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Suesan Jenifer Therriault

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Adapt To Survive

10-25-09
Suesan Jenifer Therriault

Today I happened to have my camera with me from the moment I left the house. When I stopped at the local food mart I noticed this little guy hiding in the gravel up against the building.

He reminded me of how in nature the creatures that survive to maturity are those who learn to adapt to their surroundings. In these changing times I wonder how many of us will be able to adapt like this little guy did.

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Creepy Crawlers

10-11-09
Suesan Jenifer Therriault

I ran into this guy during a recent home inspection here in the Pocono's. This one was found on the deck railing, but there were several more in the crawlspace. Now, while I for one happen to like spiders out in the open where I can see them, I have to admit that they make me a little nervous when I run into them in crawlspaces and attics. Ever since my husband was bit by a Brown Recluse Spider and didn't realize it until many hours later these little guys worry me just a tad. Does anyone have any idea what kind of spider my little friend is?

spider_ JTHIS-Professional Home Inspection Team

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Guess Brad Andersohn and Bob Stewart may actually know what they’re talking about.

09-09-09
Suesan Jenifer Therriault

Guess Brad Andersohn and Bob Stewart may actually know what they’re talking about.

Like everyone who joins AR I know who Brad Andersohn is. It was only a matter time before I found out who Bob Stewart is. Where I went wrong was in not reading Brad’s blog on a regular basis, so I missed most of the good tips and valuable information he was sharing with us.

Then Bob came around and started a couple of contests to help us help ourselves. Of course my real reasons for entering the contest was the extra points. I’m sure a lot of us thought the same thing. Why get 225 points when we can get 1000 points for our post. Well the points had a string attached to them. We had to go back and read Brad’s post and at least make a valid attempt at following his guidelines in order to get the points.

So I decided to take some of Brad’s suggestions and use them when updating our websites. It might be a coincidence, but things started to happen. First I found our sites have moved up to page one on Google and Yahoo and are on page two of MSN and Bing. Next is that links to our sites appear on multiple pages and multiple times in the search engines.

I’ve saved the best for last. In the past two weeks my husband has received two contacts via AR and five calls via our website. The latest call came this morning from a gentleman who recently purchased his home and was looking for a local contractor. Mike’s website, AR blog and Localism posts all came up on pages 1 through 5 of Google.

Pretty cool considering we when joined AR back when the Rainmaker Account was free. I think we’re getting an incredible amount of benefits from our membership in a networking community offering totally free membership. Our next step is going to be the outside blog.

So, go figure Brad Andersohn and Bob Stewart may actually know what they’re talking about.

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Home Inspections In The Pocono’s: The Series Part 4 – Inspecting The Exterior

08-22-09
Suesan Jenifer Therriault

Welcome to Home Inspections In The Pocono's: The Series Part 4 - Inspecting The Exterior.
During the exterior portion of the home inspection the inspector will thoroughly inspected and report on various aspects of the structure. These include all the components attached to the house as well as all those surrounding the house.

  • Trim and Eaves are evaluated for decay or insect infestation. Most of the time this is done using a ladder and if needed a moisture meter and other probing devices. If any damage is found it is reported and recommendations are made with regards to repair or replacement. If gutters are installed we evaluate them to insure they are properly attached to the house and in satisfactory working condition.
  • Siding and Wall Coverings are evaluated and inspected for damage, decay and insect infestation much the same way that the trim and eaves are inspected. Again if any damage is found it is reported and recommendations are made with regards to repair or replacement. We also report as to the type and condition of the siding.
  • Paint and Caulking around all doors, windows and openings are inspected and recommendations are made as needed.
  • Windows and Doors are inspected in order to determine their overall condition. Any defects present, such as broken glass, leaking insolated glass, missing or malfunctioning hardware or missing locks are noted and windows are reported to be in satisfactory, marginal or poor condition.
  • Storm Doors and Window Screens will be examined to make sure they are not torn or missing and working correctly. Now while it might not be possible to examine every single windows screen a good portion of them will be inspected and those that were not will be noted in the inspection report.
  • Porches, Patios, Decks, Balconies and Steps pose a real concern due to possible safety issues. We inspect the structures for various defects including loose steps and railings, wood to soil contact, rusted or missing hardware, potential trip hazards and appropriate baluster spacing to name a few.
  • Electrical Outlets, Service Drop and Electric Meter are inspected for safety and proper attachment to the main structure. Outlets are tested for proper operation as well as safety concerns such as presence of nonfunctioning GFCI, improper or missing grounds, reverse polarity and being to low to the floor surface.
  • Additions are inspected to insure that all additions meet the same standards as the main structure.
  • Garages are inspected according to the standards as the main structure and also to insure that all electric garage door openers meet the required safety standards such as functioning automatic reverse mechanisms, fire doors, and firewall between the garage and the main structure.
  • Vegetation, Drainage, Retaining Walls are inspected and commented on as needed.
  • Driveway, Service Walks and Hose Bib are also inspected and commented on as needed.

JTHIS- Professional Home Inspection Team
serving all of the Pocono's and the surrounding area
www.jthis.com (570) 262-7551

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Home Inspections In The Pocono's: The Series Part 3 – Inspecting The Roof.

08-20-09
Suesan Jenifer Therriault

Welcome to Home Inspections In The Pocono's: The Series Part 3 - Inspecting The Roof.
Inspecting the roof is one of the most important and crucial part of the home inspection. When buying a home the roof is one of the biggest concerns for the buyer. The roof protects the home from the elements and is perceived to be both expensive and complicated to repair. Plus it cannot generally be seen from the ground making it one of the most important components to inspect. So, lets discuss what we inspect during the course of the roof inspection:

First we determine and report on the type of roof covering. Residential dwellings in the Pocono's have either three tab shingles or architectural shingles. Three tab shingles have an average useful service life of 15 to 25 years while architectural shingles have an average useful service life of 20 to 40 years. Now, I'm not saying these are the only two types of roof covering seen in the Pocono's. I'm saying that these are the two most common types.

  • Next we inspect the roof covering in order to determine the visible condition of the surface and report the roof to be in Satisfactory, Marginal or Poor condition. This is determine by many factors including whether or not there are any signs of shingle curling or popping. Any signs of missing shingles or tabs or exposed felt material. We also inspect for nail pops, ponding, burn spots and moss buildup.
  • We the move on to inspect any and all visible flashing. We're basically looking to determine if all the flashing is intact, in good condition and properly secured to the roof structure.
  • Next we inspect the roof's drainage system including all gutters and downspouts to insure that they are in proper satisfactory condition. We report on the condition of the components and whether they need to be cleaned, repaired, properly secured or extended away from the house.
  • During the course of the roof inspection we will recommend that any over hanging tree limbs or branches be cut away from the roof covering.
  • The chimney and chimney flashing are also inspected along with the plumbing vents and their flashings.
  • We also report on any structural conditioned observed during the course of the inspection.
  • The inspection will also report on the roofing trim, the soffits, the fascia boards, the type of ventilation and the roofing style.
  • If the house has an accessible attic we will report on any visible roofing damage that might be visible from inside such as moisture damage or damaged structural components such as split rafters and damaged trusses.
  • Finally will we report if the roof was inspected from the ladder set against the eaves, from the ground with binoculars or from on top of the roof.

98% of all roof inspections performed by our inspectors are carried out from on top the roof.

JTHIS- Professional Home Inspection Team
serving all of the Pocono's and the surrounding area
www.jthis.com (570) 262-7551

3 Comments