No, it's not a new horror movie, it's the Defect of the Week. And the current heat wave is really making it a critical issue. Check the drainage on your air conditioner. If the water flow is clogged, it can flood your furnace and kill it.
This week, even in a million-dollar condo, clogged drainage hoses or pipes were causing water to flood furnaces and floors. This unseen problem can cause all kinds of damage. Here's what to do. If you're looking to buy a new property, have Complete Home Inspection check out the property for you BEFORE you buy. My client buying the 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. Their downstairs neighbor is probably grateful, too, as that water would have to eventually go somewhere.
If you're not in the market for a new home, check the one you live in now. First, see if water is draining out of your air conditioner's drain hose or pipe. Make certain that the hose/pipe is near a floor drain or whatever your system is supposed to drain into (for example, the condo on the fifteenth floor didn't have a floor drain). 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. Do everything you can to make certain that the water from the air conditioner is draining only into the floor drain or whatever.
As air conditioners have been running almost constantly lately, the condensation builds up rapidly. And, as you know, water will always end up going where you least want it to go.
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. Your furnace will thank you.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Saturday, August 10, 2013
House Defect of the Week
Two houses in the same day, miles apart and very different in age, had the same significant slope in the floor right over the center beam of the house. I set a small ball on the floor and it moved to the other side of the room without me touching it. They were either built that way or this is a good example of how a house can slowly change shape over the years. In either case, it's a great example of something that you wouldn't notice when you're looking at the floor plan of your potential new home. But it is something that I look for while doing your Complete Home Inspection. And that's what gives you peace of mind.
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 Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
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 Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Another new Angie's List review
It means a lot to see and hear the wonderful things people have to say following their home inspections. One customer took the time to post a new review on Angie's List - another straight-A rating. Thank you so much.
http://www.completehomeinspectionkc.com/kansas_city_home_inspection_014.htm
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 Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
http://www.completehomeinspectionkc.com/kansas_city_home_inspection_014.htm
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 Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Change in Kansas Law
Effective July 1, 2013, you'll need to be more careful when choosing a home inspector in the state of Kansas. State Registration for Kansas home inspectors comes to an end at the end of this month. That means that just about anybody will now be able to claim to be a home inspector in Kansas.
The best way to protect yourself is to choose a home inspector certified by a national organization, such as ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors). This not-for-profit professional association for home inspectors advocates high standards of practice and a strict code of ethics for its members. ASHI is the most respected professional association for home inspectors in North America. Through ASHI’s continued efforts, ASHI's Standards of Practice—covering all of a home's major systems—are recognized by consumers as the authoritative standard for professional home inspection.
Miki Mertz was among the first women in the nation to become an ASHI certified home inspector, earning her certification in 1993. She also was the first woman to serve as a member of the ASHI National Board of Directors. So she not only adheres to the ASHI standards of practice and code of ethics, in many cases she helped create and enforce them.
Choose a home inspector you can trust, not someone who just decided to call himself a home inspector. It's the best way to ensure peace of mind in your home-buying process.
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 Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
The best way to protect yourself is to choose a home inspector certified by a national organization, such as ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors). This not-for-profit professional association for home inspectors advocates high standards of practice and a strict code of ethics for its members. ASHI is the most respected professional association for home inspectors in North America. Through ASHI’s continued efforts, ASHI's Standards of Practice—covering all of a home's major systems—are recognized by consumers as the authoritative standard for professional home inspection.
Miki Mertz was among the first women in the nation to become an ASHI certified home inspector, earning her certification in 1993. She also was the first woman to serve as a member of the ASHI National Board of Directors. So she not only adheres to the ASHI standards of practice and code of ethics, in many cases she helped create and enforce them.
Choose a home inspector you can trust, not someone who just decided to call himself a home inspector. It's the best way to ensure peace of mind in your home-buying process.
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 Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Deadly radon gas
Two recent examples speak of the dangers of radon gas and the importance of you getting a radon test on the home you're living in or the home you're looking to buy -
1) A couple from Winfield, KS, wrote a letter to The Kansas City Star that said, in part, "Our adult daughter has stage IV lung cancer. Because she never smoked, the likely cause is radon gas, which, according to the surgeon general, is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. This colorless, odorless, radioactive gas is created as uranium in the ground breaks down. If it collects in your basement, it can be lethal."
