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Ice dams: how they form, quick fixes, and prevention

February 23, 2021 By StocksHomeInspection

Removing ice dams from your home can save you money for years to come

As the snow melts away from your roof, it’s likely going to start piling up on the edge of your home. You need to solve that problem fast before it becomes an even bigger one.

“AAA never recommends that homeowners get up on the roof and shovel snow off,” Michalak said. “And when utilizing a roof rake, keep in mind that you are pulling snow off the roof. Make sure no one is underneath the location you are working on and that there is no fragile vegetation or objects that can be damaged by the weight of the falling snow. Always watch out for overhead power lines when doing any type of home maintenance and stay away from that area.”

If you have a leak inside your attic, aim a box fan at the leak and the cold air will freeze it in minutes. This prevents more water from coming in as you address the problem outside.

How do to get rid of ice dams in gutters

With the snow out of the way on your roof, the above-freezing temperatures will help melt the ice.

If you want to speed up the process, you can create a channel for the ice to travel down. There are products that you can toss on the roof and, while they work, they can be harmful to your plants or soil once they wash away.

Instead, get an old pair of pantyhose and fill it with calcium chloride (aka rock salt), and tie it off. Then lay the filled pantyhose across the dam so it overhangs the gutter and creates a channel for water to flow through. 

This will keep the water moving without leaking chemicals into your grass.

How to prevent ice dams

Of course, the best thing to do is prevent it so that when the snow melts, you can watch it from the comfort of your couch and rest easy.

Remember how heat from the attic melts the snow? That’s a great spot to start to prevent this.

Increase ventilation through the use of soffit, gable, and ridge vents. Moving air helps circulate air through the attic to ensure a consistent temperature.

Check your insulation – is it blocking any vents? Is it deep enough? you may need more to keep the heat from the inside of your house from escaping to your roof.

Quick tip: improving your insulation will also save you money on your gas or electric bill as it should be cheaper to heat your home.

If you’ve still got ice dams or want a cheaper solution than blowing insulation, heated cables work as well. You can line them along the first three feet of your roof and plug them in to heat up before the snow. This will prevent snow from stacking up at the edge of your house and over the eaves.

Filed Under: Home Maintenance Tips, Uncategorized

How To Prepare For A Home Inspection When Selling

March 21, 2019 By StocksHomeInspection

Win A Home Inspection With These 13 Tips

After months of sitting on the market, you finally have a family interested in buying your home. Now, you have to pass the dreaded home inspection.

Home inspections sound scary, but they are necessary before any sale. Needless to say, there are always tips and tricks to pass any inspection. Therefore, I have come up with 13 easy tips for winning your next home inspection. If you complete each recommendation, you can rest assured that your home will pass the inspection and sell before you know it.

1. Be Honest with Inspector

First off, the home inspector should ask if there are any major issues with the home. Be honest and tell them what you know. They will find the issue either way. Worst-case scenario, they find an obvious issue and tell the potential buyers. The buyers now see you as a dishonest seller and may reconsider, even if the home passes the inspection. As always, it’s better to be honest up front.

Check Gutters

2. Check Roof and Foundation

These are two budget killers when it comes to home improvement. Before the inspection, check your roof and foundation. If there is a doubt that something is wrong (like a leak in the roof), you should call a local contractor to come have a look. They can estimate the cost of the repair and see if it’s a big issue or not. By having this done before the inspection, you are saving the potential buyers a huge worry.

3. Check Drainage

Your roof plays a key role in your drainage. If faulty, poor drainage can ruin your foundation. In fact, poor drainage is the No. 1 problem home inspectors find.

Make sure your downspouts lead water away from the home. They should be thick and long enough to handle large amounts of water. Especially in areas of heavy rainfall, downspouts of 3X4 inches are highly recommended. If your current downspouts are not meeting these basic guidelines, you should think about extending them, a simple DIY project.

