This week I have put together a list of the five most common discrepancies found during a home inspection. I’m pretty sure everyone is as excited to know this as I am! This is by no means a scientific study with years of data. This is a simple compilation of facts from summary reports written by me, covering discrepancies found during inspections performed in the past year.
My top five list is as follows:
- Dirty furnace that hasn’t been properly serviced.
- Carbon Monoxide detectors.
- GFCI outlets non-functional or not installed.
- Overgrown or improper landscaping.
- Improper installation of water heater.
It is recommended by most manufacturers to clean and service furnaces and central AC units annually. A dirty, un-serviced furnace can be the cause of inefficiency, premature failure or even a fire.
Carbon Monoxide detectors save lives! Illinois passed a law in 2007 that states there must be a CO detector within 15 feet of any sleeping area. It is hard to believe there are so many homes without proper protection.
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI’s) are required for all outlets servicing bathrooms, garages, unfinished basements & crawl spaces, any kitchen counter top (including island outlets), and most outdoor receptacles.
Trees or shrubs touching the roof or siding pose several problems. There may be damage to the roofing material or siding caused by branches blowing in the wind. There is also a direct path for animals and other pests to gain access to the roof and possibly find (or make) a way into your home.
A water heater that is improperly installed is like a ticking time bomb. Water heaters fail all the time. With the proper installation of a TPR valve and the required piping, the damage and threat of personal injury is greatly reduced.
These are the top five most common items I have found during Home Inspections I performed in the past year. If you think you may have similar issues in your home or if you are unsure, call today for a no obligation quote for a Maintenance Inspection.
Thanks for reading!
David Novalinski
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847 669 9040
Have you noticed a loss of water pressure in your home? Does your shower get hot if someone flushes the toilet? That can be so annoying! If this is happening in your home the first thing to do is determine the cause.
Many older homes used galvanized pipe for water supply lines. Galvanized pipe is steel that has been coated with a thin layer of zinc to help prevent corrosion. This type of pipe was used in residential construction into the 1960s and has an estimated useful life of 40-50 years. The problem with galvanized pipe is it corrodes from the inside. As the corrosion and other minerals build up in the pipe the water flow is restricted. This causes low pressure or loss of pressure when using multiple fixtures. Eventually the restriction will cause total loss of flow.
In addition to loss of flow, the corrosion can cause pipe failure. Most commonly this happens at the threaded ends of the pipe where it enters a fitting. It may be hard to notice at first, maybe just a little moisture. As the condition worsens it may begin to drip or there may be a total failure. If any of these conditions are noted in your home it is best to have it checked out and repaired before there is a total failure.
Replacement with copper (or other materials where allowed) is the recommended fix for aging galvanized water lines. This can be accomplished by repairing only the damaged areas or with a total retrofit. The actual replacement of the pipes is not a difficult procedure, but gaining access and repairing those areas can be challenging.
If your home does not have galvanized water lines, you may have to do a little investigating to determine the cause. Make sure all water supply valves are in the full open position. If there has been an interruption of service or if the fire hydrants have been recently tested it is possible there is some sediment in the lines and fixtures.
If you have low water pressure in your home and are not able to determine the cause it is a great time to schedule a Maintenance Inspection. Call today if you have any questions.
Thanks for reading!
David Novalinski
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847 669 9040
Houses built before the 1980's may contain lead based paint.
Lead poisoning is a big concern for children but it also affects adults. Lead poisoning in children is known to cause irreversible brain damage and impairs mental functioning. It can retard development mentally and physically and reduce the attention span. Even at extremely low levels it is known to retard fetal development. Adults may experience irritability, poor muscle coordination, and damage to the nerves of the sense organs and nerves that control the body. Lead poisoning may also cause problems with reproduction (such as a decreased sperm count) and may also increase blood pressure.
Lead Based Paint is hazardous to your health.
Lead-based paint is a major contributing source of lead poisoning. Lead was added to “alkyd” oil based paint as a pigment and drying agent. Statistics show that about two-thirds of the homes built before 1940 and one-half of the homes built from 1940 to 1960 contain paint with heavy lead content. Even some homes built after 1960 also contain heavily-leaded paint. It may be found on any interior or exterior surface, most commonly on woodwork, doors, and windows. In 1978, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission lowered the legal maximum lead content in most kinds of paint to 0.06% (a trace amount).
Lead enters the body when it is ingested or inhaled. The most common way children are exposed to lead is from chipping, peeling, or flaking lead-based paint or lead dust. The lead dust can get on their toys and hands. It is ingested when they put their hands or toys in their mouths. Children can also get lead poisoning by chewing or sucking on painted surfaces or paint chips that contain high levels of lead.
