Think Magazine Vol 1 Issue 1

BLOOMSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

VANESSA C. GUZMAN

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ALEX I. GERSON

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Paul Cummins

Ben Gromicko

Nick Gromicko

Greg Johns

Mariana Mejia

Aaliyah Pasols

Reuben Saltzman

RESEARCH

Nestor Mann Editorial Research

Stuart Mills Project Manager

PHOTOGRAPHY / VISUALS

James Acquaroli Photographer Nelson Randall Senior Photo Editor

WEB

Amber Rose Website Development

Karlina Watson Digital Production Manager

Sharon Saban Production Coordinator

SOCIAL MEDIA

Carolina Garcia Social Media Manager

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING

Ben Fontan Marketing Director

BUSINESS

Matthew Adams Chief Financial Officer

Leah Castello Vice President of Operations

Lisa Verdeza Controller

Susannah Sookoo Administrative Assistant

TECHNOLOGY

Philip J. Augustyne Director of Technology

PRODUCTION

Naomi Callaghan Special Events Manager

Ernie Clair Production Assistant

DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION

Daniel Marr Distributing Manager

Jose Avrett Circulation Manager

THINKMAGAZINE.US

HOME INSPECTION TRAINING AT HOUSE OF HORRORS®

The House of Horrors® at the InterNACHI Florida location in Weston is an entire house with a thousand defects built under our roof. Inspectors can practice performing home inspections in the House of Horrors® to advance their inspection knowledge and skills.

The Florida House of Horrors® is open on an appointment-only basis. If you’re interested in attending events or experiencing hands-on training at the House of Horrors® with Certified Master Inspectors®, we have that available for you.

As an online institution, InterNACHI does not require members to attend any live training

or enroll in any in-residence program, and InterNACHI® does not require onsite attendance. The training provided at our Houses of Horrors® in Colorado and Florida will help you develop your professionalism and skillset as a home inspector while enjoying the camaraderie with other members. Students seeking to gain and develop their knowledge,

skills, and abilities necessary to perform a home inspection and to attain a Home Inspector Program Certificate of Completion may enroll in InterNACHI’s online Home Inspector Certificate Program. To schedule a free, selfguided tour at the Florida location, contact PRO-LAB® at (954) 384-4446.

hoh.nachi.org

The Florida House of Horrors® is an entire house with a thousand defects built under our roof. Open and free to everyone.

700 HORSEPOWER! NEW FORD F-150 RAPTOR R IS MOST POWERFUL RAPTOR EVER FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE OFF-ROADING

THE FASTEST, MOST POWERFUL, MOST EXTREME HIGH-PERFORMANCE OFF-ROAD DESERT RAPTOR YET.

RAPTOR R

After more than a decade spent braving harsh conditions and conquering massive desert dunes over three generations of off-road trucks, Ford unleashes the new F-150® Raptor R™ – the fastest, most powerful, most extreme high-performance off-road desert Raptor yet. All three generations of F-150 Raptor have been inspired by the extreme desert-racing trophy trucks that compete in the Baja 1000. Designed and engineered by Ford Performance, the 2023 F-150 Raptor R is the closest yet to delivering this type of performance. “Raptor R is our ultimate Raptor,” said Carl Widmann, Ford Performance chief engineer.

“WHEN CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCE RAPTOR R IN THE DESERT AND BEYOND, IT WILL MAKE THE HAIRS ON THE BACK OF THEIR NECKS STAND UP – AND THEY’LL LOVE EVERY SECOND OF IT.”

aggressively styled power dome on the hood sits nearly 1 inch taller than on the base Raptor, helping extract warm air from underneath. Iconic F O R D grille, bumpers and fender flares painted black underscore its menacing looks.

“Raptor R is visually designed like a desert predator to catch the attention of Raptor customers and off-road enthusiasts,” said Tom Liu, Raptor R lead designer. “There are details big and small – from the more aggressive hood air extractor to the Code Orange ‘R’ badges - that visually communicate next level off-road performance under the Raptor R banner.”

F-150 Raptor R will be available in eight color options, including new Avalanche and Azure Gray Tri-Coat exterior paint offered on the Raptor lineup for the first time.

F-150 Raptor is about more than going fast – it must conquer brutal off-road environments. Its capability and durability comes from more than a decade of Ford expertise in engineering and torture testing high-performance trucks. Ford Performance upgraded the base truck’s transmission and driveline to help ensure Raptor R can smoothly handle what this V8 can throw at it.

The heart of Raptor R is a new 5.2-liter supercharged V8 engine that delivers 700 horsepower and 640 lb.-ft. of torque to give it incredible desert-running power. Ford Performance enlisted the most powerful engine in its lineup – previously seen in the Mustang Shelby GT500® – optimizing it for Raptor-level off-road performance and Built Ford Tough® durability. The result is the most torque-dense supercharged V8 yet in a production pickup.

The most powerful Raptor yet takes the off-road truck’s purpose-built design legacy up a notch, with unique styling that further drives home its supercharged capability. A larger, more

By Greg Johns Owner and Inspector cookeville.wini.com

Welcome to what hopefully becomes an excellent location for great content for home inspectors and all overlapping industries. As a long-term home inspector in the middle Tennessee region, I hope to be a contributing voice to our industry. I welcome your eyeballs, your mental space, and your thoughts.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD HOME INSPECTOR? TOP INSPECTOR MINDSET

Throughout many of our future posts, you’ll likely start to see a theme from me as an industry professional. Most of them boil down to one main concept — home inspection for consumer protection. You should know, I also strongly believe and have an interest in building science. Now, neither of these concepts or themes are considered “mainstream” within the inspection industry. I firmly and unequivocally believe these are the right ideas to emphasize within the home inspection industry. A safe, healthy home is a home that saves the owner money and ensures good health for the occupants. The principles of building science, which are rich in data, theory, and decades of verified performance, meld well with what a home inspection should do — assess total building performance for the

client to ensure the value of the investment and health of those living therein. Our industry is riddled with issues, many of which will hopefully find light and a voice through this publication over time. The top three, for me, are price shopping, standards, and adversarial tendencies by competitors and agents/contractors. This last one can be rather irksome (future posts will focus on agents and contractors, promise!).

WE’D RATHER SEE AN INDUSTRY UNIFIED IN THE DESIRE TO PROLIFERATE VALUE IN HOME INSPECTIONS

(read: not cheap — but worthwhile knowledge and information in a consumable and actionable form). Yet, there are those that feel the only way to get ahead is to try and tear others down. We have a few in our middle

Tennessee region like this — their websites specifically make claims of superiority based on prior experience as contractors or laborers in the construction industry. My retort: We inspect homes every day built by licensed contractors, sub-contractors, and their employees. We’re not running out of work any time soon. Saying you are a licensed contractor, or having experience as a contractor does not make you an immediately good home inspector. On the contrary, if that’s the mindset you present for inspecting. What makes a good home inspector is having basic knowledge about the system components that comprise a home, as well as the ability to show how all systems work together to create the entire home. You also need to know what your state licensing standards are, what your local and national association standards are (if you choose to be a member), what your insurer’s standards are,

WHAT MAKES A GOOD HOME INSPECTOR IS HAVING BASIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE SYSTEM COMPONENTS THAT COMPRISE A HOME, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO SHOW HOW ALL SYSTEMS WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THE ENTIRE HOME.”

and where you fit on the spectrum of minimal vs. more than minimal effort and business practice. Often times, these standards are designed with minimal performance in mind. An effective home inspector will go beyond these standards to help enlarge the picture for a client.