4. Remove Clutter Around the Home

Sometimes, a happy home inspector can make all the difference. Therefore, make sure it’s easy to move freely about the home. If you have heavy boxes in front of the attic or around the furnace, move them before the inspection. Clutter can’t hide home issues, but it can certainly make for an unhappy inspector and longer examination.

5. Make Sure Floors are Even

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Sometimes, the smallest crack can cause uneven floors. To test it out, use the age-old tactic of rolling a marble. If it moves, it’s uneven.

While this could signal a larger foundation issue, oftentimes, it’s just the design of an older home or a rotten joist/subfloor. Like the roof, I recommend getting an estimate for the fix. Repairs could run as low as $300, but according to our floor repair cost estimator, expect to pay somewhere around $750 to repair your floors.

If your project isn’t too expensive, fix the issue before the home inspection.

Monitor Exterior

6. Monitor the Exterior

Homeowners care about their curb appeal and that means the home inspector will examine the exterior as well. They will look at the landscaping, grading, driveways, fences, windows and sidewalks. Other than a major grading or driveway issue, all these issues can be fixed yourself. Do yourself a favor and make sure your home’s exterior looks better than ever.

7. Check Electricity

While I highly recommend hiring a professional electrician to check the entire house, there are small fixes you can make. First off, organize the wiring if it’s visible. Then, make sure all light bulbs are changed. If one is out, an inspector or potential buyer could attribute it to faulty wiring. Repairing an electric system can get expensive for some, but make sure your circuit breaker, light fixtures and all wiring are up to code.

8. Provide Documentation for Repairs & Maintenance

If you’re going through all this work to pass a home inspection, you want potential buyers to take notice. When it comes to big, expensive projects like fixing a roof or repairing an electric system, buyers need proof. Therefore, after you fix or repair anything in your home, keep the receipt. This way, even if the home inspector does find an issue, you can go back to the contractor and find a reasonable and inexpensive solution.

9. Check HVAC

Winters are getting colder and gas prices are rising. It’s more important than ever to have an efficient HVAC system. The home inspector will look at your furnace, boiler, heat pump and/or air conditioner. They will make sure the heat or air is reaching its intended location and not exiting the home.

If you believe your HVAC is working great and your home inspector says something is faulty, show them your utility bills. If they’re about average for the area, chances are, your HVAC is working just fine.

10. Make Sure Home is Insulated

Speaking of HVAC, ventilation and insulation can create higher gas bills and other HVAC-related issues. First, go up to your attic (if you have one) and make sure there is enough padding and insulation. Some may fall off or wear down over the years. Inspectors will notice, so make sure you fix it right away. Then, go around your house and make sure no air is entering the home. Whether you have to caulk your windows or tighten the door hinges, make sure no air is entering or leaving the home.

11. Empty Appliances

This may seem like a very minor detail, but just like removing the clutter, homeowners should empty the dishwasher, laundry and clean the stove before any home inspection. They will check all these appliances and no one wants to touch dirty clothes or pots (especially when they are not yours).

12. Check the Garage

Whether you use your garage for storage or actual parking, you want to make sure your garage door and all the lights are working correctly. Fixing a garage door is not expensive and if it is broken, the buyers will insist on you fixing it.

13. Go Away & Take the Kids

Home inspectors need to be honest with the potential buyers and they’ll feel much more comfortable with the seller out of the home. Additionally, the buyers should be comfortable asking the inspector anything they wish. You can bet they’ll feel safer with the sellers out of the home.

Conclusion

While some of these tasks may require the help of a professional, others are very simple and easy DIY tasks you can accomplish. Once completed, you can rest assured knowing your house will pass any home inspection.

Filed Under: Home Inspection Advice, Uncategorized

The 5 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Your First Home

January 31, 2019 By StocksHomeInspection

Buying a home can be an anxiety-ridden process, and that potential anxiety gets amplified for anyone who’s embarking on homeownership for the very first time. There’s so much to do and so much you don’t know that “being overwhelmed” hardly seems like an appropriate description of how it feels.

