Spring is here so let’s go over a few quick tips on energy saving and spring cleaning for your home.

Have your entire HVAC system cleaned and serviced.

Make sure your filters are clean and in good shape.

Seal any leaks with insulation, caulking, and weather stripping. If your attic isn’t insulated, be sure to insulate the entrance so the cold/heat doesn’t seep into your house from above.

Have an energy audit to determine your homes energy effeciency. Having upgrades in older homes with newer appliances, windows, insulating materials, etc. can add up in savings.

Replace standard bulbs with energy saving lightbulbs.

Take a peak up in your attic to make sure any rodents or vermin have not set up camp in your attic space. Check for open or loose vents, torn screens or any other accessible openings. The damage can be done in a matter of hours from these unwanted visitors.

Consider investing in a programmable thermostat that fulfills heating/cooling needs around your schedule. You set it so the heat kicks on for a specified amount of time before you arrive home or before you get up in the mornings.

Install ceiling fans and set them clockwise in winter, to help push warmer air down where you can enjoy it. (Counter-clock wise in Summer).

Install a water heater blanket for your unit. Drain and refill the tank yearly in order to prevent sediment build-up.

Set your thermostat to 65F or lower, and wear layers of warm cotton clothing in dark colors that absorb light and heat.

Clean your appliances, such as refrigerator coils, ovens, condensor coils, etc. to maximize efficiency.

There are many websites dedicated to these and other ideas to help maintain your home and increase effeciency.

Hope everyone is enjoying their spring break time!

We have been quite busy as buyers are back in the market to take advantage of the tax breaks.  But don’t forget there are also some really good buys out there and with interests rates at a low, it’s a good time to take advantage of the really good deals to be found.

The door between the garage and the home can be a very important part of fire safety in modern homes. This fact has only been an accepted building technique since the early 80s. If a home was built before that, chances are that the door is not a “fire rated door.”

The garage is a great place for a fire to start. As far as house fires go, the garage is where a vast majority of fires are started. Paint cans, gasoline, natural gas appliances are all things that are usually in garages and are great for burning the house down.

If a fire does start in the garage a proper fire rated door and properly constructed fire wall are the best lines of defense to allow you to make your escape before the fire comes into the home.

There are a few ways to tell if your door has been updated. Most solid-core and metal doors are fire rated. There can also be a little metal tag on the hinge side of the door that will give some more information.

If you have a leaky roof, you probably know about it after a few weeks of rainstorms! But rainy weather is a good opportunity to check more than just your roof. For example, rainy/windy storms make it easy to tell how well your windows and doors seal up. Rainy weather is also good time to check your lot for drainage problems. You can easily see whether or not water is draining away from your house, and any place you notice significant water puddling may be an area where the grading needs attention.

You should also walk around the exterior of your property and look for any damage from the wind after a storm. Pay special attention to areas where your landscaping might have been blown against your home. It would be a good idea to make sure all trees and shrubbery are trimmed away from your house before the storm seasons to prevent them from damaging the exterior of your home during windy weather. You may notice pieces of shingles that have been torn from the rooftop and blown to the ground. If you are extra motivated, you may want to get a ladder and look at your roof from the eave. Be careful not to fall and don’t walk on a tile or metal roof unless you are a professional.

Your swimming pool also needs extra attention during the monsoon season. Most pools and spas need more chemicals during the summer heat but the rainy season makes it almost impossible to keep the leaves and other debris out of the water. Clean your pool, skimmers and filters more often, and pay closer attention to your water’s chemical levels.

These are just a few of the areas you should regularly inspect on your home. Water damage is expensive and not much fun. But if ignored, it can even lead to mold and other problems. Taking steps to keep your home properly maintained will be well worth the effort.

“My inspection report noted that my roof was missing the”kick out flashing”. What is this flashing and why is it needed?”

The function of a kick out flashing is to prevent a type of “roof” leak which occurs in a location where it has the potential to create extensive damage. To understand what happens in that instance, visualize the path of water flowing down the roof alongside the vertical wall above it.

When it reaches the bottom of the roof, water is able to penetrate behind the siding and/or overshoot down past the gutter and onto the wall below – the wall-roof junction acts as a funnel to concentrate water runoff down the roof into a stream being directed against the siding at the roof’s edge and beyond.

Over time that water can do a lot of damage. That’s why inspectors look for and report a missing or improper kick out flashing.

“I have a huge attic that I would like to convert to give us some more working room and free up the small bedrooms. What should I consider in making this conversion?”

We get this question fairly often. It’s a logical place to start, but we recommend deferring to a professional engineer to determine the feasibility of this project.

First and foremost, he will take into consideration if the structure can support the space in mind.

He will most likely ask you what type of space you have in mind and the type of furniture/equipment in order to determine the load it will need to support.

An assessment of the current space and items that will be taken into consideration are:

(1) Adequate floor joist sizing.

(2) Adequate ceiling joist sizing.

(3) Adequate emergency egress provisions.

(4) Adequate heating/cooling.

(5) Adequate electrical lighting and receptacle outlets.

(6) Adequate insulation.

(7) Adequate kneewall height. (This may affect your room layout).

(8) Adequate construction skills (or enough money to hire them).

