CAL FIRE, which is responsible for much of the fire protection services in this area, sends fire personnel out to inspect our homes/yards to make sure that we do have defensible space around the structures because it is the law, and it is the only way that they will be able to keep our homes from catching fire if a wild fire occurs. For those of you that are not familiar with defensible space, it is basically a 100’ of area around your home that consists of two areas of reduced or no flammable vegetation or debris. The first 30’ out and around your home is to be clear of all flammable ground vegetation and debris. Single, isolated trees or shrubs may be allowed if they are well maintained. The remaining 70’ of the 100’ feet out and around your home is considered the “reduced fuel zone” where more trees and shrubs are allowed, but they need to be thinned and maintained so that they won’t allow a wildfire to spread though them. That is the simple explanation of defensible space, but there is actually much more to it, and really, it is mostly just common sense.

Defensible space actually is a total fire safe mindset that encompasses your entire home and property. Making sure that the accumulated debris has been removed from your roof and rain gutters, making sure that the electric service wires are not rubbing on tree limbs and that the fuse boxes and circuit breaker panels are all installed and maintained per code are just a few of the fire safe considerations. If you have tall trees on your property it is wise to limb them up several feet and remove any vegetation below and out around them, which is referred to as “removing ladder fuels” that allow flames to spread up into the crowns of the trees. This is particularly important if your home is on a hillside. There are many other things that you can do to fire safe your home and property that I don’t have room to list here. For much more information contact your local CAL FIRE office, fire department or Fire Safe Council. You can also get information and tips by visiting www.fire.ca.gov . Get started now…it may be raining today, but those hot summer days are right around the corner with what could be a very active fire season due to all the downed foliage and tall grass/weeds thanks to this very wet winter.

IS YOUR REFRIGERATOR CHILL’IN?

2011-04-03T04:47:00.000-07:00

That big, tall box that is stuffed into a corner or a gap in the cabinets in the kitchen. You know, the box that everyone in the family is constantly walking over to and opening the doors, staring into it for a bit, and finally removing things from it. Yeah, that box that turns on and runs periodically all day and all night that’s called a refrigerator and keeps your food cold to preserve it. Well, that box, the refrigerator, just happens to be one of the biggest energy users in your home. And, if that refrigerator is 20 or more years old, it is a major energy user in your home and is very inefficient by today’s standards and especially when compared with new units. Refrigerators seem to run on and on for years and are so expensive to replace, many of us, me included, find it a painful choice to replace a running refrigerator. But, if we knew what that old unit was costing us in electricity each month, the decision to replace it with a new unit would start to look like a no-brainer.

However, if replacing that old refrigerator is just not in the budget, or, if you are concerned about having your refrigerator run as efficiently and economically as possible, there are some things that you can do to achieve those goals. The very first thing to do is also something that won’t cost you anything but your time to perform – cleaning the coils, which are located either at the back or bottom of the refrigerator. Dust and debris accumulate on the coils and prevents them from cooling properly thus making the refrigerator work harder. Once you’ve located the coils, use a vacuum or a coil brush to remove dust balls, pet hair and any other dirt/debris from the coils. It is probably best to consult the owners’ manual to make sure that you know the suggested best method for cleaning the coils. At this point it probably would also be a good time to empty and clean the defrost drain pan (bottom/under the refrigerator). Next, check the door seals to make sure that they are intact and clean. If they are dirty, they can be cleaned with soapy warm water and a soft rag. Check to see if the seals are actually sealing by closing the door on a dollar bill half way inside the refrigerator and then attempt to slide it out. If you can slide the bill out, you should replace the seals. Make sure that you keep the refrigerator a few inches away from the wall and don’t store things on top of it, as you don’t want to restrict the airflow to the cooling coils. Also, did you know that a full refrigerator and freezer uses less electricity that a partially full unit? The refrigerator should be placed away from heat sources such as an oven or placed in direct sunlight.

If you decide that you are going to replace your old refrigerator, here are a few things to keep in mind to buy an energy efficient model. Purchase an Energy Star model as they normally use 20% less energy than other units. You can (and should) check the yellow EnergyGuide label to compare the model’s energy use with similar models and estimate the annual operating costs. Models with top-mounted freezers generally use 10 to 20 percent less energy than bottom-mount models. Purchase an appropriately sized refrigerator. The most energy-efficient models are typically the 16 to 20 cubic foot size. Skip the icemaker and dispenser as automatic icemakers and through-the-door dispensers increase energy use by 14 to 20 percent and can raise the purchase price by $75 to $250. Set the temperature of your new refrigerator to 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and, minimize the amount of time the fridge door is open. To get more information on Energy Star refrigerators and other appliances, go to www.energystar.gov .

CONNECTING THE DOTS

2011-03-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

Have you ever given any thought to the plumbing services connected with your home and their relationship to each other and to your wallet? When you do give a thought to your supply water service or sewer service, is it when the service cost increases? With so many costs increasing today, maybe thinking about and evaluating our water use and what it actually costs us would be a smart thing to do. So, with that being said, let’s start by acknowledging a couple of obvious cost relationships with water and sewer service. First, if you are using well water, you know first hand the direct relationship between the cost of electricity to power the well pump and your use of water. The more water you use the higher your electricity bill becomes. But, just about everyone that is supplied with water from a public or private utility usually expect water to flow from a faucet when turned on and don’t give a thought to the cost to supply that water to that faucet. In fact, it’s been said that the average person in the United States uses between 80 to 100 gallons of water per day, which is a lot of times turning that faucet on and off each day.

The costs to get that utility water to that faucet range from accessing the water source, transporting the water to the water treatment facility, treating the water to government mandated water quality levels, and finally safely pumping/piping the water to your home. Those processes require an expensive infrastructure consisting of, at least here in the Mother Lode foothills, Dams, flumes, conveyance ditches, storage tanks, treatment facilities, pumps, piping, meters, valves, trucks, maintenance equipment along with the personnel to actually make all of this work efficiently everyday, 24 hours a day. I think that you can easily see that getting water to flow from that faucet of yours is not an inexpensive undertaking. So, the more water you use, the more money is expended to get that water delivered to you. But wait, there’s another connection/relationship that we haven’t brought into the equation, and that is the fact that, the more water you use, the more wastewater will be drained into the sewage system. Of course this does not apply for water that you use to water your yard, but on a whole, the more water you use, the more wastewater will go down the drain.

What many people forget about is that conserving water not only saves on water fees, but they will also be saving on sewer and energy costs. Another thing that is hard to understand is how water, sewer and energy fees vary so wildly around the U. S., state to state, city to city and even in the same city. If you looked at studies which show water and sewer rates, city by city, you would probably be thinking the same as me that “This makes no sense!” I was also surprised to find that sewer rates in many areas are 2 to 4 times as much as water rates. Using a lot of hot water will also cost you money, not only for the water used, but also the energy (gas or electricity) to heat that water. So, I think you can see the relationship between water use and your wallet. The more water we use the more the utilities need to work on providing those water, sewer and energy services, which will ultimately result in the rates to provide those services to increase. Are you ready to examine and re-evaluate your water usage now?

PROPANE and PROPANE GAS APPLIANCES

2011-02-01T05:48:00.000-08:00

Many of us living here in the Mother Lode/foothills have propane gas fired appliances for our cooking and heating. Propane is actually a petroleum product that is delivered in liquid form but readily turns to a gas when released from the tank it is contained in. Propane is very competitive in cost compared to electricity although its’ cost has been rising some as of late. As a fuel, propane is a very efficient, relatively clean burning fuel that is actually very safe when supply plumbing is properly installed and the appliances using it are properly installed and maintained. Propane appliances are usually so efficient and trouble free that most people use them year after year without giving them even a second thought, let alone any sort of cleaning, service or inspection. This is unfortunate for several reasons, but the most important one is safety.

Now that we are in the midst of ‘Ol Man Winter, many of us are ‘working’ the heck out of our propane gas fired furnace systems and wall heaters if we have them. With the holiday’s just past and a lot of time being spent indoors due to foul weather, our propane gas stoves and ovens are probably getting a good ‘work-out’ also. But, when was the last time you actually serviced and inspected this equipment? This is really important as doing so will help with longevity and performance of the system or appliance, but more so for the safety of you and your family. For all the good things about propane gas, it does have a ‘dark side’. First, propane is an extremely flammable gas…that’s part of the reason it is so efficient and useful. But, the burning process has to be controlled and safe, which means the burning ‘chamber’ must be intact and sealed, and, the gas supply controls operating correctly. Also, the burning of propane gas has one nasty by product, which is Carbon Monoxide (CO), an odorless and tasteless gas. CO can be deadly! Because you can’t taste or smell CO, you really don’t know what is causing you to have a headache, be fatigued, be dizzy, have shortness of breath and finally have nausea which is leading up to brain damage or even death. Propane fired appliances/systems must have sealed burning chambers and be properly vented to the exterior of the building to avoid CO poisoning.

