About 2.5 million children are injured or killed by hazards in the home each year. The good news is that many of these incidents can be prevented by using simple child-safety devices on the market today. Any safety device you buy should be sturdy enough to prevent injury to your child, yet easy for you to use. It’s important to follow installation instructions carefully. In addition, if you have older children in the house, be sure they re-secure safety devices. Remember, too, that no device is completely childproof; determined youngsters have been known to disable them. You can childproof your home for a fraction of what it would cost to have a professional do it. And safety devices are easy to find. You can buy them at hardware stores, baby equipment shops, supermarkets, drug stores, home and linen stores, and through online and mail-order catalogs. InterNACHI inspectors, too, should know what to tell clients who are concerned about the safety of their children.

Here are some child-safety devices that can help prevent many injuries to young children.

1. Use safety latches and locks for cabinets and drawers in kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas to help prevent poisonings and other injuries. Safety latches and locks on cabinets and drawers can help prevent children from gaining access to medicines and household cleaners, as well as knives and other sharp objects. Look for safety latches and locks that adults can easily install and use, but that are sturdy enough to withstand pulls and tugs from children. Safety latches are not a guarantee of protection, but they can make it more difficult for children to reach dangerous substances. Even products with child-resistant packaging should be locked away out of reach; this packaging is not childproof. But, according to Colleen Driscoll, executive director of the International Association for Child Safety (IAFCS), “Installing an ineffective latch on a cabinet is not an answer for helping parents with safety. It is important to understand parental habits and behavior. While a latch that loops around cabinet knob covers is not expensive and easy to install, most parents do not consistently re-latch it.” Parents should be sure to purchase and install safety products that they will actually adapt to and use. [Read more…]

The following items are essential tools, but this list is by no means exhaustive. Feel free to ask an InterNACHI inspector during your next inspection about other tools that you might find useful.

1. Plunger: A clogged sink or toilet is one of the most inconvenient household problems that you will face. With a plunger on hand, however, you can usually remedy these plumbing issues relatively quickly. It is best to have two plungers — one for the sink and one for the toilet.

2. Combination Wrench Set: One end of a combination wrench set is open and the other end is a closed loop. Nuts and bolts are manufactured in standard and metric sizes, and because both varieties are widely used, you’ll need both sets of wrenches. For the most control and leverage, always pull the wrench toward you, instead of pushing on it. Also, avoid over-tightening.

3. Slip-Joint Pliers: Use slip-joint pliers to grab hold of a nail, a nut, a bolt, and much more. These types of pliers are versatile because of the jaws, which feature both flat and curved areas for gripping many types of objects. There is also a built-in slip-joint, which allows the user to quickly adjust the jaw size to suit most tasks. [Read more…]

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. Drastic reductions in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which homeowners can do themselves. Of course, for homeowners who want to take advantage of the most up-to-date knowledge and systems in home energy efficiency, InterNACHI energy auditors can perform in-depth testing to find the best energy solutions for your particular home. Why make your home more energy efficient? Here are a few good reasons:

• Federal, state, utility and local jurisdictions’ financial incentives, such as tax breaks, are very advantageous for homeowners in most parts of the U.S.
• It saves money. It costs less to power a home that has been converted to be more energy-efficient.
• It increases the comfort level indoors.
• It reduces our impact on climate change. Many scientists now believe that excessive energy consumption contributes significantly to global warming.
• It reduces pollution. Conventional power production introduces pollutants that find their way into the air, soil and water supplies.

[Read more…]

Many of my clients express to me their concerns about tree roots, and with good reason; tree roots can cause all types of nasty problems that will eat away at your wallets. Tree roots can cause structure or walkways to heave or they can get into your pipes and cause drainage issues. So I guess the question now is how do we prevent this from happening?, and what do you do if it already is a problem? Well the answers are both the same which may include many methods some which can be as drastic as cutting down trees that are growing too close to the home or replacing damaged pipes. If that is not an option for you you can call a licensed plumber to inspect your pipes with a video camera and assess if there are any issues. A licensed plumber can snake and or cut any tree roots growing in your pipes. You can visit your local hardware store or plumbing supply shop and purchase a bottle of root killer, although I am not a big fan of these chemicals which are dangerous and manufacturer instructions must be followed carefully. You can also cut the foot of a stocking and fill it with rock salt, tie the end, and hang it in your toilet tank so that every time you flush the salt water will enter the plumbing pipes and kill the tree roots. But as always you should contact a professional before making any repairs to ensure proper repair & safety. For more helpful tips visit our website at www.stockshomeinspection.com
www.detroit-home-inspectors.com

A thermography inspection or infrared camera inspection is the latest thing in the inspection industry. Although it has been around for years it is now just starting to gain world wide popularity. Often times it is misconceived as being X-ray vision. Although it is not X-ray vision it is the closest thing on the market to it. In the hands of a trained certified infrared thermographer it can produce invaluable results. It can be used to detect leaks, missing or deficient insulation, overheating electrical components, heat/air loss and much more. It is a good idea to include a thermography/infrared camera inspection in your contingency clause. Without this state of the art technology in the hands of a certified infrared inspector your only getting half the inspection you deserve. We at Stocks Home Inspection are proud to announce that we are one of the few home inspection services in Michigan that’s not only qualified to offer this service, but is offering this service at an affordable rate!

www.detroit-home-inspectors.com
www.stockshomeinspection.com