Open Flame Heater Fires
This California Height home still have its original open flame heaters as part of the historic preservation value, and at the time of the inspection the open flame heaters was disconnected and the home was using a Central Air Conditioning System.
The increasing fuel and utility prices have led many homeowners to use alternate heating methods. Supplemental heating sources add warmth — and considerable fire risks — to your home.
Today, one-third of the U.S. population uses fireplaces, wood stoves or other portable fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes. This practice can be dangerous. For example, a home where a space heater is the primary heat source is three to four times more likely to have a heating fire than a home where a central heating system is the primary source of heat. The attached pictures are an example of the open flame heaters that was used doing the early 20th Century and without proper venting.
Heating Fire Causes
Major causes of home heating fires include:
Failure to clean wood burning devices.
Lack of proper ventilation around space heaters.
Improper heater refueling.
Simple human error.
Supplemental Heating Fire Safety
Proper placement and use of supplemental heating equipment will help prevent fires:
Allow at least 3 feet of open space on all sides of space heaters, wood stoves and fireplaces.
Refuel your heater only when it is cool.
Refuel the heater away from open flames such as pilot lights, candles or lit cigarettes.
If you use a space heater, choose one with a "tip switch" that automatically shuts off the unit if it is tipped over to prevent a space heater fire.
Be sure that your wood or coal stove is properly installed and up to code.
Have wood or coal stoves, fireplaces and chimneys inspected yearly. Clean regularly.
Be safe and be careful as you try to stay warm.
Fred Sweezer Sr.
1-562-234-2689
Http://www.thelongbeachhomeinspector.com
Section 8 and Housing Choice Voucher Program are two different names for the same program.
The required Section 8 inspection is often what stands between you and guaranteed rent payments from the housing authority. Find out what exactly are the things that your housing inspector will be poking on with our Section 8 inspection checklist and breeze through your home inspection.
What is Section 8 Home Inspection and Why it's Important to You
If you decide to rent out your rental property to someone with Section 8 vouchers, you will first have to submit a Request for Tenancy Approval form to your public housing authority. They will then contact you within 7 days to arrange a Section 8 housing inspection of your rental property.
The housing authority will send a Section 8 inspector to make sure that your rental property is in a habitable condition and meets the minimum Housing Quality Standards HQS. During the inspection itself, your rental property has to be vacant and all your utilities must be turned on as well.
What makes this Section 8 home inspection so important is the simple fact you won't be receiving a single cent from the government unless your rental property passes this inspection. If your property fails the inspection, you will have to make repairs according to the inspector's report before your tenant can move in.
As long as you have Section 8 tenants staying on your rental home, an inspection will be carried out every year to make sure your rental property continues to meet the Housing Quality Standards.
While some landlords find the inspections to be a bit too strict, most property owners find it acceptable in exchange for guaranteed rent checks mailed to them like clockwork every month. From our experience, passing this inspection is a breeze as long as you know what the Section 8 home inspectors are looking out for, call me for a Certified FHA Compliance Inspection.
Fred Sweezer Sr
1-562-234-2689
fax 361-5996
http://sweezer.activerain.com/
www.theLongBeachhomeinspector.com
FHA Inspection Services
FHA helps individuals and families become homeowners by providing lenders with mortgage insurance for certain loans. FHA does not guarantee the value or condition of your future home, and FHA does not perform home inspections. If you find problems with your new home after closing, FHA cannot give or lend you money for repairs, nor can it buy the home back from you. That’s why it is so important for you, the buyer, to get an independent home inspection. Let Fred Sweezer Sr. thoroughly examine the physical condition of your future home and give you the information you need to make a wise decision.
I offer a full range of home inspection options for buyers. While providing HUD-92051 compliance inspection services for FHA lenders and new home developers. We also provide Fannie Mae Form 30 inspection services for REO and FHA Flipper inspections for Loan Service Providers.
Check out my blog http://activerain.com/blogs/sweezer
FHA Approved Inspector T477
Fred Sweezer Sr.
