The Standard in Real Estate Information

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LSU Research Extention
The Formosan subterranean termite is thought to cause $1 billion a year in losses in the United States.

Real Estate Inspections

Corrsion of Fasteners in Treated Wood

Corrosion of steel structural connectors such as hangar straps or nails can be a significant issue when using treated wood for structural members. The use of treated lumber is common in crawlspaces, decks, and equipment supports in my area.
Recently I have seen significant corrosion at connectors and their nails in construction using treated lumber. [...]

Look at This Brick

You gotta wonder what the builder is thinking when the do stuff like this. Not only does this create a potential for termites to gain access to the building unobserved, but it will shear off the brick as differential settlement occurs between the foundation and the concrete flat work supporting the brick siding. [...]

The Last Days of Home Inspection as a “Profession”

The days of professional home inspectors in Texas appear limited if the proposed SOP passes, or should I say considering a home inspector a professional. I got an email from John Cahill the other day. He was lamenting the fact that there is little participation in the inspector industry or the trade associations [...]

Houston becomes the first TPREIA Chapter!

Thought this was interesting. Got this from Mike Cothran over the weekend. Thought it was of interest as it appears to be a growing organization. I have attended their meetings when they were TAREI affiliated and thought they do a good job.
TPREIA Proudly announces that at the membership meeting on May 17th [...]

TREC Proposed Revisions Which Affect Inspectors

Well like many of my fellow inspectors I have tried to keep up with the ebb and flow of news as revisions to the inspector’s standards of practice from the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) trickle out to the public. I have to say I was critical of the process up to this point [...]

Look at This

If you are in the inspection business, of any kind, you know it’s summer time in Texas. The temperature is getting hight and so is the humidity. I was in an attic the other day and saw the insulation falling off the steel duct pipe with condensation forming and dripping to the insulation [...]

Bees In the Walls

Recently, I was performing a pre-purchase inspection on a home for a buyer, and I noticed that bees were entering and exiting the siding at one corner of the building. This is an indication that bees have built a nest inside the structure of the building. Bees nesting inside the structure create quite [...]

ASHI

In the midst of all the turbulence in Texas recently regarding some of the local inspector organizations, I wanted to take a short amount of time and give a compliment to American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). This is one of a number of national trade organizations for home inspectors set up to set [...]

GFCIs Saves Lives

If you own an older home and have had a home inspection recently you may know what a GFCI is. If not, you many have no idea. GFCI is the abbreviation for the special outlets found at the counter tops of kitchens, bathrooms, and other hazardous locations in new construction. The abbreviation [...]

How not to install rolled composition

This is an example of how not to install a rolled composition roof surface. As you can see from the photo, the fasteners used to secure the roof in place were driven exposed. This will allow water to leak around the shafts of the nails resulting in numerous leaks. This roof will [...]