All issues mentioned above are ones that have to be resolved before any construction can begin. You will also want to look into whether or not your housing area/subdivision/HOA has a Zoning ordinance that restricts additional living space based on a percentage of the lot size. Many of the subdivisions now have such restrictions. All permits will need to be secured before you can begin the construction.

Make sure any contractors considered have referals, bonding, insurance and all current licenses. If they are members of the BBB, be sure and check out their records.

At the end of the construction process, you can then contact your inspector or engineer to take a look if you have any questions before the final payment is made to your contractor.

Lawsuits resulting from a residential real estate transaction almost always result from a feeling on the buyers’ part that they got less than they bargained for. After they have moved into the property, they can sometimes have a feeling of buyer’s remorse. Sometimes the alleged defects were present at the time of the home inspection but for one reason or another were not discovered by the home inspection. The fact that the alleged defects were not discovered by the home inspector does not automatically mean that the home inspector was negligent or that you were negligent for recommending the inspector. Far from it. There could be a large number of reasons why the alleged defect was not discovered at the inspection that fall well short of actionable negligence. The defect could be something that is not discovered because its inspection is simply not contemplated by the home inspection, a determination of the adequacy of any structural system or component, for example. Such a determination is outside the scope of a home inspection. Or it could be something that is not reported because it was concealed by furniture on the day of the inspection or was located in an area that was inaccessible. Not infrequently, known defects are deliberately concealed by the sellers. And far more frequently than anyone would imagine, the alleged defect that is the subject of the buyers’ complaint was actually discovered by the home inspector, noted in the inspection report and not acted upon by the buyers because they did not bother to read the inspection report or do the recommended further investigation. We get asked frequently by Realtors just starting out in the business how to reduce their liability. Some of the ways ways we might suggest but are not limited to are: Insist that your client hire a professional home inspector to inspect the property and strongly recommend that the inspection also include an inspection for the presence of wood destroying insects. Of course, that is entirely up to your client. Take the time to manage your clients’ expectations of what can reasonably be discovered by a limited visual inspection of a property that is full of furniture, carpets and stored items that further physically limit the scope of an already limited inspection. Review the inspector’s Pre-inspection Agreement to verify if it contains a Notice Clause that requires the buyers to notify the inspector within no more than 14 days of the discovery of any defect for which they believe he is responsible. Most inspectors have this clause somewhere within their report, but in case an issue arises it is best dealt with in prompt fashion. Avoid conflicts of interest. Never recommend an inspector who participates in preferred vendor schemes. All major inspector associations prohibit participation in such schemes. You have a fiduciary duty to recommend the very best inspectors based solely on merit, not money. Recommend the inspector based on experience and reputation, not value. Good inspectors charge accordingly but vary exceedingly. Trying to save your client $100 on an inspection could cost them $10,000. Price also does not always equate to professional experience. Only recommend inspectors who adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Always attend the home inspection. Many real estate agents have been advised never to attend a home inspection, allegedly by real estate attorneys. Agents who say that they have received such advice are never able to articulate its rationale. You are not any less likely to be named in a suit by hiding during the inspection and the reasons for attending the inspection are quite compelling. First, your presence is a clear indication of your professionalism and concern for your client’s interests. Secondly, it affords an opportunity to help your client remember aspects of the inspection rather than focusing on cosmetic aspects such as furniture placement. There is time for those discussions after the inspector has gone over the report. The most important aspects and repairs should be addressed first. It’s very simple actually…..you get what you pay for so help your client make the most out of the inspection.

Almost any household equipment that drains water has a “P-trap”. Sinks, bathtubs, washing machines, all have p-traps to drain the waste water. A p-trap is comprised of a tailpiece, the curved trap piece, and a drain elbow. The drain elbow for a p-trap fits into the drain pipe which goes directly into the wall.

Codes require a p-trap (or an s-trap) any place there is an open drain line that flows into the drain-waste-vent system. As the name implies, the drain-waste-vent system removes solid, liquid or gas waste from the home through drains and vents. For example, as the water empties from a sink, it goes through the p-trap, on to the drain line, and ends up in the sewage system.

The important thing about the p-trap is that it is has a water seal along the curve of the trap. The seal prevents noxious air or gases to backflow from the sewer line, but the original waste can still exit into the sewage system. If the gases were allowed back into the home, not only would they smell, but they could cause illnesses and have even been known to explode.

A p-trap can be made of metal or of plastic. Although metal is usually considered to be more durable, the reality is that the plastic will last longer. Although the metal traps may look nicer, they quickly corrode. One squeeze at the bend, even with fingers, and if it gives in – even slightly – it needs to be replaced. There is one exception to this rule: heavy-gauge brass traps will last a very long time.

Depending on where the trap is located, it may vary in size. Bathroom traps are 1.25 inches (3.2 cm) in diameter. Kitchen traps are 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in diameter.

Every time the drain is used, water is flushed through the trap and fresh water replaces the old water. Solids will begin to stick to the trap over the course of time; consequently, clogs will occur. In those cases, it is probably time to replace the trap. A beginner can replace the p-trap in about an hour; however, an expert can do the same job in about twenty minutes. In some cases, a trap that has a cleanout plug can be cleaned out without removing and installing a new trap – simply rinse the water through the plug and remove the debris with an auger or other tool.