1-562-234-2689
Http://www.TheLongBeachHomeInspector.Com
http://www.longbeach.gov/cd/neighborhood_services/nsp2.asp
NSP2 First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program
Your First Home Is Just A Few Steps Away
The City of Long Beach is partnering with select local lenders and realtors to bring you the Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 (NSP2) a First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program.
If you’re a first-time homebuyer, through NSP2 you may qualify for a second silent mortgage loan of up to $200,000 to assist with the purchase of a foreclosed, single-family home in the City of Long Beach. Plus, you may also qualify for up to $40,000 in grant funding for code-related repairs, energy-efficiency home improvements and closing cost assistance.
WHAT PROPERTIES ARE ELIGIBLE?
Foreclosed single-family detached homes or condominiums located within an eligible NSP2 area. Click here to view the NSP2 project area map
DO YOU QUALIFY FOR THE NSP2 PROGRAM?
For more information go to the following website http://www.longbeach.gov/cd/neighborhood_services/nsp2.asp
Fred Sweezer Sr.
Certified Property Inspector
1-562-234-2689
Water Damage and EIFS Synthetic Stucco Synthetic stucco is quite different from historic stucco. Historic stucco is basically a plaster made with water, sand and lime. While the composition of stucco has changed over time, it has always been applied wet over a brick, stone or wood surface to form the visible outside layer of a wall. Synthetic stucco is foamboard and fiberglass mesh attached to a wall that is covered with a polymer-based material which is then textured to look like historic stucco. It is technically known as an exterior insulation and finish system, or EIFS. It has been in use in Europe since the 1950s, and in the U.S. since the late ‘60s. It is often used on wood-framed houses.
Why is water damage a concern? Any building material used on the exterior of residential homes will allow water or water vapor that finds its way inside to eventually escape back to the atmosphere. EIFS itself, however, blocks the movement of water and water vapor – it does not “breathe.” This, coupled with interior vapor barriers that are often required by building code, can lead to prolonged moisture intrusion and, eventually, rotting of materials. Water can find its way inside through any cracks that have developed, or through any areas where the EIFS is jointed with a different material, such as door and window frames, or at the roof. If the EIFS continues below ground level, any cracks or openings in the finish will allow moisture, as well as wood-destroying organisms, such as termites, inside. When prolonged moisture intrusion of the wood behind the EIFS reaches 30%, rotting will occur. Has water damage occurred or is it likely to occur? A preliminary visual inspection may reveal if water damage is actively occurring, as well as whether it is likely to occur due to improperly installed synthetic stucco. There have been many reported cases of EIFS manufacturer installation instructions not being followed correctly by builders, leading to problems. It’s a good idea for inspectors to understand some of the methods of installation so that they can check some likely areas of moisture intrusion. A few places to start visual inspection include: ground contact: EIFS should not continue down a wall into the ground. It should terminate no less than 6 inches from finished ground level. The bottom lip of the EIFS should also be properly wrapped and sealed; roof flashing: Kickout flashing should be installed where the EIFS meets the roofline. If this is missing, there is a good possibility that water is entering the wall cavity. Check for any areas that feel soft or are discolored; joints around windows and doors: Check caulking joints around windows and doors to make sure that there are no cracks, even small ones. If wood on window or door frames feels soft, or it is discolored, water may have entered the wall assembly around the frame; and areas of cracking or bulging: If there are cracks in the EIFS itself, moisture will be able to infiltrate the wall assembly and cause rotting. Bulges can indicate that coatings are delaminating or detaching from the polystyrene board. These would be causes for concern. Inspection for Moisture Intrusion If a visual inspection reveals any evidence of damage, or that the EIFS has been installed incorrectly, further inspection may be in order. An inspection for moisture intrusion consists of inserting a small probe through the outer wall into the frame area to determine the moisture content of the cavity. The probe will leave holes about 1/8-inch in diameter, which can be sealed afterward. The moisture readings can be gathered from typical problem areas, such as around windows and doors, roof eaves, near decks, and so on. Once a more precise estimate of damage is obtained, options for repair can be evaluated by the homeowner. These may include anything from additional caulking and sealing to removal and replacement of synthetic stucco sections. Therefore, it is best to catch any possibility of water damage to EIFS at the earliest stage possible, before any lingering moisture has had time to cause rotting. Fred Sweezer Sr 1-562-234-2689 fsweezer@gmail.com FHA Approved Home Inspector T477 Certified Home Inspector Http://www.thelongbeachhomeinspector.com 
Our Inspection services: Annual inspections for home and commercial property owners,Investor consulting,Home inspections, Pre-Certification Seller, FHA Approved ID T477 , and ShortSale Inspection
FHA Approved Inspector
My involvement in real estate comes from being a Commercial Banker, Carpenter, Drywaller, Project manager of Tenant Improvement Projects, Property Manager a property consultant/home inspector Most of my vocations in real estate were brought on by my involvement, in buying properties, renovating them, and then selling them, Offering my experience to Investors. My interest in everything real estate has continued to develop over the past Forty plus years and continues to live on.