Many inspectors will balk at doing more than minimal work — it’s a liability to go beyond the set standards. You know who else would balk at doing more than the minimal set standard (residential building code)? Some contractors. A good inspector performing a good inspection will naturally, without much effort, go well beyond the minimal standards for performing a home inspection. And, when this occurs, I believe it actually further limits your liability because your clients will see that you care — about their needs as well as about the house in general.

What our home inspection industry, and the real estate industry writ large, needs less

of is individuals trying to tell consumers what they should or should not consider to be a big deal. Nowhere, and I mean nowhere, in home inspection standards does it say our industry should take that liberty. Contractors and agents are notorious for making “not a big deal” claims. The thing is — it isn’t their place to tell a home buyer what is a big deal. That’s for the consumer to decide based on her/his needs and expectations.

WHAT WE SHOULD DO AS HOME

longevity. Give them a call. Do they answer their phone? Do they call you back? Do they actually sound genuine and like they want to be of help? Or, do they just talk over/past your concerns? There’s a difference between making money and making money because you are helping people. I run my business based on the latter.

So, be wary of claims of excellent home inspections by companies that base their prowess on a history as contractors. Instead, read up on the business reviews. Research companies’

To my fellow home inspectors: You might be a good home inspector who has a history as a contractor. You are not a good home inspector because you have a history as a contractor. If you don’t get that difference, read it again. Do my industry a favor — put your effort into showing your local community how you are a good home inspector. Go help clients acquire information that empowers them as consumers instead of becoming just another cog in an industry designed to bleed away the value of an invested dollar. Home buyers and owners don’t need sycophancy. They need consumer protection.

INSPECTORS IS MAKE SURE OUR CLIENTS UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE REPORT. THE REST IS UP TO THE CLIENTS.

visually intriguing

architectural

l ou r uvo Center forBrain Healt H

The entrepreneur and philanthropist Larry Ruvo, who lost his own father to Alzheimer’s, the 5,600 m2 facility is dedicated to caring for patients with cognitive brain disorders, supporting their families and continuing the search for improved treatments. The remarkable complex that is split into two distinct wings represents the logical and creative aspects of brain function. Basically, the structure compartmentalizes like the brain’s structure.

By Mariana Mejia

structures

g ra C e f arms

Located in New Canaan, Connecticut, Grace Farms was established with the idea that space communicates and can inspire people to collaborate for good. The architect, SANAA’s, goal was to make the River building become part of the landscape without drawing attention to itself and basically preserve and restore native habitats of approximately 77 of the 80 acres in perpetuity as open meadows, woods, wetlands, and ponds.

s pa C eport a meri

C a Spaceport America is the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world. The vision for Spaceport America is to become a premier multi-modal spaceport for point-to-point space transportation, aerospace operations, research, development, and testing in support of our nation’s commercial, civil, and national security space sectors. For now, Spaceport America is an active test facility and is closed to the public for access.

tH e oC ulus B y s antiago Calatrava

The structure’s orientation serves as a lasting reminder of the attacks of September 11, 2001. The structure’s orientation serves as a lasting reminder of the attacks of September 11, 2001. The structure’s white metal-clad steel ribs reach up and out in a monumental gesture symbolic of a hand releasing a dove. The Oculus has access points across the entire 16-acre World Trade Center campus.

aqua t ower

This 82-story building was built in 2010. It reaches a height of 876 feet. The Aqua Tower is one of the few tall buildings to create a community façade that combines hotels, offices, apartments, condominiums, and parking. The design for Aqua uses architecture to capture and reinterpret the human and outdoor connections that occur more naturally when living closer to the ground.

THE MAXIMUM PROFITS FROM “LIMITED 203K” LOANS

In a recent webinar, a loan officer from Academy Mortgage emphasized to his loan officers and their real estate agent partners the importance of using an FHA 203k consultant for feasibility study reports over home inspection reports for the Limited 203K (formerly called Streamline 203K) buyer.

This is because when a home inspection report is shown to an underwriter, it raises a whole host of concerns that, in most cases, are not FHArequired safety or soundness repairs.

Underwriters, in an effort to protect investors, will many times call for repairs to be added to the Limited 203k work write-up simply because the home inspector indicates an item is “at the end of its useful life.” This is a great opening for you to market your services to real estate agents as a better way to get the Limited 203k transaction to settlement.

A Great Awakening

The home buying public is becoming increasingly aware of the opportunities

created by the 203k Rehab Mortgage. Foreclosure rates may be slightly lower (but are expected to rise, unfortunately), but the overall condition of many homes being sold falls far short of the FHA Minimum Property Standard (MPS). This, plus the growing challenge of rising interest rates and stricter qualifying guidelines for conventional loans as compared to FHA-insured mortgages, are just two of the more obvious reasons why people are turning to 203ks — and most of them are trying to use the Limited 203k

product.

“So, what’s the “story” on Limited 203k anyway?”

The FHA Limited 203k program is a modification of the “standard” 203k product that allows “simple, uncomplicated” repairs to be completed based solely on a contractor’s proposal and appraisal report. This eliminates the requirement for a buyer to use an FHA 203k consultant for the work write-up and post-settlement draw inspections. You probably already know this. What you may

not know are some of the difficulties and opportunities that are developing with the increasing popularity of this product.

Many states have home improvement stores (i.e. Lowe’s and Home Depot) that advertise that they can “do the Limited 203k” for borrowers. Be careful recommending this to your clients as many lenders don’t accept these stores as qualified to complete the required Homeowner/ Contractor Agreement. A fast-growing number of lenders are taking greater care to verify the qualifications of contractors, even for those rehab projects that are designed to be small and simple.

Land of Opportunity

Many buyers and their contractors are finding the scope of work they planned and budgeted to be paid with the Limited

203k does not include all required MPS items. The appraiser comes in close to the settlement date and finds repair needs not listed in the contractor’s proposal. These repairs cause the buyer to seek out an FHA consultant at the ‘11th hour’ because the new project cost exceeds the $35K max, and/or the appraiser identifies structural repairs.

This is where 203k consultants have a wide-open opportunity. As a consultant and home inspector, you should market to your contact base (agents, lenders, buyers) to have YOU ‘prequalify’ the property for the Limited 203k with a pre-purchase feasibility report. You can even offer to include FHA repair information using a standalone report called the Minimum Property Standards Evaluation Reports as an “upsell” to your home inspection service, which is a

great positioning tactic.

You will be viewed as the hero because you helped buyers use the Limited 203k successfully – a true win-win for everybody!

Complimentary Gift

More information like this can be found when you follow the link below and check out our educational series — 203kSecretsRevealed.com. There you will be able to watch an on-demand video training on “FAQ on Rehab Loans AND Understanding Minimum Property Standards” that will truly open your eyes to your opportunities.

Not yet a certified 203k consultant?

It’s easy to become certified and well-trained with the right help! The National Association of FHA Consultants is the only association for, by, and about renovation consultants.

Register for Our Next Event

NAFHAC provides all of the training, education, and support for qualified home inspectors with at least 3 years of experience.

The annual 203k Discovery Days Rehab Business Bootcamp will be held on October 7-9, 2022. This was an amazing moneymaking 3-day event. Watch all the exciting and powerful presentations and sign up for the upcoming Get 203k Certified Challenge coming in December 2022 (virtually) when you visit nafhac.org.

You can also email support@nafhac.org or call 855-4-NAFHAC (855-462-3422).

