1880s crawlspace: While the dirt was mostly dry today at the end of winter, there has been moisture affecting the crawl space, as evidenced by efflorescence staining at front and rear stone foundation areas. Elevated moisture level was detected at the beam (joists...
"Flatwork" is an older term, encompassing the "hardscaping"/paving work (usually concrete) found around the exterior of a building: sidewalks, gangways, patios, parking pads, etc. Of course in our rainy/snowy climate, exterior work must be pitched for drainage....
In a capitalist society, people act in their own interest. There’s no dispute to that, and without this imperative, there would be no market. Likewise, listing real estate agents have to represent their sellers. But there are some whoppers: I’m called to an old two...
Of course one needs to burnish the home’s “curb appeal” when putting a home up for sale. This often means painting the front trim, replacing the front door, etc. Often interior rooms are repainted to freshen up the look of the home, or to offer “neutral” décor after...
Since the 1980s, hardwood flooring has overtaken carpet as the flooring of choice. But is all wood flooring hardwood? The 2 ¼” planks of oak and maple, of course, are hardwood. However in many Victorian era homes, the wood is wider plank, and is made of fir or pine...
We all know that room sizes are “rounded up” in a real estate listing…a 9’1” x 7’2” room is 10’x8’. What about the age of the property? I was called to inspect a townhouse in Lincoln Park, which was built in the 1980s. We noticed a lot of floor sloping and cracking,...
The home inspector’s job is to point out the unforeseen, to prevent the client from having unpleasant surprises. This often means inspecting and air conditioner while standing in a foot of snow, or discussing how a sunroom may be uncomfortably cold due to inadequate...