2) A couple, while scheduling their Complete Home Inspection on the house they were looking to buy, said that they DEFINITELY wanted a radon test. In their previous house, their family dog had developed lung cancer from radon gas and all of the time the dog spent in the basement.
Statistically, on either side of the state line in the Kansas City area, one of every three houses tested is found to have elevated radon levels. Miki Mertz is a certified radon tester, certified by both the National Radon Proficiency Program and by the State of Kansas. A radon test conducted by Complete Home Inspection costs only $100, and uses a continuous radon monitor that takes hourly samples over a period of two full days. The test unit is placed in the lowest livable level of the house. Windows are kept closed throughout the time of the test. The test results are then averaged into an overall number for your final report. If the radon level is higher than 4.0piC/l, then it should be fixed, or "mitigated". Inexpensive do-it-yourself test kits are not what you want to rely on when it comes to your family's health and well-being. Instead, rely on the knowledge and competence of a certified radon tester like Miki.
Fortunately, radon is a fixable problem. A small suction fan is installed in a pipe that goes through the basement floor to suck out the radon from under the house and vent it to the exterior of the house. That way, the radon gas isn’t in the breathing air inside the house. The system becomes a permanent part of the house and uses about the same amount of electricity as a clock radio.Such a radon mitigation system costs about $700-900 in the Kansas City area. If you are buying a house, test for radon as a part of your home inspection process. If the test shows a high radon level, you might negotiate with the seller to correct it. If it comes in low, you have peace of mind knowing that you’re buying a healthier house.
Regardless of whether you're in the process of buying or selling a house, have the level of radon gas tested in the house you're living in. It's too important to your family's health to be put off for some other time.
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 Complete Home Inspection, complete with a radon test, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
1) A couple from Winfield, KS, wrote a letter to The Kansas City Star that said, in part, "Our adult daughter has stage IV lung cancer. Because she never smoked, the likely cause is radon gas, which, according to the surgeon general, is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. This colorless, odorless, radioactive gas is created as uranium in the ground breaks down. If it collects in your basement, it can be lethal."
2) A couple, while scheduling their Complete Home Inspection on the house they were looking to buy, said that they DEFINITELY wanted a radon test. In their previous house, their family dog had developed lung cancer from radon gas and all of the time the dog spent in the basement.
Statistically, on either side of the state line in the Kansas City area, one of every three houses tested is found to have elevated radon levels. Miki Mertz is a certified radon tester, certified by both the National Radon Proficiency Program and by the State of Kansas. A radon test conducted by Complete Home Inspection costs only $100, and uses a continuous radon monitor that takes hourly samples over a period of two full days. The test unit is placed in the lowest livable level of the house. Windows are kept closed throughout the time of the test. The test results are then averaged into an overall number for your final report. If the radon level is higher than 4.0piC/l, then it should be fixed, or "mitigated". Inexpensive do-it-yourself test kits are not what you want to rely on when it comes to your family's health and well-being. Instead, rely on the knowledge and competence of a certified radon tester like Miki.
Fortunately, radon is a fixable problem. A small suction fan is installed in a pipe that goes through the basement floor to suck out the radon from under the house and vent it to the exterior of the house. That way, the radon gas isn’t in the breathing air inside the house. The system becomes a permanent part of the house and uses about the same amount of electricity as a clock radio.Such a radon mitigation system costs about $700-900 in the Kansas City area. If you are buying a house, test for radon as a part of your home inspection process. If the test shows a high radon level, you might negotiate with the seller to correct it. If it comes in low, you have peace of mind knowing that you’re buying a healthier house.
Regardless of whether you're in the process of buying or selling a house, have the level of radon gas tested in the house you're living in. It's too important to your family's health to be put off for some other time.
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 Complete Home Inspection, complete with a radon test, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
Friday, June 14, 2013
New Angie's List review
It always means so much when a client takes the time to write and post a review on Angie's List - http://www.completehomeinspectionkc.com/kansas_city_home_inspection_014.htm
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 Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
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 Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Love this story
Got a great E-mail from a customer scheduling his Kansas City home inspection - "Funny thing I thought I'd mention. Wife and I just moved to KC and decided to purchase a home. I signed up for Angie's List and you came highly recommended. Then my aunt and uncle said, "Don't get anyone off Angie's List, use the inspector we used, she was fantastic!" Lo and behold, you inspected their house as well :)"
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 Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
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 Complete Home Inspection, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.
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