TANDEM

By Reuben Saltzman | Structure Tech | structuretech.com

LET’S SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON TANDEM CIRCUIT BREAKERS. I’LL EXPLAIN WHAT THEY ARE, WHEN THEY CAN BE USED, AND HOW A HOME INSPECTOR CAN FIGURE ALL OF THIS OUT.

First, a quick definition. A tandem circuit breaker is a double circuit breaker that takes up the space of a single circuit breaker on a panelboard. People also refer to them as duplex, slimline, twin, half-height, half-inch, double, and wafer breakers, depending on local customs. Oh, and cheater breakers as well. While a two-pole circuit breaker gets connected to two different poles at a panelboard and has a common trip or a handle tie for simultaneous disconnecting of two poles, a tandem breaker does not.

The photo below shows a 60-amp twopole circuit breaker at the top, then a 15-amp tandem circuit breaker (highlighted), then a 20-amp tandem circuit breaker (highlighted), and a 20-amp single-pole circuit breaker at the bottom.

Because tandem circuit breakers allow for two circuits to be installed on a panelboard in a one-circuit breaker space, they’re typically used after a panelboard has been filled to capacity with standard circuit breakers. Because of this, they’re often referred to as “cheaters.”

Despite the misnomer, this is not cheating. It’s perfectly fine to use tandem circuit breakers on any panelboard that’s designed for tandem circuit breakers, provided they’re installed in the proper locations.

The next photo shows an older style tandem breaker found in Square D panelboards.

CLASS CTL PANELBOARDS

Panelboards must follow UL Standard 67, which requires all lighting and appliance panelboards to be Class CTL (Circuit Total Limiting). To help determine if tandem breakers are allowed, first consider the age of the panel.

Pre-1965 : Old panels that predate the CTL standard didn’t have a hard and fast rule for the number of circuit breakers allowed. Sometimes the panel has clear labeling, but usually it doesn’t on these old panels. In these cases, it’s possible that tandem circuit breakers are allowed in every space in the panel. These breakers will be labeled “For replacement use only. Not for CTL assemblies.”

don’t have to spend my time studying panel diagrams in this case.

2008 to today: For the newest panels, you simply go with what the manufacturer tells you, and the labeling is usually clear. Previous editions of the National Electric Code (NEC) limited the maximum number of circuits in a lighting and appliance panelboard to 42. The 2008 version of the NEC removed the “lighting & appliance” panelboard designation; however, NEC 408.54 says, “A panelboard shall be provided with physical means to prevent the installation of more overcurrent devices than that number for which the panelboard was designed, rated, and listed.” Manufacturers still list the maximum number of circuit breakers allowed and must provide a rejection feature to help prevent the use of tandem circuit breakers where not allowed.

REJECTION FEATURES

Tandem circuit breakers are manufactured this way in an effort to prevent people from using them in an improper manner, but this doesn’t stop everyone. In the photos below, you can see how someone broke the bottoms of the circuit breakers to make them fit where they didn’t belong. This is probably where the term “cheater” comes from.

1965 to 2008: Here’s an old formula for determining how many circuits are allowed in Class CTL panelboards made during this time period. This formula is helpful to use when you’re inspecting older electric panels without clear labeling inside the panel. Take the amperage of the panelboard, multiply by the number of poles, and divide by 10. It sounds complicated, but it’s not—let’s use a 100-amp panelboard as an example:

100 Amp x 2 Poles = 200 200 / 10 = 20

Based on this formula, the maximum number of circuits allowed in a 100-amp 120/240-volt panelboard is 20. A 150-amp panel would allow a maximum of 30 circuit poles, and a 200-amp panel would allow a maximum of 40 circuit poles. For panelboards not manufactured as “lighting & appliance” panelboards, there is no limit to the number of circuit breakers allowed. As a home inspector, this is helpful because if I look at a 100-amp panel with 20 spaces, I immediately know that the panel doesn’t allow tandem breakers. I

Class CTL panelboards have different methods of preventing class CTL tandem circuit breakers from being used in locations where they’re not allowed. This is referred to as a “rejection feature.” In the photo below, the highlighted bus stabs are notched to allow the use of tandem circuit breakers; the bus stabs which doesn’t have that notch won’t allow tandem breakers.

Class CTL tandem circuit breakers have a different shape than standard single-pole circuit breakers to help prevent them from being installed where they don’t belong.

As I mentioned above, panelboards manufactured before the adoption of the Class CTL standard allow non-Class CTL tandem circuit breakers to be installed. Non-Class CTL tandem circuit breakers do not have the ‘rejection’ feature that Class CTL breakers have. As clearly indicated by the label on the side of the circuit breaker pictured below, these circuit breakers are not allowed in Class CTL panelboards. The difficulty for us home inspectors is that we usually can’t see the marking after the breaker is installed. The only way to see this, usually, is to remove the breaker. And home inspectors shouldn’t be pulling circuit breakers during home inspections.

Does the panelboard allow tandems?

Now that I’ve talked about the general rules for tandem circuit breakers, I’ll discuss the ways that home inspectors or electrical inspectors can determine when tandem circuit breakers are allowed in various panelboards.

THE MODEL OF THE PANELBOARD

The model or part number of the electric panelboard will usually indicate whether or not the electric panelboard is designed to accept tandem breakers and how many can be used. Here are a few examples:

• G 3040 BL1200 = 30 spaces, 40 total circuits allowed. Up to 10 tandem circuit breakers can be used.

• G 3030 BL1150 = 30 spaces, 30 total circuits allowed. Tandem circuit breakers are not allowed.

• BR 1220 B100 = 12 spaces, 20 total circuits allowed. Up to 8 tandem circuit breakers can be used.

• BR 1212 B100 = 12 spaces, 12 total circuits allowed. Tandem circuit breakers are not allowed.

• HOMC 20 U100C = 20 spaces, 20 total circuits allowed. Tandem circuit breakers are not allowed.

I think it’s easy enough to see the pattern.

A DIAGRAM INSIDE THE PANELBOARD

The wiring diagram inside the panelboard is a great way to determine if tandem breakers are allowed and, if so, exactly where they’re allowed. In the photo below, you can see that the top four spaces allow only full-size breakers, while the bottom eight slots allow tandem breakers.

Here’s another panelboard diagram—this panelboard allows the use of tandem breakers in four locations.

Another easy thing to look for is a label stating the maximum number of circuits allowed. In the photo below, you can see that only 20 circuits are allowed on the panelboard. This panelboard has 20 full-size spaces, so tandem circuit breakers aren’t allowed.

And another—this panelboard doesn’t allow any tandem breakers.

What’s the concern with tandem circuit breakers?

When tandem circuit breakers are used in locations where they’re not allowed, they could make an improper physical connection to the bus bar in the panelboard, which can create a fire hazard. Tandem circuit breakers also increase the total load on the bus bars in a panelboard; this is where home inspectors need to use common sense.

And another—this panelboard allows tandem breakers in the bottom ten spaces only (11-20 and 31-40).

When a home inspector finds tandem circuit breakers used in improper locations, they’ll often recommend repair by an electrician. If the bus bars of the panelboard have been damaged or altered to allow for the installation of tandem circuit breakers, the proper repair is to have the panelboard replaced. There is no way for a home inspector to determine if the bus bars have been damaged without actually removing the circuit breakers, which is something home inspectors shouldn’t be doing.

THE KING OF RECYCLING

SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT ONE SPORE TRAP AT A TIME

If you have ever had the pleasure of meeting Jamie McDonnell, you will quickly realize why he is one of the most respected leaders in the home inspection industry. A brilliant, humble, big-hearted, businessperson who will never forget where he came from.

