​Public restrooms often have touchless fixtures for soap, water, paper towel, hand sanitizer, and other things. This is a fact we typically take for granted unless we happen to be in a pandemic. But have you ever stopped to think about why touchless fixtures are so commonplace? If you do, you might consider the idea of having them installed in your home or business.

For one thing, they’re a lot more sanitary than ordinary fixtures. Even beyond protecting you from invisible germs that could get you very sick, you’ve undoubtedly been in a position where you’re trying to turn on the faucet with hands covered in food or grease, but you have to do some sort of contortionist maneuver to turn on the water with your wrist or upper arm.

Also, they can save you money in the long run. While they may be slightly more expensive or cost more to install, the fact that they can reduce wasted resources may cut down your expenses overall.

​It never fails, I could perform 100’s of 1,000’s of home inspections, and eventually (and regularly) I will find a pointed screw in an electric panel. That is bad news, as those screws are supposed to be machine screws for very important safety reasons.

It seems like such a simple thing though. Your electric panel needs a screw and you have a screw. You put the screw in and yu are all set – panel cover fixed. But unfortunately that is not how it works. Putting a screw with a point on it into and electric panel is very dangerous.

First of all, it is very obvious that it can puncture a wire. Then, on top of that, they are usually longer than the typical panel screw and can reach wires farther back in the panel.

So if you have an electric panel cover without the proper panel screws, then be sure to have them replaced with the proper machined screws.

​We have all experienced that annoying burst of hot or cold water in the shower when someone else in the house turns on a faucet or flushes a toilet. While for many of us, it simply requires a quick maneuver out of the way of the flowing water, for others, such as the elderly or very young, it could result in scalding or shock from the sudden change in temperature.

An answer to this could be installing an anti-scald valve. Anti-scald valves work by keeping water at a safe temperature, even when water pressure fluctuates in the pipes. An advantage to this also, is that hot water drains slower from the hot water tank, so you won’t run out of hot water as quickly.

Anti-Scald valves are usually simple to install and not too expensive. To protect the whole house, they can be installed at the hot water heater, or if you only want to regulate certain areas they can also be installed in specific places.

After installation, the temperature you set the anti-scald valve at may need to be adjusted to compensate for pipes that aren’t insulated or defects in the valve.

Please contact us for more information on anti-scald valves

Water that has a high mineral content is often called hard water. This is something that many homeowners have to deal with, and it usually comes from a water source that runs through limestone layers. The minerals in question are mainly calcium and magnesium, and they can have many different effects on your water.
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​Soap doesn’t lather well when you have hard water, and you might find that there is a film left behind after you wash and do laundry. In some cases, you will find that there is white buildup forming on your faucets and showerheads, and this buildup can also form inside your pipes and appliances, leading to costly repairs.

Since you are unlikely to be able to find a different source for your water, you might need to install a water softener that will treat your water and remove a large percentage of the minerals from your water to make it easier to deal with.

​Did you know that the average size of houses in the United States is around 2,500 square feet? Since that’s an average, naturally some people feel like that’s too much, and others feel like that’s not enough.

If you’re part of the group that feels like that’s too much, it could be that you’ve been looking at your own home and considering some ways that you may be able to thrive with less space.

Many have found that life is a lot more simple when there’s less to take care of around the house. Less dead space means that it’s possible to have much more efficient use of utilities like heating and cooling, which in turn translates into cheaper monthly bills.

​Fewer rooms mean less furniture, less clutter, and less time spent cleaning your home. With more income and time at your disposal, it may be possible to travel more or to spend more time with friends and family.

If you don’t come from a background of home improvement projects or general contracting work, it can be frightening to think about doing certain tasks around your property on your own. And, to be sure, there’s a lot of benefit in getting help from a professional, or at the very least, from someone who knows what they’re doing. However, some tasks are fairly straightforward. Take replacing your faucet, for example.
The basic steps to replace a faucet are very simple:

1. Turn off the water
2. Remove the old faucet
3. Remove the old drain (if applicable)
4. Install the new faucet
5. Install the new drain (if applicable)
6. Turn the water back on

Of course, you should follow any instructions that come with your new faucet to make sure everything is done right according to this specific model. However, this is the general process, and it’s pretty straightforward. Besides, if you need help, you can always search YouTube!