Before renovating or if the paint or underlying surface is deteriorating in a home constructed before the 1980s, consider having the paint tested for lead. There are some do it yourself test kits available that use sodium sulfide. These types of tests produce many false positives due to other metals in the paint and some resins may not allow the solution to contact the lead. The most reliable way to test for lead based paint is to have a sample taken and sent to a lab.
If it is determined you have lead-based paint in your home, you should take steps to reduce your exposure to lead. These steps are:
- Have the lead-based paint removed.
- Have the painted item replaced.
- Cover the lead-based paint with a sealer or paint. However, painting over lead-based paint with non-lead paint is not a long-term solution.
- Reduce lead dust exposure by mopping and wiping surface and floors with a high phosphorous cleaning solution. This is a preventive measure and is not an alternative to replacement or removal, it is a temporary precaution until the paint is removed or the item is replaced.
Professionals are available to remove, replace, or cover lead-based paint. If you have any questions about lead based paint or any other concern in your home, please call our office immediately. The safety of you and your family is our top concern.
Thanks for reading.
David Novalinski Sr
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847 669 9040
First of all, what is an asphalt driveway? Asphalt is a combination of Asphalt Cement (the binder) and aggregate (sand, gravel and/or rock) mixed in prescribed proportions in a Hot Mix Asphalt Plant. The mixture is loaded into trucks and hauled to your site. It is then placed and compacted on a prepared base and/or sub grade.
The driveway is the first thing you see.
A properly installed and maintained asphalt driveway not only looks great, but it has a life expectancy of thirty years or more. But what does it take to properly maintain a driveway? It’s probably easier than you think!
If you have a brand new driveway it is recommended to keep cars off it for at least three days. After that time, care should be taken to avoid indentations from motorcycle and bicycle stands or from parking in the same spot for extended periods until the asphalt has properly cured.
To keep the driveway looking good and lasting a long time it is necessary to make sure water is not penetrating through the asphalt. If water is allowed to penetrate it will disturb the gravel base and cause the driveway to crack, sink or wash out. Allowing moisture under the asphalt also puts you at risk of having the driveway lift up during sub-freezing temperatures, which may not be an issue for everyone, but it is in the suburbs of Chicago!
The best defense against water is seal coat. Seal coat does exactly as its name implies; it seals. It closes all the holes and small cracks in the driveway and stops that water from penetrating. A new driveway should not be seal coated for the first 90 days, but within the first year. After the initial application, it is recommended to re-seal the driveway when the previous application has worn off. This would be roughly every two – four years. It is not recommended to seal coat every year.
An excellent indicator that water is getting under the driveway is if there are weeds growing in cracks. If you have this happening, remove the weeds and seal the cracks with crack filler. Also fill in the gaps at the ends of the driveway. Do what it takes to keep that water out!
Follow these basic steps and your driveway should look good and last a long time! If you have questions, feel free to call.
Thanks for reading!
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847 669 9040
David Novalinski Sr.
Many of us tend to use our garage for more than just parking our cars. For many it is a storage place for equipment, chemicals, gasoline, toys, tools, and even some meaningless junk. We also use it as a place to work if we need a lot of space or if we are working on the car. I know that I use my garage often. The only problem with the space is the air is not conditioned. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter!
There are many options for resolving the issue. There are portable air conditioners, ceiling fans, portable fans or even installing central air to cool the garage. Similar options are available for you to consider when it’s cold, such as portable heaters, space heaters and installing a furnace. These are all great ways to accomplish the goal. My advice would be to research them all, choose the option that best suits your needs, and make sure which ever choice you make, it is installed and used properly and safely.
This is not an acceptable way to heat the garage......
Some homeowners choose to add a heat register from their existing home heating system. This is not a recommended way to heat and cool your garage. As a matter of fact it is not allowed in any of the uniform code books and is very dangerous. But it sounds like an easy, viable option, right?
Think about what happens when you add a heat vent in the garage. There is now a direct link between the garage and the house. There is now an open invitation for Carbon Monoxide to enter your home. Think about what you store in your garage. Why do you store it there? Usually it’s because you don’t want it in your house. By tapping into your heating system to heat the garage, it would be the same as storing that gasoline for the lawn mower in your living room.
I have seen this done on a number of homes I have inspected. Sometimes the perspective buyers are excited that the garage is heated. That is until I give them my perspective. I can usually see the light go on within a few seconds. I hope yours went on too!
If you have any questions about your home or its safety, please call me as soon as possible. Safety is a huge concern when I inspect your home.
Thanks for reading.
