Stocks Home Inspection

"Where Experience Meets Technology"

7 West Square Lake Rd
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
(313) 377-6967
Mon-Sat 9:00am-7:00pm

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

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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.

Building a Home

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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…]

Lightning

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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…]

The Facts About Lead

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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…]

Holiday Home Safety Tips

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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…]

Protect Your Property From Water Damage

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Water may be essential to life, but, as a destructive force, water can diminish the value of your home or building. Homes as well as commercial buildings can suffer water damage that results in increased maintenance costs, a decrease in the value of the property, lowered productivity, and potential liability associated with a decline in indoor air quality. The best way to protect against this potential loss is to ensure that the building components which enclose the structure, known as the building envelope, are water-resistant. Also, you will want to ensure that manufacturing processes, if present, do not allow excess water to accumulate. Finally, make sure that the plumbing and ventilation systems, which can be quite complicated in buildings, operate efficiently and are well-maintained. This article provides some basic steps for identifying and eliminating potentially damaging excess moisture.

Identify and Repair All Leaks and Cracks

The following are common building-related sources of water intrusion: [Read more…]

Mold, Moisture and Your Home

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0_0_0_0_250_181_csupload_49423384Mold Basics

  • The key to mold control is moisture control.
  • If mold is a problem in your home, you should clean up the mold promptly and fix the water problem.
  • It is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.

Why is mold growing in my home?

Molds are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter, such as fallen leaves and dead trees. But indoors, mold growth should be avoided. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture. [Read more…]

Carbon Monoxide

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Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas that forms from incomplete combustion of fuels, such as natural or liquefied petroleum gas, oil, wood or coal.

Facts and Figures

  • 480 U.S. residents died between 2001 and 2003 from non-fire-related carbon-monoxide poisoning.
  • Most CO exposures occur during the winter months, especially in December (including 56 deaths, and 2,157 non-fatal exposures), and in January (including 69 deaths and 2,511 non-fatal exposures). The peak time of day for CO exposure is between 6 and 10 p.m.
  • Many experts believe that CO poisoning statistics understate the problem. Because the symptoms of CO poisoning mimic a range of common health ailments, it is likely that a large number of mild to mid-level exposures are never identified, diagnosed, or accounted for in any way in carbon monoxide statistics.
  • Out of all reported non-fire carbon-monoxide incidents, 89% or almost nine out of 10 of them take place in a home.

[Read more…]

Child-Proofing Your Home: 12 Safety Devices to Protect Your Children

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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…]

15 Tools Every Homeowner Should Own

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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…]