Frank Carey

One very small but important item that is included in every inspection is the dryer vent. Every year fires are started from a lack of maintenance with this particular item. Some people feel that cleaning the lint screen is sufficient. This is far from correct. The actual vent that leads to the outside is where most blockages occur. This happens when the moist warm air from your dryer escapes with lint from the clothing. The damp lint is in perfect condition to stick to the walls of the vent pipe and eventually itself which deters proper venting. Several industry leaders recommend installing a rigid metal pipe instead of the accordion plastic or foil vents to allow lint to pass more freely. This will help, but a periodic cleaning is recommended. There are numerous companies that will do this service for you; however a dryer cleaning kit is only around $20 and is fairly simple to use.

Now that the heating season is approaching several areas of concern arise. The main one being carbon monoxide exposure. The best way to approach this potential problem is by having your fuel burning heat source serviced at least once a year. This service should not only be for cleaning, but also determine proper operation and a carbon monoxide test should be performed. This service is offered by many local HVAC contractors and is rather inexpensive for having proactive maintenance to your system.

Carbon Monoxide has many hidden dangers to a persons' health. For this reason alone I am offering carbon monoxide testing at a reduced cost for any client that purchases a home inspection package.

Carbon monoxide links

FAQ'S

Protecting your Family

Recent issues have arose in the recall of a very popular smoke alarm. The Kidde Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm have been recalled with manufacture dates of August 1, 2008 through May 2009. If someone is in possession of this particular model the you may contact Kidde for an immediate replacement.

Link to CPSC website

One misconception is that as long as the batteries are changed then smoke alarms are in good working order. This is not true as most smoke alarms only have a shelf life of 8-10 years and should be replaced before hand. A good piece of advice is to change them whenever purchasing a new property and upgrading to a combo smoke/ Carbon monoxide detector. Below are some links that you can pass on to your clients.

Smoke Alarm Placement

Residential Sprinklers

When will it stop raining in Northeast PA???

One thing that I have noticed over the last two months has been an increasingly high number of wet basements. Obviously this is a direct result of the daily thunderstorms and drenching rains. In most cases this situation can be avoided with some very simple fixes. There are two main culprits involved in most of these situations. Rain gutters and grading. Downspouts should extend at least 10 feet away from the home in order to keep the water away from the foundation. The grading of the property is also a key factor. The landscape that looks so very nice must be pitched away from the house to eliminate a soggy situation. Many times simple landscaping can be done to alleviate this issue. The picture at the right is a good example. Downspouts need extending and grading is pitched into the home. The result is a pushed stone foundation that is unstable and is in need of repair. In most cases attention to the small details can save a lot of money down the road!!

Around 2004 several factors led to the purchasing of drywall that was not manufactured in this country. The building surge in the early part of this decade along with the devastation from hurricanes the like of Katrina led to shortages of drywall manufactured here. The result was thousands of new homes built with drywall imported from China and other countries that did not meet our standards. Several homeowners immediately noticed a foul sulfur smell in their homes along with discoloration of any metal components in their home (air conditioners, etc). The result was metal corroding gases in the drywall were effecting the components of the home along with the residents' health with respiratory issues. Many people believe that this problem is isolated to states like Florida. This is not the case as it has been found as north as Ohio. Please take precautions when building or remodeling.