​Owning a home is a wonderful feeling, but it also comes with the responsibility of keeping it in tip-top shape.  The good news is that many preventative maintenance tasks are easy to do and can significantly extend the life of your home, saving you money and headaches down the road. At Sage Home Inspections, we want to empower you to be a proactive homeowner. Here are 10 simple yet essential maintenance tasks you can incorporate into your routine:

10. Perform Seasonal Maintenance:  As seasons change, there are small tasks you can do to prepare your home. In the fall, winterize outdoor faucets and sprinklers. In the spring, check for signs of rodent activity and ensure proper ventilation in crawl spaces.

Remember, Prevention is Key

By incorporating these simple maintenance tasks into your routine, you'll be well on your way to keeping your home happy and healthy. 

Today, we're turning the spotlight on a plumbing material that's become a relic of the past: galvanized steel water pipes.  While still in use in many older homes, if your home's pipes are from the 1960s or earlier, they are likely nearing the end of the functional life span. 

The Problem with Rusting from Within

The zinc coating, while effective at first, degrades over time, especially when exposed to certain water conditions.  The real threat lies in the fact that this corrosion happens from the inside out.  Unlike external rust, this hidden enemy goes unnoticed until problems arise.


The Unwanted Effects of Aging Galvanized Pipes

Here's why galvanized pipes are no longer considered ideal for modern plumbing:

• Rust and Clogged Pipes: Over time, the zinc coating deteriorates, and the steel underneath begins to rust. This rust flakes off and accumulates inside the pipes, leading to restricted water flow and potential clogs.
• Reduced Water Pressure: Clogged pipes with restricted flow naturally result in lower water pressure throughout your house. This can be frustrating for tasks like showering or running multiple appliances simultaneously.
• Leaking Pipes: As rust weakens the pipes from within, leaks become a growing concern. 

Peace of Mind with Modern Plumbing Solutions

Fortunately, advancements in plumbing materials offer much more reliable and long-lasting solutions than galvanized pipes. Here are some popular alternatives:

• Copper Pipes: A trusted choice for durability and resistance to corrosion. However, copper can be more expensive than other options.
• PEX (Cross-linked Polyethylene): This flexible plastic tubing is becoming increasingly popular due to its affordability, ease of installation, and resistance to corrosion and freezing.
  

Two of the most common problems found with decks are related to the ledger board. This critical part of the deck is what keeps it where you want it: attached to the house and off of the ground.

​What is a Ledger Board?

The ledger board is a horizontal piece of lumber typically made from pressure-treated wood that's securely fastened to the exterior wall of your house. It acts as the anchor for your deck, literally carrying the weight of the entire structure – the deck joists, decking boards, furniture, and of course, the people enjoying it.

Why is a Properly Installed Ledger Board Crucial?

A compromised ledger board can have disastrous consequences. Here's why proper installation is essential:

• Structural Support: The ledger board transfers the deck's weight to the house's framing system. A weak or improperly attached ledger board can lead to deck sagging, instability, and even collapse.
• Moisture Protection: The ledger board forms a critical connection point between your deck and your house. Improper installation, especially without proper flashing, can allow moisture to seep between the ledger and  the house wall, causing rot and structural damage.

Ensuring a Secure Ledger Board:

There are key elements to a secure ledger board installation:

• Material: Use pressure-treated lumber specifically designed to withstand outdoor elements.
• Attachment: The ledger board should be securely bolted to the house's structural framing, not just the siding. This provides shear strength (holding the deck up) as well as lateral strength (preventing the deck from pulling off and away from the house). Simply nailing the ledger board onto the house will not cut it. Nails provide insufficient shear strength, and virtually no lateral strength. 
• Flashing: A waterproof flashing is installed on top of the ledger board  and up under the siding above to divert water away from the house wall. This critical step is often skipped during the construction of the deck, and is much harder to do once the deck is built. Take the extra 30 minutes to do this right from the start, or take a whole weekend to retrofit the flashing in once the deck is already completed. 

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At Sage Home Inspections, we prioritize your safety and the well-being of your family. One crucial aspect of homeownership is ensuring your electrical system is up-to-date and functioning properly. Today, we'll delve into the world of grounded vs. ungrounded wiring, specifically focusing on the safety hazards of ungrounded outlets and why a home inspection is essential to identify them.

Understanding Grounded and Ungrounded Wiring

• Grounded Wiring: This is the standard in modern homes. A grounded system features three wires: hot, neutral, and ground. The hot wire carries electricity to your appliances, the neutral wire completes the circuit, and the ground wire provides a safe path for any stray current to flow back to the earth. This significantly reduces the risk of electrical shock.

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• Ungrounded Wiring: Found in older homes built before the 1960s, ungrounded systems only have two wires: hot and neutral. Without a dedicated ground path, a malfunctioning appliance with a compromised internal wire could energize its metal casing. If you touch the casing while grounded yourself (through contact with wet floors or touching plumbing), you risk serious electrical shock.

Safety Risks of Ungrounded Outlets
Ungrounded outlets pose several dangers:

• Electrical Shock: As mentioned above, the biggest risk is getting shocked if you come into contact with a faulty appliance plugged into an ungrounded outlet.
• Fire Hazards: Electrical malfunctions due to ungrounded systems can cause sparks and overheating, leading to potential house fires.
• Equipment Damage: Ungrounded systems can damage your electronics due to power surges or fluctuations.

