“Dead valleys”, sound ominous, don’t they? Well, when it comes to your roof, dead valleys are kind of subjective. I will try to explain my perspective. One thing to keep in mind is that I don’t call out dead valleys as a deficiency in a home inspection report. Why? Simply stated, a dead valley is […]
All about bootleg grounds The outlets in our homes are a necessary component of modern living. Our culture is dependent on readily available access to power. Ever since we harnessed electricity, we have witnessed the ongoing evolution for safety. Safety, it would seem, does come without a price. And bootleg grounds, unfortunately, are one way […]
If you didn’t already know, the two most commonly recognized smoke detector types are ionization smoke detection and photoelectric smoke detection. Oh, and just an FYI, do not confuse “photoelectric” with “photochemical” as I did. They are not the same. The latter is the technology used in Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors… which I’ll save for another post. […]
by Nick Gromicko, CMI®, Kenton Shepard, and Joe Boos, CPI Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) are particular types of electrical receptacles or outlets and circuit breakers designed to detect and respond to potentially dangerous electrical arcs in home branch wiring. How do they work? AFCIs function by monitoring the electrical waveform and promptly opening (interrupting) the […]
Crawlspace encapsulation, or sealing, is the treatment that building scientists recommend to turn a damp, dirty, moldy crawlspace into a clean, dry space where mold can’t grow The following article was written by the authority on building science, Joseph Lstiburek Crawlspaces continue to be a mess ever since we decided to insulate them and put […]
Buying a home? It’s probably the most expensive purchase you’ll ever make. This is no time to shop for a cheap inspection. The cost of a home inspection is very small relative to the value of the home being inspected. The additional cost of hiring an InterNACHI-Certified Professional Inspector® is almost insignificant. You have recently […]
Derived from an article written by Ted Cushman – Contributing editor Ted Cushman reports on the construction industry from Hartland, Vt. The recent pandemic has had many ripple effects on the US economy. Along with other factors, it has affected the supply of framing lumber in American lumberyards. Restricted supply of US and Canadian lumber […]
Amidst a wave of Chinese import scares, ranging from toxic toys to tainted pet food, reports of contaminated drywall from that country have been popping up across the American Southeast. Chinese companies use unrefined “fly ash,” a coal residue found in smokestacks in coal-fired power plants in their manufacturing process. Fly ash contains strontium sulfide, […]
Original article was written by Nick Gromicko, CMI®, Ben Gromicko, and Kenton Shepard. Updated and revised by Joe Boos, CPI Most people don’t know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy, and here at InterNACHI, we want to change that. Homeowners can make drastic reductions in heating, cooling, and electricity […]
Buying a new home is a significant investment that comes with a good amount of tax breaks. A common question often asked, “Can I Deduct a Home Inspection on My Taxes”? The short answer is “no.” While there are many tax benefits to owning a home, deducting the home inspection, unfortunately, is not one of […]