​Tornado's, as we know, are extremely destructive.  When faced with this type of a threat, what can we do to protect ourselves if we are at home during a tornado? Here are a few suggestions:
 

• If a tornado is imminent, take cove immediately.  This would mean staying out of rooms that have a lot of windows as they can easily smash and cover you in dangerous glass shards.  Windows will also make it easier for other projectiles to enter into the room.

 

• When deciding which room to take shelter in, make sure you are not in a room where there are heavy items such as large furniture pieces or a refrigerator located in the room above.  In the event that the floor above you starts to weaken, these heavier items are likely to fall through to the floor below which could cause serious injury to anyone underneath. 

 

• Some of the best places in the home to take shelter in are Interior rooms that do not have any exterior walls.  During a tornado, interior walls tend to remain whole whereas exterior walls do not.  If you can, take shelter in the bathroom.  This is because the piping and plumbing work offer added support to walls. Also, if you have a bath tub, you can get into it and place a covering over you for extra safety. 

 
What are some further ways to protect yourself if the weather forecast shows potential for a tornado?
 

• If you have some indication that a tornado might occur, turn off your electricity at the mains so as to prevent fire.  It is advisable to turn off the water as well.

 

• Move furniture away from windows and remove mirrors and picture frames from walls.  Secure heftier furniture item like bookcases and cabinets to walls (it is advisable to do this anyway to prevent these items becoming a tip over hazard, particularly if there are young children in the home)

 

• Have a disaster supply kit ready, it should contain everything you would need in an emergency.

 

• For those areas that experience a lot of tornado activity, It is advisable to install a storm shelter if you are able or be aware of the location of one.

 
Yes, tornados can be frightening and unpredictable, but knowing ahead of time what to do, will help to keep you safe. 

A lot of homeowners opt to sell their own home.  There are various reasons for this, maybe they prefer to save on real estate agent fees or perhaps enjoy the idea of having more control.  For whatever reason, if you are selling your own home, how can you do it successfully?

• Being well prepared is an important first step.  You will need to find out all the various rules and regulations you will be required to follow.  It might also be a good idea to have your lawyer help you with understanding contracts and legal documents.

• Is your home ready for showing or does it need some work?  It should look as appealing as possible for a potential buyer, so have a good clean up, declutter and do those repair jobs that have been waiting to be done.

• You will need to learn how to negotiate the sale.  You will be dealing with experienced real estate agents who are looking for a great deal for their clients.  It may mean that you will have to turn down some offers at first to ensure the right price for you.

• With so much information accessible online nowadays, its easy to find useful information on how to sell your own home.  Take advantage of this valuable tool at your disposal.

• Have a home inspector perform a Move In Certified home inspection for you.  This means you will know ahead of time any possible issues with your home, that would be a problem for a potential buyer.

• Be aware that there are different laws for different zones.  Make sure you find out all the legal information and requirements for your particular area.

It is possible to make a success of selling your own home if you are well prepared and know what you are in for.  If you would like to schedule your Move In Certified home inspection, please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

Spring is often a time when we decide to do those home maintenance jobs we’ve been waiting all winter to do.  Perhaps some of those jobs are obviously in need of doing, but what about the rest of the house? Do you know what kind of condition it’s in?

Although we get our home inspected to know its condition before we buy it, wouldn’t it benefit from more than a one-time check? After all, we have many things from our cars to our health checked at least once a year, so why not our house?
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The following video will help you to see why having an annual home inspection performed is of great benefit.  You may be wondering how much that would cost, but it’s actually a lot less that you think.  Please feel free to contact us for more information regarding having an annual home inspection performed.

​Are you looking to change the floors in your house? Perhaps you’d like a change from carpet.  There are a lot of options for flooring these day, so there’s a lot to choose from.  What about laminate flooring? Could this work for you and your household?

Laminate is installed by multiple panels or pieces fitting together to form the entire floor.  Laminate is usually comprised of fiberboard with a melamine resin.

But, when making the decision about laminate flooring, why not look at the advantages as well as the disadvantages? 
 
Here are a few of the advantages:

• Laminate flooring is normally easy to install. 
• It’s cheaper than some other types of flooring, so you can transform the look of a whole room for a comparatively low cost.
• There are a whole range of looks to choose from.  These generally fall under what would be considered the hardwood category, but you can also select from styles like a marble or granite effect.

Some of the disadvantages:

• Melamine resin that comprises laminate flooring contains the chemical formaldehyde, which can be harmful to health.  It is possible, however, to find products that have less toxins.
• For assorted reasons this type of flooring could shift or move.  It’s also good to note that if the subfloor contains a lot of moisture or even if there is a leak of some kind, the laminate could begin to warp or buckle.

 
So, in summary, laminate flooring can be an excellent choice because of its various style options and cheaper price but be sure to do your research on it before installing, and look at the floor underneath to make sure it’s in good order.  

If you are a potential buyer of a new home, one area that you would want to check and inspect to make sure is in good working order is the kitchen.  Of course, the kitchen of a potential new home should be inspected by a professional home inspector, but there are basic things you can check while taking a walk around a house you are looking to buy.  

