Spider cracking? What is it? And what does it mean for your roof?

One of the main areas checked on a home inspection is the roof. Home inspectors are looking for areas that may cause leaks such as around flashing areas around chimneys, vent pipes, skylights, etc. Home inspectors are also looking at the materials covering the roof for signs of wear. In the video below the home inspector talks about Spider or Craze cracking in the shingles. What does it mean? Watch below.

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What a blown window seal looks like and what it means

One of the things we look for during a home inspection is blown window seals. What is a blown window seal? The short answer is this: Windows are vacuum sealed at the factory. Over time, those seals can go bad and the window loses it's vacuum seal. When this occurs you will typically see a fogging or moisture in between the glass. This doesn't affect the weather coming in, however, it does affect the energy efficiency of the window and they can get pretty ugly. Check out the video below.

There's not many, if any, companies still around that fix these, however, if you know the brand name and size, sometimes you can order just the replacement sash. A lot of times you will need to replace the window.

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Water Heater Making A Popping Sound

One of the things that our home inspectors check at Bloodhound Home Inspection check during a home inspection is the water heater. Of course we're always looking for the common items like water leakage from the tank, valves, etc. We also look at, if gas, venting, gas lines and the hookup of water and other lines. Sometimes we come across units that make a popping sound. This is not water boiling inside the tank but usually a sediment issue. Depending on your water source and the use of filters, you may get large deposits of sediment inside the bottom of the tank. As the sediment can stick over time, the heat from the unit can cause the sediment to come loose making a popping sound. Depending on how bad the amount of sediment is in the tank, fixes can range from flushing out the unit to having to replace the unit entirely, Check out the video below! 

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Thermostat placement is key to having balanced comfort in your home

If you've ever wondered why one side of your house is cooler then the other? It could be the location of your thermostat. Generally you want to keep your thermostat away from any areas near exterior doors and windows. When those windows or doors are open, they will effect the thermostat. Keeping it close to an exterior door in the winter can kick your furnace on more frequently and making the house warmer in other areas. The same effect will occur in the summer with your air conditioning. In this video, the thermostat is in the kitchen. If you're baking around the holidays that will keep the furnace off and make the rest of the home much cooler. Ideal placement is typically the hallway where the bedrooms are. This is where you'll get more balance throughout the home. In some larger homes you may want to have zones which will have multiple thermostats that will regulate different areas of the home.

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Electrical Issues During A Home Inspection

One of the items inspected during a home inspection in the Youngstown area is electrical systems. Part of this is checking outlets, appliances, light switches, etc. During one of Bloodhound's Home Inspection lights flickered when testing the garbage disposal. Every time the switch from the garbage disposal was turned on, lights flickered in the hallway and basement. Likely this line has too many items on it or a faulty breaker. Home inspectors will find issues like this during a home inspection which gives the professional electrician a guide on what to look for and needs repaired. Without home inspections, buyers could be stuck repairing these items after the sale taking more money out of their pockets while the cost of housing is currently high.

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Got Mold? Better check the attic

One of the areas we check during a home inspection is the attic. We're looking for the basics, like insulation, damage to the framing, water leaks, etc, but we're also looking for mold issues. A combination of things can cause mold in the attic. Lack of insulation, humidity, water leaks, condensation to name a few. In this video we encounter painted surfaces in the attic. No one paints the attic for the heck of it. Usually it's a treatment or cover up for fire damage or mold. Here we see mold spots bleeding through the paint. Obviously not professionally cleaned and treated. If you're buying a home, make sure you get a professional home inspection to help detect issues like these.

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Got GFCI Protection? This is a must have in your home

During a home inspection in the Youngstown area, we test for GFCI protection (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter). These are designed to be a safety measure for outlets in water or moisture exposed areas such as around kitchen or bath sinks, exterior locations, laundry, garages, etc. These will shut off in the event a ground fault is detected. As home inspectors, we'll check not only to make sure they are in the correct areas but also that they are functioning.    

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