Salem, Oregon Home Inspection Blog

This switch panel was in a 1950 home I inspected in Dallas, Oregon.  I believe the home owner and all of his renters were all budding electricians.  This panel is kind of scarry and I was glad to be done with the electrical part of this inspection.  Let's see what you think:      

I had the pleasure of inspectinga very creatively remodeled home here in Silverton, Oregon today.  This in particular had me scratching my head:    The exhaust vent for the master bathroom was tied directly to the plumbing vent system.  I guess they are both "vent systems" however they do very di...

Operation Love Boxes is a program that has given me extreme pleasure.  My friend, John Baker, a great local agent and philanthropist, and his church and local community, started the program in November of 2005.  The idea is to fill standard boxes to the brim with candies, granola, stationary, wet...

I have been on ActiveRain for a little over a year.  In that time I faded in and out of posting blogs.  It was hard.  The focus was just not there. I didn't think that I had anything to write that anyone would want to read.  Melina Tomson got me here and I would see her, and she would be talking ...

These three additions to my landscape are 30 year old Rhododendrons.  My neighbor decided he did not like them and was going to trash them.  I took my pick out of 10 different plants and these three and two others will live another day.  They look great where they are I am just curious what color...

Yesterday was the third day in a row with sunny weather.  That is pretty unusual in March on this side of the Cascade Mountains.  With the benefit of the sun rays for warmth I started turning over my cover crops in preparation for the later spring plantings.  Two years ago I harvested my first ri...

To improve the home inspection industry in Oregon the Construction Contractor's board (CCB) has defined a set of standards for home inspections.  This standard encompasses not only what a home inspector is to view but also certification process insurance and bonding and also our standards of beha...

 Places that water is present are generally layered.  If one layer of protection fails there will be a second to prevent damage.  This is true of properly constructed roofing and exterior components but not the other area in the home that sees a lot of water: the bathroom.   The seam between the ...

The presence of oil tanks is an issue that can rear its ugly head on an inspection every now and then.  Thankfully the Oregon DEQ is doing something to help. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) here in Oregon, has a program to help keep track of those oil tanks that may have been forgot...

Manufactured homes are wonderful if you know what you are getting.  They are supremely efficient.  They are so tight you actually have to be aware of this to ensure indoor air quality is not compromised.  They do have some downsides apart from the obvious fact of poor appreciation.   The roofs of...