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Ever since the first indoor plumbing system was installed, homeowners have had to deal with leaks. Early drain lines were made from metal, often by black smiths, out of lead, steel or brass. Little was known about hydrolics, venting, or drainage. But indoor plumbing was seen as such an advancement in sanitation that people put […]

Knob-and-tube (K&T) wiring was an early standardized method of electrical wiring in buildings, in common use in North America from about 1880 to the 1940s. The system is considered obsolete and can be a safety hazard. Home inspectors should always report knob-and-tube wiring during their inspections as a safety hazard, and advise replacement. Facts About […]

Burglar-Resistant Homes There are a number of measures that homeowners can take to ensure that their homes are not attractive to burglars. If clients are concerned about break-ins, inspectors can pass on to them basic strategies for burglar-proofing their homes.   Some interesting statistics concerning break-ins in the United States: InterNACHI estimates that theft makes […]

Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) are special types of electrical outlets and circuit breakers designed to detect and respond to potentially dangerous electrical arcs in home branch wiring. How do they work?   AFCIs function by monitoring the electrical waveform and promptly opening (interrupting) the circuit they serve if they detect […]

The purpose of this article is twofold. First, at The Real Estate Inspection Company, we’d like you to take measures to keep your garage free from fire. Fortunately, there are ways this can be done, some of which are described below. Secondly, garage fires do happen, and we’d like you to make sure that a […]

QR codes. What they are, and how they can help sell houses This is an older article we posted, but it is very useful for real estate agents. If you are one of those agents interested in the latest technology to market yourself, QR codes could give you an advantage over other agents in your […]

Most people don’t know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy, and here at The Real Estate Inspection Company, we want to change that. Drastic reductions in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which homeowners can do themselves. Why make your home […]

We are starting a series of short videos to show you easy, do it yourself repairs that can save you substantial money and avoid damage to your house. The first video in the series shows you how to clear a slow-running bathroom sink drain. Slow drains are a frequent occurence. It is one of the […]

Use Caution When Cleaning Rodent Droppings According to San Diego County Vector Control, two mice have tested positive for Hantavirus. One wild mouse was trapped in Rancho Santa Fe, the other was trapped in Rancho Bernardo. This is in addition to mice that have tested positive all over San Diego County including Otay Lakes, Bonsall, Carlsbad, Penasquitos, […]

Soil is a naturally occurring mixture of mineral and organic ingredients with a definite form, structure, and composition. It’s composed primarily of minerals which are produced from parent material which is broken into small pieces by weathering. Larger pieces are stones, gravel, and other rock debris. Smaller particles are sand, silt, or clay. Since the […]