Commercial and residential home inspection services in Clarksville Tennessee, Hopkinsville Kentucky, and surrounding areas. Licensed and insured in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Tel: 931-801-1575 | Email: johnny@clarksvillehomeinspection.com
While performing a one year warranty inspection on a residential home, I discovered the master bathroom tub drain line had been completely removed and thrown in the corner so that the HVAC ductwork could be run. This caused the bathtub water to drain into the crawlspace for a full year.
One of the easiest ways to prevent poor attic ventilation is by checking to see if attic insulation is blocking the soffit vents. The ventilation process of an attic is fairly simple. The soffit vents act as intake vents, allowing cool air to enter into the attic, while the upper gable or soffit vents act as exhaust vents.
When insulation is blocking the soffit vents it creates inadequate ventilation and causes higher than normal attic temperatures. One of the best ways to prevent this from happening is to check and see if insulation is blocking these vents. You can see an example of insulation blocking soffit vents in the picture below:
Today I was doing an inspection on a house and quickly noticed that all the sinks in the home were plumbed with S traps. This is actually no longer allowed and something that should be corrected. If you have S traps under your sinks and been noticing a stinky smell in your house, that’s probably the reason why.
The reason why S traps are not allowed is because water filling in the downstream vertical portion will create siphoning and loss of the trap seal. The trap seal is what prevents sewer gases from entering the home. You can see an example of a bathroom sink with an S trap in the picture below:
As a home owner, It’s important to know the proper way a floor joist should be supported. Improperly supported floor joists is something I commonly see when performing home inspections so I wanted to make sure I included the information here for you on the blog.
Floor joists should be supported at the girder by either a 2×2 ledger strip or by an approved joist hanger for adequate support. Floor joists should not be nailed direct to the girder. You can see an example of floor joists being nailed to the girder in the picture below:
One thing that a lot of homeowners find when getting ready to put down new flooring, is that they need to fix or replace their existing sub-flooring. The sub-floor is any flooring found beneath your floor covering. Every room in your house has a sub-floor, and these need to be kept in repair along with the rest of the house. This can be due to moisture, cracks, or rotting wood. It seems that bathrooms and kitchens are usually the rooms most in need of extra care.
The first thing you need to do is completely remove the existing floor covering and assess the damage below. In some cases, you’ll only need to replace a small section. Other times, you’ll need to replace the entire thing. You might also think about doing some preventative maintenance, as you probably won’t see this part of your house again for quite awhile. Remember to check existing floor joists as well. These may need to be replaced in order to properly hold up the sub-flooring and the floor covering.
Now, you need to decide what type of material you want to use. Most homeowners opt for plywood flooring, while others want something a little heavier and go with a laminated wood. Check prices at your local lumberyards and compare prices. You might find a deal you just can’t pass up. Keep in mind the area you’ll be working on, as materials used in basements might not be best for upper levels of your home. Think about the type of flooring you’ll be placing over the top of your sub-floor, when making your choice. What might work with carpeting, might not work for ceramic tiles.
When putting in your sub-flooring, make sure to stagger your wood, such as you would in building a brick wall. By not having all your seams in exact lines, you give your sub-floor more stability. Make sure all your corners are covered and check your work with a level just to make sure the whole room sets right. You might also walk across the sub-flooring first, and feel for any imperfections. Now you’re ready to add your floor covering.
If you’re going to take the time to add new floor coverings to your home, take the time to do it right. A perfect sub-flooring is essential to keeping your new coverings in good condition. Give that room the floor you’ve always dreamed of, by making sure that the sub-floor is in its prime.
Wallpaper has always been one of the best ways to bring a room to life. Wallpaper has been used for hundreds of years, and comes in a wide variety of colors and textures. However, wallpapers have been made from different materials and some of them were more toxic than decorative. Modern wallpapers are made can be applied with either paste, or with a self-adhesive backing.
Before choosing a wallpaper, you’ve got to decide on what you want the end result to look like. Are you looking for a warm color, a light color, or patterns? Take stock of the other items in the room and go from there. Remember, too much of a good thing can turn out bad. If you have a floral theme to the room, you may not want a heavy floral design to your wallpaper.
