Energy auditing
Soon we will be offering energy auduting in Dutchess, Orange and Westchester NY counties. We will be showing homeowners how to save money on their energy bills and how to make their home more effecient!!!
Westchester home inspections
We just finished 24 hours of training in upstate NY and learned some really cool stuff. It’s amazing that after 12 years and 5,000 inspections how much things change from year to year. We’ll be in Westchester county doing home inspections next week. I can’t wait to meet our clients and use our new Infra [...]
Insulation
More and more I’m finding insulation on attic rafters. This is causing damage to the sheathing and mold growth under the insulation. Insulation is best installed on the attic floor between the floor joists. If we insulate the rafters on the ceiling then moisture will be trapped between the insulation and sheathing and we all [...]
Storm Damage
If you have storm damage from the recent hurricane you need to get the water out of your house as soon as possible. Mold will start to grow 72 hours after water damage has occured. Dry out all basements, crawlspaces etc…using fans, mops , dehumidifiers etc…. Remove any damaged items such as books, paper goods [...]
Damp Basements
A wet or damp basement is a problem but there are ways to control the problem. As warm air rises in your home it travels to the upper floors and then to the exterior. This is known as the “stack effect”. Whatever air quality problems exist in the basement will also be found in the [...]
Private well testing
With all the rain we have had lately I’m finding more and more private wells are failing the total colliform ( Bacteria) test. It is a good idea to have your private well tested and treated if necessary. Contact me on how to do this yourself!
Landscaping Issues
With the warmer weather right around the corner most of us will head outdoors and start our landscaping projects. One thing to remember is whenever possible use stone instead of mulch or wood chips. The reason for this is mulch is mostly brought into the stores in the north east from southern states. Most southern [...]
Icicles on your roof?
This time of year we see alot of homes with icicles hanging from the roof. I remember as kids we used to break them off and suck on them . Now I know that when you see icicles hanging from your roof you are actually seeing ice damming which is damaging the sheathing or wood [...]
Mold
These days almost every house we inspect we find mold. Common areas are basements, attics, bathrooms and under sinks. Mold is caused by moisture, and in most cases can be easily fixed. When people hear the word mold they tend to panic, especially first time home buyers. There are over 100,000 different kinds of mold [...]
Frozen pipes
With the cold weather already upon us we need to start thinking of frozen pipes. Check to see if you have water pipes running on top of your foundation walls. If you do, there is a good chance that the pipes may freeze. Better get some insulation on them. Also, now is a good time [...]