Many propane supply companies have employees that will come to your home and relight the pilot light should it go out, and check your propane appliances for safety. However, the best course of action, especially when it comes to gas fired forced air furnace systems or wall/floor furnaces, is to have the systems cleaned, serviced and thoroughly evaluated at least every ten years (or sooner) by a licensed HVAC (heating and air) Contractor. The reason for this is because the heating system probably has cycled on and off thousands of times during those ten years. Not only can the various components of the heating system wear out, but, more importantly, the heat chamber, or heat exchanger as it is more commonly referred to, may develop cracks over time due to the repeated heating and cooling of the metal surfaces. This allows the by products of the combustion process (CO being one of them) to escape into the interior air that is being conditioned. Every person that enters that home when the defective furnace is running is subject to CO poisoning without even having the slightest hint of the danger!

One thing you can (and should) do yourself to help prolong the service life of your forced air furnace is to change the air filter regularly, which is usually a simple job. If you don’t know where the air filter is located, make sure you get the technician to show you when you get the system serviced. Propane gas is odorized for safety. The smell is like rotten eggs. This allows a person to readily know when there is a gas leak or escape of unburned gas from the equipment. If you don’t know already, make sure that the technician shows you where all of the gas turn off valves are and explains exactly what you should do in an emergency or if you smelled gas in or around your home. If you have propane appliances and/or heating systems in your home, take a few minutes today to evaluate their condition, age and determine when they were last serviced, and then make that call to your HVAC Contractor to keep you and your family safe and healthy.

ARE YOU BEGINNING TO GET MOLDY?

2011-01-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

Now that we are getting into winter and the wet weather, it’s probably time to start being on the lookout for moisture intrusion and/or moisture accumulation issues in our homes. Moisture can be very damaging to our home and its’ various systems. But, what can be another negative add-on to moisture is mold. A lot has been made of mold over the past several years due to some high profile lawsuits against builders and insurance companies, so much so, that most insurance companies now have disclaimers in their policies that disavow coverage for mold issues. Although I don’t really know the merits of these legal cases, I do know some were way overblown, as mold is everywhere. You and I are breathing in mold spores right now. There are literally millions of different strains of mold and mildew on this earth. If there was no mold or mildew we would be buried in leaves and other material because it wouldn’t break down, decay and return to the soil as nutrients. Unfortunately, when mold begins to grow in our homes due to leaks or other moisture issues, the mold does what it does best and begins breaking down and decaying the materials that it is flourishing on. Some molds can even make you very ill, especially if you are allergic to them or you have pulmonary issues or a weakened immune system. So, for whatever reason, you don’t want mold to get a foothold in your home.

It takes three things for mold to grow: food (natural nutrients), water (moisture) and habitat (40 – 130 degrees/high humidity). Take any one item away, and mold can’t grow. As our homes are loaded with mold ‘food’ such as sheetrock (the paper exterior covering on it), wood, carpet, textiles, plastics, skin oils, vegetables and grains to name a few, and the temperatures that we are comfortable in are the same that mold flourishes in, we need to concentrate on correcting and/or controlling moisture conditions. Some things that should be on your ‘fix it’ list to keep mold away would be leaky pipes, damp basements, flooding/moisture intrusion, houseplants, refrigerators, damp clothes, humidity, condensation, poor ventilation and spills and leaks of any kind.

So, now it’s time to set aside a part of your day to methodically go through your home and search for any kind of moisture build-up or leaks and to then ‘fix’ them. Take a slow walk around the exterior of your home and check to see if there are any cracks or gaps in the wall siding and trim members that need caulking and/or securing. Look at how the soil slopes at the base of the walls at the foundation. The soil should slope away from the foundation and there should not be any depressions that can hold water. Don’t forget to look up also – is there stains or darkening of the eave wood members? Are the rain gutters cleaned out of debris so that they drain properly and don’t overflow or back up onto the eave wood members? And, talking about looking up, don’t forget to look up in the attic spaces to double check that there is no condensation collecting on the underside of the roof framing due to lack of adequate ventilation.

If your house inspection turns up some mold, by fixing the leak, correcting the humidity or removing the ‘food’ source should control the mold. Fresh air and sunlight will also help kill the mold. For a small area of mold growth, you can mix 2 teaspoons of white distilled vinegar or tree oil with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle, spray the mixture on the mold and do not rinse. Vinegar kills most mold spores, and tea tree oil is a fungicide. However, cleaning mold can be dangerous, so if you have more than 10 square feet of mold, or the mold is black or greenish-black in color, you probably better hire a contractor familiar with mold remediation. To get additional information on mold issues and remediation, try the following resources:

Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov/mold/preventionandcontrol.html ) “Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( www.cdc.gov/mold ) mold information site

National Association of Homebuilders ( www.moldtips.com ) mold resource center

STRUCTRUCTURAL PEST CHEMICAL TREATMENTS

2010-12-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

One of the services that the Structural Pest Control industry has vehemently protected as one that only ‘licensed’ companies can perform is chemical treatments, both soil and wood. This has been strongly backed, right or wrong, by the Structural Pest Control Board, EPA, County Agricultural Commissioner, and of course industry organizations such as the PCOC (Pest Control Operators of California). Applying chemicals is a serious practice and needs to be done in exactly the proper manner to be an effective control method, but more importantly, to be safe to people and the environment as a whole. But, this is where the ‘rub’ comes in. Many pest treatment chemicals are available on the open market at places like home improvement supply stores, hardware stores and garden/agricultural supply outlets. When a consumer purchases these products, many times they either don’t read the instructions on the label or they ignore them. Some how that old failed thinking of “If a little is good, well then a whole bunch is way better!” seems to ‘creep’ in. This is very unfortunate as this allows an excess of foreign chemical substances to be introduced into an environment that never had those materials involved in it’s ‘living’ make up to begin with, and, that excess is not performing any positive pest control action, but is a waste and ‘unbalances’ nature, especially if it washes off the treated area into storm drains and our streams and water sheds.

The Pest Control industry has been crying ‘foul play’ for some time to the regulating agencies because they (the Government Agencies) claim they (the pest control industry) are not applying the chemical treatments properly, or that the environmental issues are caused by the pest control industries activities. The pest control industry claims that it is the homeowner types that are the ones that are over applying and causing the contamination, which probably is mostly true. Of course, agriculture activities also have a hand in this situation. A side line to this issue is that it emboldens the pest control industry to try and convince their customers that they (the pest company) are the only ones who can properly and safely handle and apply wood destroying pest chemicals. Because of this ‘tug of war’, one issue that comes up time after time, especially here in this area due to the large amount of homes that have wood decks, is pest companies telling homeowners that wish to repair their own decks or other damaged portions of their homes that have wood decay problems that they, the homeowner or their Contractor, cannot perform the chemical treatment of the wood areas that are infected but are still structurally sound. This simply is not true. Not only is this a backhanded approach to get work by the pest companies, but the very same type material many of the pest companies would use in an application such as that, the homeowner can purchase at a home center/hardware store. The ingredient in the material has a real scary sounding name: Disodium Octoborate Tetrahydrate. But, really all it is is a borate, which is a natural material and not harmful to the environment when used as directions specify. The material will harm live plants if the treatment some how contacts the green leafy foliage, but it won’t be because the plant is being poisoned, but rather because the borate will dehydrate/dry out the foliage.

Most of the time, homeowners and/or their Contractors will perform the repairs very diligently and completely. However, if they need the pest company to provide a certification for the lending institution involved in a home sale, these people are many times literally harassed or subjected to completely undue delays because the pest companies continually try to find more and more areas that need repair or insist that they need to see the repaired areas before they are ‘closed up’/finished. This is done by making the ‘re-inspection’ and charging for it and not providing the needed certification. At that point, an additional re-inspection (and charge) by the pest company will be needed to get the certification. There is no need for the pest company to ‘see’ the areas of repair before they ‘get closed up’ as they are not ‘rot cops’, they are not guaranteeing the repairs, nor are they responsible for the repairs that are performed. If, at some point in the future it is found that rotten wood was left in place and covered over, the responsibility rests entirely on the shoulders of the person who made the bogus repairs. All that the pest company is certifying is that the property “is free and clear of wood destroying organisms” in the visible and accessible areas as of that date. Any other action is just an attempt to harass the homeowner and/or the Contractor, or to attempt to obtain a lucrative chemical treatment job, all or any of which is totally improper action by the pest company.

