Buffalo Home Inspection: Should you paint, seal or stain your deck?

Posted May 17th, 2012 & filed under home improvement tips, home maintenance tips.

Choosing the right stain for your dek can mean the difference between a great job or a do-over.

Home Inspection Insight: Should you paint, seal or stain your deck?

By Lawrence Watkins, Specsure Property Inspections

As a leading home inspection company in the Buffalo and Western New York area, we have seen our share of decks. In the course of our home inspections, our licensed home inspectors have seen a good number that have been neglected over the years.

A deck in need of routine maintenance is not only unattractive; certain safety hazards may also be presented. That said, it would be to your benefit to properly maintain your deck on an annual basis or as needed. Remember, deferred maintenance is not the same as maintenance free, you simply put off the work and the cost only escalates.

And let’s face it, a new deck is not cheap; the cost can run into the thousands of dollars to build a new one.

As we perform our home inspections, we are often asked if it is better to paint or stain a deck. The answer is: it depends.

Home Inspection: 4 Easy Steps to Remove a Broken Key

Posted May 2nd, 2012 & filed under home improvement tips, home inspection safety tips, home maintenance tips.

Home Inspection Insight: How to Get a Broken Key Out of a Lock

By Lawrence Watkins, Specsure Property Inspections

As a leading home inspection company in Buffalo and all of Western New York (WNY), we are regularly entering homes using a key left for us or held in a realtor’s lock box. We never really know what kind of condition the lock or key is in…we just turn the key and hope for the best.

So consider this, you’re in a hurry or it’s pouring outside…you turn the key in the lock only to feel it snap. Problem is-the key is still in the lock. Now what?

Well, you have a couple of options: you can call a locksmith and promote the local economy by paying a couple hundred dollars for a service call; or you can fish the key out on your own – MacGyver style.

If you chose to try it on your own, here’s how…

Home Inspection: 5 Easy Steps to Rotted Wood Repair

Posted April 17th, 2012 & filed under home improvement tips, home maintenance tips.

Rotted wood trim discovered during a recent home inspection

Home Inspection Insight: How to Repair Rotted Wood Trim

By Lawrence Watkins, Specsure Property Inspections

As a professional home inspector and owner of a leading home inspection company in Buffalo, NY and the surrounding Western New York (WNY) area, I have seen my share of rotted wood trim and siding material. After all, the weather in Erie, Niagara and surrounding counties can be quite severe thereby subjecting the exterior of our homes to a beating on a regular basis.

Over the past 20+ years of performing thousands of home inspections, I have found one of the most common areas to experience wood rot is the trim and sills around windows.

What’s floating in your whirlpool tub?

Posted April 4th, 2012 & filed under home maintenance tips.

Help! What’s that floating in my whirlpool?

As a leading home inspection company in Buffalo, NY and throughout the Western New York area, our professional home inspectors have seen their share of whirlpool or jetted bathtubs.

As a part of our home inspection procedure, it is the home inspector’s job to fill the whirlpool or jetted tub with water and activate the motor to ensure it is operational. The inspector will also check to ensure the motor is connected to a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt protected outlet and there is ready access to the motor for servicing.

Garbage Disposals: The Do’s and Don’ts

Posted March 16th, 2012 & filed under home maintenance tips.

Not everything is suitable for a garbage disposal.

Garbage disposals: The Do’s and Don’ts

As a leading home inspection company in Western New York, we have seen our share of garbage disposals. Some sound like a Mack truck when they are turned on and others, well, you can hardly tell they are running.

Garbage disposals are those big things under the kitchen sink; they can work tirelessly for years without a problem and we tend to take them for granted.

Like anything else around the house, they can last even longer with a little routine maintenance and by following a few simple rules.

As an experienced home inspector and committed D-I-Yer, I thought I would put some of the myths to rest and give you the straight story on the do’s and don’ts of using a garbage disposal.

How to Remove a Popcorn Ceiling

Posted March 1st, 2012 & filed under home improvement tips.

With proper preparation, removing a popcorn ceiling can be a breeze.

Popcorn Ceiling Removal Made Easy

Like a lot of decorating styles, the textured popcorn ceiling was popular years ago but they are no longer in vogue. Oftentimes, during the course of a home inspection, we are asked if these popcorn ceilings can be removed.

As professional home inspectors, we are more than happy to guide our customers with hints and tidbits of information to make the home owning experience more enjoyable.

With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to share the few simple steps it takes to removing a textured popcorn ceiling.

Towel rack installation in 5 easy steps

Posted February 16th, 2012 & filed under home improvement tips.

Freshen up the look of your bathroom with new fixtures.

Over the years and thousands of home inspections later, we are still intrigued by the homes we see where just a little TLC would make a big difference in the sale of a home.

A little paint, new fixtures and lighting can go a long way in giving a room a fresh look. Bathrooms in particular are a great place to start where just a few touches can really transform a tired room into looking fresh again.

Unfortunately, if you have a tiled bathroom wall, replacing the towel racks and tissue holders can seem a little daunting. After all, drilling holes into ceramic tile is not the easiest thing to do and then, there’s always the risk of cracking the tile.

Here are five simple steps to beating back those fears and installing a new towel rack or tissue holder on tiled walls.

Location of a Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector can save a life!

Posted February 1st, 2012 & filed under home inspection safety tips.

CO detectors should be replaced per the manufacturer's recommendations or every 5 years, whichever comes first.

It’s that time of year, when our heating systems and fireplaces have been getting a pretty good work out. And it’s all the more reason to be ever vigilant for the silent killer – Carbon Monoxide (CO)! It’s the odorless, tasteless and invisible by-product of combustion that poisons hundreds of people each year.

That said, installation of carbon monoxide detectors and their placement are very important. First and foremost, all of the manufacturer’s instructions and those of the Building and Fire Code established by the state and/or municipality within which you reside should be followed.

Problem with roller marks in your paint job?

Posted January 17th, 2012 & filed under home maintenance tips.

There is nothing more irritating than working hard at a painting project only to find the walls full of roller marks. Don’t despair, there is a way to avoid them and with a little practice, it will all become second nature.

Follow some simple tips and you can have a professional looking paint job each and every time.

Selling a Home? Think about a Pre-Listing Home Inspection.

Posted January 9th, 2012 & filed under home maintenance tips.

Selling a house can feel like a balancing act.

Home Inspections are no longer just for the buyer … if you are selling your house you should really think about a pre-listing home inspection.

Read more to see what savvy sellers all across the country are doing and why to get every edge in selling their home.

Ask the inspector

Email

Mailing Address

Call Us

Connect

Buffalo Home Inspection: Should you paint, seal or stain your deck?

Home Inspection: 4 Easy Steps to Remove a Broken Key

Home Inspection: 5 Easy Steps to Rotted Wood Repair

What’s floating in your whirlpool tub?

Garbage Disposals: The Do’s and Don’ts

How to Remove a Popcorn Ceiling

Towel rack installation in 5 easy steps

Location of a Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector can save a life!

Problem with roller marks in your paint job?

Selling a Home? Think about a Pre-Listing Home Inspection.