I've been involved either alone or with various property renovations projects in the past thirty plus years, all of them offering me different perspectives on various aspects of real estate. It was my involvement with those renovations that resulted in me getting the appropriate education and license, including being a certified member on the International Association of Home Inspectors.
Inspectors can help ensure that renovation is performed in accordance with lead-safe work practice requirements required by the EPA and HUD
Are you getting ready to paint or renovate your home or property? Was your property built prior to 1978? You should get familiar with the new EPA rules and regulations that became affective April 22th 2010 (40 CFR 745.223) All covered renovations must be performed by Certified Firms, using Certified Renovators and other trained workers. All homes built prior to 1978 shall be tested for LEAD by an EPA certified RRP renovator, the law establishes that no work shall be done unless a certified renovator has properly tested for Lead. About 86% of the homes built before 1940 contained lead, 66% of the homes built between 1940 and 1960 contained lead, and about 25% of the homes built between 1960 and 1978 contained lead, if your home was built prior to 1978, the paint that was used then, more likely will contain pigments of lead.
Fred Sweezer Sr is a Certified Renovator Inspector
FHA Approved Inspector T477
Certified Home Inspector
http://www.thelongbeachhomeinspector.com
1-562-2342689
Trained and Educated I have been in the Construction Industry for 30 years which have been in Remodeling, Renovation and Rehabilitation, Historical Restoration of Residential Homes, Tenant Improvement of Commercial Properties, and required to attend training prior to beginning the Home Inspection Business. Continuing education is required in all these areas in order to be in good standing with the International Association of Home Inspectors. Training covers all necessary technical topics, including:
Plumbing
Electrical systems
HVAC systems
Roofing
Insulation
Foundations
Siding and other exterior components
Ventilation
Decks
Replacing a roof? Having a new home built? Remodeling a bathroom? Adding a deck?
We'll make sure your contractor does it right!
Call Us for Reasonable rates for our certified inspection of your construction project to see if the work is being done properly before it is too late, our inspection can approve the completed work before you make the final payment. Call us at 1-562-234-2689 no more than a few hundred dollars per visit to have our third party inspection of your project:
We offer a variety of services:
•Project and contractor oversight.
•New construction phase inspections.
•Final walk-through inspections.
•1 year builder warranty inspections.
•Annual inspections for home and commercial property owners.
•Investor consulting.
•Pre-listing, seller inspections.
•Foreclosure inspections.
•Insurance inspections.
•Home inspections.
Client Testimonials
Rico Reed-Keller Williams 1-562-682-8302
The Inspector was well Informed and was a lot of Help, I will call on him and refer him to all my friends and family!
Kenneta Fells- MainStreet Realtors- 1-562-438-0910 x555
The inspector was on time, professional, very knowledeable I am very pleased with the Inspection.
Long Beach, CA
John A. Bacon
Prudential California Realtor, Notary
CTEC Licensed Tax Preparer
(310) 714-2807 Cell
(562) 989-4608 Office
(562) 989-4803 Fax
E-mail: Baconjohn@hotmail.com
I will recommend Fred to all my freinds for Inspections Services
Fred followed up with all our request
Long Beach, CA
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