The only requirement of a Contractor, besides doing a thorough and proper repair job, is that they must provide a written disclosure to the customer/homeowner that they are going to apply a fungicide (see the Structural Pest Control Act/Laws and Regulations, Section 8556 (A), page 22, Business and Professions Code). Of course, obtaining a Building Permit to perform the repairs is also a necessity.

IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN…

2010-11-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

Yep, it definitely is that time of the year again. What the heck am I talking about? Well, it’s fall and winter is on its way. We’ve even had several rain events already, which is good except for construction projects that are under way and can be hampered by the rain. A couple of weeks ago, October 15th to be exact, was the deadline for construction and development projects to have implemented permanent erosion control measures on the property where the projects had denuded the vegetation and/or grading had occurred. Any soil areas that have been disturbed by these projects must have been properly retained, reseeded or hydro mulched by that October 15th date. The law further requires that these erosion control measures (areas requiring this treatment) must be maintained, repaired and kept in working order throughout the period of October 15th to May 15th.

This Grading Ordinance and regulations were enacted by the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors some years ago and there is over sight by the California State Water Resources Control Board, an ‘arm’ of the California Environmental Protection Agency. This ordinance has ‘teeth’ in it if erosion control/mitigation is not adequate or is not performed at all. The Tuolumne County Department of Public Works is tasked with over seeing the ordinance and that the erosion control methods are adequate. But there are other entities also keeping an eye on these areas such as personnel from the Department of Fish and Game and the State Water Resources Control Board. If a landowner or developer does not comply with the ordinance, the County can arrange to have the erosion control work done and then assess the cost to the owner of the property. If the State Water Board or Fish and Game get involved, there is a possibility of huge fines/penalties. Yep, they are serious about the erosion issue!

Even though the above might seem draconian and just one more ‘big brother’ government intrusion, the erosion control practices are just plain common sense and would be practices any rational, caring property owner or developer should be performing as a matter of standard practice anyways. The reason is that the silt from the erosion that is allowed to occur fouls our streams and rivers, which adversely affects fish/aquatic life, wildlife and contaminates our drinking water sources. You can see the consequences are very negative if erosion and water drainage is not properly controlled, which means we all should probably evaluate our own properties to see how water flows onto and off of the yard/property, as we may be part of the problem and not even be aware of it. Water can be very damaging to your home also if it is not properly directed and shed by the exterior building covering systems. So, let’s ‘dive in’ and really give our home and property a good close look and possibly give some serious consideration to making changes and/or repairs that may come to light from our examination.

Let’s start with our homes roof and rain gutter system. Does the roof covering material appear to be in good shape with no debris (tree leaves, etc.) accumulated on its surface? Are the roof rain gutters and downspouts clear of debris and free flowing? Is the water that flows out of the rain gutter downspouts properly directed away from the home? Look at your driveway and the upper portions of your property and see if you can determine if water is flowing onto your property and driveway, and then where does that water flow to from there? You may have to do this portion of your examination during a heavy, prolonged rain event to actually see the water flow in action. Are there rivulets and/or obvious drainage ditches being cut into the soil areas of your property from water run-off from downspouts or hardscapes like patios, walkways and driveways? If so, that is a sure sign of erosion and an area that is in need of slowing down and dispersing the direct water flow, which can be done by installing rocks and proper plants or trees. This is a serious consideration as there is case law that makes you responsible for water that improperly drains off your property and onto your neighbors’ property. Don’t forget to check under your home also for any kind of water collection, as water under a home can sometimes create major adverse issues. There are many other areas that you should probably take a look at, but I can’t line them all out here. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give me a call and I’ll do my best to help you get through your property water evaluation.

BUYER or SELLER, ARE YOU NAIVELY entering this DEAL?

2010-10-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

Buying or selling a piece of property and/or a home is a ‘big deal’ and nothing to take lightly. We all know that, but you would be amazed how many people enter the purchase or selling process in a some what nonchalant manner by allowing a realtor to handle the whole process. This occurs either because the realtor is aggressive and wants to be in control of the whole process, or, as a result of ‘default’ because the client is trusting and/or feels intimidated or has little understanding of how the process actually works. The ‘mountain’ of paper work that ensues at the time of listing a property or making an offer to purchase a property that requires multiple signatures and initials just enforces any feeling of intimidation or uneasiness. This is very unfortunate as the client, buyer or seller, should be fully involved in the process from beginning to end so that they understand completely what they are doing and are happy with the final outcome.

One thing a client should never relinquish control of to a realtor is the process of finding and hiring the inspectors desired to determine the actual condition of the property and it’s systems. If the realtor engages the various inspectors on your behalf, the inspectors are actually beholden to the realtor who sends inspection after inspection to these inspectors while you are just a person involved in the one ‘deal’. If you find and hire your own inspectors, you are the one setting up a personal relationship with those inspectors after having become aware of exactly what you can expect of that inspector and you have expressed what you expect of that inspector. This relationship is essential if you want that inspector to be fully involved and concerned for your well being both during the inspection but afterwards as well.

Another area of big concern is all that paperwork that I spoke about above. Don’t even begin to think that the paperwork is there for your protection, because it most certainly is not! In fact, much of it ‘boxes you in’ and creates limiting factors or obligations on you. Lets call it what it really is. All of that paperwork is actually a huge binding contract on you. One sneaky thing that has appeared in the paperwork is the requirement that you have to supply your realtor with copies of all reports of inspections made on the property even if you arranged for, paid for and had no intention of providing/sharing that information with anyone else. What a farce! Why should you ever be required to share that information with the realtor when they didn’t pay a cent for it – you paid for it! What happens is, if your deal falls apart, they use those inspections to put together a new deal with another person. Nice, huh? However, if you decide you want the property owner (seller) to fix some things or make a dollar concession to you because of things in the inspection report, then you must provide a copy so that they know exactly what the issue is that you are talking and negotiating about.

GET A LIFT OUT OF THE DUMPS!

2010-09-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

I get ‘rocked back on my heels’ every time I pass a empty lot where an old vacant building had stood there in what seemed like just yesterday. The same thing happens to me when I see the dreaded, tracked monster with the big clamshell bucket tearing into the side of a structure and demolishing it. How did that structure get allowed to slide to the point that it was considered so worthless that it had to be torn down and crushed? Worse, how did that structure reach a point that nothing in it was worth saving or reusing? I mean, when that tractor gets through, every bit of material that made up that structure is crushed and useless. What is even more troubling, every bit of the debris is scooped up and hauled off to be dumped in a landfill. What a waste in every respect!

What would be so wrong with ‘deconstructing’ the building if it just can’t be used anymore? Many of the materials in old structures would cost a small fortune today, if you could even find them. The framing lumber of old structures is, for the most part, a quality and grade we just can’t get today. Plumbing, plumbing fixtures, electrical wiring and masonry materials are many times made up of base materials that are expensive to obtain today. Why aren’t we at least salvaging these materials to be used as raw materials for new items? The best plan though, is to remove, intact, things like doors, windows, hardwood floors, cabinetry, trim, wood sidings, wood framing members, etc. so that these items can be reused in their present form.

All of these items have value and that value increases because it doesn’t get destroyed and dumped into a landfill. These materials can be sold to people with restoration or renovation projects of older structures. Even mediocre salvaged materials can be sold to those on a budget or those building ‘rough’ structures. We live and think like there will never be an end to the stacks of goods we have to pick from at the lumber yard and/or home and garden store. But that just isn’t the case. We think that the labor cost to deconstruct, handle and reuse the materials far exceeds their value and the cost to just crush them and dump them, but that just isn’t the case. We need to re-evaluate our thinking of use and waste. What are your thoughts on the subject?

WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD!

2010-08-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

Yep, here we find ourselves over half way through the year of 2010, and things are changing faster than we can keep up with them! ‘Big Brother’ (government) has decided once and for all that there is no way that you and I can take care of ourselves and make proper decisions. One new law, regulation or requirement comes one right after another from both the State and Federal Governments. The latest of these ‘wonder regulations’ is the Federal Lead Paint Standards that will require Contractors starting as of last April 22, 2010 that work on any home built before 1978 to be trained and complete an 8 hour U.S. EPA accredited lead safety course and become certified. Of course, besides the cost of the course and transportation to get there, it takes another $300.00 to get the certification as a renovator to be ‘allowed’ to work on a 1978 or older structure that hasn’t been determined not to contain lead. And, the government isn’t kidding as a Contractor found violating this new law is subject to fines up to $37,500.00. ‘Ya think that might run the cost of that little remodel up a tad?

