Your home is built out of a few different materials. Some of the most common components are siding, shingles, and wood. These things work together to keep you safe from the elements and wild creatures that might want to contest your living areas. We are here today to talk about one local pest compromising the…

Dear Home Seller, I’ll be doing a home inspection at your house in the near future. I’ll be going through your house from top-to-bottom for the new home buyer(s) to help make sure that your home is as great as the buyers think it is. I’ll surely have several recommendations for maintenance and safety upgrades,…

If your home has a wood chimney chase with wood lap siding, you need to pay special attention to it.  There are a disproportionate number of wood chimneys with rotted siding and wall sheathing, when compared to other types of siding and other locations.  I regularly inspect houses with wood chimney chases that have major…

When should the ground and neutral wires be separated at a subpanel? It depends. First, what’s a subpanel? In my words, a subpanel is an electrical panel wired downstream from the Service Equipment, which is more commonly known as the main panel. Next, what’ the deal with connecting grounds and neutrals together? In my words,…

Air sealing and adding insulation to an existing house could have negative impacts on both the occupants and the house. Wait…adding insulation is supposed to be a good thing, right? If done properly, yes. Houses are complex systems. There are many interactive components that impact the way a house performs and regulates heat, air, and…

What’s the best attic insulation? That depends on your definition of “best”. What’s going to perform the best is definitely not the most cost-effective way to insulate an attic. But surely, you already knew that. And I didn’t call you Shirley. First, let’s discuss the most common types of insulation available for attics; spray foam,…

If you’re thinking about adding attic insulation to your home this year, please read this first. Many homeowners go about re-insulating their attics all wrong. What’s far more important than simply adding attic insulation is to have air-sealing performed first. This is the labor-intensive part of an attic insulation job that unscrupulous insulation contractors may…

Roof vents for dryers are stupid. As soon as I’m in charge, there will be no more venting of clothes dryers through the roof.  I think the roof is a stupid spot to terminate clothes dryer vents because it’s difficult to clean and it’s a major contributor to ice dams.  Clothes dryers should be vented…