One Way To Prevent Roof Leaks – Advice From A Jacksonville Home Inspector

One Way To Prevent Roof Leaks – Advice From A Jacksonville Home Inspector

One of the most common causes of a roof leak that I find during home inspections in Jacksonville, FL are plumbing boots that have gone bad. There are two types of plumbing boots that I see. They are the neoprene or rubber type boots and the lead boots. Each have their own problems.

The rubber boots will dry out and become brittle from the sun. This causes them to become brittle and crack which will allow water to enter your home. This is one of the problems that home inspectors routinely find. I have also seen these boots installed improperly stretching the boot and causing a gap between the boot and the plumbing vent.

The lead boots are found primarily on older homes, however I have seen a few on newer homes that were installed by the owner. You should make sure that they are curled in to the plumbing vent. I have seen installations where the lead was not long enough and not able to be curled into the vent pipe. The other problem I see with these types of boots is that squirrels will eat them. I don’t know why they eat them, but they do. Any home inspector that has been around a while has seen what squirrels do to lead boots.

You should check these at least once a year, preferably in the fall after the weather cools. I also check the boots on my home in the spring. If you don’t feel like doing this yourself, you could have a maintenance home inspection to identify problems with the plumbing boots and other things you need to address to keep your home in tip top shape.

CALL 904-891-6309 for all your home inspection needs.

Find A Home Inspector Jacksonville Florida

Find A Home Inspector Jacksonville Florida

The first thing that you should be aware of, in your search to find a home inspector, is who the home inspector is working for. Make sure that when you find a Jacksonville home inspector they are not working for a real estate company. There are two companies that I know of in Jacksonville, FL that combine the real estate and the home inspection company into one entity.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

The problem with this is that home inspector has an interest in the outcome of the sale and might not provide you with independent, unbiased inspection! The home inspection report is the most powerful tool that you have. It will help you negotiate repairs and possibly even the sales price of the home.

In your search to find a home inspector in Jacksonville Florida don’t get duped by an inspector that is actually working for the real estate company and not you!!!

To schedule your Jacksonville home inspection CALL 904-891-6309.

Jacksonville Florida Home Inspection Reviews

Jacksonville Home Inspection Videos

New Construction Inspection Jacksonville Florida

New Construction Home Inspection Jacksonville Florida

I did a home inspection the other day on a home that was built in 2005. There were a bunch of things wrong with it that could have been caught if the buyer had a new construction inspection performed. There were six french doors that weren’t installed properly. That was just the first thing I found on this home inspection in Jacksonville FL. Now the seller will have to make all of these repairs or reduce the sales price of the home so the buyer can have the repairs made.

If you are looking for a home inspection in Jacksonville, FL give us a call. 904-891-6309

Check out this video to see what was wrong with these doors. 

 Check out what some of our Florida home inspection customers have to say at Jacksonville Florida Home Inspection Reviews.

Want to see what goes on during a home inspection in Jacksonville FL watch my Jacksonville Home Inspection Videos

Make sure that you are making an Informed Decision every time you by a home by calling your Jacksonville Home Inspector at 904-891-6309 right now, which will allow you to get the best property inspection possible.

Jacksonville Home inspector found a House Breaking In Two…

Out of all the home inspections in Jacksonville that I have performed, I have never seen one that had so many structural issues. I knew as soon as I pulled up to the house that it was going to be an interesting day.

The first thing I noticed during this Jacksonville home inspection was that the roof didn’t look right. I have seen truss uplift, low spots and other things but this roof looked like nothing I had seen before. Once I entered the home I saw that the center line of the home was lifting and the ceiling was sagging.

What a mess! The ceiling joists were not tied together in the attic and pulling away from each other in the attic. The foundation was worse. There were multiple floor joists that weren’t resting on the support beams and the support beam itself had been repaired, at some point in time, by someone who must not have known that the beam was supposed to support the home.

This just goes to show that you never know what your getting yourself into until you have a professional home inspector evaluate the home you are considering purchasing.

Check out what some of our Florida home inspection customers have to say at Jacksonville Florida Home Inspection Reviews.

Want to see more about what goes on during a home inspection in Jacksonville FL watch my Jacksonville Home Inspection Videos.
Make sure that you are making an Informed Decision every time you by a home by calling your Jacksonville Home Inspector at 904-891-6309 right now, which will allow you to get the best property inspection possible.