The EPA has given a short reprieve until October 1st of this year before they start enforcing this new law because they came to the realization there just wasn’t enough trainers and facilities to get all of the affected Contractors trained in the short length of time they had originally set out. But, no matter, this is still a tight schedule and a real ‘pain’ for the Contractors involved. And, that brings to mind how anyone can justify the huge amount of time, energy and money it is going to take to get this program and law into action, and, just what will it take to keep the monstrosity going into the future? More government, more laws/rules/regulations and of course way more money. Where will it end?

I’ve taken some classes and done some reading on lead and lead exposure so I know it is nothing to scoff at. Lead can be dangerous to your health, especially infants and children. So I see the underlying reason for such activity required by the law of Contractors working on 1978 and older structures, but does it have to be a law? What about just educating the Contractors and the public about lead and its dangers? Which begs the question; how did all of us that grew up in the years prior to 1978 (and even up until the law is actually fully instituted) ever live? I don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of this ‘nanny state’ we find ourselves being totally controlled by! What’s your thoughts?

DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO!

2010-07-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

Having been involved in most all aspects and activities of Branch 3 Structural Pest Control for over 47 years, I have a pretty good understanding of, and respect for, chemicals used for the control of termites, wood boring beetle and dry rot fungus that may be found feeding on and degrading our wooden structures. Through out the years I’ve seen many compounds, chemicals and practices get suspended, set aside, made illegal and made to be more environmentally acceptable. My whole thought process concerning the chemicals used in WDO (wood destroying organism) control has also changed quite a bit. My thinking in the early years (thanks to self serving employers I worked for) was “Wow, chemicals are great and THE answer, THE ONLY answer to ridding us of these terrible, wood damaging pests”. However, over the years my attitude changed as experience, education and observing the results of misapplied chemical applications and/or use of improper chemical compounds had negative effects on non-target insects, animals, humans and the environment in general.

My feelings now are more like “Let’s avoid using ‘them’ if at all possible”. The problem is, controlling and getting the upper hand on WDO infections/infestations can be difficult to near impossible without employing chemical treatments. Also, we get lulled into a sense of false of security by the chemical manufacturers because of their (the manufacturers) slick advertising and assurances of how utterly safe their products are. The trouble is, we usually don’t find out for many, many years after the products have been in use that there ARE adverse side effects that no one ever knew about, tested for or even imagined could or would occur. With these kinds of possibilities out there, environmentally concerned people fight ‘tooth and nail’ against chemical treatments/applications of any type. These people come unglued if a neighbor has some sort of treatment done on their property, or, God help you if you try to treat their property or get any of that ‘stuff’ anywhere near them!

But, that is where I’m going with this discussion. It’s amazing to me that is their thinking until they have a WDO problem in their home. Suddenly, they start talking in a way different direction! Recently a past client who was experiencing what sounded over the phone as a ‘swarming’ episode in their home by subterranean termites contacted me. This person, besides being extremely stressed over the situation, proclaims to be an almost rabid environmentalist. But suddenly, what with the ‘monster bugs’ eating their home and getting in their face, ‘nuclear’ strength chemicals are OK to be employed to eradicate the intruders! How could this person’s convictions be reversed 180 degrees so quickly? I see this time and again as the calendar flips by, and, I just have to shake my head. These are the same people that give us grief and try to tell us how we need to conduct our lives and lifestyles, push their narrow agenda’s on our various levels of government, and yet, when push comes to shove, they break all their own rules and so-called convictions and embrace the practices of the rest of the world. I’m not sure what the answer is, but I’m pretty sure it can be found somewhere in the middle with a mutual understanding and respect of some kind. But then, what do I know?

ARE YOU AS CONFUSED AS I AM OVER PROPOSITION 16?

2010-06-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

Actually, the more I research and learn about this proposition the more it starts becoming clear ‘somebody’ is trying to ‘pull the wool over our eyes’! The barrage of TV ads would have us believe that we just ‘have to’ pass Prop.16 to protect our right to OK the plans by local governments to enter into power generating programs before they actually do so. On the surface this seems like a very reasonable and proper ‘right’ that we should protect. But, when you start drilling down into who is pushing this proposition and who is paying for all of this expensive advertising, you suddenly find there is only one entity really involved….P. G. & E. (Pacific Gas & Electric, the mammoth utility). Why would P. G. & E. be spending buckets of money unless they as an investor owned corporate utility have a lot to gain by doing so to convince us of something?

After receiving my Primary Election Voter Information Guide, I immediately went to the Prop. 16 section and read the ‘pro and con’ arguments. It seemed to me that Prop. 16 is all about P. G. & E. and little to do with you and I. What I was reading in other articles also backed up that supposition. Apparently there are already ‘fail safes’ in place to protect us from poorly contrived energy schemes that local governments might try to institute. Energy is what makes our life ‘run’. We use energy in almost everything we do during our day. When energy gets expensive or the supply is interrupted, it greatly affects our lives in a detrimental way. In my humble opinion, we need to be looking into every possible source of electrical power that is not generated by fossil fuels, not just for environmental reasons, but also for safety (i.e. coal mine disaster, Gulf of Mexico oil platform fire and oil spill, etc.). Keeping power affordable is an important reason too.

It’s getting harder and harder to extract fossil fuels from the Earth, which makes the process way more complicated, dangerous and expensive. We need to be looking at safe, clean forms of energy production. P. G. & E. should be whole-heartedly embracing this rather than just giving ‘lip service’, dragging their feet and making it more difficult for other forms of energy production to come on board. At the beginning of this year the State of California passed a law that requires the utility companies in the State to pay people for the electricity they produce that is over their usage amount. Up to this point, P. G. & E. just ‘took’ the excess – no thank you, no nothing! Yet, as is the case with my solar array system, P. G. & E. receives the electricity right when they need it the most, the middle of the day when demand on the electrical grid is the highest. The utilities should be encouraging this kind of activity, but they aren’t. I’m certainly not planning on receiving a check from P. G. & E. for all the excess power my system is producing any time soon as I understand that they doing everything possible to get the reimbursement law dismantled. So, I guess I understand Prop. 16 better than I originally thought. Which way are you going to vote on it?

MAY IS NATIONAL ELECTRICAL SAFETY MONTH

2010-05-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

I don’t know who proclaimed that the month of May is “National Electrical Safety Month”, but I think that it is a pretty good idea to raise the awareness of being safe around electricity. Most all of us have gotten to the point that we just assume that when we switch, dial or plug something in that it’s going to work and we don’t give a passing thought to our safety when doing so. And, for the most part, that probably is true as electrical systems in most of our homes and businesses are pretty safe. But, being a Home Inspector it never ceases to amaze me how some people treat the electrical appliances and systems as I inspect various structures and find things that I just have to shake my head at. So, it is good to get a reminder that uncontrolled electricity is dangerous electricity, and, to keep it controlled we have to follow some rules.

P. G. & E. (Pacific, Gas and Electric), one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States, is based in San Francisco and serves most of the area here in the foothills and the Sierras of Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties. P. G. & E. jumped on the program by sending out a reminder that: “Electrical hazards can result in substantial property damage, serious injuries and even death.” Here are some tips that they offered along with their message:

· Only use appliances and equipment according to the manufacturer’s
instructions
· Replace damaged electrical equipment or have it repaired by a qualified
electrician or a repair center
· Never overload power strips, extension cords and surge suppressors
· Use ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection on all electrical
outlets near water sources such as bathrooms, kitchens, fountains and
swimming pools.
· Only purchase electrical appliances and equipment tested and approved by an
independent testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories
· Keep your body, arms, long handled tools, saws, ladders, pool tools, lumber
and anything that reaches above your head at least 10 feet away from
overhead power lines
· Call 811 before you dig. If you’re planting bushes or trees or just digging
a hole for a fence post, call 811 at least two days ahead of time. It’s a
free service to come to your home and mark the location of their underground
facilities like electric, gas, cable TV and water lines.

These are all great tips from P. G. & E. well worth being reminded of. I’d like to suggest that you take the time to walk around and throughout your home today before it slips your mind and look at all of the wall receptacles, switches and fixtures and take note of any that seem to be damaged. Maybe you could take stock of the condition of your appliances and electric powered tools and have anything that is damaged repaired. Getting shocked by electricity is no fun and hurts, but being electrocuted is very permanent and you would be surprised how little electricity it takes for that to occur! Be safe and do the right thing for you and your families safety and check out your home today!

