Author Archives: Tim Hance

STANDALONE SATURDAYS: SEASIDE PICNIC

On Saturdays throughout the year, I hope to give you a peek of what I see as a home inspector traveling around San Juan, Island, Whatcom, and Skagit counties through photos and videos I’ve taken along the way.

I’m sure if you know or live in Northwest Washington, you probably feel the same about how special it is here. That’s why I invite you to share your Northwest Washington imagery! Simply take your picture or video showing why you appreciate the region, and tag it with #AllIslandsLife on Twitteror Facebook.

If you have questions or comments about home inspections in general, tweet us (@AIHomeInspect).

INFOGRAPHIC: HOW TO HIRE HOUSE PAINTER

Everyone so often, your house needs a makeover. Last month, we learned that a typical home needs a new exterior paint job about every decade on average. If you own your house for a while, that’s potentially a lot of painting.

If you are going to hire a house painter, you may want to ponder a few things in advance that will help save you money, time and general potential annoyances/pitfalls. We hope the tips below help!

Do you have questions or comments about home inspections in general? Go “All” in and tweet us (@AIHomeInspect).

STANDALONE SATURDAYS: POWER WALKING

On Saturdays throughout the year, I hope to give you a peek of what I see as a home inspector traveling around San Juan, Island, Whatcom, and Skagit counties through photos and videos I’ve taken along the way.

I’m sure if you know or live in Northwest Washington, you probably feel the same about how special it is here. That’s why I invite you to share your Northwest Washington imagery!  Simply take your picture or video showing why you appreciate the region, and tag it with #AllIslandsLife on Twitteror Facebook.

If you have questions or comments about home inspections in general, tweet us (@AIHomeInspect).

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE ME TO ANSWER? LET ME KNOW!

When you are an expert in a particular field, it’s sometimes easy to forget that not everyone has the same background knowledge as you do. It doesn’t matter what industry you may be referring to—whether it’s home construction, dentistry, or owning a restaurant.

It’s also easy to forget that not everyone speaks the same language. As a home inspector, I try my best to break down information for homebuyers and home sellers in a way that informs but doesn’t overwhelm. My number one goal is successfully sharing useful information with my clients in a clear and thorough manner—without tons of jargon.

If my clients have questions—”What Romex electrical wiring?” or “What is an ABS vent pipe?”—I pride myself on being accessible and answering them promptly and thoughtfully. Today’s post is all about that accessibility.

I invite you to send me your home inspection questions (no matter what they are!) and I’ll do my best to answer them. You can tweet me (@AIHomeInspect), or send me an email. Thanks for reading!

STANDALONE SATURDAYS: MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN

On Saturdays throughout the year, I hope to give you a peek of what I see as a home inspector traveling around San Juan, Island, Whatcom, and Skagit counties through photos and videos I’ve taken along the way.

I’m sure if you know or live in Northwest Washington, you probably feel the same about how special it is here. That’s why I invite you to share your Northwest Washington imagery!  Simply take your picture or video showing why you appreciate the region, and tag it with #AllIslandsLife on Twitteror Facebook.

If you have questions or comments about home inspections in general, tweet us (@AIHomeInspect).

STANDALONE SATURDAYS: BARREN BOAT

On Saturdays throughout the year, I hope to give you a peek of what I see as a home inspector traveling around San Juan, Island, Whatcom, and Skagit counties through photos and videos I’ve taken along the way.

I’m sure if you know or live in Northwest Washington, you probably feel the same about how special it is here. That’s why I invite you to share your Northwest Washington imagery!  Simply take your picture or video showing why you appreciate the region, and tag it with #AllIslandsLife on Twitteror Facebook.

If you have questions or comments about home inspections in general, tweet us (@AIHomeInspect).

STANDALONE SATURDAYS: MARITIME MUTTS

On Saturdays throughout the year, I hope to give you a peek of what I see as a home inspector traveling around San Juan, Island, Whatcom, and Skagit counties through photos and videos I’ve taken along the way.

I’m sure if you know or live in Northwest Washington, you probably feel the same about how special it is here. That’s why I invite you to share your Northwest Washington imagery!  Simply take your picture or video showing why you appreciate the region, and tag it with #AllIslandsLife on Twitteror Facebook.

If you have questions or comments about home inspections in general, tweet us (@AIHomeInspect).

IS YOUR GLASS SAFE? SOMETIMES, THE ANSWER IS NOT ALWAYS CLEAR

Okay, let’s get this out of the way: If you want to watch a couple of fellows destroy—or should I say, “try to destroy”—some glass, check out the video below. It’s a commercial for a laminated glass company. I won’t blame you if you skip the rest of the post, which happens to be about a topic called “tempered glass.”

And while the video does feature “tempered glass” as one of its star attractions/”victims,” it’s mostly just satisfying to watch glass get destroyed—or at least thrashed. Is that weird? 

For those of you still with me after that highly entertaining minute of destruction, let’s talk tempered glass. First, what is it?

“Tempered glass is about four times stronger than ‘ordinary,’ or annealed, glass,” reads an article in Scientific American. “And unlike annealed glass, which can shatter into jagged shards when broken, tempered glass fractures into small, relatively harmless pieces. As a result, tempered glass is used in those environments where human safety is an issue.”

A prime example: During a recent home inspection in Bow, I noticed a single-hung window less than 18” above a covered porch that didn’t have a “tempered glass” sticker or marking. Porches typically have lots of foot traffic, so this issue was essential to address. I made sure to flag the point to let them know to have it further evaluated. 

The lack of appropriately installed tempered glass is a relatively common item in my reports, so make sure your low-lying windows have been evaluated and are tempered.

Do you have questions or comments about home inspections in general? Go “All” in and tweet us (@AIHomeInspect).