Almost 25 years ago, Jamie started Professional Laboratories, fondly referred to as PRO-LAB® in the garage of his first home. In 1998, which was early in the environmental detection and identification game, Jamie realized there was a tremendous demand for radon testing throughout the United States. After doing extensive research, Jamie contacted Dr. Daniel Perlman, a lead scientist at Brandeis University in Boston, Mass. Dr. Perlman had over 100 patents under his belt and had created the liquid scintillation (ls) radon test kit system. Jamie and Dr. Perlman hit it off and Brandeis University granted a world-wide exclusive license to PRO-LAB® to manufacture and distribute what is known today as the best-selling radon detection test kit in the world.

While sales started taking off, and radon samples started coming back to be analyzed, Jamie realized that some of the components of the radon test kit could be recycled. Not only does recycling help the environment, but the practice of recycling has also been part of the PRO-LAB® business practices for over 24 years. This first and best practice of recycling has set the standard for all of Jamie’s multiple business models and practices.

As the introduction of new products emerged in the PRO-LAB® product line, Jamie started developing testing kits that would also have the same ability to be included in PRO-LAB®’s best practice of recycling. In particular, the cardboard shipping tubes and plastic end plugs for both the radon in water and lead in water test kits could be re-used. If an inspector did not write on the tubes, the intake receiving department would separate them into a blue recycling bin and they would be inspected for use during the next round of manufacturing. Furthermore, as PRO-LAB®’s professional home inspector customers sent back the Styrofoam water transport coolers PRO-LAB® identified them as additional recyclable material. If the coolers were in perfect condition after being

inspected, they too could and would be reused for many years to come.

The biggest recycling adventure presented itself in 2018. While walking through the PRO-LAB® warehouse Jamie noticed one of his employees placing huge amounts of used spore trap cassette bodies in the trash. So, Jamie called the manufacturer and asked if they wanted the used spore trap cassette bodies back so they could be remanufactured into new products. To Jamie’s disappointment, the vice president of the manufacturing company declined and stated, “throw them in the trash, we are not interested.” Jamie realized those spore trap bodies would take hundreds, or perhaps even thousands of years to decompose in a dump, or perhaps end up in the ocean like the rest of the plastic trash that you see during the environmental ads on TV or the editorials you see in magazines.

Jamie’s next move would revolutionize the spore trap game forever.

In his mind, he is thinking, okay now we have all of these spore trap cassette bodies we purchased. He clearly remembers that over the years, there have always been issues with the media of the original cassettes. To the naked eye, they look fairly good, but under the microscope they are cloudy to view because of the gel-like media goop, and sometimes there is inconsistent waviness of the thickness of the media or holes in areas of the application of the media. In addition, the “media” of the original spore trap cassette collects excessive “garbage” during the collection process, making spore identification more time-consuming and more difficult. Jamie knew this information firsthand, because not only is he the CEO of PRO-LAB®, but also a 20-year trained and certified mold analyst. Jamie thinks, how can I make it better, optically clear under a microscope, a more consistent area to capture spores and other air borne particulate and even a longer shelf life than the one-year life of the original spore trap cassette. Once again, Jamie calls the expert, scientist, and inventor, Dr. Daniel Perlman.

During the initial phone conversation with Dr. Perlman, Jamie explains what he is trying to do, not only save the environment and recycle tons of plastic, but also develop and remanufacture a better spore trap cassette. Dr. Perlman accepts the challenge.

Over the next few months, Dr. Perlman does his research and discovers that 3M™, a worldrenowned company known for advanced scientific products, manufactured an optically clear, pressure sensitive, soft, sticky, elastic, acrylic 6 mil precision adhesive that has a shelf life of over two years. Curiously, the original inventor of the “spore trap.” Dr. Baxter had also recommended in his original patent the ability to use an “acrylic adhesive” . Dr. Perlman was ecstatic, and the rest is history… the introduction of PRO-LAB®’s PRO10 and PRO5. Jamie, would like to thank Dr. Daniel Perlman for creating an improved forced air sampling cassette that captures, identifies, quantifies, and analyzes of airborne particles such as mold spores, plant pollens, and other airborne pollutants.

“the all new pro10 remanufactured spore trap cassettes are amazing as they pick up more spores, different types of spores that are not typically seen on other spore traps, and they even have a guaranteed shelf life of 2 years, which is double that of the original manufacturer,” said Jamie.

PRO-LAB® has been granted the exclusive use of the worldwide license for Dr. Perlman’s U.S. Patent No. 10,948,387 for its green initiative of recycling thousands of plastic spore trap cassettes every year. If you would like to join in with PRO-LAB®, we would love to have you on our team. For more information, please visit reliablelab.com or call PRO-LAB®’s CEO Jamie McDonnell directly on his cell phone at (954) 347-6638.

go green!

1Dr. Baxter’s U.S. Patent 5693895

2 Dr. Daniel Perlman’s U.S. Patent History Patent number: 10948387 Type: Grant Filed: Sep 21, 2019, Date of Patent: Mar 16, 2021 Assignee: Perlman Consulting, LLC (Arlington, MA)

Inventor: Daniel Perlman (Arlington, MA) Primary Examiner: Matthew D Krcha, Application Number: 16/578,310

MID-CENTURY LIVING

Give your home office some mid-century modern vibes and liven up the place with warm colors and organic shapes and textures. Create depth and contrast by using dark wood tones and leather against white or light pastel walls, but always on the tungsten side. For the final touches, place indoor plants close to windows or in corners to fill them.

Cozumel Solid Wood Desk Color: Brown $1,080 allmodern.com

| lampsplus.com

Martelle Chair in Orange and Amber $422 | zoro.com

Butcher Abstract Coffee Table

By Corrigan Studio® $689.99 | wayfair.com

Andi Mid-Century ceramic and wood table lamp $100

West Elm Brazilian Mid-century lanterns Café $69.00 - $245.10 | westelm.com

West Elm Mid-Century Asymmetrical Wall Mirror $459 | westelm.com

George Oliver Ivory Lachapelle Mid Century Modern Bentwood frame 26” swivel bar stool $270 | wayfair.com

Giovanna Solid Wood TV Stand for TC up to 65” $1,225 | wayfair.com

DepartmentHome Large Record Storage Cabinet $1,295 | etsy.com/shop/DepartmentHome

By NICK GROMICKO AND BEN GROMICKO

PREPARING FOR A HURRICANE: FOR HOME INSPECTORS

AND HOMEOWNERS

Prepare for Hurricane Season

Give yourself more time than usual to prepare your emergency food, water, and medical supplies.

Home delivery is the safest choice for buying disaster supplies. However, that may not be an option for everyone. If in-person shopping is your only choice, take steps to protect your and others’ health when running essential errands. Protect yourself and others when filling prescriptions by limiting in-person visits to the pharmacy. Sign up for mail-order delivery or call in your prescription ahead of time and use drive-through windows or curbside pickup, if available. Pay attention to local guidance about updated plans for evacuations and shelters, including shelters for your pets.

