December 15, 2004
December Issue
©2004
Hi,
Welcome to the December issue of The HomeTeamKC Report. This monthly report provides REALTORS® and Homeowners with helpful information about residential homes from a home inspector's perspective.
This issue focuses on Exterior and Grading issues. Last month's issue dealt with The Furnace and is archived on our website. Over time you will have access there to a complete library of short lessons on the workings of a typical house.
We know and respect how busy you are, so we've tried to make this easy to read and use. The illustrations are packed with information and will reward careful review. If pressed for time now, try taking one illustration today, one or two another day, and so on.
Thanks for your interest and call or email us anytime with any questions you may have.
Mike
The HomeTeamKC
P.S. If you have problems viewing this newsletter in your email browser, click this link to view this and past newsletters from our archives.
P.P.S. Heads ups! On January 1, 2005 an annual price increase of about 5% will take effect for our home inspection services.
What you’ll find in this issue of
the HomeTeamKC Report:
·This Month’s Featured System
·Quick Access to Our Most Recent Pricing Sheet
·Monthly List
·Knowledge is Power
Grading and Drainage
Water intrusion caused by problems with grading and drainage is one of the most common problems that homeowners encounter. Take a look at this illustration to see what are the standard grading requirements for a residential home.
The above drawing illustrates grading standards for homes. However, even when the surface grade looks good, subgrade soil conditons may be working against you: Subgrade Soil Conditions (click to view)
But before worrying about impermeable soil below grade, take a close look at the immediate grade at the foundation. Often you will find that the backfill had settled. Simply adding some topsoil to the settled areas to bring it up to standards may be the simple solution to a drainage problem:
Settled Backfill (click to view)
It is also important to gauge the overall grade of the property. It is possible that the lot drainage is directed toward the house. If so, swales can be used to direct surface water away from the foundation.
When the above solutions have been exhausted and you still have problems, it is time to bring in the heavy equipment and do the good old excavation, dampproofing and drainage tile cha-cha-cha. Ouch!
Here's a close-up of how the above technique works:
Drainage Layer (click to view)
Another approach to the problem is to use a french drain:
French Drain (click to view)
Finally, we have one more potential problem area to show you:
Basement Walkouts.
Because drains can easily clog with leaves, ice or snow, you need to be sure the door threshold meets standards: Door Threshold (click to view)
©The Illustrated Home Return to Table of Contents
Monthly List
Top 10 Home Defects
brought to you by Barry Stone, Certified Building Inspector @ housedetective.com.
People sometimes say to their home inspector, "You've probably seen it all when it comes to home and building defects." From a buyer's or seller's perspective, a home inspector's knowledge and experience might sometimes appear to be that complete. But in truth, no inspector has encountered every possible situation. And just when an inspector is developing that false level of self-assuredness, something new and surprising emerges in the course of an inspection.
Having personally inspected over 6,000 homes, I've discovered that no one ever sees it all. There's always some new surprise when you least expect it. However, I've also found that there are common types of property defects which rear their unsightly heads as often as the sun rises, not just in older homes, but often in brand new ones, even before the smell of the new paint has become a memory. So here is our top ten list of defects likely to appear in a home.
Click here to view brief elaborations of each of these home problems.
1. Roofing Defects
2. Ceiling Stains, Indicating Past or Current Roof Leaks
3. Water Intrusion
Water intrusion into basements or crawlspaces due to ground water conditions: Such problems can be pervasive, difficult to resolve, and sometimes very damaging to buildings. Correction can be as simple as regrading the exterior grounds or adding roof gutters. Unfortunately, major drainage improvements are often the only practical solutions, requiring costly ground water systems such as French drains designed by experts such as geotechnical engineers.
4. Electrical Safety Hazards
5. Rotten Wood
6. Building Violations Where Additions and Alterations
Were Constructed without Permits
7. Unsafe Fireplace and Chimney Conditions
8. Faulty Installation of Water Heaters
9. Hazardous Conditions Involving Gas Heaters
10. Firewall Violations In Garages
Click here to view brief elaborations of each of these home problems.
©housedetective.com Return to Table of Contents
Knowledge is Power
12 Ways to Remember Names
Here's a true statement:
- Saying someone’s name gets their attention.
When you have their attention, you can build
rapport and make a personal connection.
If you are one of those who has trouble remembering names, here's the 12-Step program for you!
- Get it right the first time. When someone introduces himself or herself and you haven’t heard their name, simply ask them to repeat it.
- Use the name. In the first few sentences, use the person’s name once or twice. Don’t do it too often or it appears pretentious and can quickly become annoying!
- Look at their business card. Too often we pop someone’s card into our pocket. Take a look at it, comment about the logo or location while double checking the name.
- Ask a question. If you know someone with the same name, ask if there is a relation. Or ask what the derivation of the name is. We have become so politically correct we don’t want to offend anyone; on the other hand we’re willing to walk around mispronouncing someone’s name.
- Write the name down. When you are in a meeting and people go around and introduce themselves, write their name in the same order they are seated.
- Create a system that works for you. If you remember things visually, mentally write their name down. If you are an auditory person, say it out loud. If you are a kinesthetic learner, write it with your toe in the carpet or imagine it in the sky.
- Spell it back. This shows you are genuinely interested in getting it right.
- Connect the name to something. If you know someone with the same name, make a note of the connection. For example, I used to work with someone named Susan Fleming – just like Ian Fleming who wrote the Bond books.
- Slow down. One of the main reasons we forget is that we are going too fast.
- Be cautious about your word association. There was someone named Chip and he could not remember the nickname especially since it was for a woman. So he thought of his favorite chip – a chocolate chip cookie. The next time he saw her, he smiled, and said, “Hi Cookie!”
- $100 per name. Remember Benjamin Franklin - his face graces the $100 bill. If I promised to give you a $100 bill for each name you remembered, would you try harder? Whatever motivates you to learn names, do it! Really try!
- Be human. Forgetting someone’s name happens to all of us. Be realistic. AND work on the hints above! Good luck!
For a printable PDF version of this list - use the link below...
Help yourself to a downloadable version and share with others
List courtesy of Diane Darling, Effective Networking Inc.
"The Art of Building and Sustaining Mutually Beneficial Relationships"