This Lexington, KY homeowner decided he was an electrician and set out to prove he wasn’t.  He succeeded.

He needed just a little more juice so he added a sub panel below the original panel.

Here’s a view of the sub panel.  Notice the neutral and ground wires on the same bus bar in the sub panel.  Proper bonding and grounding is a problem issue for a lot of people.P

No strain relief clamps or bushings to protect the wires from the sharp edge of the box.

Cover plates on Junction Boxes?  Who needs them.

Homeowners can (and do) perform a lot of work themselves.  But, especially with electrical, they either need to make sure they really understand the whole concept or hire a professional electrician.

Electricity can kill you or burn your house down.

Know what you’re doing or hire a real electrician.

Reviews like this are what I strive for with every inspection.
We had to do two inspections because the first seller suddenly decided he didn’t want to sell his house after all.

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Erby is absolutely wonderful! Not only was his inspection extremely thorough (even impressed the girlfriend’s dad) but his customer experience was outstanding.

Being in the customer service industry myself, i know what “going above and beyond” means. Erby was not only prompt and punctual but really did everything his website said. This includes going over every nook and cranny of the house and welcoming on his inspection. Throughout, he treated me like i was his son and made sure that i was not taken advantage of by teaching me what he was looking for, allowing me to retain some of this knowledge and making the price well worth it.

The majority of homes in the United States use some type of asphalt based shingles to cover their roof.  Those shingles have some very specific installation instructions.  One of those is that the shingles should be laid across the slope lengthwise. NOT up and down the slope lengthwise.  MOST people know this.  Some don’t and proceed to do silly things that cause roof leaks.  See the pictures below of how NOT to lay shingles across a front facing gable.  The water stains gave it away first but I sure was surprised when I climbed onto the roof and found the way the shingles were laid.

I thought all y’all would be interested in learning how some of those low-cost Kentucky home inspectors offering free warranties, free this, and free that are compensating for the lack of income from the inspection.

Remember I recently told you about Porch, Home Advisor, etc.  Guess where they’re getting some of their information from.

James Bushart, a public insurance adjuster in Missouri, explains it very well in his blog.

Rest assured, B4U Close Home Inspections does NOT sell your information to third parties.  I do not even discuss the inspection or the results with anyone without your permission.

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For Sale – The Privacy of Home Buyers in the USA and Canada

Most home shoppers who see a “For Sale” sign in the front yard of a home they are considering to purchase are not aware that more than just the house is being sold. In some cases, their own privacy and personal information is on the market the moment that they begin the buying process — whether they end up buying the home or not.

Buyers considering the purchase of a new home will often hire a home inspector to examine the home for them and report its condition. If you are considering the purchase of a new home and are looking to hire a home inspector, consider the inspector’s commitment to your privacy in addition to his other qualifications.

There are home inspectors who will offer lower fees to their clients as an incentive to hire them — and then sell private information about the home buyer (or the home) to third parties willing to pay them for this information, to make up for the lower fee.

Usually, the home buyer is unaware that the home inspector is gaining from the sale of his private information. Nor is the home buyer aware as to whom or how many third parties their private information is being provided to.

If your home inspector is offering a variety of “free” add-on services in addition to his report of the condition of your home, chances are good that you’re [sic] private information (and information about your home) is being provided to an unnamed third-party.

Read Mr. Bushart’s full article at this link.

For Sale – The Privacy of Home Buyers in the USA and Canada

I hear that question from realtors quite a bit when I report that a kitchen stove is missing the anti-tip bracket.. I don’t understand why some realtors don’t care for me reporting the missing bracket. Maybe a lack of experience?

Sadly, a good 98% of kitchen stoves I inspect don’t have the anti-tip bracket installed.

I will continue reporting missing anti-tip brackets because I’m concerned for the safety of my clients’ families. It’s a $10.00 part available at most hardware or appliance parts stores.

In addition to my friends grandmother falling on the oven door while taking cookies out of the oven, little kids like to use the oven door to get to the cookie jar!  Folks lose their balance occasionally.

Just a couple of examples:

Canton toddler dies after oven falls on him

And if you’re a landlord, responsible for other people’s safety, you should read this

Lawsuit from tipping stove death.

I was very pleased when my wife recently bought a new stove from Best Buy.  They would not install the stove if we wouldn’t agree to have the anti-tip bracket installed.  Bravo, Best Buy.

It’s a seat . Buckle it!

Of course it also protects the foolish among us.

Listen to the water heater in this video at the bottom of the page!

One of the things I look (listen) for when inspecting older gas water heaters (8 years or more) is noise when the water heater starts heating. I run the hot water until it’s gone, then wait for the water heater to start heating.

Sometimes I hear it.  Sometimes I don’t.

The noise in the video below is from sediment on the bottom of the water heater tank rumbling around as the heat gets to the sediment.

Consider replacing the water heater for energy efficiency. Enough sediment has built up on the bottom of the tank that it’s bouncing around like rocks when the heater is operating. (Think of a pan of water on the stove with a layer of sand on the bottom of the pan.) This sediment has to be heated up each time the water heater fires up to heat water. This heater will cost more than normal to operate because of the sediment buildup.

Square Ass

Yes, you read that right. Square toilets for square asses.  I’ve heard of dumb asses, stupid asses, fat asses, skinny asses, smart asses, and a few other descriptive types.

I have to say, I had never heard of a square ass until, during a home inspection in Carlisle, KY, I found a square toilet in a 1950’s era house.  Surprised me but I thought it was probably a 50’s thing that didn’t last.

Surprise!  A couple of days ago while inspecting a country home in Paris, KY, I found not one but TWO square toilets.

The home was only built in 1986.  I guess the trend lasted a little longer than I thought.

Want to see more cockamamie stuff I, and other inspectors, have found.  Check out my Cockamamie Kentucky Home Inspector Photos

Cockamamie Photos Page 1

Cockamamie Photos Page 2

Don’t forget to visit my blog for home maintenance tips and other things I find noteworthy or humorous.

B4U Close Home Inspection Blog

I often wonder how an insulation contractor can “forget” to insulate a whole wall in an attic.  I wonder because several times a year I find one, like today.  The house was built 13 years ago.

Have you had your attic inspected to ensure it was properly insulated.

The first picture shows the insulation installed backwards with the flammable vapor barrier exposed which is not only a fire hazard but can trap moisture in the insulation degrading it’s ability to properly insulate.  The insulation also doesn’t fully cover the wall, see the gray drywall at the bottom. The second picture shows the opposite end of the vaulted ceiling area (the side furthest away, and not visible from, the attic hatch with not a stitch of insulation.  Some duct and flue chases also weren’t properly insulated.

I wonder how much this owner could have saved in utility bills had his attic been properly insulated?