David Novalinski
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847 669 9040
This week’s entry is going to be a little out of the ordinary for me. No home maintenance tips, safety lectures or inspection talk at all. I want to talk about an experience I had last week that I will never forget.
This past week I put everything on hold for six whole days. I skipped a meeting for my network group, logged off Facebook (that was tough), turned the email auto responder on, and didn’t perform any home inspections for the entire week. I packed my bags and left my family behind. What would make me do such a crazy thing? Sit back and enjoy while I tell you about it.
Horizon Camp 2010
I just completed one of the most gratifying weeks of my life. I volunteered as a camp counselor at Horizon Summer Camp. The Association of Horizon, Inc. offers a week long summer camp experience where adults with physical disabilities team up, usually one on one, with able-bodied volunteers for a week of recreation, learning and fun. The camp is held annually at Timber Point Outdoor Center on Lake Bloomington in Hudson, Illinois.
This was my first time volunteering at Horizon camp. I have volunteered at numerous Muscular Dystrophy camps over the past 13 years, but wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I arrived on Sunday. After a 2 ½ hour drive I finally arrived at camp. Woo Hoo! Here we go! No turning back now!
Why was I so nervous? I’ve done this so many times. But I still had all these questions going through my mind. What was my camper going to be like? Were we going to get along? Could I handle working with somebody who had a disability different than what I was used to dealing with?
Kevin & Dave - 2010
Then I met my camper. As I introduced myself to Kevin, I knew everything was going to be OK. He has a smile that will melt your heart. Kevin has Cerebral Palsy and even though he only speaks a few words, we are able to communicate by me asking yes or no questions which Kevin would answer with a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down. I’m not going to say we didn’t have our challenges, but with a little patience (on both sides) we were able to make it through the week and have a great time! Kevin – You ROCK! I am already looking forward to and making plans for next year’s camp.
This year marked the 19th anniversary of summer camp sponsored by the Association of Horizon. This year’s camp was the largest group to date with nearly 100 campers and 120 volunteers & staff. It takes a lot of hard work, coordination and fund raising to make a camp like this happen year after year. If you are interested in learning more about the Association of Horizon, Inc., the summer camp program, or how you can get involved, click HERE, or call me. You won’t regret it!
To see my photo albums from camp on Facebook click the following links. Album 1 - Album 2
Thanks for reading!
David Novalinski Sr.
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847 669 9040
Do you remember back when you were a kid? I am talking about the time in your life when all you had to worry about was what you were going to do for those three months between grades. You remember……summer vacation! Those were the days! Sleeping in……playing all day…….staying outside until the last possible minute. I know it is further back for some of us, and more recent for others, but just get that image in your mind.
I want this time of the year to be all that for todays kids. I want them to have no worries; to spend all day playing and being safe while doing it. I’m sure that I am not alone in these thoughts. No parent wants their children to be in danger of being harmed, especially in their own home. Research shows that 69% of children’s deaths were from home related accidents.
Pool Safety
As times have changed, some of the dangers in homes have become more prevalent. My hope is by posting this blog I can prevent one child from being injured or even killed by an in home accident.
Where are the danger zones in your house?
These are the first places to look:
- Stairs and balconies and lofts- Many of the homes built today have big beautiful staircases, balconies and second story lofts overlooking the lower level. Many buyers in today’s market are attracted to these features. As cool as they seem, they pose a risk of falling to curious, active children of all ages.
- Entertainment center- There has been a recent rise in the number of children that are injured by a falling television. This is attributed to the rising number of large flat screen TV’s which are usually on low stands which allows them to tip easily. Another cause is an improperly installed wall mount which can, and has, fallen on children. A majority of these injuries are to children under six years old.
- Near heavy furniture- Tall furniture (bookcases, chests, armoires, etc.) that is not attached to the wall with safety straps or L-brackets can fall on children especially if they try to climb.
- Exercise room- Children fall from exercise equipment and break bones. Even something as harmless as a treadmill can cause severe friction burns from touching the belt. Free weights and barbells can cause damage if dropped.
- Swimming pool- When most people think about pool safety, they automatically think about the dangers of drowning. That is a very real danger that needs to be addressed, but not the only one associated with swimming pools. Faulty wiring in filter systems and pool lights can cause electrocution. Don’t take it for granted that everything is ok; make sure.
Just by addressing these five areas you are making your home much safer for your children, and for yourself. If you have any questions regarding the safety or integrity of any area or component of your home you should call to schedule a Maintenance Inspection. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Thanks for reading.
David Novalinski Sr.