Once you’ve made a decision on style, you’ll need to decide on adhesive types. If you choose to use paste, you’ll need to know what type to use, and how to apply the paste. You’ll also need a brush to apply the paste, a plumb line to help keep your paper straight, scissors or a utility knife, and a tray to hold the paste. If you choose to go with a pre-pasted wallpaper, you’ll still need all of the above, but the tray and brush will be for the water needed to wet the back of your paper.
Before you apply your wallpaper, you’ll need to ensure that your walls are prepared for the paper. Remove all traces of older wallpaper and thoroughly clean your walls. Make sure to fill in any holes before beginning, and it’s a good idea to add a coat of primer to the walls. Go over the walls to make sure there are no lumps or blemishes that will tear the paper or cause problems with the process. Once you’ve done all this, you’ll be ready to apply your wallpaper.
When putting up your paper, always start from a corner in the room and hang from top to bottom. If your working with an abstract pattern, you may not have to worry about alignment. However, if you’re working with specific patterns, you’re going to want to try and match up pattern sides as best as possible. Use a rubber roller to help press out any air bubbles that may occur.
Once you’ve finished hanging your wallpaper, you might decide to add a border or other effects to the room. In the end, if you’ve done your research and followed directions, you should have a beautiful room that will last several years to come.
Home improvement aren’t just about upgrading your home. It’s about adding beautiful furnishings along with the paint and fixtures. However, once you’ve done all the interior work, there may not be a lot of money left for new furniture. Rather than buying all new stuff, why not just restore some of your already existing furniture?
For some families, the kitchen table is the center of communication. You can refurbish your kitchen table and chairs without much hassle. If your table is full of nicks and scratches, all you need to do is buff these out with a power sander. Once your table is smooth, its only a matter of adding the stain.
For the chairs, it depends on what type of chairs you’ve got. If you have leather covered chairs, you’ll either need a leather repair kit or try and find a matching replacement. However, if you have high-back regency chairs, you can upgrade both the seats and the wood. First of all, remove the seat and set it off to the side. Then, strip the wood, make any necessary repairs, and refinish. With the seats, simply remove the cloth covering. Either throw in the washer, or choose a new pattern to add to the seats. Replace with the use of a staple gun and replace to chair.
If you have a sewing machine, you can do quite a few upgrades to your existing furniture. Update your living room by making a new cover for your couch. Rather than go out and buy a brand new one, you can choose a material that will match your decor. Make several in different patterns and you can change your couch covers to match your mood. This same technique applies to your living room chairs and even with your kitchen chairs.
If you do want newer furniture, check out yard sales or auctions. You can pick up some really nice pieces for very little money. These pieces can also be refurbished to suit your personal tastes. It’s like getting brand new furniture at a fraction of the cost. You can also find some beautiful lamps, end tables, or anything else that will add a touch of class to your home.
When you’re looking for ways to improve the look and feel of your home, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on brand new furnishing. Restoring many of the pieces you already possess is an inexpensive and creative way to put your personal style into the home of your dreams.
Home improvements can become quite expensive. So, in order to save some money, many homeowners look for various home improvement discounts. These come in the form of coupons, in-store discounts, and special sales. Most of the national home improvement chains offer great discounts on their products, but some of the smaller stores can carry better deals.
Though you can find coupons for your favorite home improvement centers in your local ads, some of the best can only be found in store. These are usually found near the check out counters, and can save you a ton of money. You can end up saving money on everything from nails and screws, to shingles and siding.
Another way to save on your home improvements is to buy out of season. You can usually get better deals on certain items if you buy them in the off season. External paints, lawn products, and window treatments can usually be picked up for less than normal during the winter months. You can get the best deals on lawn products in the autumn months, as this is when most stores need to clean out their stock and prepare for next year.