And even though you don’t want to scare yourself away from the entire process, you still need to be wary of falling into a few common traps that first-time buyers generally don’t avoid. If you’re aware of these five potential mistakes — and able to keep yourself from making them — then you’ll be saving yourself some significant stress on your home buying journey.

MISTAKE NO. 1: NOT UNDERSTANDING YOUR DOWN PAYMENT OPTIONS

The biggest headache for so many first-time buyers is the down payment. If you’ve ever bought a car, then you’re probably familiar with the concept — it’s money that you contribute to the total cost of the purchase.

A down payment of just a couple thousand dollars can get you a head start on your car. If you don’t have a certain amount to put down on your home loan, however, you might find yourself paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) on the lifetime of the loan. Depending on your credit score, the bank and other factors, PMI could cost between 0.5 percent to 1 percent of the total loan amount.

Most banks require at least a 20 percent down payment before they will waive the need for PMI on the loan. And most homes in this area cost about $300,000, so that means a buyer would need to bring $60,000 to the table in order to avoid PMI.

However, there are loans that allow you to put as little as 3 percent down on the home ($9,000 for a $300,000 home), which is much more reasonable for a first-time buyer, especially if you can accommodate the annual cost of $1,500 to $3,000 in PMI into your monthly payment amount. And veterans could be eligible for zero-down loan programs with no PMI through the Veterans Administration (VA) loan program, so that’s something else to think about.

There’s one more thing to know about down payment options: Some government organizations and lenders try to incentivize first-time homeownership by offering free down payment grants or loans to qualified buyers. Depending on your age, income level, credit score and other factors, you could qualify for free money to wrap into your down payment; a full rundown of programs is available at downpaymentresource.com.

MISTAKE NO. 2: NOT GETTING PREQUALIFIED FOR A LOAN

Between the amount of money you plan to put down on the home, the potential PMI and other cost factors, your monthly cost could be significantly more (or possibly less) than some of those calculators will show you online.

So before you trust those “estimated monthly mortgage loan amount” numbers that you see popping up next to your potential new dream home on Realtor.com, Zillow or a brokerage website, it pays to figure out what you can actually afford — and that means getting prequalified for a home loan.

This means you will need to talk to a mortgage loan officer and submit a slew of documentation, from your monthly pay stub to your credit score, in order for that loan officer to tell you how much money you can get for your home loan. It’s a little bit painful, but the prequalification letter you’ll get as a result is much more credible than a quick qualification you can pull up on an app — and that means sellers will take it more seriously when it comes time to put in an offer. You’ll have to qualify for a loan eventually anyway, so why not get the painful part out of the way?

Be careful: A bank might approve you for a loan amount that’s realistically more debt than you can carry month-to-month. Consider that you’ll need to pay homeowners’ insurance, taxes and possibly flood insurance on your new property or PMI on your loan, and try to make sure you’re not setting yourself up for a total monthly payment that’s more than about one-third of your household’s take-home pay.

Not only will this help you set your price range for the search stage, but it will also give you confidence that you — yes, you! — can be a successful homeowner someday soon.

MISTAKE NO. 3: NOT FINDING A QUALIFIED REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL 

It’s so easy to find homes online these days that you may wonder why a real estate professional is even necessary. After all, isn’t the hard part — finding the place you want to buy — something you can do yourself?

Well, maybe. But the process of buying and selling a home is filled with 100’s of details that need to be planned for and navigated to a successful outcome. Not to mention areas with competitive markets where you’re probably not seeing the most updated listings — that home you just fell in love with online might be under contract before you can set up a time to tour it.

Not only can a real estate professional make sure you have access to listings the second they hit the MLS, but a licensed real estate professional can also provide expertise on the area where you want to move. Whether that’s feedback on who can help you with homeowners’ insurance quotes to warnings about some of the challenges of owning a home in that particular area, you want to work with an honest professional dedicated to protecting your interests and those of the public. 

A real estate professional is an invaluable resource.