BUILDING TO ‘CODE’ - WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

2010-04-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Occasionally after uncovering some sort of questionable condition or situation with a portion of the homes’ structure or a system of the home that I’m inspecting, I am informed by the realtor/homeowner/Contractor involved (you fill in the blank) that “It was done to code”. Now, on the surface that seems like a pretty powerful rebuttal to a pesky ‘Ol Home Inspectors’ remark that the issue needs further evaluation by another licensed Contractor in the field of the system that is exhibiting the questionable condition. After all, if it was built/installed ‘to code’ that means it was done to some wonderful, lofty level of detail/construction and closely scrutinized by a local Building Department Official. That’s the image/thought that is conjured up in your mind, right? Besides, who does that ‘know it all’ Home Inspector think he is anyway…. more knowledgeable and above a Building Official? Get real!

Well, let’s do ‘get real’. Code is not a wonderful, lofty level of building construction or system installation. In fact, it actually is at the other end of the spectrum. Doing something to code is comparable to getting a C- or a D grade in school. Code is the very minimum level of a construction detail acceptable – anything less is unacceptable and won’t pass ‘code’ inspection requirements and must be redone/repaired/replaced. So touting that something is built to code is like saying “I build barely acceptable homes”. Another thing that comes up from time to time and sort of goes hand in hand with the code discussion is the statement that a Manufacturers specifications ‘trump’ code regulations. This is a true statement up to a point. In order to install a system or an appliance different from code requirements using the Manufacturers specifications, EVERY detail of the specifications relating to the installation must be complied with.

As a Home Inspector, I am making the inspection from the viewpoint of what things will make the structure and its’ components unsafe to you and your family to live in, and, what is the basic serviceability and durability of the structure and its’ components. Plus, Home Inspectors are not qualified to perform ‘code’ inspections, and, if they have gone through the specialized on-going training and certification to be a ‘Code Inspector’, the inspection they are performing is NOT a ‘Home Inspection’, it is a Compliance Inspection of some sort. Back to built/installed to ‘code’ and Manufacturers spec’s trump code…there is things that trump both believe it or not. And they have been around for a long time. I’m sure that you’ve heard of COMMON SENSE as well as building/doing/installing to a higher level than either code or the Manufacturers Specifications call for. These two actions trump both code and Manufacturers specs tremendously because they bring conditions to a much higher level of quality and safety. You can’t put a price on or buy common sense or a yearning to build/do/install to a higher level than what the bare bones minimum is. A person or business either has that mind set or they don’t. Bottom line: Fixing/repairing things done with no common sense and/or lower work ethics are expensive and wasteful! What level are you looking for and willing to accept as well as feel comfortable with?

AND THE BEAT GOES ON!

2010-03-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

My last blog message was titled: “IT JUST NEVER STOPS!” That title and discussion segues perfectly into this blog message and title. I’ve just learned that, besides the 2008 California Energy Code provisions that were just recently mandated, the State has just adopted the first green building standards code in the Nation, which is referred to as the CALGREEN Code. If all goes as the powers to be plan it to, we here in the foothills will be building under those regulations starting January 1, 2011. These two ‘new’ building guidelines really change the way things are to be done from what was in the past. It also marks the start of many more stringent requirements to come involving energy savings, building material pollution and water use/consumption, at least that is my guess. The reason I bring these issues up does not mean that I disagree with them or what the regulations are meant to accomplish. In fact, I can see the value of their being instituted. But what I am concerned about is that you probably don’t know about them, and, won’t be prepared to have to comply with them.

What makes the new Energy Code requirements seem onerous to some is that semi-straight forward and simple furnace and/or A/C unit replacements, although not inexpensive to have done in the first place, will cost considerably more now to do because the entire system must now be tested and verified by a third party. For instance, when changing out a furnace unit, all of the duct system must be tested, and if it is found to leak or be damaged, the system has to be properly repaired or completely replaced. This can add a considerable amount to the cost of the furnace replacement job that no one could have foreseen. Similarly, when a roof covering is in need of replacement, the roof and materials used must conform to the new “Cool Roof” provisions. The cost to do so won’t be less than it used to be that is for sure. All of these provisions are centered on the need of energy savings.

The CalGreen Code is meant to ‘redesign’, reorganize and ‘rethink’ the way construction projects are performed, the type of products used and how the construction waste is disposed of. In the ‘Codes’ own words:
“The purpose of this code is to improve public health, safety and general welfare by enhancing the design and construction of buildings through the use of building concepts having a reduced negative impact, or positive environmental impact and encouraging sustainable construction practices in the following categories:
1. Planning and design.
2. Energy efficiency.
3. Water efficiency and conservation.
4. Material conservation and resource efficiency.
5. Environmental quality.”
Wow! That’s a tall order! Especially when you read some of the requirements in the CalGreen Code. Contractors and developers caught up in the “Well, that’s the way we always did it.” mindset are in for a rude awaking not to mention a steep learning curve.

I think, however, that John and Jane Q. Public are the ones that are really going to be ones affected by this code. Yes, the code requirements are meant to help protect them to a certain degree, but in the end it will be them paying the extra costs to comply with these new code regulations. Do we need the new code regulations….well, yes, but can you and I afford to pay for them? I don’t have an answer for that one. All I can say is that you need to be prepared for this if you plan on building a home or are planning a big remodel project. To learn more, go to: www.bsc.ca.gov and look for the “California Green Building Standards Code”.

IT JUST NEVER STOPS!

2010-02-26T15:03:00.000-08:00

One of the things that has been taking up a considerable amount of my time the past year or so is my attending as many of the Board of Director meetings and various Committee meetings of the local water and sewer Utility as I can. You’re probably thinking: “Man, this guy needs to get a life!” Well, that is probably true, but the other side to that subject is my personal realization some time back, that, if we thought the oil shortage and exorbitant price increase in fuel hurt and adversely affected our lives, wait ‘till we see what a shortage of water will do to our way of life! Attending all of those meetings has really enlightened me in how our local Utility goes about supplying us with clean drinking water as well as how they handle the sewage that flows out of our homes. I’ve also learned how drinking water and sewage/waste treatment have become linked in many cases as wastewater that is not properly handled does affect water quality. During the course of attending all of these meetings, I have learned of only some of the myriad of laws, regulations and mandates that the Utility has to comply with that seem to be coming in an unending stream from the State and Federal Government. None of these ‘directives’ are easy or cheap to comply with, and the whole situation is so convoluted and wide ranging that there is no time or place here to even begin to explain it. But, where I’m going with this is how it comes into play for a homeowner or purchaser.

As a homeowner or prospective home purchaser, how are you to know anything about these various directives and whether they have any direct impact on you? About all most people know is the fees you pay the Utility for the services they provide to you. But things are getting interesting now. The State Water Board has begun collecting and cataloging data on wastewater and sewage spills and surfacing occurrences. The State Water Board, in their infinite wisdom, has also ruled that the local Utilities are some how responsible for spills/surfacing that occurs on private property from sewer laterals (pipe) from the home/structure to the sewer main operated by the Utility. Of course, the Utility never installed the sewer lateral, has had no way to maintain it in any fashion over the years, and, has absolutely no idea what condition it is in. To make things worse, the State Water Board through the Central Valley Regional Water District will assess steep fines on the Utility should a spill or surface occur. So the Utilities have had to scramble and many have instituted new regulations and requirements on homeowners so that the Utilities can inspect (usually by video camera in the pipe) the sewer laterals to determine their condition.

This is where you, as the property owner comes in. If the test and/or inspection of the sewer lateral finds that it is cracked/broken, choked with tree roots and/or blocked or choked down by grease and debris, you will be obligated to bring the sewer lateral into compliance and proper operating condition immediately (usually 30 days or so) and at your expense. Repairs such as this may require engineering, heavy equipment, building permits and properly licensed Contractors using specified materials. All of this will cost a pretty penny! I’m telling you all of this because no one else probably will, and, buried, inaccessible pipes and systems such as sewer and septic systems are beyond the scope of a Home Inspection. If you are thinking of purchasing a piece of property with a structure on it, you need to do your due diligence and contact your local Utility that is providing water and sewer service to the property to find out what your obligations are going to be after you have taken title to it. You also may well wish to invest in a video camera test/inspection of the sewer lateral lines by an appropriate Contractor to determine it’s condition prior to the close of escrow so you don’t get any nasty surprises after the close date when you then own it – property and problem. Yes, it just keeps coming, it never stops!