There are several online stores that help you get discounts on items such as solar panels. Though most of these are just as good as retail priced, you should beware. The reason is that some places will sell solar panels at discounted prices because there are minor defects in the product. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, don’t take a chance. However, if it’s a company you trust and feel comfortable with, this could be a great way to save some money on your home improvements.
If you are planning to add energy efficient products to you home, you could end up getting money back from the government. Adding energy efficient products to you home could qualify you to a tax credit up to 30%. These items include insulated doors, windows, and even skylights. Talk to your home improvement store representative for all the details.
Before starting any home improvement project, check into all the different home improvement discounts that are available to you. You could end up saving a lot of money and still getting the same results. You can have a beautiful home, without spending your entire budget.
Most homeowners want to find inexpensive ways to improve their homes, while working with more energy-efficient products. In some areas of the United States, state building codes are making it a requirement to add energy efficient materials when doing an upgrade on your home. So, just what exactly are some of the items you can add to your home to make it a little greener.
First of all, probably the most popular solar powered items would be solar panels on your home’s roof, or anywhere they can take in the most sunlight. Most solar panels face the South where they can capture the greatest amount of sunlight throughout the day. Solar panels can be purchased at any home improvement store
Solar powered water heaters are one of the most economic ways to save money on your home. With one of these items, you could be saving 10 times the amount of money spent on your water heating bills, while giving your hot water heater as much as a double lifetime expectancy. More than that, you might even qualify for a tax credit of up to 30%.
Another option you might want to look into is with wind energy. There are a lot of people who imagine huge wind farms with this, but you can add wind turbines to your home. With wind energy, you could save as much as 90% on your yearly electric bills. It works in conjunction with your utility company, and it is estimated that a wind generator can offset more than 200 tons of greenhouse gases over its lifetime.
Also, look for any appliances and other home improvement materials, with the EnergyStar logo. This says that the item in question has proven to help save energy, while still providing you with top quality service. Most will think of washing machines and refrigerators, but you can also find this logo on windows, doors, and even skylights. It’s a great way to ensure you’re doing your part for the environment.
Check into your local building codes, and see if you need to comply with state standards in energy efficiency. Adding solar and wind powered energy to your home, you’ll find that a lot of the money you gave out each month, will spend more time in your pocket. And that means, you’ll have more left over for bigger and better things.
Nearly all older homes have at least one fireplace within. As a home ages, updates are needed to keep the fireplace safe and up to code. And in some homes, the fireplace is more for looks than for use. Whatever the case, there are several ways in which to make your fireplace both useful and attractive.
One way to improve the look of your fireplace is by replacing the bricks. New bricks will give your fireplace a brighter look, but that’s not all. Older bricks can crack from heat over time and could end up allowing smoke to filter out. Another option is to add decorative rock around the older bricks. This will give your fireplace a more modern look and improve the property values of your home.
For a more authentic feel, some people use river rocks around their fireplaces. However, you don’t have to visit your local river to obtain this material. You can pick up river rocks at most home improvement stores or at any earth moving company. Also, you can purchase faux river rock face that gives the appearance of real rock, but is usually made out of cement or some type of fireproof material.
There are many homes that have fireplaces that no longer work. Some have even been designed into the home plan, though they have no chimney. They are strictly to add a bit of flair to the room. These are a designers dream, as you can use just about any type of materials in the design. They can be painted to look overtly modern, or decorated to look as though hundreds of years old.
One of the key piece that defines a fireplace is the mantle. Again, design comes down to personal taste. Some people prefer a wooden mantle, while others prefer something made of stone, or even granite. For a working fireplace, it’s best to consult with a professional. However, for something more ornamental, your options are limited only by your imagination. Keep an eye out for homes being demolished. This could be a great place to find an old fireplace mantle, or for antique wall moldings that would make any mantle seem older than its actual age.
Whether you want an antique look, or something more modern, there are several ways to update the look and feel of your home fireplace. It doesn’t matter if it is a working model or not, a beautiful fireplace can add warmth to any home.
J.W. Goad Home Inspections
Contact: Johnny Goad
Tel: 931-801-1575
KY License #2402 TN License #307
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