Clarksville Home Inspections

Archive for February, 2008

Hairline Cracks In Retaining Wall

Friday, February 29th, 2008

George B asks, Last year I poured an 8 inch thick concrete retaining wall on thick footings at the frost line with plenty of rebar. We poured the wall in a single pour & used a vibrator to settle it, the temperature that day was around 100 degrees F. Now ... Continue reading.

Best Wood For Exterior Trim

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

Charles T asks, I am going to make custom casing for a traditional wood front door & do not want to use synthetic material. I can use more expensive material in this small area, but don't want to use teak. Which wood resists rot & holds paint well. Teak doesn't paint ... Continue reading.

Getting The Most For Your Money At The Gas Pump

Monday, February 25th, 2008

Below are some useful tips I received for getting the best value at the pumps & wanted to share them with our readers. Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried ... Continue reading.

Problems With Stair Riser Height

Saturday, February 23rd, 2008

Billy S says, We were originally going to have a vinyl floor in our addition, but have decided to go with 3/4" hardwood, the stairs have already been installed & the change in flooring means that the first step will now be 3/4" shorter than the rest of the steps. ... Continue reading.

How Often To Change Your HVAC Filter

Thursday, February 21st, 2008

Joyce M asks, How often should I change my air conditioners filter? Are the return air vents in your house covered with dirt? If so, you’re not cleaning or replacing your filter often enough! You should replace or clean the filter once a month. With forced air furnace systems, air recycling ... Continue reading.

Squeaky Floors

Wednesday, February 20th, 2008

Richard Tramill wrote: I bought a new house in 2004 and have had trouble with the floors creaking and popping. The builder came no less than 4 times during the 1st year to make repairs. 4yrs later i'm still having the same trouble only worse. I know this can't be normal. What do I ... Continue reading.

Sidewalk De-Icers

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008

Deicers work by chemically lowering the freezing point below 32 degrees to melt ice. Regular salt (sodium chloride) is the best know & proven deicer, but it's not the best choice if your concerned about the environment, or if temperatures get well below 32 degrees F. Avoid damage with any deicer ... Continue reading.

Help With A Dead Outlet

Monday, February 11th, 2008

Mike S says, I just moved into a house & one outlet didn't work. I used my tester & none of the lights came on. It's not a switched outlet & it looks like it is hooked up right (black & white wires going to the right places) So everyone knows what ... Continue reading.

How To Improve Crawlspace Insulation

Sunday, February 10th, 2008

Dean S asks, I have R-19 batt insulation between the floor joists in my crawlspace. Is there anything else I can do, like installing rigid foam over tha batts, to keep out the cold? It is usually better to spend your money insulating the crawlspace walls, sills, & rim joist. You can ... Continue reading.

Ungrounded Ground-Fault Receptacles

Friday, February 8th, 2008

John L asks, "Is there any benefit to installing a GFCI outlet to an older circuit that has no ground wire?" A GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) reduces the risk of electrocution by constantly measuring & comparing the current coming in on the hot wire with the current going out on the neutral. ... Continue reading.