Inspmike's Blog

Don’t Get Locked Out!

inspmike — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:49:25 +0000

At 2:17am, this morning, I was jolted out of bed by yet another of California’s reminders that we live in a earthquake zone. Of course, it’s never easy to go back to sleep after one of those. I began to wonder if I was really prepared for the chaos that can follow one of these tremors. I’m not even talking about the “Big One.” I’m talking about a mild one that might end up cutting our electricity for a period of time.

If you have a garage door that does not have a service door, it may me impossible to get your car out with out the use of an emergency release. These inexpensive items install on your overhead door and allow you open a small lock with a key and pull a small rope tied to the release mechanism. Once pulled, from the outside of the door, it releases the door opener from the door and allows you to pull open the door manually. This can be a lifesaver if you need your car to get to work or, in an emergency, get out to get supplies, food etc.

Just pull on this cable once unlocked.

You can purchase these from any hardware store or click Here. They are easy to install and can give you peace of mind knowing that in case of a power outage you will still be able to get your car out.

We take many things in our life for granted. Electricity is one of them. Always have a back up plan.

For more information on this or any other home related issues, contact us at equityinspection.com

Your House is a Mess!

inspmike — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:25:22 +0000

Having inspected houses for over 18 years, I’ve had the opportunity to look at things that not many people have seen. What other profession do you have the need to look into not only people’s bedrooms but their closets, under their sinks and generally their lives?

Growing up, my mother use to tell me that I kept my room like a “pigsty.” Although I’ve never had the opportunity to actually visit one, I had visions of adolescent pigs throwing clothes, and leaving food everywhere. She made me feel like everyone one else but me, was neat and tidy. Boy, was she wrong!

After inspecting over 7000 houses, trust me when I tell you that probably 50% the houses I inspect, I wouldn’t stay in for one night! Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not “Mr. Clean” by any means. I consider myself pretty average. But, the way that some of these people live, would blow your mind! Keep in mind…..these people know the inspector is coming to inspect their homes! You would think that they may want to maybe get the food off of their nite stand that obviously has been sitting there for days!

It’s difficult to inspect the kitchen when can’t see one square inch of counter space, the sink is piled high with dirty dishes and it smells like an animal has died under the sink! And believe me, this is not directly related to economics. I’ve seen houses where the owners looked very well groomed, very attractive,obviously have money and yet their homes looked like a war zone.

So the next time you feel guilty about not getting around to dusting you furniture, relax and know that you are probably much cleaner than you think!

Michael Boeger
Equity Building Inspection
310-540-0200
www.equityinspection.com

Energy Audits, Why You Can’t Do It Yourself

inspmike — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:44:24 +0000

As utility cost rise everyone is looking for was to save on their energy bills. The internet, the daily paper and magazines all have tips for reducing your energy usage and expenses. These little bits of energy saving insight are great advice, but are no substitute for a professional energy audit.

A full scale energy audit evaluates the entire home for inefficiency. The audit report provides valuable information on estimated costs to upgrade individual components and their expected payoff through energy savings realized. In addition the auditor uses specialized tools such as an infrared camera and or a blower door fan, which can locate unseen and unexpected areas of energy loss.

A homeowner simply making repairs based on tips or advice is likely missing the most cost effective upgrades available for their home. Without a plan doing it yourself is shotgun upgrading, in other words scattered without clear direction.

For example many homeowners opt to replace all the old windows in their home with new thermal double pane windows. Changing the windows may in fact not yield any appreciable energy savings. Nonetheless many people go for the windows first when energy upgrading.
With an energy audit plan it may be revealed that the most cost effective places to spend that window money is on insulation and setback thermostats. Making decision without the advice and expertise of an energy saving professional can merely leave you poorer with no or little energy savings to show for you expenditures.

Some upgrades can and should be done by the homeowner. The easiest of these is changing your old light bulbs to compact fluorescents. But don’t expect to see dramatic savings in your electric bill. Lighting constitutes about 12 percent of the average families’ electric usage. This equates as follows; for a $150 a month electric bill, $18 is for lighting. Cfls save about 50-75% over incandescent bulbs. Therefore the monthly savings is $9-13 or $108-156 yearly. Not a great deal of money, but certainly a worth while investment.

This brings up the point of energy investments. Most energy improvements are investments, they pay for themselves and then some over the life of the component. What is vitally important is to identify where and what are the best energy investments for your home and budget.
A home owner working together with a trained and experienced energy professional can establish the most valuable energy upgrades for their particular home. This would include those DIY projects from the plethora of tips and advice columns. Call Equity Building Inspection today for information on getting a comprehensive Energy Audit. 310-540-0200 or go to www.equityinspection.com