Prepare to Evacuate

If you may need to evacuate, prepare a “go kit” with personal items you cannot do without during an emergency. Include items that can help protect you and others from COVID-19, such as hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, bar or liquid soap,

disinfectant wipes (if available), and two masks for each person. Masks should not be used by children under the age of 2. They also should not be used by people having trouble breathing, or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or unable to remove the mask without assistance. Know a safe place to shelter and have several ways to receive weather alerts, such as National Weather Service cell phone alerts, NOAA Weather Radio, or National Weather Service Twitter alerts. Find out if your local public shelter is open, in case you need to evacuate your home and go there. Your shelter location may be different this year due to the pandemic. If you need to go to a disaster shelter, follow CDC recommendations for staying safe and healthy in a public disaster shelter during the pandemic. Follow guidance from your local public health or emergency management officials on when and where to shelter. Make a plan and prepare a disaster kit for your pets. Find out if your disaster shelter will accept pets. Typically, when shelters accommodate pets, the pets are housed in a separate area from people staying there. Follow safety precautions when

using transportation to evacuate. If you have to travel away from your community to evacuate, follow safety precautions for travelers to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

Staying with Friends or Family

If you’ll be staying with friends or family outside your household to evacuate from the storm: Consider if either of your households has someone who is at higher risk of developing a severe illness, including older adults or people of any age who have underlying medical conditions. Make sure everyone knows what they can do to keep themselves safe from COVID-19. Follow everyday preventive actions, including covering coughs and sneezes, washing your hands often, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Consider taking extra precautions for people living in close quarters. You should know what to do if someone in your family or in the household you are staying in becomes sick. Also, remember to take steps to keep your pets safe.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY STAY SAFE DURING HURRICANE SEASON THIS YEAR.

FLIR TG297 Industrial High Temp Thermal Camera $1,049 flir.com

Extech BR80 Video Borescope Inspection Camera $150 inspectoroutlet.com

Teslong Borescope Inspection Camera $179 amazon.com

DJI Phantom 4 Advanced+ Drone Quadcopter 4K Camera Built-in LCD $2,999 amazon.com

AccuMASTER Duo Pro Pin and Pinless Moisture Meter $63 homedepot.com

the father of modern-day home inspection

By MARIANA MEJIA

Nick Gromicko was born on May 25, 1962, and grew up in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

Gromicko spent his early years working as a research analyst at the University of Pittsburgh's Nuclear Physics Department. Despite having dropped out of high school, he was able to succeed in his job via persistence and commitment to disciplines like mathematics. In order to serve as a professional and educational resource for residential and commercial building inspectors, he left four years later to start various multi-inspector businesses and environmental corporations, including two testing labs.

In 1990, Gromicko formed InterNACHI and began developing several industry standards and recommendations.

InterNACHI®, the world's largest association of property inspectors, helps its members succeed in the home inspection industry in roughly 65 adopted nations by offering education, training, perks, and support through one of the most comprehensive websites on the internet (www.nachi.org). In addition, a school, a

food bank, and a free medical clinic were established as a result of Gromicko's house inspection operations. Also, Gromicko's experience in the housing and real estate sectors allowed him to work with specialists to develop InterNACHI's Residential and Commercial Standards of Practice, which are currently recognized in 65 countries and contain a Code of Ethics for memberinspectors. The electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, and structural systems and elements of a typical home are all covered by these standards.

The International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants is a successor organization that was also established by Gromicko. Gromicko serves as executive director of the Master Inspector Certification Board, which confers the title of Qualified Master Inspector on several licensed property inspectors. Gromicko, who developed IAC2, intended to provide access to a plethora of knowledgeable resources to other inspectors that carry out auxiliary examinations for issues affecting the quality of indoor air. Among these issues are issues with mold, radon, airborne allergens, indoor plants, and others that have an impact on the health and welfare of residents. Later, in late 2009, Gromicko introduced ComInspect, a network for

commercial building inspectors. Following that, Gromicko created the current International Standards of Practice for Inspecting Commercial Properties.

Furthermore, Nick started a non-profit organization named Cozy Coats for Kids as part of his humanitarian initiatives. The group's purpose is to increase children's self-esteem and well-being by providing them with winter coats. The program is supported through donations which Nick provides to the inspection sector and related industries in the United States and Canada. Nick willingly covers all Cozy Coats for Kids' expenses each year, thus neither the organization's operating costs nor wages. Nick Gromicko stated in the Inspector Toolbelt Talk Podcast that he can see himself continuing to work on his charity after he retires because it is such a wonderful cause. He said he wants to have 20 kids since he loves kids so much. Even so, he believes that he still has a chance to fulfill that dream before "dropping dead from rigor mortis, or whatever all humans get, said Nick Gromicko.”

He currently has two children, with one on the way, so the desire to have more children is starting to come true. Nick Gromicko first met his wife Lena a long time ago, and they got engaged eight hours later.

NICK gromiCKo

Gromicko explaiNed, "What occurred Was, she Was seekiNG to WiN these bids While oWNiNG aN hVac aNd commercial hVac compaNy iN caNada. she theN started requestiNG me to GiVe these bids so that I could repair them after lookiNG me up oNliNe aNd discoVeriNG that I Was With the iNspectioN compaNy. I Was able to meet her because she Was a project maNaGer. hoWeVer, We oNly coNNected Via email... simply said, I'Ve NeVer met her. I NeVer saW her face aNd eiGht hours later, after Not heariNG her Voice, We Were eNGaGed.”

Gromicko, is also a best-selling author who has written hundreds of articles, 26 textbooks, and 15 books on business success. More than 2.5

million copies have been sold and are available for purchase through InspectorOutlet. InterNACHI offers open access to his technical writings. Nick is renowned for writing the widely acclaimed International Standards of Practice for Inspecting Commercial Properties, including hundreds of articles on various elements of home inspection health and safety risks. These provide professional guidance for those operating in the home inspection sector and assist them in navigating how to implement marketing tactics. His seminars on marketing and commercial success are tailored specifically for the heavy equipment, construction, and inspection sectors. Do you know, there's a free book for multi-inspector organizations on InterNACHI’s website that has different books that explain how to systematize and expand your inspection business?

Nick has delivered the keynote address at approximately 200 events worldwide, one for every marketing strategy. Having Nick speak

at an event or corporate gathering for your company is a surefire way to encourage and thank your InterNACHI staff members. Nick Gromicko frequently appears in news stories such as those from CBS News, Indianapolis Star, Oregon Live, Oregon Live again, Philly.com, NBC, Biz X Magazine, The Street Network, Bloomberg, WebMD, New Jersey.com, The New York Times, Angie's List, The Christian Science Monitor, Working RE Magazine, Marketplace, and The Chicago Sun Times.

Some of Nick Gromicko’s popular written books are; A Home Inspector's Guide to Increasing Gross Revenue, Sleep Well: A Home Inspector's Guide to Managing Risk, SCALE UP: 100+ Steps to Growing and Systemizing Your Multi-Inspector Firm. Each book helps advocate for inspectors across North America and abroad through strategies of education, training, and support. Nick works relentlessly to advance the home inspection sector by writing these books.

Nick Gromicko, and countless instructive pieces for professionals and consumers are just a few of the subjects he has covered in his books. A Home Inspector's Guide to Increasing Gross Revenue is about the ins and outs of your business and how to become successful. Sleep

Well: A Home Inspector's Guide to Managing Risk is about how you can manage risks that naturally come with being in the inspection business. Inspectors often worry about getting sued so much that they can’t sleep at night. Finally, SCALE UP: 100+ Steps to Growing and Systemizing Your Multi-Inspector Firm is about the six steps of how to grow your business.

“you caN receiVe a Number of back-eNd tools at INterNachI,

iNcludiNG trackiNG INterNachI home INspectors, iN additioN to free publicatioNs. that’s a free book for multi-iNspector firms, you kNoW, teachiNG you hoW to systemize aNd build your iNspectioN compaNy basically," Nick Gromicko stated iN the toolbelt podcast.