Here are some questions to ask any real estate professional you’re interviewing:

  • How long have you sold real estate?
  • How long have you sold real estate in this neighborhood in particular?
  • What can you tell me about the energy options in the area?
  • What else should I know about utilities, like water/sewer and other amenities?
  • What do other clients who have moved here like about the area? What don’t they like?
  • What do people in this area like to do for fun? What are some popular weekend activities?
  • What can I expect about the buying process? What steps should I be especially aware of, and how will we stay in communication?

A real estate professional who’s an area expert should have no trouble answering the lifestyle questions, and a real estate professional who’s a transaction-management ace can help you understand exactly what you’re in for, how long it’s likely to take and what rewards await you at the end of the tunnel.

MISTAKE NO. 4: NOT SPENDING THE NIGHT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

If it’s at all possible, see if you can find an Airbnb or another vacation-rental type of setup where you can crash for a night or two — preferably closer to a week — so you can try your new neighborhood on for size.

Is an 8 a.m. arrival time at work still reasonable with this neighborhood’s commute? This is an opportunity for you to start navigating your way around public transportation or new routes to work so you know exactly what you’re signing up for.

Where are the closest grocery stores, parks, rec centers and hiking trails? Figure out where you’re going to shop and work out, and where you can spend time outside walking the dog or enjoying nature. That way you won’t kick yourself later for realizing too late that something you really value isn’t available.

And what are the overnight noise levels like, anyway? If there’s a train that rolls through town in the early hours of the morning, you’re near a highway or a flight path — and any of that is going to disturb you — then it’s best to figure it out before you’re spending your first night in your new home and wake up to unpleasant (and unexpected) noises. 

At the very least, you can learn enough about the neighborhood to know how close to (or far away from) the bus line you need or want to be and target your home search accordingly.

MISTAKE NO. 5: NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT’S FIXABLE AND WHAT’S A DEAL-BREAKER

Those drop panels in the ceiling are hideous, and you can’t imagine how anyone can fit into that minuscule bathtub.

Are those annoyances that can be fixed or deal-breakers that mean you should pass on the property entirely?

This is another area where a good real estate agent can help. They see so many houses in various stages of repair and updating that they can show you where you can claim another foot or two for bathtub space (and help you figure out how much it will cost and who’s trustworthy enough to take on the job) or let you know that the ceilings are too low for any changes to make much of a difference. They can also give you an idea of what’s up to code and what simply won’t pass an inspection in 2017, so you know what concessions to request as soon as you’re ready to make an offer.

In markets where entry-level homes are getting snatched up as soon as they hit the market, knowing what’s acceptable and what you just can’t take is a huge advantage — it’ll help you make a decision, with confidence, on the fly.

None of these mistakes will keep you from buying a home of your own — but they could delay the process and cost you hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars at the end of the day. But if you’re able to avoid them, you’ll be signing the closing papers on your dream home before you know it!

Filed Under: Home Inspection Advice, Uncategorized

Detroit Residents Attend Homeowner Workshop

April 26, 2015 By homegauge

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On Saturday, over 5,000 Detroit residents looking to buy homes attended a home buyers workshop put on in partnership by the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America and the new Detroit Neighborhood Initiative.
Stephanie Ebron, National Workshop Coordinator, stood amid hundreds of people seeking homeownership. (Photo: Max Ortiz / The Detroit News)

The Detroit Neighborhood Initiative, announced by Mayor Mike Duggan last week, allows Detroit residents to purchase a home and secure a mortgage with no down payment, closing costs or fees at below-market rates.

“This new mortgage program is going to make home ownership possible for a lot of Detroiters who currently are renting,” Mayor Mike Duggan said to The Detroit News. “It’s also going to be a great boost for our Land Bank auction program because it will allow bidders to borrow up to 150% of the value of an auction property. That means they also can access the funds they need to renovate the property and move in.”

Residents who attended the workshop, held at Pure Word Missionary Baptist Church, were surprised at the opportunity of homeownership the package makes possible.

“I was surprised at the no down payment, no fees, and no credit check,” Hoyal Glaster, 37, of Detroit, a first-time home buyer looking forward to utilizing the package said. “I didn’t know it existed before they (NACA) came to Detroit.”