WE HAVE A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE!

2010-01-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

Having been a licensed General Contractor in California since 1977 and a licensed Structural Pest (termite) Inspector since 1968 comes with mixed blessings, one of which is a mailbox full of ‘trade’ magazines all month long. These magazines are advertising ‘monsters’, but they do carry current trade info and some times interesting or intriguing articles from time to time. This last month I stumbled across just such an article in one of the magazines that brought up the pitfalls and incredible bad results of poor communication between people and/or companies. I think most of us are aware that if communication between people is not good, unexpected and/or unwanted things may occur as a result. The magazine article gave several real life examples one of which was the following:
“A distributor called a vendor to order two truckloads of pipe. Business suddenly took a downturn, and just before delivery the distributor called to tell the vendor, “Cut the order in half.” Sure enough, when the two trucks arrived, each piece of pipe was cut in half!”

Although the story of the pipe order is amusing in some respects, it also graphically illustrates how a simple breakdown in communication can lead to an expensive, wasteful situation that will be difficult to rectify. But this does lead right into the point that I want to make that has to do with a person wanting to buy or sell a home. There is a lot of details and requirements involved in the process of buying or selling a home, which are heaped on to the participant by the lending institution(s), realtors, tax regulations, County and State governments. With all of the aforementioned, we haven’t even scratched the surface of home and property, all of the systems present and their condition. I think you can see, that with all that is involved in the home sale/purchase process, good communication between all involved is an absolute necessity. But even more important, is an unsolicited willingness of those involved in the process to provide the seller or buyer with full and complete information that allows a total and comfortable understanding of the process and the home/property it self.

One of the ways that those involved with the sales/purchase process have attempted to address the communications situation is through issuing paperwork, which most likely was promoted and prepared by attorneys. As a buyer or seller sits, a realtor slides page after page, document after document in front of the client for signatures and/or initials, which all become binding contracts under the law. Each page is normally accompanied by a brief, minimal verbal description at best, which usually doesn’t even come close to describing the document or the ultimate importance and possible repercussions that signing or initialing it will carry. When a dispute and/or discrepancy arises after the close of escrow, you (the buyer or seller) are quickly ‘re-united’ with the page and/or document with your signature/initials on it, which covers just such a circumstance that is being complained about. That to me is the ultimate in ‘weak’! Why wasn’t the possibility of the situation occurring explained in the beginning, or, even better yet, thought about in the first place and action taken to alleviate it from ever occurring!

The other area of critical communication is, of course, with the Inspectors that you hire to provide you the information you need on the home/property and various systems present on the property. Communication is critical, but just as important is the fact that you must feel comfortable with them so you will be willing and wanting to ask what ever questions you feel you need answers to. This means that you will have to really have checked out your Inspectors before hiring them. If you didn’t hire them (you let the realtor hire them), what sort of rapport do you think you will have with the Inspectors? They don’t work for you; they work for the realtor! When asking your questions of a prospective Inspector prior to hiring them, you find out that you can have a ‘morning’ or an ‘afternoon’ appointment, you know immediately there isn’t going to be very much communication because the Inspector must rush through the inspection in order to drive to and make the next inspection. You know also that you and your deal are not his/her major concern, moving on to make more money is! So, the bottom line is, good, clear unrushed communication. Make sure you protect yourself by hiring only those that you are assured you will get that type of communication from. Having a ‘failure to communicate’ is a total disaster for you after escrow has closed!

THE BIG BLACK HOLE

2009-12-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

As we creep slowly through this hurtful so called recession and housing mess, I find, as I’ve mentioned before, that the majority of the Home Inspections that I’m hired to perform are for people purchasing short sales and foreclosures. But another trend that I’m beginning to see emerge more and more is requests from home owners of almost new homes that are finding defects or other adverse issues involving their ‘new castles’ and they are getting the ‘cold shoulder’ or ‘silence treatment’ from their Contractor that built the home when they bring these issues to the Contractors attention. This sort of situation, unfortunately, immediately separates the Contractor that stands behind his product and wants to maintain high quality and a good reputation by providing good customer service from the one that was just ‘in it’ for the quick buck and doesn’t want to hear about ‘your’ problems.

During the building boom of the 90’s and especially the 2001 through 2007 time frame, the demand for new homes was incredible. Forget regular families wanting to buy homes for themselves, investors would rush in and buy homes in various areas that hadn’t even been started yet because they were counting on the value of the home to increase 10% to 50% by the time the home was actually built! This behavior put immense pressure on the construction trades to pump these homes out as fast as they could. Construction workers were in a severe shortage and many construction crews were filled out with illegal aliens and other workers of questionable experience. Language differences made communication barriers a daily dilemma and a detriment to making sure what the project foreman wanted accomplished actually occurred. Sadly, this scenario has, at least in my mind, created a huge black hole of substandard or defective structures in our housing inventory. This is thousands, if not millions of homes and other structures that will be problematic and a maintenance pain for years to come. This will cost us all way more money than we can ever imagine. The lawyers will get involved and there will be lawsuits until hell won’t have them. People that paid good, hard earned money to have the home built right the first time will find themselves in a predicament where they have to pay again, only more, to have it repaired, but this time done properly. What a waste!

So, what to do? I used to promote “11 month” inspections for people with new homes because the industry recognized warranty period for the builder was one year. But most people just scoffed at me saying: “Why should I spend good money on an inspection of a brand new house? You will never find anything wrong; it’s brand new. What could possibly be wrong, it was inspected numerous times by the local building department?” Well, I wonder what these same people are thinking now that they are discovering and having to live with or repair at their expense all of these defects as they unfortunately begin to discover them? Most Contractors really do care about the product they build and also care a lot about their good reputation. Let’s hope those builders that receive complaints have the wear-with-all to properly take care of the issues and protect and stand behind the big investment and trust their customers made in the homes they built.

HOW DO YOU COMPARE APPLES TO ORANGES?

2009-11-02T05:25:00.000-08:00

One of the things that I find myself doing on a regular basis is speaking at length over the telephone with prospective clients. I find that this can ‘eat up’ quite a bit of my time, but I also find that these conversations can be very interesting and rewarding in many ways. First, it never ceases to amaze me how little people know about the home buying/selling process. At times, it seems like I’m the only person willing to take the time to answer these people’s questions and explain in fair detail what they want (need) to know. I mean, buying a piece of property and home is no small, insignificant purchase so you better have some grasp of the process or you very well could end up with a serious case of ‘buyers remorse’ after the close of escrow!

Almost with out fail, the first question I’m asked over the telephone by a prospective client is: “What does your inspection cost?” That tells me immediately that I’m talking with an individual that has little to no idea of what a Home Inspection or Structural Pest (termite) Inspection is all about and what they (the inspections) are meant to accomplish for the person requesting them. It also tells me they have an ill conceived perception that there is little to no difference between one inspection and report and another, as well as between one Inspector and another. Nothing could be further from the truth! In other words, they are, at their financial peril, comparing ‘apples to oranges’! The very LAST question that should be asked is what the amount of an inspection fee will be! After all, isn’t the reason you are looking into ordering an inspection mean that you need some in depth and detailed information concerning the property you are contemplating purchasing and want to feel reassured that you are making the right decision? If that is the case, then asking questions to determine that you are hiring the most experienced and qualified Inspector probably should be the first that you ask. Second probably ought to be just what the Inspector is going to inspect and to what detail. Then your questions probably need to turn to what you can expect for the content and format of the report and how you will receive it. It also would be nice if the Inspector invited you to be there at the time of the inspection, even if you could only make it towards the end of the inspection so that any issues that may have been uncovered could be gone over right there on the property at the locations of the issues.

Finally, the time has come to ask about the fee for the inspection. But, by then you will be either feeling very comfortable with your prospective Inspector or you will be ready to rule him or her out. You also will start seeing how much time, effort and expertise your prospective Inspector is going to be putting into your project. By then, too, you probably are realizing that the fee for the inspection is less than ¼ to ½ of 1% of the cost of the property you are looking to purchase. That’s an incredible bargain for the peace of mind and confidence you will have to go ahead and close escrow on the property. Click on the “How to hire an Inspector” tab else where on my web site to access a complete guide to help you adequately and safely hire the Inspector that will protect your interests. Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of “comparing apples to oranges”!

GEEZZZ, EVERYBODY IS ‘GREEN’ TODAY’!

