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Sheetrock cracking can sometimes be associated with foundation settlement; however, foundation settlement is by no means the only cause. Other causes include dimension changes associated with moisture content changes and/or warping, shrinking, or dimension changes in the wood frame building structure. Moisture changes will occur frequently if the interior of a home is exposed to the atmosphere, which has varying degrees of humidity throughout the year. One very common cause of cracking is associated with moisture changes that occur following construction and remodeling efforts due to drying conditions that develop naturally inside a home, especially once the central heating and air conditioning systems are utilized. These systems lower the humidity and moisture conditions inside a home. Most construction materials, including wood and gypsum sheetrock, experience post-installation drying.

Strip flooring is usually referred to as hardwood flooring. Strip flooring typically is of white or red oak, maple, beech or birch; it is also often made of less expensive softwood such as hemlock, larch or elm.

Strip dimensions are measured across the face of the strip, not including its protruding tongue. Typical widths include 1-1/2 inch, two inches, 2-1/4 inches and 3-1/4 inches. A commonly used width is 3/4 of an inch.

When aluminum is used instead of copper wiring, aluminum wiring fire hazards can result. If you’re dealing with a home built, added on to, or rewired between 1965 and 1972, aluminum wiring might be a problem for you. Research by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed that homes wired with aluminum wire manufactured before 1972 are 55 times more likely to have one or more connections reach fire hazard conditions than homes wired with copper.

Aluminum wire manufactured after 1972 was somewhat improved, though the introduction of aluminum alloys did not solve most of the connection failure problems, and aluminum use for branch wiring, that is wiring to receptacles and switches, ended by the mid seventies.

Gas ranges that are malfunctioning can cause carbon monoxide dangers. Six people died May 8, 2000 in Roslyn Heights, New York after a Long Island homeowner disconnected his carbon monoxide detector because he thought its repeated buzzing was due to a malfunction. The air conditioning system pulled carbon monoxide gas from an adjacent natural gas furnace and spread it throughout the home while they slept.

In Minnesota a jury in February awarded two parents $1.9 million after their two children were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in their recently-purchased home. The jury found the former owner of the home and the real estate company that helped him sell it liable in the wrongful death lawsuit because a previous home inspection had identified a problem with the furnace that was not disclosed to the new owners.

When constructed improperly, homeowners often find themselves with retaining walls that lean. Most of the retaining walls throughout the state consist of concrete block masonry. The remaining are dominated by brick or rubble stone masonry walls, solid poured concrete and segmental concrete block. The most critical (dangerous) retaining walls are those over four feet tall. At this height, the lateral forces behind the wall become substantial and hollow-core concrete block has a difficult time resisting these lateral forces. The end result of an improperly constructed wall is gradual, forward tilting, followed by eventual collapse. The latter normally occurs during rainfall.

When underlying floor problems occur, cracks in ceramic tiles can result. Many have watched a homeowner and home inspector express concern about cracks in ceramic tile flooring. Any type of random, jagged crack inside a home creates alarm in a buyer and there is nothing more disturbing than cracked ceramic tile. It also detracts from the appearance of an otherwise beautiful flooring material. Included are the most common causes of ceramic tile cracks and possible solutions to correct them.

When moisture buildup occurs, high moisture in crawl spaces can result. The most common source of moisture inside a crawl space is related to a combination of moisture vapor rising out of the uncovered ground and warm, high-humidity air entering the crawl space through the perimeter foundation vents during the summer months. Whenever warm, humid air enters the crawl space, the warm air temperature drops about 20 degrees or more since the temperature in the crawl space is much cooler than outside air.

When moisture buildup in floors occurs, hardwood floor cupping can result.

Cupping, also called "washboard", is a condition where the edges of a piece of flooring (across its width) are high and the center is lower. This generally develops gradually. Moisture imbalance through the thickness of the flooring is the only cause. Moisture is greater on the bottom of the piece than on the top.