“They helped me understand a lot about buying a home…and how to get a mortgage,” he said.

NACA, which has more than two million members according to its website, is a non-profit counseling agency that works to provide home owners with mortgages and helps modify current mortgages.

Bruce Mark, founder and CEO of NACA, which is certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, called the event “historic” and “life changing” for participants.

“It’s certainly the largest home buying event in Detroit history,” Mark said. “It shows the upward swing and reflects huge pent-up demand for home ownership.”

“Part of meeting the demand is having the workshops,” Mark said. “Detroit is a tremendous opportunity for the NACA program and home ownership.”

Demand for home ownership is so high that the workshop had to cap participants at 5,000, Mark said, but he estimates 10,000 people will go through the program in the coming weeks either online or over the phone.

“It’s the largest demand in the country ever,” he said, noting that NACA will soon be opening an office in Detroit. NACA currently has 37 offices across the country.

“When you can purchase a house for $5K and get $55K for renovations, PITI (monthly principal, interest, taxes and insurance rate) is $397 forever…that’s life changing,” Mark said. “No down payment, no closing costs, no fees…all based on a current interest rate of 3.5 percent.”

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Filed Under: Home, Ownership

NACA Home Ownership Program

April 18, 2015 By homegauge

NACA_logo
NACA Qualified & Approved Home Inspectors
Since NACA has brought the home ownership program to Michigan in 2014, Stocks Home Inspection has been diligently working with it’s members to assist them in their home buying process. We are proud to be NACA qualified & approved home inspectors, and we look forward to helping our members obtain their home ownership goals. We have been chosen to represent NACA because we are simply the best of the best, and we are committed to the success of this program.
NACA OVERVIEW

The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (“NACA”) is a non-profit, community advocacy and homeownership organization. NACA’s primary goal is to build strong, healthy neighborhoods in urban and rural areas nationwide through affordable homeownership. NACA has made the dream of homeownership a reality for thousands of working people by counseling them honestly and effectively, enabling even those with poor credit to purchase a home or modify their predatory loan with far better terms than those provided even in the prime market.

Investing in working people
The NACA homeownership program is our answer to the huge subprime and predatory lending industry. NACA has conclusively shown that when working people get the benefit of a prime rate loan, they can resolve their financial problems, make their mortgage payments and become prime borrowers. NACA’s track record of helping people who have credit problems become homeowners or modify their predatory loan debunks the myth that high rates and fees are necessary to compensate for their “credit risk.”

Started in 1988, NACA has a tremendous track record of successful advocacy against predatory and discriminatory lenders as well as providing the best mortgage program in America with $10 billion in funding commitments. NACA is the largest housing services organization in the country and is rapidly expanding by growing its existing 30+ offices, headquartered in Boston, MA, opening many new offices nationwide, and expanding the services it offers its membership. NACA’s confrontational community organizing and unprecedented mortgage program have set the national standard for assisting low- and moderate-income people to achieve the dream of homeownership.

NACA – America’s Best Mortgage Program
The incredible NACA mortgage allows NACA Members to purchase their homes with:

  • no down payment,
  • no closing costs,
  • no fees,
  • no requirement for perfect credit,
  • and at a below-market interest rate.

Everyone gets the same incredible terms, including the below-market interest rate, regardless of their credit score or other factors. NACA also provides free, comprehensive housing services. NACA counsels Members into the extraordinary NACA mortgage using character-based lending criteria that takes each Member’s circumstances into account to determine whether they are ready for homeownership and what they can afford. This is in contrast to risk-based pricing where people are often given loans they cannot afford while brokers and others make tremendous fees and profits.

Property renovation and foreclosure prevention
NACA also provides property renovation assistance and Membership Assistance for NACA homeowners. NACA’s Home and Neighborhood Development (“HAND”) Department addresses repair issues, and where appropriate provides rehab assistance throughout the renovation process. NACA’s Membership Assistance Program (MAP) provides comprehensive counseling for Members who are delinquent on their home payments, including establishing payment agreements and providing financial assistance to help Members avoid foreclosure.

