Inspect For Yourself: Can You Tell What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Every week, the detail-oriented folks at Green Scene Home Inspections will give CandysDirt.com readers an education in inspection. Want to see what they see? Tune in for “Upon Closer Inspection.”

As a homeowner, it’s a good idea to hone your observation skills around your house so that when problems arise, they don’t go unnoticed. Sometimes things may look fine, but upon closer inspection, you see there’s something wrong.

Take a look at these pictures and see if you can tell what’s wrong:

In the photo above, you can see that the gas meter located behind the house, just a few feet away from the neighbor’s gas meter. If you look a little closer …

This gas meter is facing the wrong way, toward the fence, and is actually SO close to the fence that the meter can’t be accessed. Talk about only having one job … and the neighbor’s meter is RIGHT THERE for reference. SMH.

Can you tell what’s wrong here?

This is a gas stove, which should have an exhaust vent that goes to the outside. You can see there’s no vent… and the nasty build up that has collected on the wall as a result. 

Would you know what to do here (hopefully before this has happened)?

We recommend that downspouts be extended at least 36 inches from the foundation. Inspector John explains why in this video:

Do you know what this device is, and what’s wrong in this picture?

It’s a grounding device that has been thoughtfully installed by the builder, but this one hasn’t been connected.

Here’s more about grounding devices:

There are so many parts of a home to keep track of, and it’s all too easy to become “house blind” to things you see every day. The best practice is to have a solid seasonal home maintenance plan that will keep you checking in on the different systems of your house periodically.