“Tim arrived on-time with a Covid mask in place and left about 3 hours later after inspecting every square inch of our house. He found a few things I hadn’t even thought of looking at. Very professional during his visit, Tim summarized his results before he left and cleaned up as he went. The inspection report arrived by email the next morning as promised. Complete descriptions and pictures made the report a productive tool for follow up. I recommend All Islands without hesitation.”
“I would hate to be in competition with Tim Hance. He’s thorough, efficient and he knows his stuff. He even sent a drone up to photograph the house from the air. He was also fun to work with. I think he enjoys his work, and it shows. The report was very thorough but he also went over things verbally on the spot so I knew right away what his thoughts and concerns were. If you are considering a home purchase you would do well to hire Tim for your inspection.”
Every month, we seek to bring our readers insight from the worlds of home construction, home repair, and home maintenance straight from local Northwest Washington contractors in a segment we call “3 Questions.” Yep, you guessed it: we ask three questions, and the contractors answer them.
Kelly Fox
This month, we talk about siding issues with Kelly Fox, president at Frontier Building Supply in Anacortes.
Q1: What kind of exterior wood trim do you recommend that has the best longevity and requires the least maintenance?
For longevity and low maintenance, I recommend PVC trim from brands like Royal and AZEK. These types of trim options have some limitations when it comes to the color, typically requiring light colors or dark colors without dark pigments. For an excellent all-around product, fiber-cement trim takes any color of paint and matches the longevity of the fiber-cement siding.
Q2: What’s your favorite type of exterior siding, and why?
At my core, I am a wood guy, and on my own home, I would have cedar siding in lap and shake for the natural beauty that only wood brings. As I age, that may change to fiber cement for the low maintenance and warranties that add value to the home. With advances in manufacturing, fiber cement companies are making great-looking shingle products that finish up like wood.
Q3: What’s your best advice to homeowners about maintaining the exteriors of their homes?
When I think about maintaining the exterior of a home, I am naturally drawn to what is protecting the investment. In most homes, that is the paint and sealants. The difference between good paint and great paint is the quality of the ingredients. More expensive paints are using higher solid contents and better binders that help the paint cover and hide. While I know that not every budget can afford the best-quality paints, I recommend that you buy the best quality paints and sealants within your means.
Bonus Q: Any excellent, new exterior product(s) you love and can share with our audience?
Synthetic stone products have been around for as long as I have been in the industry and probably longer. Some manufacturers have found ways to “panelize” these products that stack and install like traditional siding without the need for traditional stonemason skills (or expenses). While these might not be for an entire house, they are great for accent wall, entries or can be used to create a rich look of stacked sidings. (I have even seen some of these used to create great fireplace surrounds inside and out!)
About Frontier Building Supply
In 1975 in an old house on the waterfront of Anacortes, Washington, Frontier Industries was born. Family owned and operated, Frontier was founded on the idea that a combination of exemplary service, first-rate quality, and a competitive price couldn’t miss. Today, with six locations in three counties and more than 70 employees, that same idea forms the very core of the company’s values. Now, doing business as Frontier Building Supply, the organization is proud to be the company the professionals use. Clientele consists of high-quality custom home builders, first-rate commercial contractors, and remodelers. More information at http://www.fbs.us.
A big “thanks” to Kelly for his responses! If you have questions or comments about home inspections in general, tweet me (@AIHomeInspect).
On this month’s podcast, Tim and Liz sit down with Dan Dunne with CAZ Environmental to address commonly posed questions regarding asbestos removal, including:
What is asbestos?
Can you detect asbestos without testing?
Is asbestos only pertinent to older homes?
Do popcorn textured ceilings typically have asbestos?
What are common home elements that may have asbestos?
Are there materials that never contain asbestos?
How dangerous is asbestos?
What advice do you have for home DIYers?
How much does asbestos testing cost?
(LINK TO SOUNDCLOUD PODCAST HERE ONCE UPLOADED)
About CAZ Environmental
CAZ Environmental was founded in 2013 with a mission to protect the health and safety of its clients, employees, and public throughout Northwest Washington. The company works with 13 employees to sample and remove asbestos, lead, and mold in residential, commercial, and industrial settings that range from mobile homes to mansions.
If there is one thing Dan Dunne recommends, it’s this: When in doubt, get it tested.
The most common wild bird in the world isn’t the sparrow or blue jay—it’s the red-billed quelea, which live in Africa and have an estimated population of 1.5 billion.
The chicken is the closest living relative to the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The penguin is the only bird that can swim, but not fly. It is also the only bird that walks upright.
Crows have the largest cerebral hemispheres (brains), relative to body size, of any avian family.