Innovative technology
The NACA program has developed state-of-the-art mortgage software for web-based counseling, processing and underwriting., called “NACA Lynx”, which is the envy of the mortgage industry. This is a paperless system that allows for character lending, loan processing and underwriting to be done on a very large scale.

Powerful national advocacy
NACA has revolutionized mortgage lending with its mortgage services and advocacy. NACA’s organizing department continues the aggressive advocacy against predatory lenders and the fight for economic justice. NACA is a high-profile organization, with its program and advocacy featured in the national media, including the Wall Street Journal, Prime Time Live, Boston Globe, Washington Post, major news outlets, and local networks nationwide.

NACA’s committed staff and contacting NACA
Our staff of hundreds of dedicated staff is committed to working with you to access this incredible mortgage product and to advocate for strong neighborhoods and economic justice. We are always looking for qualified staff—see our current job listings for details. To keep updated on NACA services, campaigns, and relevant legislative happenings, sign up by clicking Contact Us.

Filed Under: Home, Ownership

Why Are Municipal Building Inspections Not Enough?

October 8, 2014 By homegauge

Here are the five essential differences between a municipal inspection by the local building department and a private inspection by a qualified home inspector:

1.  A building inspection is strictly for building code compliance, but it is possible for a home to be poorly built and still comply with code. Home inspections deal with all kinds of substandard conditions, including those that do not involve code, such as poorly fitted doors, poorly mitered trim, missing tile grout, missing shelves in cabinets, sloped floors, loose toilets and faucets, etc.

2.  A building inspection usually lasts about 15 to 30 minutes, while a home inspection lasts from 2 1/2 to 4 hours. This is because many more things are inspected and tested in the course of a home inspection.

3.  Building inspectors simply look at the completed construction. They do not test the operational condition of fixtures and appliances. Faucets are not turned on, drains are not tested for leaks, appliances are not operated, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are not tested, and so on.

4.  Gas and electrical services to a home are not turned on until the final inspection is completed and the home is signed off. The building inspector can approve the appearance of the wiring and gas piping, but nothing is tested as part of the final inspection because you cannot test fixtures without gas or electricity. Home inspectors arrive when utilities have been turned on. They plug testers into outlets to ensure grounding, correct polarity, and ground fault protection. They operate built-in fixtures and appliances such as dishwashers, garbage disposals, lights, ceiling fans, exhaust fans, electric ovens, garage door openers, and more. They also test the gas-burning fixtures such as forced air furnaces, water heaters, gas-log fireplaces, and cooking appliances.

5.  Building inspectors perform a walk-through inspection only. They do not crawl through subareas or attics, and they do not walk on roofs. Home inspectors do all of these things, enabling them to identify construction defects that routinely go unnoticed during a municipal inspection.

Veteran home inspectors know that all brand new homes have defects of various kinds, usually minor but sometimes major. Examples include broken roof tiles, missing roof flashing, attics without insulation, furnaces improperly installed in attics, congested drainpipes, drains that leak, non-tempered glass next to bathtubs and showers, inoperative GFCI outlets, ungrounded outlets, drain vents that terminate in attics, chimneys in contact with combustible materials in attics, loose safety rails, disconnected air ducts under the house, PVC discharge pipes on water heater relief valves, and this list could go on and on.

These are the reasons why people who buy brand new homes should hire an independent home inspector. A home inspection gives homebuyers the best opportunity to take advantage of the builder’s warranty. Bypassing an inspection leaves undisclosed defects to be discovered at a later date, after the builder’s warranty has expired.

Filed Under: Home Inspection Advice

Building a Home

March 15, 2013 By homegauge Leave a Comment

If you want to build a new home, there are things you need to know before you begin. Learn about construction standards and about buying land, so you know your rights.

MPS Supplementing Model Building Codes

The Minimum Property Standards (MPS) establish certain minimum standards for buildings constructed under HUD housing programs. This includes new single-family homes, multi-family housing and healthcare-type facilities.