​Did you know that a typical clothes dryer could cause significant damage to a home? Among other things, if your home’s dryer is not installed properly, it could be a serious risk for moisture damage or fire. Here’s what we mean:

​Moisture damage. When you grab that giant load of heavy, wet clothes out of the washer and shovel it into the dryer, you’re probably not giving a second thought to where that water is going. You’re just looking forward to the warm, dry, fresh clothes! However, typical dryers can expel somewhere around a gallon of water into the air with every load of laundry. If your vent is pointed indoors, this is bad news.

Fire. While you’re more than acquainted with the lint trap in your dryer, that’s not the only place that lint goes. As exhaust is pushed through the ductwork behind your dryer, it’s also pushing lint and other particulates through. If the duct is not pointed straight, the lint can get caught and is very flammable.

​We all know that there are some things in life that we cannot live without, and clean drinking water is one of them. If you are using well water for your home's water source when was the last time you had it tested? Why is regularly testing your well water so important?
 
To help answer this question we recommend you take a look at the following short video. It will provide you with a better understanding of the types of contaminants often found in well water and help you see why well water testing is an important step to take before you purchase a home that has a well.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact us regarding any home inspection questions you have. We are ready to help you through the process and want to help ensure that your new home is the right one for you.

​Recycling our used household items has become part of our daily lives, but something we may not always consider recycling is our wastewater. What are some ways to do this, and what are the advantages of doing so?
 
We use a great deal of water just by going about our everyday lives. Bathing, doing the laundry, and washing dishes are all tasks that use a lot of water. The wastewater resulting from these activities is known as greywater and, while it is not potable, it can still be used for things like irrigation and flushing the toilet, etc. It is important to note, however, that greywater is a lot different from blackwater which should never be reused in an untreated state. Blackwater contains high levels of contaminants.
 
There are two categories when it comes to greywater, treated and untreated. When greywater is properly treated it can be stored for a period of time. Untreated greywater on the other hand must be reused immediately.
 
Opinions are often mixed regarding the use of greywater in homes. While some people view it as an excellent way to conserve our precious water, by using it for things like irrigation which uses a lot of water, others are concerned that greywater increases the risk of spreading disease-causing bacteria.
 
What should we take from these differing opinions? If you are wondering if greywater could be used in your home, do a lot of research into the matter and make sure you consult with your local council to see what regulations they have in place regarding greywater usage.
 

You are probably well aware by now that a home inspection is vital for ensuring that your new home is a wise investment. So, what should you do if the home inspection uncovers a problem? What will that mean for you as the buyer?
 
It is common for some items on a home inspection report to be listed as faulty. The important thing is to find out what those items are and how serious of a problem it is. For instance, the inspection may note down issues like faulty smoke detectors, or loose roof shingles, etc. However, these problems are not too serious and can be fixed at little cost. Then there are the more serious issues like structural damage, wood rot, and mold for example. Fixing a problem like this is a much bigger job and could be very expensive, in some cases, the damage may be so extensive that you may want to renegotiate the deal or even back out of the sale. These few examples highlight the important role that a thorough home inspection plays when purchasing a new home.
 
You will often find that a home inspector is also a licensed building contractor. If you find a home inspector you trust, should you employ them to fix the problems they found when they inspected the home? This is not the best course of action as it could call into question the accuracy of the inspection report and look like problems were found or exaggerated in order to generate more work for the home inspector.
 
If you are wondering who you can trust to carry out your home inspection, it is good to look for a home inspector who is InterNACHI certified and follows the InterNACHI Code of Ethics, this will ensure that your home inspection is carried out thoroughly and honestly.