We're basically getting a lot more tools for it since our sector is absolutely consolidating. You know, more and more businesses only have a limited number of employees, such as an office manager and four inspectors, or two or three guys working as inspectors. It appears that this is now quite commonplace, said Nick Gromicko.

The Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training, a national accrediting organization acknowledged by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), has accredited InterNACHI® School (internachi. edu) as a postsecondary educational institution for the purpose of offering a tuition-free Home Inspector Certificate Program and online continuing education to InterNACHI® members. The National Association of Career Colleges (NACC) of Canada, a national organization that represents more than 500 accredited career colleges across Canada, also includes InterNACHI School as a member college.

Although it's not the only method of instruction, there are other accredited online schools that do exist. The House of Horrors,

exclusiVely iN maNy Ways. stop at home depot oN the Way home toNiGht

aNd buy oNe of their kits. you’ll Notice they promote iNterNachi iNspectors for further testiNG. thaNks pro-lab. feel free to do a mold

iNspectioN iN florida

With just a home iNspector’s liceNse. thaNk you aGaiN pro-lab."

"eVery INterNachI member should be a pro-lab faN because pro-lab helps INterNachI members

-Nick gromicko

created by Nick Gromicko, is a hands-on learning facility. The professionalism and skill set of home inspector will continue to grow thanks to the training offered at three different locations of Houses of Horrors®: Colorado, Florida, and Pennsylvania, while you also get to socialize with other InterNACHI members. Enrolling in InterNACHI's online Home Inspector Certificate Program will allow students to acquire and develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to conduct a home inspection and obtain a Certificate of Completion.

The House of Horrors® is a full home with a thousand flaws that was constructed under our roof and is available to the public during regular business hours at the InterNACHI Colorado location in Boulder, Colorado. The Pennsylvania location is a whole house with multiple imperfections created beneath the roofs in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. To improve their knowledge and abilities, inspectors can conduct mock home inspections in the House of Horrors®. Finally, the Florida location at James E. McDonnell’s IV PRO-LAB® located in Weston,

Florida, is a full house constructed under the roof with various mistakes. The House of Horrors® in Florida is only accessible by appointment.

James E. McDonnell IV is the founder and chief executive officer of PRO-LAB®, American Restoration Services, and Windmill Advertising Group. After attending only two semesters of college, he went door-to-door selling microwave oven leakage detectors. With drive and determination, he forged ahead with his entrepreneurial pursuits and has since been able to create a number of innovative businesses. With a vision and understanding of environmental issues, he developed a line of easy-to-use home safety test kits for mold, radon, lead, asbestos, and drinking water contaminants. James McDonnell and Nick Gromicko met to form an InterNACHI and PRO-LAB® alliance. PRO-LAB® is the national leader in the environmental testing industry. Together, they have launched NACHIStore.com — a one-stop online resource for home inspector supplies. The InterNACHI Foundation is an organization that was established to raise funds for various charities.

"We’re happy to haVe the opportuNity to be iNVolVed iN the deVelopmeNt of a proGram that serVices the home iNspectioN iNdustry aNd GiVes back to others as Well," said james e mcdoNNell, IV, presideNt aNd ceo of pro-lab®.

PRO-LAB’s laboratories are staffed with Certified Indoor Air Quality Professionals, Radon Measurement Specialists, Ph.D., mycologists, chemists, and registered clinical laboratory technicians. This partnership brings two industry powerhouses together and was designed to provide InterNACHI members with all the tools they need to support their business. Two men who have envisioned success and who continue to be successful modern-day entrepreneurs. To build a foundation for the InterNACHI name, Nick Gromicko intends to keep offering the best in home inspection, education, and nonprofit organizations. nachi.org

Colorful

Colorado

MOUNTAINS & THE MILE HIGH CITY

When one thinks of Colorado, they might immediately think of ski slopes, recreational marijuana, and Denver, but there is so much more to uncover! Key highlights of this western state are its lovely landscapes and mind-blowing parks. In this travel piece, we’ll take a look at both the city and the mountains!

By AALIYAH PASOLS

THE CITY

Even though you’ve just landed, you’ll still have a chance to join the mile-high club by visiting the Mile High City, aka Denver. It’s the capital of Colorado and received its nickname because the city is exactly a mile above sea level. It has a captivating history—it was actually part of the Gold Rush boom, with tens of thousands of people moving to the area in search of gold many years ago. It was also the center of plenty of Wild, Wild West activities. To learn more about the history of this great city, check out the History Colorado Center, a 141-year-old institution where you can view high-tech and hands-on exhibits. Some of the cool

virtual experiences here include a ride across the plains in a Model T, a ski jump, and a visit to the 1930’s Dust Bowl. historycolorado.org

If you just can’t get enough of museums, take a stroll through another at the American Museum of Western Art. Here different art pieces aim to depict what life was like in the west during the early 1800’s, with more modern pieces available as well. More than 200 pieces line the walls here, featuring artists such as Bierstadt, Maynard Dixon, Remington, Russell, and Thomas Moran. anschutzcollection.org

Moving on, take a leisurely walk through Larimer

Square. It’s one of Denver’s most historic areas, where the streets are lined with some pretty old, significant Victorian buildings. This area was home to a lot of Colorado’s “firsts” like its first book store, theater, and bank. There’s plenty of modern attractions in the area too, with an array of interesting shops and hip restaurants.

Larimer Square is located in the trendy LoDo district, where you can also discover Union Station. It’s the main train station for the city, and while train stations usually aren’t an attraction, this one sure is! Union Station underwent a huge renovation project and now it’s one of the coolest places to relax in the city, attracting locals looking

Rocky Mountain

for a bite to eat and tourists who enjoy exploring. The station’s Great Hall offers tasty coffee shops, an ice cream shop, pizzerias, a lounge area, a bar, boutiques, and a hotel! unionstationindenver.com

Hungry? Make sure to stop by The Source, a hotel and food hall that was opened in 2013 and hosts some truly remarkable vendors. The whole venue is made up of 45,000 square feet and 25 concepts, including a bakery, pizzeria, modern wood-fired restaurant, barber, retail goods store, apparel shop, florist, brewery, and barbecue. A highlight is Acorn, which serves up contemporary American woodfired cooking and has established itself as one of Denver’s top restaurants, landing on several Best-of-Denver lists. thesourcehotel.com

Turns out there’s another quirky reason why Denver is referred to as the Mile High City—you can indeed get pretty high, if you’re into that sort of thing, of course. Recreational marijuana has been legal in Colorado since 2012, and it was actually one of the first states in the U.S. to do so. Take a trip to SoBo, a neighborhood that is referred to as Antique Row for its abundance of shops selling vintage items. It’s also more recently been dubbed Green Row due to its countless marijuana dispensaries. The neighborhood has blocks packed with entertainment, like neighborhood taverns, vintage clothing stores, unique eateries, bookstores, art galleries, international restaurants, craft shops, an arthouse movie theater, and hip live music venues.

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre is one of the most famous music venues in the U.S. This is because of its unique sandstone formations that jut out around the massive stage, making it look like a natural concert hall carved out of rock. Although most of the live music events have been cancelled due to COVID-19 you can still head over for some other outdoor activities. You can work out

Denver

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Union Station, Denver

in the amphitheater, sit down to watch the sunset, attend a drive-in movie, or hike one of the many trails that zoom through the surrounding 868-acre park. redrocksonline.com

THE PARKS

Ok, now it’s time for the real action! Colorado has a whopping 41 state parks, meaning there’s no shortage of striking mountains, grassy plains, and sparkling lakes. You’ll want to down a coffee or energy drink and tie on your hiking boots extra tight because there’s lots to see!

