A Northern Virginia Home Inspector's Perspective

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Home Inspector - Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - 3380-000723
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Little hole.  Big leak.It was a little hole in the TPO covering of a veranda outside a master bedroom.TPO is a Thermoplastic Olefin material, a single-membrane roof/balcony covering which is pretty tough and has a life span of 15 years or so in the sun.This veranda was 12 years old.But no single-...
05/27/2017
Was this staining outside indicative of a problem inside?Why yes!Looking up these foundation stains were directly under a third-floor, bathroom window.  The two bathrooms abutted and shared a single drain stack which ended in the basement.The siding was new, but these stains were old and had two ...
05/26/2017
A sofa does not a guardrail make!While that might come as a shock to some, it should not.This homeowner decided to replace the flooring in the house with new hardwood flooring.While it was a very nice job, the pesky guardrail was removed and not replaced!Instead, and why not, a sofa was purchased...
05/25/2017
Roof truss cables must be removed.Some builders remove them and some don't.But leaving roof truss cables exposed just provides another unwanted penetration through the roof, with shingles that are never going to glue down flat. Shingles that are not flat are wind vulnerable. And leak vulnerable.A...
05/23/2017
Be sure to check behind the furnace for possible danger.It was an older home with an older HVAC unit.The furnace was gas fueled, and needed attention.  When that is the case I always suspect the furnace flue and stack.But in this case it was very difficult to access and see.So I had to reach my c...
05/21/2017
When a furnace blower door safety switch is taped.Your HVAC system comes with a variety of safety devices, and they are all there to increase personal safety.There is the flame roll-out sensor, the flame sensor (not the same thing), a limit switch and a serviceman's switch.  And all these are for...
05/18/2017
A tale of two ceilings.  When a seller tries to hide a serious leak.It was the best of ceilings, it was the worst of ceilings.  It was the age of freshly repaired and painted, it was the age of foolishness.  It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity.Being able to reach 8' high, ...
05/15/2017
Ye olde duct tape dryer vent.And why not? Can you think of anything more longer lasting and flexible than duct tape?Well, except for a replacement dryer vent flap.But what's the fun in that?Who wants to be same old, same old?That cover has been there a while.  Obviously it's working!My recommenda...
05/12/2017
Service-drop conductors way too low.  It's a drooping loop!Service conductor wiring brings electricity to the house.In older neighborhoods they are often above ground.  In newer neighborhoods they are underground.At this subject house the connection to the "telephone" pole had gotten lower and lo...
05/08/2017
As soon as I saw the dryer vent hood I thought it was clogged.Why? It isn't the proper exhaust hood for a dryer vent that discharges through the roof.That vent is made for a bathroom or kitchen.Aside from being the wrong kind of dryer vent hood, it is perched way up on the roof (that picture is t...
05/05/2017
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Jay Markanich

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia
local_phone(703) 330-6388
smartphone(703) 585-7560
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An experienced home inspector's look at current home inspection events and conditions along with his useful recommendations.