2009-10-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

If you spent any time at all on my web site, you probably have seen the page that describes why my web site is hosted by a solar powered company and the interest I personally have in promoting and trying to live life in a more sustainable manner. If you missed that page, it is easily accessible by clicking on the ‘box’ that says “Sustainable Website” and is located to the lower right hand side of most of the pages of my web site. Some people would characterize this as “green” activities. I have to tell you, I really don’t like the word “green” when used in that manner. I feel those activities are just plain common sense and I justify my attempts to implement them into my life as best I can because they can save me money, attempt to keep me from being wasteful, help me live a healthier life and just may be positive for the environment at the same time. Wow, a win – win!

However, what is disheartening and very distracting is how many businesses try to promote their sales of products or services by trying to tell us that their service or product is ‘green’ or environmentally good, when in fact it is only minutely so or even not at all. This is what is referred to as “green washing” and is very deceiving, not to mention destructive to the sustainable ‘movement’. It’s like some of the auto companies that ‘crow’ in television ads how their ‘such an such’ vehicle model is “green” because it gets ‘X’ number of miles per gallon of gas. Give me a break! If it burns gasoline, it ‘ain’t’ green no way! Earlier this year I attended a daylong learning event for continuing education to maintain my Structural Pest (termite) Inspectors license, which was put on by a major industry trade organization. Almost every class had some presenter trying to tell us how “green” their products and processes are. Come on, if you apply substances that are man made that eradicate (kill) insects, it ‘ain’t’ green, no way!

So, lets not talk ‘green’, but lets talk sustainable. Sustainable makes sense. Sustainable is a word that explains exactly what its’ true meaning is. You can’t hide behind or pervert the word sustainable because, to be sustainable, something (product or activity) either is or is not! Simple! How do you feel about this issue?

WHAT’S ALL THIS ‘BUZZ’ ABOUT ‘SOCIAL MEDIA’?

2009-09-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

I keep hearing all of this ‘chatter’ about ‘social media’. Twitter this, face book that, my space, your space…what the heck, my head is spinning! What is all of this ‘hoop-la’ about anyways? As it is I was thinking that I was pretty much tapped out time wise just trying to keep up with my email, web site, telephone and, oh yeah, my job, inspecting homes and preparing reports. What more could these ‘new’ forms of media possibly add to my business that wouldn’t be lost in a bigger way by my wandering around with my head looking down in a daze and my thumbs drumming away on the keys of a cell phone? Plus, I would be forced to learn a new code/language in order to ‘play the game’. Come on, give me a break! How is any of that going to help my client know more about the home that he owns and is selling, or, is purchasing? How is any of that going to help me do a good, thorough inspection and explain to my client in detail any issues that I may have uncovered during that inspection?

Call me a dinosaur, but I feel the best and most accurate way to communicate is face to face where physical gestures, facial expressions and voice inflections help us convey the message far more clearly than some chopped-up alphabet soup of letters that make up some sort of strange, obscure code that one is never really sure that they have gotten the proper meaning from. And, what the heck is the big hurry? Time may be of the essence, but that is carrying things to an extreme that is totally unnecessary! Being that ‘wound-up’ tight and in such a rush is probably even bad for your health due to all of the stress involved. Maybe I’m missing something here, but I don’t think I am. But, if you can explain it to me and have it make some true sense, hey I’m all ears!

PROFFESSIONAL/TRADE ORGANIZATIONS

2009-08-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Because I perform several types of inspections involving homes and businesses, I’m faced several times through out the year with the decision to renew/continue my membership in various Inspector organizations that pertain to those different inspection types. Each membership is usually several hundred dollars and it is always a mental battle of mine whether I can justify, especially in these tough times, cutting a check to stay a member in the group at hand. I usually start out each decision process taking the easy way out and tell myself that there really is no reason to be spending that kind of money on something of such little value and I set the renewal invoice to the side. This, of course, leads to the inevitable reminder renewal notice a few weeks later, which starts the thought process all over again, only now with some urgency as I’m about to be dropped from the organization for non-payment.

Because there are many Inspector organizations out there vying for my participation and money, I have been very selective as to which ones I felt would benefit me and my business model the most. Actually, the underlying question that I must have an answer to is: Which Inspector organizations will benefit my clients best interest and my particular business model. To me, it is all about quality education opportunities provided by the organization and support of the Inspector for information when needed at a moments notice. Many organizations are really just glorified marketing and referral services for their Inspector members and is their main reason for existing as they are profit generating machines that care little if at all about the home selling/buying public. The organizations that I have searched out and have finally decided to join and participate in are the ones that do offer me every chance to participate in continuing education and learning events that allow me to constantly be honing my inspection skills to provide my client with the very best, most thorough inspection and report that I can give them. I am sure that I spend in excess of a hundred hours a year in partaking of continuing education to better my service to my client. I am extremely proud to be the member of the Inspection organizations I am involved with and always end up renewing my membership as a result.

Which brings me to the question; have you ever thought about the efforts people you deal with on a day-to-day basis take to better themselves and their service/knowledge to serve you as a client? Have you ever asked the people that you do business with and put your trust in to do a good job or supply you with a product to you actually keep themselves abreast of all of the new advances and methods that are constantly being ‘uncovered/discovered’ so that you feel confident that you are getting the best there is for the dollars you are spending? Or, do you just listen to the sales pitch and ‘hope for the best’ because you don’t want to put out the effort to do the ‘hard’ question asking. Today, more than ever before because of the vast array of information (misleading many times) available on the Internet, slick ads and tricky TV spots, a person just has to put forth more effort than in the past to make sure you will get what you have been lead to believe you were to receive. Most of the time that means developing a good one on one business relationship with those that you are going to spend your hard earned money with. I’d like to hear from you how you go through this process!

A SORRY, SAD SITUATION

2009-07-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

Almost all of the inspections I’ve been making over the past year or so have been on foreclosed houses or ‘short sales’ on homes of owners in financial distress. Although I appreciate the work (inspections), it is very depressing thinking about the shattered dreams and lives of those that have lost their beloved homes to the foreclosure monster. It really becomes apparent what kind of stress these people were under and pressure to move out when, as I methodically go through my inspection regimen, I open a cabinet door to find the interior of the cabinet stuffed with either food stuffs or personal belongings that were overlooked in the rush to get out. At that point I have to stop, take a deep breath and then ‘power up’ my stamina and try as best as I can to over look the obvious sadness and move on with the inspection process as I know that all of my attention and abilities must be brought to bear for my deserving client who is purchasing the home and hired me to make sure that they are fully informed of the condition of the large investment they are about to make.

As with every dark cloud, there is always a silver lining if you look close enough. Of course the silver lining in this mess is that first time home buyers who were completely priced out of the market two or three years ago, can now afford to buy a home because the price reductions have made the homes affordable again. These new home purchasers are well-qualified buyers, as they must meet some pretty tough standards to qualify for the home loan. I find that these homebuyers are also, for the most part, very wary and selective about the homes that they put in an offer on, and have previewed many homes before doing so. But, unfortunately, I find that most of these prospective home purchasers still fall into the age old trap of allowing their realtor to choose which, if any, Inspectors are to be engaged to provide information to the purchaser to help them feel comfortable in their decision to actually close escrow and buy the home.

This is a most unfortunate circumstance as the prospective purchaser is lulled into a false sense of security thinking that the realtor will take care of every little detail and it will be with the purchasers’ best interest at heart foremost. Although there are a few exceptions, that line of thinking is far from the reality of how the process usually unfolds. First, a realtor is paid ONLY after escrow closes. So, a quick and easy path to that close of escrow is always desirable, but probably NOT in the purchasers’ best interest most times. Second, the homebuyer has no ‘one on one’ connection to the Inspector, as he or she didn’t ‘hire’ the Inspector. Most of the time the Inspector hired by the realtor is one that they (the realtor) have used on a regular basis and the out come of the inspection is ‘predictable’. A predictable outcome has no place when it comes to an inspection, as a REAL inspection is obviously not being performed. Besides, how can an Inspector serve two ‘masters’ at once; The realtor that sends inspections his way continually, or, the buyer who didn’t actually hire him and the Inspector will only be involved with in this one instance. I can go on and on including one nightmare example after the other, but I won’t. But I will say that I think that a realtor should never be allowed to choose the Inspectors that a buyers needs to make their purchasing decision; No not even giving the purchaser a list of Inspectors to choose from! What do you think about this situation? How do you handle your ‘due diligence’ when purchasing a home?

