It's time to clean up

Time for some spring/summer maintenance on your house as we get ready for the rainy season and the heat. First, clean out your gutters. Whether you're buying or selling a home, or just maintaining the one you live in, it's time for this twice-a-year chore.

It's easy to remember to do this in the Fall because all of the falling leaves clog things up. But, it's just as important to do in the Spring now that the blossoms from flowering trees are down and the maple tree "helicopter seeds" are next. Clogged gutters and downspouts lead to overflows and back ups that can put water in your basement. The clogs keep rainwater from flowing away from your house's foundation. Instead, it seeks out the cracks in your basement walls. So, now's the time to improve the drainage around your house's foundation by sloping the ground away from the house. And, keep the gutters and downspouts free from debris.

Then, check the condition of the outdoor section of your air conditioner. It should be relatively level and the outer coil should be clean. Dirt, pollen, cottonwood fluff, dryer lint and vegetation can clog the outdoor coil, causing it to work harder and waste money. I don't recommend power washing the outer coil. That is too harsh and can damage the coil or force the dirt farther into it. Gently brushing the debris down off of the coil or washing it with a garden hose is better. Some types of condenser units do need professional cleaning because of their design.

Thirdly, check the drainage on the interior part of your air conditioner, usually right above your furnace. If the drain hose is clogged, it can flood your furnace and ruin it. Once, a client buying a million-dollar condo simply said, "This inspection just paid for itself" when I opened the closet door to the air conditioner and found the drain pan overflowing, flooding the furnace and the floor, and starting to get the carpet wet. Make certain that the drain hose/pipe is near a floor drain or whatever your system is supposed to drain into. Sadly, simply seeing water flow doesn't necessarily mean that everything's okay. Remove the furnace's access panel and look for water. Remove the drain hose from the air conditioner and check for current or future clogs.

Whole house inspections, condo inspections, radon testing, mold testing and more, we do it all for you. Call or E-mail today to schedule your own Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.

New houses need to be inspected

In one week recently, three different clients had me inspect the newly-constructed house each was buying. It's easy to think that a new house won't have any problems or issues for me to find. Sadly, that's not the case. So please remember that a new house needs to be inspected just as much as an older house does.

Previous posts on this blog have detailed some of the problems I've found in newly constructed homes. Here's a quick recap of inspections of different new houses: the water supply valve on a toilet didn't work so the toilet didn't work; the kitchen exhaust fan wasn't connected to the vent so turning the fan on blew drywall dust all over the kitchen; no insulation in the attic; the kitchen sink spray hose couldn't extend from its resting place, the dishwasher's drain hose and the spray hose were tangled up under the sink; the drain pipe of a whirlpool bathtub in the master bath hadn't been connected to anything; no heating or cooling in the laundry room on the second floor, floor tile covered the air vent; the control wire for the furnace had been connected to the doorbell instead of the house's thermostat; no power cord was connected to the kitchen garbage disposal.

Yes, your builder's warranty covers things in your just-built home. Yes, you have a year to make a list of what needs to be repaired. Getting a Kansas City home inspection from Complete Home Inspection BEFORE you move in, though, gets you a jump start on that list and allows you to get many of those things fixed before you take occupancy. While warranties may protect you, the time lost, the inconvenience and the frustration you'll experience can only be handled by getting a Complete Home Inspection for your new property. So let me handle your final walk-through for you. Put my experienced eye to work for you and your family.

Whole house inspections, condo inspections, radon testing, mold testing, and new construction final walk-throughs, we do it all for you. Call or E-mail today to schedule your Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.