As inspectors, our job is to help clients see beyond the paint and plaster, separating serious concerns from harmless imperfections. Some issues signal costly repairs ahead, while others are purely cosmetic and easy to fix.
Whether you’re buying your first home or just brushing up on the process, this guide covers everything you need to know: what a home inspection is, what inspectors look for, and what to do once you get the report.
A bookshelf is a form of self-expression in its own right. Bookshelves are insights into a person’s passions, hobbies, and goals, and they, of course, showcase well-worn favorites.
Because attics are rarely used, homeowners often overlook them entirely. Many become cluttered storage spaces, making access difficult and sometimes even dangerous.
While our homes have improved vastly in many ways, there are also a few misleading quirks in contemporary home design that can leave you scratching your head.
Despite our best efforts, some people’s homes just might be contributing to why they get so sick each winter. The good news is that there’s plenty that can be done to create a healthier environment at home.
An older home feature that’s seeing some resurgence lately is the transom window, also known as transom lights or the rectangular/semicircular window situated above doors or other traditional windows. These windows were originally designed to feed natural light into homes at a height that still offered privacy, and many opened and closed for increased ventilation. These two innovations were greatly appreciated at the time because homes didn’t have artificial lighting or modern ventilation solutions that we enjoy today. While transom windows are now mostly sought after for their visual appeal, some of their past benefits could make them game changers in the modern home (hint: it’s not as a ventilation solution). More and more, scientists, psychologists, and homeowners alike are realizing the value of natural lighting as people spend more and more time indoors and out of the sun. Let’s discuss some of the impacts natural lighting has on our bodies, and how home designers are working to bring more of the sunshine inside. Why is Natural Lighting so Important?Natural lighting has a powerful impact on humans, their bodies, their minds, their overall health, and even their quality of sleep. This all starts with a nutrient called vitamin D, or
The human being is known to have five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. While many might consider sight to be the most important sense for people in their everyday lives, scientists actually recognize smell as the “strongest sense.” This is because, as writers like Colleen Walsh at the Harvard Gazette acknowledge, smell is the sense that is most linked with emotion and memory. Have you ever smelled a favorite dish and were instantly transported to a memory of your childhood home or a trip to grandma’s house? The phenomena you’re experiencing is your olfactory senses doing what it does best by reaching through your limbic system (with a quick pit-stop by your amygdala and/or hippocampus) and tossing out one of those cozy core memories. Just as we enjoy these trips down memory lane, smells can also remind us of moments we might rather forget, whether from visiting the home of a frequent smoker, or a friend with a few too many cats. Houses can develop odor for many different reasons, so if you’ve found yours smelling a bit off lately, let’s discuss a few of the more common (and often misdiagnosed) causes. #1: Take Out the TrashThe first
If you’ve ever lived in an area that experiences above-average flooding (or just anywhere in the South), odds are you’re very familiar with crawl spaces. A foundation style different from concrete slabs or full basements, crawl spaces are a fairly common feature in homes that allow for easy access to things like plumbing, electrical wiring, and HVAC systems under the home. Their shorter excavation time also makes them a more cost-effective option for new builds. There are many advantages to buying a home with a crawl space, but with each advantage, there’s also a concern homeowners should be aware of. Let’s discuss a few of the most common — and costly — issues you may encounter in that little space under your floorboards. 1. Moisture, Musty Smells, and MoldThe first issue that homes with crawl spaces face is the unaddressed buildup of moisture beneath the home. So-called crawl spaces earn their names due to a very low clearance height, with a majority of these spaces measuring three feet or lower. It’s understandable that homeowners don’t make it a habit of exploring these areas regularly, but a lack of attention anywhere around the home tends to lead to problems down the
In this day and age, new homeowners are more informed and mindful about their family’s health than ever. Between dangers like lead paint, asbestos, and carbon monoxide leaks, builders have come a very long way in eliminating harmful toxins within the home. Still, threatening elements continue to loom around the home, and although air pollution today is not as high as in the past, reducing indoor air contamination should be on every homeowner’s to-do list! The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stresses that, although many visible forms of air pollution have died down since the 1970s, air pollution can be harmful even when it’s invisible. So, how can homeowners feel confident that their air is clean in a world full of smog and wildfires on top of some of the pollutants that are tougher to recognize? To find out, let’s discuss some common contaminants, and what people can do to keep their homes fresh. What are the dangers posed by outdoor air?Modern home design has led to houses being extremely closed off from outside elements, which is both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand, houses do a great job of keeping out many harmful pollutants that can
As inspectors, our job is to help clients see beyond the paint and plaster, separating serious concerns from harmless imperfections. Some issues signal costly repairs ahead, while others are purely cosmetic and easy to fix.