THE GREAT FALL “TO DO” LIST

2008-11-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

As we move through fall towards winter and the rainy/cold season, we need to take a look at our home and property to determine if every thing is ready to handle the changing weather conditions and the heavier use certain systems will be subjected to. But, also, we need to service and retire properly for the season the equipment and systems that we used during the summer months so that they will be ready for use when spring comes around. We also need to make sure that our families and we will be safe in our homes where we will be spending far more time inside of due to the weather. I’ve put together a quick list of things to help you get started. I’m sure I missed a few things, and if I did, let me know what they are so that those items can be added to the list. Enjoy this wonderful time of year and the changing colors of the trees with mild temperatures, but, start picking away at the “to do” list so you don’t get caught off guard by an early cold storm.

1. Clean leaves and debris out of the roof rain gutters and downspouts
2. Check roof for loose or missing shingles or open flashings
3. Clean and inspect the wood stove/fire place flue or chimney and spark screen
4. Check the guy wires of the TV antennae or that the satellite dish is secure
5. Check and replace (if damaged) door and window weather stripping
6. Check exterior siding, trim, doors and windows to see if they are caulked and sealed
7. Check seal at base of the garage door
8. Service furnace and/or heating system and change the filters
9. Check smoke detectors/change batteries
10. Make sure there is a smoke detector in each bedroom/sleeping area
11. Check and/or install a carbon monoxide detector
12. At higher elevations, check the condition of or install heat tape on water supply pipes
under the house and/or install a “freezebuster” thermostat.
13. At higher elevations, cover the crawl space vent openings to help prevent frozen pipes.
14. Check the out side light fixtures that all are operational and water tight
15. Check, clean and service the sump pump
16. Shut down, drain, clean and cover the evaporative cooler
17. Insulate exterior faucets and hose bibs to prevent freeze breakage
18. Shut off and drain down exterior watering and drip systems
19. Trim trees back from house and prop or tie up if needed
20. Check and clean all yard drains
21. Check and clean all debris out of gutters and drain swales
22. Check the yard fences that they are sturdy or braced for wind
23. Make provisions for your pets to have a warm, dry location to sleep and get out of the
weather
24. Cover, secure or put away the deck/patio furniture
25. Clean, winterize and cover the swimming pool and/or hot tub
26. Winterize your boat if you own one

One Hot Subject

2008-08-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

Those of us that live and own homes here in the foothills and Sierra Mountains have at least one major concern that involves all of us to one degree or another. That is wildfires and the threat they pose to our homes and our well being. In recent years, many new regulations have been instituted by Cal Fire and local fire departments to try to reduce the threat of wildfires taking out homes that have been built in the rural areas. But, this has become a contentious subject in many cases due to the stringent requirements involving vegetation removal and thinning necessary in a 100’ radius around structures in order to meet the requirements. The whole thrust of the requirements is to eliminate “ladder fuels” (low growing brush and tree branches) that allow the flames of a fire to have an easy path to the tops of the trees where a “crown fire” can occur.

Crown fires are especially dangerous and destructive as they move quickly through a wooded area showering hot embers like a firestorm down wind, some times as much as a mile or so ahead of the actual flame front. This causes new spot fires and creates an inferno that is not only difficult for the Firefighters to stop, but becomes very dangerous to the firefighters themselves as they may find that they have been over run and trapped by the fire. The concept of “Defensible Space”, which is the term used to describe the 100’ radius of prepared area around a home or other structure, is a good one, but the “look” of it does not fit in with everyone’s idea of how they want their surroundings to look like. Those that support the thought of leaving natural habitat alone for the sake of resident wild animals, birds, etc. also have a difficult time embracing this defensible space practice.

The huge fires that have raged in both southern and now northern California over the past several years that have caused catastrophic losses in homes and personal property has created a new awareness of the vulnerability of homes being caught on fire by neighboring homes that are burning, and how a fire can sweep through whole neighborhoods almost unchecked. This new awareness has focused fire prevention officials and other experts on prevailing building practices and materials that seem to promote the possibility of these types of horrible fires. Today’s building codes and requirements are changing at a rapid pace as new methods and materials are found that minimize the chance for fires to get started in a home or spread to neighboring homes. Again, some of these building requirements and materials can become controversial due to their cost, esthetics or impact on other building construction concerns. This is where a Home Inspector today that is inspecting in this area is going to need to be fairly well versed on the subject in order to provide his/her client with pertinent information they need concerning the property they are involved with. This subject is far too complex and large to go into any further here at this time. However, thanks to technology, you can learn much more about this subject and even take a short quiz that will rate the fire worthiness of your home/property. Go to: http://firecenter.berkeley.edu/homeassessment/# to take this online quiz. If you want more information, just hold your mouse over each question for explanations and photos. After submitting your answers, you will immediately receive a summary that groups your answers into high, moderate and low categories, and gives possible solutions for each. This awesome resource was developed by the Center for Fire Research and Outreach in the College of Natural Resources at the University of California, Berkeley.

WHAT IS A HOME INSPECTION & WHAT IS ITS’ VALUE?

2008-08-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

If ever there was one thing that comes up time after time, I would have to say that it is the question(s) of just what is a Home Inspection, what is the inspection and report supposed to accomplish, and, what is it’s value as it pertains to a home purchase. Talk to any number of Home Inspectors, realtors, homeowners or purchasers and you will get just as many different explanations. Having been in the home building and repair field for well over 40 years, inspecting homes since 1968, and, being personally involved in the purchase and sale of numerous homes and properties, I feel that I have enough insight to try and give you a decent answer to that question, at least from a prospective home purchasers position.

First, though, I guess we ought to decide just what a true Home Inspector is if we want to understand what sort of inspection and report we are going to end up with. It would seem to me that the Home Inspector had better well have a very good understanding of how a home is “put together”. Not just the framing of the house, but all of the components that make up a house and how they all are installed and work with each other.

The Inspector also better have more than just simple knowledge of how the different systems work as well as how they are repaired. This sort of basic knowledge can’t be learned by reading books and taking classes only, there has to be a fair amount of hands-on construction and repair experience performed to really understand how the systems work and how they fail. But, one person can’t possibly know all about every system of a house. I guess I’m suggesting to you that a true Home Inspector is a person that has a ton of experience of hands-on repair and construction as well as many hours of actual continuing class education involving the various systems of a home. The Inspector will know enough to know when some thing is not looking right, but may not know exactly the proper fix for the issue at hand. So, let’s say that the Home Inspector you want to find is a “generalist” that has a lot of experience.
Now that we’ve decided what our Home Inspector is “made of”, we can determine what the inspection report will consist of and “do for us”. Well, we know our Inspector is a generalist so naturally the report will touch on all of the portions and systems in the house in a “general” way. I know what you are thinking, “Hey, I don’t want a glossed over inspection and report, I want to know exactly what I’m purchasing!”. That actually is what you will end up with if you hire the right Inspector, but with out spending a several thousands of dollars or more in hiring individual Contractors/experts in each and every system and aspect of the home you are looking to purchase. The true Home Inspection report will alert you to just the areas of concern so that you can then focus in on just those issues and get further information about them from the appropriate Contractors/experts. This will save you a bunch of money, time, effort and aggravation. So, now you have figured out just what a Home Inspection is and what its’ true value is.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

2008-07-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

What a great day! What a great time to be alive and part of this whole world! Oh sure, we have many challenges we are facing, but that is what makes life interesting and so worth living. If a person can look past the adversity and focus in on possible solutions and opportunities, doors suddenly begin to swing open that we never dreamed possible. Such is the case with this so-called mortgage meltdown/housing crisis that we are going through right now. Please don’t think I’m minimizing what is going on, because I’m not. It has affected me and my business substantially along with many of my friends and family. I feel sick at heart for the people who have lost their precious homes to the foreclosure monster. But, when things go out of whack and excesses and greed take over, a correction of sorts is always going to be right around the corner, and such was the case here.

The flip side to this unfortunate situation is that first time homebuyers can now get “back into the market” because many homes are very attractively priced right now. I’m finding (finally) that many prospective homebuyers are not completely listening to and relying on their realtors for the pertinent information, due diligence and Inspector choices. Instead, they are demanding that they, themselves make their own choices and do some of the leg work involving fact gathering that will provide the basis of their decision to actually purchase the property. I have been preaching this sort of “hands-on” activity for years and it is gratifying to see that it is actually happening.

If you found this section of my web site you undoubtedly have seen the mass of information and tips that I have compiled and shared with you through out the rest of my web site. This section is to be just an extension of that information and educational sharing experience, but in an interactive way. Knowledge is power! So please, chime in and let me know what you think, or ask me a question or two and I’ll do my best to answer them. Let’s learn together. Thanks for taking the time to visit my web site and conversation center.
Ron