Visit one of the most well-known parks in the U.S. at Rocky Mountain National Park. This park is located in northern Colorado and encompasses protected mountains, forests, and alpine tundra. There’s 355 miles of hiking trails

here, ranging from flat lakeside strolls to steep mountain peak climbs. One of the most popular is a hike to Deer Mountain, totaling 3 miles that ends with fine views and an opportunity for a picnic on top! If hiking really isn’t your thing, take the car for a spin down one of the many scenic driveways. There’s also camping, ranger-led programs, fishing, horseback riding, and wildlife watching available. Some of the great animals you can spot here include black bears, moose, mountain lions, deer, coyotes, and elk. nps.gov

Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center is another impressive park just waiting to be explored! Consisting of 1,300 acres, this park’s main attraction are the marvelous sandstone formations throughout. There’s different ways to see the park—you can take a Jeep or

Segway tour, rent a bike, or enjoy some exciting front range rock climbing! A key attraction in the park you don’t want to miss is a great view of the snowcapped Pikes Peak, a mountain that stretches 14,115 feet tall. Don’t forget to enter the world-class Visitor & Nature Center, which is regarded as a museum with geology, ecology, and cultural history exhibits! gardenofgods.com

Black Canyon of the Gunnison is another national park, located in western Colorado. This park is astounding due to its deep, steep-walled gorge carved through Precambrian rock by the Gunnison River. Here you can venture out amongst ancient rocks, steep cliffs, and winding rivers, as you take in the full experience of nature. The Black Canyon is the prominent attraction here and you can either peer in from the top of a safe observation

La Nariz del Diablo

Rocky mountain

Black canyon

point or you can adventure into it. You can kayak or raft through the canyon, rock climb in it, or take one of the many wilderness routes. Just be sure that you obtain a (free) permit before entering into the canyon and make sure you pack enough food, water, and clothes in case you have to stay overnight. nps.gov

Colorado also has its share of some intriguing ancient sites within its parks. Mesa Verde National Park, in southwest Colorado, has archeological sites and ruins that are simply awe-inspiring. Mesa Verde was home to the Ancestral Pueblo people who inhabited the dwellings from approximately 600 AD to 1300 AD and today you can walk amongst the preserved ruins, which includes 5,000 known archeological sites, and some 600 cliff dwellings. Cliff Palace is one of the most important dwellings in the whole park, and if you take a ranger-led tour, you can even climb a ladder up to the heart of the dwelling. For some ancient rock carvings, make sure to take Petroglyph Point Trail, or

take Sun Point Overlook for panoramic canyon views. nps.gov

This western state isn’t all mountains and forests—an unmissable park is definitely Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. In southern Colorado, this park is famous for its huge sand dunes like the towering Star Dune and also for the seasonal Medano Creek and beach created at the base of the dunes. These dunes are the tallest in North America and arguably the most beautiful, with backdrops of snowcapped mountains in the distance. The landscape is particularly interesting due to its diversity, as there’s also grasslands, wetlands, conifer and aspen forests, alpine lakes, and tundra here! If you come in the summer, wander the sands and then cool off in the popular Medano Creek. If you’re visiting in the winter, you can participate in skiing, sledding, hiking, snowboarding, and more! nps.gov

Speaking of skiing, how can you head to the The

Centennial State without gliding down some slopes? The ski resort town of Vail is one of the best places to see in the winter and one of the top ski resorts in the state. The town of Vail is a cute little visit in itself with chalet-style restaurants, shops, and hotels that will make you feel like you’re in the heart of the Alps. After shopping and dining you can gear up and head to the ski resort, where exhilarating activities await you. There’s ski opportunities for all levels, scenic gondola rides, a raised alpine coaster, mountain tours, EpicMix Racing, snowboarding, snow tubing, and more! vail.com

The Wild, Wild West sure is a lot different than we’re used to here on the East Coast. With archaeological ruins, sky-piercing mountains, skiing adventures, and black bears in the forest, Colorado is nothing like Florida. Although the Sunshine State provides us with warmth and beaches, it’s nice to explore a different coast every once in a while!

Mesa Verde

THE PROS AND CONS OF EYEBROW DORMERS

n eyebrow dormer, also known as a roof eyebrow, is a wavy dormer that protrudes through the slope of a roof. It contains a window that may be fixed or operable. The first eyebrow dormers appeared on medieval

By NICK GROMICKO, CMI®

Athatch-roofed cottages, making their way to America in the second half of the 19th century on Queen Annestyle houses after being popularized by Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Today, roof eyebrows can be found on many different types of homes, from post-modern beach homes to converted-garage guest cottages. They are most commonly found on the attic, although they’re sometimes incorporated into basements, garages and additions. Their designs, too, can vary from

tall half-rounds to gentle “ocean waves” and geodesic domes.

Construction is difficult, however, as most require a tricky framing and roofing, as well as a custom-made sash. The advantages offered by eyebrow dormers, and dormers in general (such as shed dormers), are a mix of aesthetics and function; they provide a curvaceous, subtle way to bring light into a building and ventilate the topfloor space while breaking up the monotony of an otherwise angular

roof or flat, interior ceiling. Through these design features, occupants can gaze across their yard or see who is coming up the driveway. Occupants also enjoy additional headroom in certain areas without having to raise the building’s primary roofline. And, as with any design feature that adds elegance and utility to a home, eyebrow dormers typically improve the home’s resale value.

Eyebrow dormers are not usually problem areas, although shoddy roof work is probably more

likely here than at the rest of the roof due to the expert handiwork required to put them together competently.

LEAkiNg migHT bE AN iSSuE bECAuSE EyEbROw DORmERS ARE OFTEN SHiNgLED SEPARATELy FROm THE REST OF THE ROOF, SO iT’S POSSibLE THAT THE CONNECTiON bETwEEN THE TwO iS A wEAk POiNT FOR RuNNiNg RAiNwATER.

They can be inspected for water intrusion around the interior and exterior of the window. Any water intrusion should be reported to an InterNACHI inspector during the next scheduled inspection so that the location can be inspected for mold and damage to building components. Inspectors and roofers should be extra careful while traversing roofs that include eyebrow dormers, as their undulating slope can allow for a deadly loss of footing.

Specialty dormers are usually quite expensive. In construction, anything that deviates from a straight line will cost extra. If the window is an unusual shape, it’s going to need to be custom-made and it will cost even more. In addition to the expense of a curved window, the inside of the eyebrow will need to be finished, and the exterior must be roofed around a tricky geometric shape. An eyebrow may cost the homeowner more than $10,000 if it’s a large retrofit, although the price will be somewhat less if it is incorporated into the building’s original construction. Regardless, eyebrows will typically cost several times as much as a skylight, a common design alternative.

In summary, eyebrow dormers add class to a building without requiring a dramatic change in architecture. Such unusual exterior design features in buildings and homes should be checked for flashing defects, water intrusion and other problems that custom features can present.

By Paul Cummins | No Surprises Home Inspection | nosurpriseshomeinspection.com

SIMPLE SCIENCE

SCIENCE TRIES TO EXPLAIN SYSTEM S

The better we understand how systems in a home work, the safer we can keep the home and the better inspectors we will be. One example of science confusion is “filtration lines,” those dark stripes along the walls of carpets. The presumption is that fine particles get sucked into the walls by the negative pressure provided by your forced air system. Some sources say it’s even due to holes in the ductwork.

