So, are you a Fiduciary?
"A fiduciary is a person who holds a legal or ethical relationship of trust with one or more other parties (person or group of persons)."
Engineering & Inspection Services, Licensed PE - Alabama & Tennessee
“Dear God, Martha, Our House is Breaking in Two!”
When I arrived at the home, the sellers were sitting at the kitchen table and the wife was in tears. “Our house is breaking in two!” “My husband has been laid off and the contractors are telling us it’s going to cost more than $10,000.00 to repair our cracked foundation.” I asked if I could see the floor crack. The husband took me into the living room and showed me. It was about 3/8-1/2-inch wide and extended across the entire width of the room, from the back wall toward the front. He explained, “we pulled up the carpet to put down hardwood flooring and we found this.” “It’s pretty bad, isn’t it”, he exclaimed. I peered around the room in a 360-degree glance and did not see any drywall cracks in the walls or ceiling. I walked across the floor and did not detect any floor slope. Finally I explained, “Mr. Smith, you have nothing to worry about!” This is simply a shrinkage crack. It is not a structural crack or sign that your foundation is breaking apart. It’s purely cosmetic. Read more
Why is My Ceiling Cracking?
There are a number of reasons why ceiling cracking happens:
Reason 1 – Heavy Moisture
Moisture damage from above the ceiling, either from the floor above or from damage to a roof, can cause significant ceiling damage. Cracks may appear along with crumbling, discoloration or peeling paint. Also, if your ceiling has drywall tape affixed to it, the tape may separate from the ceiling and hang down in strips. Read more
Unnecessary Panic!: Mold & Fungus In the Crawlspace
I recently received a call from a Realtor who is selling a home. He asked if I could double-check the findings of another home inspection company that requested expert advice on some mold/fungus they found in the crawl space of the home. I gladly obliged.
After my inspection I wrote the following report: Read more