A couple of Saturdays per month, I like to share recent customer reviews with you. I hope that these client testimonies—which come primarily from Yelp, Facebook, and Google Reviews—help you to feel more confident in my services while also saying “thanks” to clients who provide me with feedback.
This week, we hear from client Libby Garcia.
My customers (you) allow me a chance to do a job I love in a place I’ve called home my whole life. Without you, All Islands Inspections wouldn’t exist. Thank you!
If you have questions or comments about home inspections in general, tweet me (@AIHomeInspect).
It’s no secret that galvanized piping can be problematic. Before more contemporary piping options, such as PEX or copper, galvanized piping was commonly used. If you are living in an older, historic house, chances are good your plumbing system may be operating with galvanized piping.
Galvanized piping has a relatively short shelf life—approximately 40-50 years—so it certainly doesn’t last forever. Usually, failure occurs from the inside-out with rust and corrosion. I often see homeowners attempt to replace sections of failed galvanized piping with newer, more durable alternatives. I ran into this scenario during a recent inspection at a house in Bellingham. When connecting sections of pipe, fittings are required. However, sometimes, these components can become compromised.
During this inspection, I noted corrosion at copper-galvanized water supply fittings and CPVC-galvanized water supply fittings within the basement. I recommended the issues be further evaluated and repaired by a qualified plumbing contractor.
For more information on how to properly install pipe fittings, I invite you to watch the video below.
If you have questions or comments about plumbing or home inspections in general, tweet me (@AIHomeInspect).
Every month, we seek to bring our readers insight from the worlds of home construction, home repair, and home maintenance straight from local Northwest Washington contractors in a segment we call “3 Questions.” Yep, you guessed it: we ask three questions, and the contractors answer them.
Kelly Fox
This month, we talk about siding issues with Kelly Fox, president at Frontier Building Supply in Anacortes.
Q1: What kind of exterior wood trim do you recommend that has the best longevity and requires the least maintenance?
For longevity and low maintenance, I recommend PVC trim from brands like Royal and AZEK. These types of trim options have some limitations when it comes to the color, typically requiring light colors or dark colors without dark pigments. For an excellent all-around product, fiber-cement trim takes any color of paint and matches the longevity of the fiber-cement siding.
Q2: What’s your favorite type of exterior siding, and why?
At my core, I am a wood guy, and on my own home, I would have cedar siding in lap and shake for the natural beauty that only wood brings. As I age, that may change to fiber cement for the low maintenance and warranties that add value to the home. With advances in manufacturing, fiber cement companies are making great-looking shingle products that finish up like wood.
Q3: What’s your best advice to homeowners about maintaining the exteriors of their homes?
When I think about maintaining the exterior of a home, I am naturally drawn to what is protecting the investment. In most homes, that is the paint and sealants. The difference between good paint and great paint is the quality of the ingredients. More expensive paints are using higher solid contents and better binders that help the paint cover and hide. While I know that not every budget can afford the best-quality paints, I recommend that you buy the best quality paints and sealants within your means.
Bonus Q: Any excellent, new exterior product(s) you love and can share with our audience?
Synthetic stone products have been around for as long as I have been in the industry and probably longer. Some manufacturers have found ways to “panelize” these products that stack and install like traditional siding without the need for traditional stonemason skills (or expenses). While these might not be for an entire house, they are great for accent wall, entries or can be used to create a rich look of stacked sidings. (I have even seen some of these used to create great fireplace surrounds inside and out!)
About Frontier Building Supply
In 1975 in an old house on the waterfront of Anacortes, Washington, Frontier Industries was born. Family owned and operated, Frontier was founded on the idea that a combination of exemplary service, first-rate quality, and a competitive price couldn’t miss. Today, with six locations in three counties and more than 70 employees, that same idea forms the very core of the company’s values. Now, doing business as Frontier Building Supply, the organization is proud to be the company the professionals use. Clientele consists of high-quality custom home builders, first-rate commercial contractors, and remodelers. More information at http://www.fbs.us.
A big “thanks” to Kelly for his responses! If you have questions or comments about home inspections in general, tweet me (@AIHomeInspect).
Electricity and flammable objects don’t play well together—unless you define “playing well together” as starting a house fire.
If you take the traditional view on what “playing well together” means, however, I would suggest you pay attention to vegetative overgrowth in direct contact with overhead electrical service entrance conductors. Allowing this type of contact is a bad idea.
I came across this issue recently on a home inspection in Bellingham, and I noted in my report to provide proper clearance for safety reasons.
Do you have questions or comments about electrical issues? Go “All” in and tweet us (@AIHomeInspect).
