Three Tips Home Inspectors Say Every Homeowner Needs
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There are a million things you need to know as a homeowner; in fact, there’s so much that sometimes new homeowners secretly long for the days when they could just call the landlord when something goes wrong.
When you purchase a home for the first time, it’s common to learn as you go. That’s why a home inspection report is such a valuable tool. It’s like a primer or an outline for every system of your house that you can continue to reference for maintenance purposes as long as you live there.
That being said, as inspectors, there are things we notice that homeowners tend to neglect or seem largely unaware of. Here are three of those bits of wisdom from the inspectors:
Be Aware of CSST
Not everything that appears on an inspection report is a big deal. There are easy fixes out there that are good to know about that don’t require immediate attention — but this isn’t one of those. If you have Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing in your house, you need to act immediately.
CSST gas lines have been in the news as some recent accidents have brought renewed attention to the potential danger. CSST has been installed in about 10 million homes since the 1990s. The flaw is that the material is thinner, making it more prone to punctures, creating a major fire hazard.
The fix is to ground the CSST by connecting a #8 AWG copper wire from the manifold to the panel box ground. Read more about grounding CSST here.
Branches Too Close to the Roof Can Cause Major Damage
In North Texas, where we have major storms and high winds, tree maintenance is a much bigger deal than most residents seem to think. So much roof damage and other structural issues can be prevented by regular tree trimming. Allowing branches to grow too close to the roof and home structure is not only dangerous during a storm, but it also invites wood-destroying insects and other pests and vermin to your home.
DIY Electrical Installation Can Be Dangerous — Just Don’t Do It
OK, y’all know this is my favorite topic, and we’ve harped on DIY electrical fails for years. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, if you have an electrical problem, you need to call an electrician. If changing a light bulb, unplugging it and plugging it back in again, or flipping a breaker doesn’t fix the problem, you should probably get on the phone. This nonsense Inspector Alex found in the attic is just… I think that people forget or just don’t know that the second leading cause of house fires is an electrical issue. It’s really not something to experiment with — don’t DIY electrical.
If you are at a loss for where to start with home maintenance or have a question about one of the systems in your house, a home inspector is a great resource. You can have a seasonal maintenance inspection and get all your questions answered, even if you’re not buying or selling a home.
