Ask The Charlotte Home Inspector

http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com While performing a home inspection in Gastonia NC, Gastonia home inspector Prestion Sandlin found a buried fuel oil tank. What are the dangers associated with buried oil tanks? Buried oil tanks raise increasing environmental, safety, legal and economic concerns for home owners and home buyers because oil leaks underground or even within buildings can […]

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Subterranean termites live in underground colonies or in moist secluded areas aboveground that can contain up to 2 million members. They build distinctive “mud tubes” to gain access to food sources and to protect themselves from open air. Termite colonies are organized into castes depending on tasks — workers, soldiers and reproductives. The characteristics of […]

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You may have heard recent news stories about investment in an electrical Smart Grid, but wondered, “What’s so smart about it?” Loosely defined, “Smart Grid” is a term used to describe investments and upgrades to the nation’s electrical grid, making it function more efficiently and in a more environmentally-sensitive manner. We all understand the effect […]

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The phrase structured wiring system is entering our lexicon as a way to describe wiring that will efficiently distribute a variety of data signals throughout the home. That sounds complicated but it refers to signals including cable television and phone, as well as Ethernet computer networks. This wiring system differs from previous schematics because of […]

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How smart is your thermostat? Probably smart enough to let you program temperature settings based on the weather and household activity for the week. But now, there is a thermostat that is smart enough to let you perform these functions via the Internet. A “smart thermostat”, (also known as a digital programmable thermostat) lets you […]

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Most people don’t realize it, but it is not washing dishes or taking a shower that uses the most water during the day. It is actually the act of flushing a toilet. Older, less efficient toilets operate by passing over three gallons of water through the plumbing system with each flush. As water resources become […]

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Without a doubt, buying a home can be the largest investment youll ever make. With the average home costing approximately $190,000, many homeowners take great pains to ensure that all cosmetic and structural repairs are attended to. However, the truth is that many expensive repairs could be avoided by simply sticking to a routine maintenance […]

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Roof leaks are a nuisance for many homeowners. They can be difficult to diagnose – that is a fact. To make matters worse, different weather conditions will produce leaks in different locations. The vast majority of roof coverings operate using the principal of gravity. This can be a big help in locating a leak source. […]

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Aluminum wiring, used in some homes from the mid 1960’s to the early 1970’s, is a potential fire hazard. How safe is aluminum wiring? According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, fires and even deaths have been reported to have been caused by this hazard. Problems due to expansion, or more likely micro-fretting and […]

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When the demand for housing materials was booming back in 2005, partially due to the increase in demand brought about by Katrina’s destruction, construction companies were hard-pressed to meet the demands set by clients. As such, they began to look at more inexpensive options to meet the huge demand for housing while maximizing their profits, […]

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