Upon Closer Inspection

Spring Home Maintenance: Grading And Drainage

By Brenda Masse / March 22, 2023 /

It’s officially spring, and that can mean lots of rain followed by a long, dry summer. Does your yard have proper grading and drainage to protect your home? If not, you could be set up for foundation damage. Here are a few things to know: Negative Drainage Grading and drainage refer to the way your…

Midcentury Home Reveals Surprising Cache of Vintage Appliances

By Brenda Masse / March 15, 2023 /

We know CandysDirt.com readers love a historic home, and home inspectors do, too. If you love looking at houses and solving problems, there is nothing like a historic home for getting in all the nooks and crannies and finding all the interesting details: unique structures that have held up over time and vintage appliances. In…

What Homeowners Can Learn From Storm Damage in North Texas

By Brenda Masse / March 8, 2023 /

During last week’s round of storms you hopefully learned or were reminded of two key things that will help keep you safe this spring storm season: 1) A WATCH means that we have all the ingredients for tacos: tacos are possible; while a WARNING means we’re having tacos: tacos are happening now. 2) The sirens…

Foundation Problems Are The Elephant in The Room in North Texas

By Brenda Masse / March 1, 2023 /

If you’re a homeowner in North Texas, we’d like to begin this week’s column with a trigger warning: this post contains mention of foundation problems. We know. They suck, they’re expensive, and nobody wants to talk about them. But, look, if you own a home here — or you’re going to — it’s simply the…

Inspection Tips For When You Build a Home in D-FW

By Brenda Masse / February 22, 2023 /

There’s nothing more disappointing than buying something new and having it break, get stained, or otherwise ruined right away. Your latest Amazon purchase arrives broken. You spill wine on your new white shirt. Your shiny new car has. a. SCRATCH. Devastating. It’s even worse when that new purchase is a house. The stakes are much…