Aries Inspection

Maintenance tip:

fhagey — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:51:13 +0000

Find the entrance cable conduit for your electric service (large pipe running from ground to meter box). Inside this pipe are the electric cables from FPL. Look at the bottom of the pipe. If you see rust, remove the rust with sandpaper, wipe clean, then prime with a metal primer such as Rustoleum (this has been done to the pipe in the right hand picture). This will prevent getting to the point that the rust has actually eaten through the pipe, exposing the cables and subjecting them to damage. In this case, a plastic sleave should be placed over the area to protect the cables.

Maintenance tip:

fhagey — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:29:11 +0000

If your home has any wood frame exterior walls or wood gables with stucco, check them a couple of times a year for cracks. Any cracks should be sealed with a knife grade elastomeric patching compound which you can get at any building supply or paint store. Simply apply with a putty knife, prime, and paint. A simple task that will prevent costly repairs.

GFI’s revisted

fhagey — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:35:21 +0000

A GFCI protected receptacle does not provide an absolute guarantee against electrocution. But, the GFCI is probably the most significant electrical innovation in the past 25 years, with the annual deaths fron electrocution in the US cut in half due to it’s use.

Some of the areas now requiring GFCI protection are: kitchen and wet bar counter top receptacles, bathroom receptacles, garage and exterior receptacles, to name a few.

If any of these requirements were NOT yet in place when your home was built, you SHOULD consider upgrading since it is an inexpensive fix that could prove to be a lifesaver.

Concrete slab cracks:

fhagey — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:17:41 +0000

Wondering why you see cracks in your garage concrete slab? Is it a structural problem?

These are almost always due to normal expansion/contraction and or settling. If you removed all the floor coverings from your home, you would see the same cracks. Concrete expands and contracts causing cracks to occur. Ever noticed the grooves in a concrete sidewalk every 5′? These are expansion joints designed to allow the concrete to crack within the grooves (or joints). A typical house slab does not have these joints.

tree roots

fhagey — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:22:46 +0000

Concerned about tree roots and your house slab?Since the footer under the perimeter of a house slab is typically at least 12″ thick, it would be unlikely for tree roots to get under the slab. The footer acts as a barrier, forcing the roots to turn parallel with the structure.

Cracks in the Ceiling

fhagey — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:03:06 +0000

If you’re looking at houses built in the early ’70′s and before and notice cracks in the ceilings, don’t be alarmed. They’re probably simply due to the fact that the ceilings are plaster, which will crack with the expansion and contraction of the wood ceiling joists or trusses the plaster board is fastened to. That’s one reason drywall is now used, it won’t crack.

Garage Doors and Hurricanes

fhagey — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:01:34 +0000

Did you know that the weekest part of a home in a major hurricane is the overhead garage door? This is one of the lessons learned from hurrican Andrew. If your door is ’94 or older, protecting it with shutters or panels or replacing it should be a consideration.

GFI Receptacles

fhagey — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:57:52 +0000

Did you know that GFI receptacles and breakers go bad if they never get tripped?

TIP: Once a month trip and reset any GFI receptacles or breakers in your home.

Polybutylene Plumbing

fhagey — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:56:26 +0000

If you are looking at homes built from the early ’80′s to ’95, are familiar with and concerned about polybutylene plumbing, I can show you how to verify it’s presence as you go through these properties and save the cost of a home inspection only to be disappointed or surprised to learn that it has polybutylene.

TIP: look under the sinks, if you can see the piping that runs from the shut off valves and into the wall and it’s a grey plastic, that’s polybutylene. A more visible area is the plumbing at the water heater. If it’s a grey plastic it’s polybutylene. If you’re not familiar with polybutylene, you can go to polybutylene.com for more info.

Condo Services

fhagey — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:05:17 +0000

In addition to our home inspection service, we offer specialized condominium inspection services that covers Structural, Exterior Doors & Windows, Air Conditioning & Heating, Appliances, Plumbing, Interior and Electrical. Contact us for more details.