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Hurricane Sandy and Other Disasters
Dear Friends,In light of what has been happening on the east coast and all the way to Ohio I want to remind you all that you MUST be prepared to survive for a minimum of two weeks up to a month....
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Removing Stuck Screws / Electric Water Heater Problem
Q: I have a couple of screws I’ve been trying to loosen and remove, but to no avail, the only thing I have accomplished is to damage the head of the screw. I had to hacksaw them out. Any tips for next...
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Relining a Chimney / Closing Steam Heat Valves / Removing Textured Coatings /...
Q: Our fireplace is brick with a tile liner that is cracked. What is the best type of replacement liner and damper to install? We have estimates using stainless steel. Is a top-mounted damper ok or is...
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Buying a New Furnace / Cleaning Faucets / Smelly Crawl Space / Gable Ridge Vents
Q: I currently have a 1978 standard efficiency furnace that was put in my house. Everyone I talk to about replacing my furnace with a new high-efficiency, 2-stage multi speed model tells me I am going...
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~ Holiday Safety For The Entire Family ~
With the holidays fast approaching we sometimes tend to forget those curious, furry, four-legged family members of ours, well except for when buying them a present. If you are an animal lover like I...
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Fiberglass vs. Cellulose Insulation / Regulating Heat From a Radiator /...
Q: I was wondering if you could shed some light on my insulation problem. I have a 12’ x 20’ kitchen nook off the back of my house. It is built over a cement slab with cinder block sides (approximately...
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Lingering Smoke Smell From Fireplace / Dripping Bathroom Exhaust Fan / Should...
Q: I have a problem with the fireplace in my Bloomfield Hills home. I burn only man-made logs as do many of my friends but they do not experience the smell I am having. I keep the glass doors open when...
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When Hiring a Contractor- Do Your Homework! / Damaged Ceiling Tiles / Hanging...
Do Your Homework When Hiring a Contractor Hiring a contractor? Do your homework, before he does your home-work! Bids: You should be prepared. Make a list of what you want done. Each contractor should...
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Adjusting Heat Valve Handles / Leaking Bathroom Exhaust Fan
Q: I am having trouble balancing the heat in my house. It was built in 1940 and has finished ceilings in the basement (A point of interest- you were the inspector on our house before we bought it and...
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Truss Rise / UF Insulation / Duct Cleaning / Ridding an Old Septic Tank
Q: Have you ever heard of a house experiencing cracks in the winter between the ceiling and the walls or am I just cracking up? A: You may be, but the other problem is called “truss rise”. In houses...
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Have Your Dream House Inspected Before You Buy / Ridding Carpenter Ants /...
Q: I’m house hunting and once I’ve decided that I’ve found my “dream house” what can I look for myself (to make tentatively sure I won’t wake up to a nightmare) before I call you to fully inspect it?...
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Eliminating Hydrostatic Pressure / Fixing a Sticking Door / Ladder Safety
Q: We have block basement walls and noticed a horizontal crack two to four courses down from the top of the wall. It hasn’t started to bow or heave inward but we heard it still might collapse. A: The...
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Getting Your Garage Organized / Hot Water From Tank is Not Hot Enough /...
Q: I want to renovate and organize my garage. Have you heard about Gladiator® Garage Works? A: Your question could not have come at a better time. Although April was ‘National Garage Organization...
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Replacing Seals on Aluminum Windows / Leaking Pressure Relief Valve / Will...
Q: I have a house with aluminum “thermal” windows. The seals on several of the windows have broken as well as a door-wall. I would like to replace them but it seems as if no one is making aluminum...
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Check Out Bissell’s New Deep Cleaners / Finding The Right Contractors For...
Bissell’s New Deep Cleaners It really seems like all the dirt and grime from this past winter got tracked in my house, which left my carpets pretty sad looking. So spring cleaning here I come!...
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Do You Have to Disclose That You Have a Large Dead Tree on Your Property When...
Q: I read your column awhile back when you talked about disclosing an underground storage tank. I was wondering if I needed to disclose the fact that an oak tree on my property, some forty or fifty...
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Attic Ventilation / Painting vs Replacing Gutters / Leaking Basement
Q: We need help in determining which method of attic ventilation we should use when we have a new roof installed (tear off). Our house is a big, two-story house that is about 3500 square feet. There is...
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Radon Testing
Radon Testing It’s time to remind you about radon testing. In the earth is uranium. Uranium releases radon gas, which in many cases is safely diluted into the atmosphere. Radon gas enters our houses...
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Sump Pumps
Q: My wife and I have used you in the past to inspect at least four homes before we decided on the one we finally purchased. I have a few questions regarding the sump pump. Our pump has two electrical...
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Troubleshooting a leaky basement / Low water pressure problem
Q: We need assistance and direction to a problem we are having where water is entering the foundation, garage, and basement. We feel this is linked in someway. We first noticed that after a heavy rain...
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