Does Your Roof Leak? Re-visited

During a routine Jacksonville Home Inspection I found that water was entering the home where the roof and wall intersected due to an improperly installed flashing.

Well as part of our Premium and Deluxe Home Inspections we offer a FREE re-inspection of repairs. Good thing I did the re-inspection. What I found was that instead of properly repairing this issue, the person that made the repairs nailed a new piece of OSB over the damaged area from inside the attic.

They had done nothing to stop the source of the problem, which was a poorly installed flashing. This is just one instance that illustrates the importance of having the repairs re-inspected. If they hadn’t had the re-inspection this issue would have gotten much worse!

If you or someone you know is need of a professional home inspector that is looking out for your best interest, make sure that you are making an Informed Decision every time you by a home by calling your Jacksonville Home Inspector at 904-891-6309 right now, and when having your repairs done make sure that you have them re-inspected by us!   

Check out what some of our  Florida home inspection customers have to say at Jacksonville Florida Home Inspection Reviews.  Want to see what goes on during a home inspection in Jacksonville FL watch my Jacksonville Home Inspection Videos.

Home Wiring DIY Bad Advice!

As a home inspector in Jacksonville, FL I like being able to share different things with the consumers in Jacksonville Florida. 

This Guy Wrote The Book On Electrical Wiring

The Consumer Product Safety Commission just released a list of books with bad wiring instructions “Posing an electrical shock or fire hazard to consumers”. I can’t tell you how many homes I have inspected and seen these types of books and thought to myself “AHHHH that explains EVERYTHING!”

I am a firm believer that if you don’t know what you are doing it’s best to hire a professional. Doing things yourself or hiring someone who is cheap will cost you more in the long run than if you were to hire a professional. A professional may charge a little more, but it is worth it. If you hire someone that charges less, or you do it yourself and then have to hire a professional later, you actually spent more money. Do yourself a favor and hire a professional and make sure it is done right the first time!

Here is a list of the books and the link to CPSC recall for these items.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10104.html

Title	ISBN	Publication Date
AmeriSpec Home Repair Handbook	978-0-376-00180-1	January 2006
Lowe’s Complete Home Improvement and Repair	978-0-376-00922-7 978-0-376-01098-8	September 2005 December 1999
Lowe’s Complete Home Wiring	978-0-376-00928-9	May 2008
Sunset Basic Home Repairs	978-0-376-01581-5 978-0-376-01025-4	February 1995 January 1975
Sunset Complete Home Wiring	978-0-376-01594-5	December 1999
Sunset Complete Patio Book	978-0-376-01411-5 978-0-376-01397-2 978-0-376-01399-6	January 2006 January 1998 April 1990
Sunset Home Repair Handbook	978-0-376-01258-6 978-0-376-01256-2	October 1998 February 1985
Sunset Water Gardens	978-0-376-03849-4	January 2004
Sunset You Can Build – Wiring	978-0-376-01596-9	January 2009

If you or someone you know needs a professional Jacksonville home inspector to inspect the home right the first time, give us a CALL 904-891-6309. or schedule online here.

Home Inspection Jacksonville

Home Inspector Jacksonville

Is Your Home Inspector Working For You? – Home Inspection Jacksonville FL

Make Sure Your Jacksonville Home Inspector Is Working For You?

When hiring a home inspector in Jacksonville FL it is very important that you make sure your home inspector has your best interest in mind. There are plenty of good inspectors in Jacksonville, however there are some that are only looking out for their best interest. How so?

Well some home inspectors are more worried about getting more business from the real estate agent that you are working with. They see the real estate agent as the person that controls how much business they get. So the inspector will try not to ruffle any feathers with the real estate agent. If they do, they may never get business from that agent again. The more that happens the more their business will suffer.

As a professional home inspector in Jacksonville FL, I know that my job is to do a thorough inspection and write a detailed report that will help you make an Informed Decision based on the actual condition of the home. Many agents want you to have this information as well. Professional real estate agents and home inspectors don’t want you to buy a home that you will not be happy with or that will end up costing you more in repairs than you are willing or able to afford.

So make sure that you are working with professionals that have your best interest in mind.

If you or someone you know is need of a professional home inspector that is looking out for your best interest, make sure that you are making an Informed Decision every time you by a home by calling your Jacksonville Home Inspector at 904-891-6309 right now, which will allow you to get the best property inspection possible.

Check out what some of our  Florida home inspection customers have to say at Jacksonville Florida Home Inspection Reviews.  Want to see what goes on during a home inspection in Jacksonville FL watch my Jacksonville Home Inspection Videos.

