Inspector’s Blog

6 Reasons to Test Your Home for Radon

6 Reasons to Test Your Home for Radon

1. Safety and Health Long-term exposure to elevated levels of radon causes lung cancer. It is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second-leading cause overall. It is the #1 environmental cause of lung cancer. Lung cancer has a high mortality rate...

Dangers of Reversed Polarity

Hot, Neutral and Ground When examining the electrical system during a home inspection, inspectors check the polarity of electrical receptacles, or outlets. Testing for reversed polarity can be performed with a small handheld receptacle or outlet tester. Modern...

Dry Basement Ideas from a Home Inspector

Digging a big hole in the ground for a foundation is an open invitation for water intrusion. Some people live with this reality every time it rains. In other cases, basements can stay pretty dry until a 50- or 100-year flood event comes along. Regardless of the age of...

Aging Cast Iron Drain Lines

In New England there are numerous single and multi-family homes that were built at the turn of the twentieth century or earlier.  At the time of construction these homes typically used some form of metal piping for the drain lines.  Copper, galvanized steel and cast...

Ice-Damming Causes and Cures

One of the frequent questions that comes up in a home inspection is “What can I do to minimize or prevent ice-damming on my home?”  In northern climates such as that in New England, ice-damming is something that plagues a vast majority of homes during winters when...

Condensate Pumps and Neutralizers

If you have a central air conditioning system or a newer high-efficiency heating system you may have noticed a little box sitting on the floor near the system.  The little box usually has one or two plastic pipes going into it and a clear plastic tube that leads to a...