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847 669 9040
During the summer months most homeowners are wrapped up in yard work. Keeping your yard looking good is a great source of gratification. Depending on the design of your yard and the amount of landscaping you have, this can be very time consuming. The only caution I would have is be sure you are not neglecting your home. Homes require maintenance even when we are busy doing other things.
The summer months in the Midwest are usually filled with hot temperatures and high humidity. There seems to be times when the AC unit doesn’t shut off for weeks at a time. This is when you should be doing routine maintenance; when everything is operating correctly. If you wait until it doesn’t work, then it isn’t maintenance anymore.
If you had your AC unit serviced in the spring you should be able to sit back and enjoy the cool air, right? On typical AC units there is some maintenance that you can do yourself. The two most important things are:
- Depending on the type of furnace filter you use, you should change it monthly or per the manufacturers recommendations
- Keep the condenser coil (outside unit) clean
Performing these two items should keep that unit operating efficiently throughout the summer.
The summer is also a good time to look at the condition of your siding, paint, trim & caulk. If you notice any areas that could use a little ‘help’, do it before it escalates into a serious problem. Reattach any loose pieces, scrape and paint weathered areas, re-caulk around windows and doors, and clean any areas of algae or dirt from siding. A little prevention goes a long way!
As you walk around admiring results of your hard work maintaining your landscaping, take note of any discrepancies you see. How does your roof look? Are there any missing shingles? Does your driveway need to be seal coated? Does your fence, deck or other wooden features need to be stained or sealed? You get the idea. Be proactive and your house will not only look good, it will be good!
Any questions or comments are welcome. If your needs are more immediate, please call our office at 847 669 9040. The summer is also a great time to schedule a Maintenance Inspection. Thanks for visiting!
David Novalinski Sr.
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847.669.9040
That is a great question we should be asking ourselves. In our daily lives we all face a variety of health risks. Whether you are driving in a car, flying on a plane, or spending time at home; you are being exposed to environmental pollutants that pose varying degrees of risk. Some of these risks are unavoidable. However, indoor air pollution is one risk that you can do something about.
Some of the most common pollutants in a typical home are:
• Mold spores
• Radon Gas
• Off gassing of chemicals
• Disruption of hazardous materials present in the home
What can be done to improve Your Indoor Air Quality?
To control mold, you must control moisture in your home. Make repairs to any areas that are allowing moisture to enter the home. It is important to totally dry water damaged areas within 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Obviously you cannot prevent all moisture from getting in, but you can provide adequate ventilation in those areas. If mold is a problem in your home, get rid of excess water or moisture and then clean up the mold.
Radon gas is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims an estimated 20,000 lives annually. The first step is to have your home tested for elevated levels of Radon. If the levels in your home are above 4 picocuries per liter of air, make arrangements to have a radon mitigation system installed in your home.
Off gassing is the release of synthetic compounds used in a variety of common products. The best way to avoid off gassing is to avoid the products that are
likely to give off gas. If that is not possible, regular air movement and proper ventilation can aid in keeping the effects to a minimum.
Most hazardous building materials, including asbestos and lead paint, become a risk when they are disturbed. If there is any question at all if your house contains either of those materials, please have it tested prior to doing anything that may disturb them.
If you have any comments or questions about today’s blog or any other topic relevant to home maintenance, feel free to call our office at 847 669 9040. Thanks for visiting!
David Novalinski Sr
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847 669 9040
Sump pumps are a normal topic of discussion during most home inspections. As home designs have changed, new building standards have been introduced and components added to increase the reliability of systems. A home’s foundation system includes weeping tiles and sump pumps. They are not just an afterthought, but an integral part of the home’s defense against its number one enemy. That enemy is water.
One of the biggest discussions involving sump pumps is the need for a battery backup system. There are
many different brands on the market that all provide different levels of protection. Obviously these products all come with a price tag. I have noticed a vast range of prices for these systems. You can get one starting at $159 with retail prices going up to $2000 and more. How do you decide which one best suits your needs?
There are many factors to take into consideration when deciding on a battery backup system.
• Monitor the pump. Keep track of how often it runs under normal (no rain) conditions.
• See if that number changes during a steady rainfall.
• Determine if there is a big difference during a heavy rainfall.
• How often do you lose power?
• Make sure the pump and its check valve are operating properly.
Depending on the water table in an area, there are some homes whose pumps very seldom or never turn on. There are others that seem to run all the time. If your pump is one that runs a lot, you may want to think about adding and maintaining a battery backup system for your own ‘Peace of Mind’.
Thanks for reading! If you would like to talk more in depth about sump pumps, battery backups, or any other home maintenance call our office today. Our number is 847 669 9040.
David Novalinski Sr.
About Your Home Inspection, Inc.
847.669.9040