While walking in the kitchen, start with turning on the water from the faucet in the sink, checking the water pressure, and also plugging the drain in the sink to later drain it.  These steps could help you understand the water flow of the house, and also help you to understand if there are any issues with the drainage of the of the house.  While at the sink, feel free to open the cupboard doors under the sink and check if there is a garbage disposal.  You can also check to see if there is any water damage.  This water damage can come from a leaky pipe under the sink, or from leaky hoses or old seals in the dishwasher that is next to the sink. 

Any signs of water damage could be a further indication of mold problems, or even rotting wood in the floors or inside the walls surrounding the dishwasher.  Other areas you could look at in the kitchen are the counter tops or the refrigerator.  By doing these simple inspection steps this could start to address some of your concerns in the kitchen of your potential new home.

​With a new year just around the corner, perhaps you’re making plans to make some life changes.  Maybe moving to a new house is something you are planning.  Will you be selling your home?  If the answer is yes, are you preparing a budget? 
 
It might seem like there is so much to think about and is no doubt overwhelming.  One thing that is very important to factor into your budget is a pre-listing home inspection.  You may be thinking is that is really necessary?  That’s why we have this brief video for you.  It will help you understand why a pre-listing inspection done by an InterNACHI certified home inspector is so important.
 
We are here to help you.  Please don’t hesitate 

​In last months blog, we discussed some of the many benefits when constructing a home, if the design can incorporate using as much natural energy as it can from the sun and wind. What are some other examples of how this can be done?


When it comes to the design of a home, windows play a very important role. They allow for heat to transfer a lot quicker that walls do, so depending on the climate and the home itself, it could be good to have quite a lot of windows. There should be a balance here though as too many are not good either. The type of window you choose must also be a consideration. It can be a good idea to use a energy saver window such as a 'low-e' type.


The orientation of the driveway is also a big factor to consider. Driveways are usually constructed of asphalt or gravel which can become extremely hot in the warmer months, this can affect the home. In the designing phase of the home, its good to think about the climate and, within reason, how energy can be maximized by the correct positioning of the driveway.


Of course, we are aware that there are many factors to consider when it comes to designing a home. Is it possible to design the home so as to be able to maximize the energy from prevailing winds? Can the home be oriented in such as way that is would benefit from refreshing breezes in the summer months but also protect it against cold winds in the winter?


This has been a brief and simple summary, but as we can see when it comes to a homes design, an important part of the design should be good orientation, in order to be able to maximize the useful energy of the surrounding natural elements.    

It is not a new thing to build homes in a position that enables them to utilize the suns energy for providing heat. While today this is also done, other factors come into play such as the homes curb appeal etc. What are some of the ways that homes can be designed and constructed, enabling them to work with natural elements like the sun?


With the amazing technology we have today, when a home is in its design phase, computer models can show precisely how a home needs to be positioned and designed in order to get maximum solar gain, as well as seasonal thermal performance.


It is not just the structure of the home itself that should be positioned correctly. The floor plan is also an important factor to consider. For example, rooms such as the living room and kitchen that are inhabited most should be designed so that they benefit from the suns rays in the winter, but also have shade in the summer. This would also be good when thinking about the position of patios and decks. Areas and rooms that are not used as much like garages and laundry rooms don't need to benefit from the suns heat as much and so can be planned out in a similar way.


What about strategic positioning of trees? If placed correctly, they will provide much needed shade in the summer. At the same time though, you do not want them to prevent much needed sunlight in the winter, so much thought and good planning must be taken when deciding which type of tree is best and factors such as whether it will loose its leaves in the winter.


There are many other things we can do when it comes to optimizing natural energy. In our next article we will consider a few more of these.

When children are little, falling over is an everyday occurrence and the majority of times, they are unhurt. Did you know, however, that well over 2.5 million children visit the emergency room each year due to a fall related injury? It is worth a consideration then, to see how some of these falls can be avoided.


One way of protecting your child against dangerous falls, is to install safety gates. These can be placed in doors ways or stairs. There are a couple of types of safety gate you should consider. These are the type that are fixed by pressure mounting them against walls or doorways. Then there are hardware mounted gates that are fixed with screws. Although this seems like a permanent thing, they are actually very easy to remove.


When thinking about which type of safety gate to choose for your staircase, the best option is the hardware mounted type. This is much more secure, and is what you need to ensure that your small child does not fall down the stairs.


Pressure mounted safety gates are good for door ways, for example one that goes into the kitchen. This will keep your crawling baby or toddler away from potential dangers in the kitchen.


Its important to remember that whichever gate is best for you, make sure it meets the ASTM standards. To make sure the gate has this, check the gate or the packaging which will indicate if it meets these standards.

If you are thinking of buying an older home, you might want to consider that it could possibly be wired with aluminum wiring. Is this something you should be concerned about?

Here are a few factors to consider;

• Aluminum has been shown to have certain weaknesses which make it less durable than copper wiring

• Aluminum is a soft metal, which can break down, especially if it has been twisted and bent a lot. and this can pose a real danger

• If exposed to air, aluminum can oxidize which can eventually create a fire hazard.

• If you are considering buying a house that hasn't been lived in for a while or has been neglected, be aware that electrical fixtures such as outlets and light fittings containing aluminum wiring can become a dangerous fire risk when neglected.

• You might not be able to insure the home if it has aluminum wiring

As you can see from this very brief overview, aluminum wiring can be quite dangerous especially as it poses a much greater fire risk than copper wiring


Please contact us here at Golden Home Inspections for more information and advice on what to do if you have aluminum wiring in your home.