HUD Minimum Property Standards and How They Supplement the Model Building Codes

Until the mid-1980s, HUD maintained separate Minimum Property Standards for different types of structures. Since that time, HUD has accepted the model building codes, including over 250 referenced standards and local building codes, in lieu of separate and prescriptive HUD standards. However, there is one major area of difference between the MPS and other model building codes — durability requirements. Homes and projects financed by FHA-insured mortgages are the collateral for these loans, and their lack of durability can increase the FHA’s financial risk in the event of default. More specifically, the model codes do not contain any minimum requirements for the durability of items such as doors, windows, gutters and downspouts, painting and wall coverings, kitchen cabinets and carpeting. The MPS includes minimum standards for these, and other items, to ensure that the value of an FHA-insured home is not reduced by the deterioration of these components. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Home Inspection Advice, Home Maintenance Tips, Words of Advice

Lightning

February 28, 2013 By homegauge Leave a Comment

Lightning is the “visible discharge of static electricity within a cloud, between clouds or between the earth and a cloud,” as defined by Underwriters Laboratories. Lightning is unpredictable and a serious threat to buildings and their occupants virtually everywhere.

0_0_0_0_250_270_csupload_55031164Facts about lightning:

  • Benjamin Franklin invented the first lightning rod in 1752 –- a kite outfitted with a metal key — while waiting impatiently for the completion of a church on top of which he would mount a lightning rod.
  • Lightning comes up from the earth –- as well as down from the cloud — from high vertical features such as chimneys and trees.
  • A typical lightning bolt carries 50,000 amps, tens of millions of volts, and can reach 50,000° F. “Superbolts” may be 100 times more powerful than typical bolts, and travel much farther, too; one such superbolt went from Waco to Dallas, Texas, after having traveled about 118 miles.
  • According to the National Weather Service, of the 34 people killed by lightning in the United States in 2009, all were outside when they were struck. Thus, homes provide a great deal of safety against lightning strikes. Interestingly, the same report indicates that 82% of lightning casualties were male.
  • Permanent injuries caused by lightning strikes are predominantly neurological and can include sleep disorders, attention deficits, numbness, dizziness, irritability, fatigue, depression, and an inability to sit for long periods of time.
  • Between 2002 and 2005, lightning caused an annual average of $213 million in property damage.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Home Inspection Advice, Home Maintenance Tips, Words of Advice

The Facts About Lead

January 31, 2013 By homegauge Leave a Comment

Did you know the following facts about lead?

FACT: Lead exposure can harm young children and babies even before they are born.
FACT: Even children who seem healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies.
FACT: You can get lead in your body by breathing or swallowing lead dust, or by eating soil or paint chips containing lead.
FACT: You have many options for reducing lead hazards. In most cases, lead-based paint that is in good condition is not a hazard.
FACT: Removing lead-based paint improperly can increase the danger to your family. If you think your home might have lead hazards, read on to learn about lead and some simple steps to protect your family. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Home Inspection Advice, Home Maintenance Tips

Holiday Home Safety Tips

November 8, 2012 By homegauge

Happy Holidays

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The winter holidays are a time for celebration, and that means more cooking, home decorating, entertaining, and an increased risk of fire and accidents. InterNACHI recommends that you follow these guidelines to help make your holiday season safer and more enjoyable.

Holiday Lighting

  • Use caution with holiday decorations and, whenever possible, choose those made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant and non-combustible materials.
  • Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees.
  • Carefully inspect new and previously used light strings, and replace damaged items before plugging lights in. If you have any questions about electrical safety, ask an InterNACHI inspector during your next scheduled inspection. Do not overload extension cords.
  • Don’t mount lights in any way that can damage the cord’s wire insulation. To hold lights in place, string them through hooks or insulated staples–don’t use nails or tacks. Never pull or tug lights to remove them.
  • Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical decorations.
  • Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
  • Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.
  • Make sure all the bulbs work and that there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.
  • Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground-fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.
  • Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

[Read more…]

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