When there is a yellow sticker like this on a hot water heater, it means that the unit has been replaced under warranty. That's good news, right? Wrong. If the unit was replaced, there is no warranty on the replacement unit. If you buy this house, you will not get a new hot water heater
Merry Christmas to Frosty and his twin. Old asbestos-covered boilers are nicknamed "Snowmen" here in New England. These boilers were installed in local houses until the early 1960s. Many have been around so long that they used to burn coal and were later adapted to burn oil or gas. Over the years, I see fewer
This is one of my favorite home inspector experiences of the year. It started at the house visit. At that tour, there was an insulation that looked different than I am used to. My client was concerned that it was vermiculite. I didn’t think so. I’ve seen vermiculite and it is more rock-like than this.
I saw this with clients recently. These are copper fittings coming from a fairly new steam boiler. The inspector said it is wrong--do you know why? Generally, copper is a superior material for piping in a house. Copper has a great track record for durability, but it got expensive enough to encourage a plastic replacement.
Why did this owner do this to the bottom of the porch column? (It is a good idea!) These columns are pretty common around here. They are structural. They hold up heavy roof sections and porches.They are hollow! These pillars can hold a lot of weight for a long
One of my clients is buying a house with a fuse box. Yes. A. fuse. box. OMG that’s awful! No, not really. Fuse boxes are not inherently dangerous. They are just outdated. I used to see fuse boxes more often, but they have slowly gone the way of the dinosaur and been replaced by circuit
Many of my buyers see oil heating as a big negative. I see this as a victory for the “natural gas” lobby. When I ask people why they prefer gas, the answers come right from the advertising: “cleaner, safer, always there.” Cleaner? Are you aware that methane leaks are all over the place? Have you
When is a foundation crack something to repair immediately, and when is it something that may never be a problem? Rule of thumb: If the opening is more than a quarter inch, it's a problem. If the two sides of the crack are no longer level with one another, it is a problem. (note the
The last thing that my clients do before heading to closing is to go back to the house for a final walk-through. Some sellers find it a matter of pride that they deliver their homes sparkling clean to the next owner. But they don’t have to. In most Purchase and Sales Agreements, the sellers agree
There are some houses that never should have been built. They cannot be leveled and another house put on that lot. Either the lot is too small to build on --- by current standards -- or the land is not fit to hold a house. I have seen both. They have an infinite problem.