Ask The Charlotte Home Inspector

Do you have high moisture in your crawl space? Will a sealed crawl space fix it? Yes it will but how does it work. A “normal vented” crawl space actually pulls in more moisture if there are air conditioning ducts there. By sealing off the vents you are preventing new moisture from coming into the […]

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Moisture in a crawl space is bad news. It can cause a host of problems including but not limited to undermining the foundation and footers. Moisture is also a conducive condition for termites. We all know the damage those guys can do. Another big time problem with moisture in the crawl is mold and mildew. […]

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There are many ways the wood on your house can get damaged. If you have damage, Do you know whether its moisture damage, carpenter ant damage, or worst of all, termite damage. Moisture damage leaves a cubicle rot or alligatoring look to it. Carpenter ant damage leaves the wood with a stringy appearance. Carpenter ants […]

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Usually when we find termites on a slab house, it is on one of the perimeter walls. You see termites come fom the ground and the have to return to the ground for moisture. On a slab house the perimer wall baseboard is sitting right on top of an expansion crack that goes right to […]

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Do you have high moisture in your crawl space? In North Carolina it is considered high moisture if the moisture content of the floor joists or subfloor is 20% or greater. This is considererd condusive conditions for termites and for fungus. There are multiple causes and multiple fixes for high moisture in the crawl. Some […]

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Do you have trim damage? Do you have soft wood around windows and doors? What happens here is water gets in behind the wood where it’s not primed or painted, then the pourous wood will suck it up and it will cause damage. Moisture in wood is also attractive for termites. After the moisture has […]

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Have you ever had bats, squirrels, or other rodents in your attic? This is probably the result of not having screens or not having adequate screen coverage. Often flood lights attract bugs which attract bats. If these bats get in your attic they poop. The poop can carry disease and parasites. You have to get […]

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Have you ever had a leak in your attic despite having fairly new shingles? Leaks will develop around flues and flashing much sooner than they will on the shingles themselves. It is necessary to have flashing at flue vents and plumbing vents. The flashing is necessary to make the transition from round pipe to shingled […]

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1. Keep it warm: To show a home to its best advantage during the winter, think warm, cozy, and homey. Keep your thermostat at 70 degrees during home showing hours. If your home is vacant, install a programmable thermostat and set it to have the home at 70 during the day. 2. No snow or […]

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Looking to sell your home? All you hear these days in the news and from friends is how bad the housing market is, and for good reason. There are too many existing houses on the market, builders have had to get more aggressive in selling new homes, interest rates and gas prices are up

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