Home Inspector in Clarksville TN

Archive for January, 2008

Common Problems with Fiberboard Siding

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008
Fiberboard Siding (often referred to as Hardboard Planking) was manufactured by several companies including Louisiana-Pacific®, Masonite®, Weyerhaeuser® and Georgia Pacific®. While this type of siding was made by numerous manufacturers, each company’s fiberboard siding is made in roughly the same manner and tends to have the same issues. After this siding has ... Continue reading.

GFCI Protection- Receptacles or Circuit Breakers?

Sunday, January 27th, 2008
Ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI's) help to prevent electrical shocks by shutting off the current as soon as an imbalance in the hot & neutral is detected. Current codes require GFCI protection on all kitchen & bathroom outlets & in other potentially damp locations like basements & garages. If you are building ... Continue reading.

Is you dryer venting outside?

Saturday, January 26th, 2008
At least once a week I will find a dryer vent that is torn or disconnected somewhere in the crawlspace. A dryer venting into the crawlspace will introduce a significant amount of moisture into this area & this is never a good thing. The quickest & easiest way to check ... Continue reading.

How often should I change my smoke detector?

Saturday, January 26th, 2008
Some manufacturers advise replacement after 5 years. If you don’t have the manufacturer’s information and your smoke alarms are 10 years old or older, it’s time to replace them with new ones. Since smoke alarms can become desensitized over time, replacement is highly recommended. If possible, replace old smoke alarms with interconnected ... Continue reading.

Dewinterizing For Inspection

Thursday, January 10th, 2008
I did an inspection today on a home that had been dewinterized & had the utilities turned on the day before, problem was, the TPR valve on the water heater had been opened for winterizing & never closed, so when the water was turned on it continued to flow out ... Continue reading.