Questions to ask include:

1. How much pressure is needed to pull dust along a wall?

2. Why are the lines so uniform? Certainly, some areas of the wall would be more permeable than others.

3. What about lines on concrete floors?

Occam’s Razor is a standard for testing hypotheses, and it proposes that simple solutions are more likely to be correct than complex ones: surely the tack strips make it more difficult to clean next to the wall. Carpet cleaners who say they can’t be cleaned are not pretreating with a brush and using a small enough vacuum head to get them up. It seems to make the most sense that these stripes are primarily just dirt that is not easy to vacuum up.

Maybe, in some cases, dust comes out of the ducts. This would certainly be cause for comment. It’s important to stay humble and keep trying to get a bigger picture, say, from multiple causes.

Occam’s Razor can help us come up with simple solutions for homeowners and protect them from less knowledgeable or unscrupulous contractors:

Cleaning the gutters and adding downspout extenders is a simple surface solution to wet basements. Even adding expensive foundation floor drains means the water still must pass over the whole basement wall before it gets removed. How about this drainage solution that saved a house from the waterproofing expense?

“PLEASE JUST GET THE GUTTER CLEANED BEFORE YOU HAVE THE BASEMENT WATERPROOFED!” IS SOMETHING I’VE SAID MANY TIMES.

SCIENCE CAN SEE INTO THE FUTURE

Scientists can predict when the sun will expand and melt the Earth because of how other stars like ours have behaved. Because of our experiences in older homes, we can predict what will happen to a poorly supported expansion tank, for example.

Expansion tanks are installed because water takes up more space when it’s heated. The pressure causes weeping valves and joints nearby, and in one of my houses, a CPVC joint popped out in the bathroom just above the water heater. These effects happen regardless of the absence of backflow preventers.

Utility Has to Be Balanced with Safety in Science

There are always trade-offs between function and safety; think of the moon mission. The astronauts must stay alive while riding inside a spacecraft. The more complicated the system, the harder it might be to understand safety concerns. Take water heaters and electric panels, for example. Realtors will say they “work,” yet they contain safety devices that can’t be tested until they’re needed, and that could be too late. Circuit breakers are supposed to trip before the wires melt. Thermostats on water heaters are supposed to turn off before super-heated water comes shooting out of the TPR valve, which is not desirable, but better than the tank exploding. If the TPR valve doesn’t work, then it’s astronaut time. Gas furnaces eventually get holes in the heat exchanger. Death is unlikely in any of these circumstances, but why take the chance with a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, a water heater more than 15 years old, or a gas furnace over 25?

As teachers of house science, we need to do our best to understand how the different parts of a house work together, link our recommendations to observable facts as we discuss them with home buyers, be humble (we might not have the whole picture), and look out for the future of our clients by making sure their new house is safe.

SOME USEFUL SCIENCE TERMS:

These are caused by steel flakes from old water heaters settling along the pipes, eventually causing pinhole leaks.

Efflorescence: When water passes through a substance, or, like on metal ducts, simply touches it, salts are drawn out.

THREE WAYS HEAT MOVES: Conduction is through touching. Convection is through air movement. Radiation is invisible infrared electromagnetic radiation. Insulation with a foil face prevents all three kinds of heat movement.

Adiabatic Cooling: Is part of why air conditioners work.

Have you ever cleaned your keyboard with a can of compressed air? A volatile fluid (meaning it has a low boiling point) is compressed in a can. It has a certain amount of heat in a small space, and when you reduce the pressure by opening the valve, it has the same amount of heat in a larger space, so it gets cold.

Also, the change of state from a liquid to a gas absorbs heat from the surroundings (in the same way sweat from your body takes the heat with it as it changes into a gas).

Here’s one on CPVC looking like a catapult. On new homes, they are still installing them straight up on 18 inches of 3/4 inch copper pipe. Water is supposed to cycle in and out, but if the internal bladder fails, the tank remains filled with water. I have seen 2-year-old tanks full of water bending the lower joints. One plumber told me when a tank torqued off it did $75,000 worth of damage to the basement. Therefore, these need shelves under them or straps to support them so they stay upright.

Condensation: Condensation is a process. It’s the opposite of evaporation. That stuff on your iced tea glass in August is condensate.

Galvanic Corrosion: When different metals contact each other, an electric current forms, which can lead to degradation of the materials. Volta used this property to invent the battery. One of the oddest occurrences of this in homes is those green spots all along the bottom of copper pipes.

This all happens when the high-pressure line shoots coolant into the interior coil. Well, the low-pressure line (the big line-set pipe) then takes it out to the compressor/condenser to get pressed into a liquid again so the cycle can repeat itself. No net heat is lost, it’s just transferred outside.

The only energy added is by the work the compressor does (and the exterior fan).

Adiabatic cooling is also how water vapor leaves the ground and turns into water droplets in the clouds because the air pressure decreases with altitude. The air literally weighs less as you go up. The weight of air pressing on us at sea level is like being under 10 meters of water.

Why should I get a home inspection?

Buying a home is typically the biggest investment you will ever make, so it’s important to get a home inspection because the inspector should be able to discover and document defects that may or may not be obvious to you as a prospective buyer. Such defects can range from simple replacements or repairs, to severe damage or safety and health concerns. Additionally, most mortgage companies require a home inspection on a property before approving the home loan. Read InterNACHI’s Top 10 Reasons to Get a Home Inspection.

How much does a home inspection cost?

There is no set cost for a home inspection. The cost will vary based on the inspector, the local market, the geographic region, the scope of the inspection to be performed, and more. Before the inspection, you should find out what will be included in the inspection and what won’t, and these details should also be outlined in the inspection agreement that you will need to sign prior to the inspection.

DEAR NICK

NICK IS THE FOUNDER OF INTERNACHI®, THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTORS, BASED IN BOULDER, COLORADO. INTERNACHI® IS THE WORLD’S LARGEST ASSOCIATION OF PROPERTY INSPECTORS — WITH ONE OF THE LARGEST WEBSITES ON THE INTERNET AT WWW.NACHI.ORG — OFFERING EDUCATION, TRAINING, BENEFITS AND SUPPORT TO ITS MEMBERS TO HELP THEM SUCCEED IN THE HOME INSPECTION INDUSTRY.

How long does a home inspection take?

Depending on the home’s age, size, and location, as well as the home inspector’s own work protocols and ethic, your home inspection may take up to three hours. Adding square footage, outbuildings, and/or ancillary services (such as mold or radon testing) will increase that time. It may be necessary for your inspector to bring in a helper for a very large property. If your general home inspection takes significantly less than two to three hours, it may indicate that the inspector was not thorough enough.

At what point in the real estate transaction should I schedule a home inspection?

A home inspection is usually scheduled after an offer has been made and accepted, but before the closing date. That way, the inspector can rule out any major defects that could be dangerous or costly. In rare cases — due to timing or contractual issues — the inspection can be scheduled after the closing date. If this is the case, the home buyer

should schedule the inspection for the earliest possible date after closing.

What happens if the inspection reveals problems?

If your home inspection reveals any problems, it is important to understand the severity of the defect. For example, a missing shingle or dirty air filter can be easily fixed at a low cost. However, if the defect is more extreme, such as a major foundation crack, wood-destroying organism infestation, or evidence of mold, you should find out how these problems can be addressed, and whether you can negotiate their cost with the seller. If it is determined after you move in that your home has a severe defect that wasn’t reported by your InterNACHI® Certified Professional Inspector®, you should check to see if he or she participates in InterNACHI’s “We’ll Buy Your Home Back” Guarantee.

Questions: If you have a question for Nick Gromicko on or about home inspections, please email us at editorial@thinkmagazine.us.