Don’t Get Screwed When Buying A Home – Home Inspection Jacksonville FL

Yesterday I did an inspection on a home, in Jacksonville, that was built in the 40’s. It was purchased without a home inspection. WHY? Because this is what the listing said.

The Person Who Bought This Home Got Screwed!

Find Out Why

INVESTOR SPECIAL! For someone wanting to rehab a home with great potential. Being sold ‘as-is’, NO repairs to include no WDO repairs. HOME WAS PURCHASED AS FORECLOSURE. SELLER HAS NEVER LIVED IN PROPERTY. SELLER & AGENT MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES.

The sellers agent told them there was no point in getting a home inspection because no repairs would be made. Had my client had the house inspection BEFORE purchasing the home they could have walked away or negotiated the price by a significant amount.

Whether the home is a resale or a foreclosure having a home inspection report is YOUR negotiation tool. In this case my client could have negotiated the major repairs that were required:

• New plumbing throughout the home.
• Replacing all damaged and improperly installed exterior wall sheathing.
• Replacement of the heating and air conditioning units…

If you or someone you know is buying an “Investor Special”, “Foreclosed Home (REO)” or any other home in the Jacksonville FL area, make sure to get a home inspection from a qualified, experienced, full time home inspector. If you don’t you could get screwed!

CALL 904-891-6309 and SCHEDULE your Jacksonville home inspection today.

Check out what some of our  Florida home inspection customers have to say at Jacksonville Florida Home Inspection Reviews. Want to see what goes on during a home inspection in Jacksonville FL watch my Jacksonville Home Inspection Videos.

Home Inspection Jacksonville FL

How Can You Tell Which Inspectors Are Better Than Others? – Home Inspector Jacksonville FL

Finding A Great Home Inspector In Jacksonville Can Be Difficult!

As a Jacksonville home inspector, I have performed home inspections for local sports figures and even inspected homes used in movies (“Lonely Hearts” featuring James Gandolfini & John Travolta). So what?

I only do my home inspection job one way, the right way. That means I inspect everything and write a detailed home inspection report so the buyer fully understands the true condition of the home!  When I finish my home inspection report you will be able to make an Informed Decision about the house that you are looking at, there will be no second guessing it.

So why not use the Jacksonville home inspector that agents use to inspect the homes they buy?

If you or someone you know is need of a professional home inspector that is looking out for your best interest, make sure that you are making an Informed Decision every time you by a home by calling your Jacksonville Home Inspector at 904-891-6309 right now, which will allow you to get the best property inspection possible. 

Check out what some of our  Florida home inspection customers have to say at Jacksonville Florida Home Inspection Reviews.  Want to see what goes on during a home inspection in Jacksonville FL watch my Jacksonville Home Inspection Videos.

New Home Inspection Jacksonville Reveals Even Small Builders Oversites

Today I was inspecting a brand new home in Jacksonville and when I tried to turn on the dishwasher I discovered there was no power to it. I went to the garage and checked the circuit breaker, yep it was on.

After a little while an electrician showed up to replace a light bulb. I told him the dishwasher didn’t work. When he pulled it out he said “Whoever did this was an idiot and it wasn’t me!” What happened was whoever did the install hooked up a short power cable that wouldn’t reach the outlet unless the washing machine was pushed in all the way. The electrician then installed a new power cable. When he plugged it in and touched the unit he pulled his hand back really quick. If he had hair he would have looked like Don King, he got shocked.

After finishing the inspection the site supervisor came out, and I went over my findings with him. He said there wasn’t a problem with dishwasher before. He told me that it had been ran twice, once by him. The home buyer then asked “How could you run it if it was never plugged in?” The supe then responded “Well, maybe I missed that one.”

We are all human, and humans make mistakes. If something that easy to find was missed by the builder, what about the other not so easy to find items. That is why it is important to get a home inspection even on a new home in Jacksonville before closing.

If you or someone you know is need of a professional home inspector that is looking out for your best interest, make sure that you are making an Informed Decision every time you by a home by calling your Jacksonville Home Inspector at 904-891-6309 right now, which will allow you to get the best property inspection possible. 

Check out what some of our  Florida home inspection customers have to say at Jacksonville Florida Home Inspection Reviews.  Want to see what goes on during a home inspection in Jacksonville FL watch my Jacksonville Home Inspection Videos.

Next Page »