Whether you’re buying your first home or just brushing up on the process, this guide covers everything you need to know: what a home inspection is, what inspectors look for, and what to do once you get the report.
A bookshelf is a form of self-expression in its own right. Bookshelves are insights into a person’s passions, hobbies, and goals, and they, of course, showcase well-worn favorites.
Because attics are rarely used, homeowners often overlook them entirely. Many become cluttered storage spaces, making access difficult and sometimes even dangerous.
While our homes have improved vastly in many ways, there are also a few misleading quirks in contemporary home design that can leave you scratching your head.
Despite our best efforts, some people’s homes just might be contributing to why they get so sick each winter. The good news is that there’s plenty that can be done to create a healthier environment at home.
An older home feature that’s seeing some resurgence lately is the transom window, also known as transom lights or the rectangular/semicircular window situated above doors or other traditional windows. These windows were originally designed to feed natural light into homes at a height that still offered privacy, and many opened and closed for increased ventilation. These two innovations were greatly appreciated at the time because homes didn’t have artificial lighting or modern ventilation solutions that we enjoy today. While transom windows are now mostly sought after for their visual appeal, some of their past benefits could make them game changers in the modern home (hint: it’s not as a ventilation solution). More and more, scientists, psychologists, and homeowners alike are realizing the value of natural lighting as people spend more and more time indoors and out of the sun. Let’s discuss some of the impacts natural lighting has on our bodies, and how home designers are working to bring more of the sunshine inside. Why is Natural Lighting so Important?Natural lighting has a powerful impact on humans, their bodies, their minds, their overall health, and even their quality of sleep. This all starts with a nutrient called vitamin D, or
The human being is known to have five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. While many might consider sight to be the most important sense for people in their everyday lives, scientists actually recognize smell as the “strongest sense.” This is because, as writers like Colleen Walsh at the Harvard Gazette acknowledge, smell is the sense that is most linked with emotion and memory. Have you ever smelled a favorite dish and were instantly transported to a memory of your childhood home or a trip to grandma’s house? The phenomena you’re experiencing is your olfactory senses doing what it does best by reaching through your limbic system (with a quick pit-stop by your amygdala and/or hippocampus) and tossing out one of those cozy core memories. Just as we enjoy these trips down memory lane, smells can also remind us of moments we might rather forget, whether from visiting the home of a frequent smoker, or a friend with a few too many cats. Houses can develop odor for many different reasons, so if you’ve found yours smelling a bit off lately, let’s discuss a few of the more common (and often misdiagnosed) causes. #1: Take Out the TrashThe first
If you’ve ever lived in an area that experiences above-average flooding (or just anywhere in the South), odds are you’re very familiar with crawl spaces. A foundation style different from concrete slabs or full basements, crawl spaces are a fairly common feature in homes that allow for easy access to things like plumbing, electrical wiring, and HVAC systems under the home. Their shorter excavation time also makes them a more cost-effective option for new builds. There are many advantages to buying a home with a crawl space, but with each advantage, there’s also a concern homeowners should be aware of. Let’s discuss a few of the most common — and costly — issues you may encounter in that little space under your floorboards. 1. Moisture, Musty Smells, and MoldThe first issue that homes with crawl spaces face is the unaddressed buildup of moisture beneath the home. So-called crawl spaces earn their names due to a very low clearance height, with a majority of these spaces measuring three feet or lower. It’s understandable that homeowners don’t make it a habit of exploring these areas regularly, but a lack of attention anywhere around the home tends to lead to problems down the
In this day and age, new homeowners are more informed and mindful about their family’s health than ever. Between dangers like lead paint, asbestos, and carbon monoxide leaks, builders have come a very long way in eliminating harmful toxins within the home. Still, threatening elements continue to loom around the home, and although air pollution today is not as high as in the past, reducing indoor air contamination should be on every homeowner’s to-do list! The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stresses that, although many visible forms of air pollution have died down since the 1970s, air pollution can be harmful even when it’s invisible. So, how can homeowners feel confident that their air is clean in a world full of smog and wildfires on top of some of the pollutants that are tougher to recognize? To find out, let’s discuss some common contaminants, and what people can do to keep their homes fresh. What are the dangers posed by outdoor air?Modern home design has led to houses being extremely closed off from outside elements, which is both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand, houses do a great job of keeping out many harmful pollutants that can