Why a Home Inspection is Crucial

While you can identify ungrounded outlets visually if they are two prong, a professional home inspection offers a much deeper inspection of your electrical system. A qualified inspector can:

• Identify all ungrounded outlets in your home, even ungrounded 3 prong ones.
• Assess the overall condition of your wiring.
• Recommend the most appropriate course of action for upgrading your electrical system to include proper grounding.

Imagine reaching for your phone charger, plugging it in, and... nothing happens. Frustrating, right? But what if the issue goes beyond a simple dead outlet? Reverse polarity, a seemingly minor electrical anomaly,  can cause more than just appliance malfunctions; it can pose a serious safety hazard in your home.

What is Reverse Polarity?

In a properly wired outlet, the "hot" wire (typically black or red) carries the current, while the "neutral" wire (white) acts as a return path for that current. Grounding wires (usually bare copper or green) provide an additional safety measure.  However, in reverse polarity, the hot and neutral wires are flipped. The hot wire is connected where the neutral wire should be, and vice versa.

Why is Reverse Polarity Dangerous?
Reverse polarity can lead to several safety concerns:

• Electrical Shocks:  When you touch an appliance plugged into a receptacle with reverse polarity, you might unknowingly become part of the electrical circuit, increasing the risk of a shock.

• Appliance Damage:  Reversed polarity can disrupt the flow of electricity, potentially damaging appliances or shortening their lifespan.

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• Sparking and Fire Risk:  Loose connections caused by tampering with wiring or faulty installations can lead to sparking and increase the risk of fire.

What to Do if Your Inspector Find Reverse Polarity:

Do not attempt to fix reverse polarity yourself! Electrical work requires qualified professionals. Contact a licensed electrician to address the issue and ensure your home's electrical system is safe and up to code.

​Selling a home can be an exciting yet stressful experience, and we understand that an inspection of your home can be intimidating. An inspection is not meant to be an indictment of the homeowner or their care for the home. Inspections are simply a snapshot in time of the current condition of the home. No judgements imposed. There are a few things you can do to make the inspection process easier, safer, and more efficient. Doing these things will ensure that the inspector can do their job to the fullest extent and to the best of their ability.  

1.  Boost Accessibility:
The inspector needs unobstructed access to all areas of your home, most importantly the attic, crawl space, furnace, water heater, and electrical panel (we often find that these areas are blocked). Removing clutter from these areas will ensure that the inspector can do their job completely. The inspector cannot move personal belongings, so anything that is not made accessible will not be inspected (This is for liability reasons. We don't want to break, disrupt, dislodge, or otherwise damage any of your belongings).

2. Eliminate Distractions:
Try to schedule the inspection when no other work is happening at the house. The inspector needs to use all of their senses when inspecting, including hearing. Leaf blowers, pressure washers, radios, vacuums, saws, etc can inhibit the inspector from hearing what they are doing and are distracting in general. Pressure washers also make it difficult to test the water pressure, as an example of another reason why additional workers at the home is less than ideal. 

3. Keep people to a minimum:
The inspector is typically running a series of tests on various components of the home throughout the inspection. Having people around that are turning off fans that the inspector is running, adjusting the thermostat, etc., is distracting and inefficient for the inspector. Multiple people hanging around, chatting, and talking to the inspector is also highly distracting and can cause things to get missed. 

4. Reduce Clutter:
If possible, provide an environment free from excessive clutter. Again, we do not move personal belongings, so anything that we cannot see or get to because of clutter, furniture, or stored items will not be inspected. 

​5.  Gather Documentation:
Collect any maintenance records you have,  such as HVAC servicing, roof replacement dates, etc. We do our best to figure these things out on our own, but sometimes having confirmation by way of documentation is helpful. 


Benefits of a Pre-Inspection:

• Peace of Mind: Uncover and fix potential problems before they become dealbreakers for buyers.
• Stronger Offers: Demonstrate your commitment to transparency by addressing concerns upfront.
• Faster Closing: Avoid delays that could slow down the selling process.

​Partner with Sage Home Inspections for a Stress-Free Inspection

We are dedicated to providing a thorough and detailed inspection of your home. We understand that selling a home can be stressful, and we're here to help you navigate the process with confidence.

​Aluminum wiring. Once a common alternative to copper wiring in the 1960s and 1970s due to its lower cost, aluminum wiring can pose a significant fire risk. Read on to find out why. 

Why Aluminum Wiring is a Fire Hazard
Unlike copper, aluminum expands and contracts at a greater rate with fluctuations in temperature. This can lead to several problems:

• Loose Connections: Over time, the expansion and contraction of aluminum wiring can loosen connections at outlets, switches, and breaker panels. Loose connections create resistance, which in turn generates heat – a significant fire hazard.

 

• Increased Fire Risk:  Loose connections and the higher resistance of aluminum wiring compared to copper can cause overheating at these points. This overheating can melt surrounding wires and insulation, ignite nearby flammable materials, and ultimately lead to a house fire.

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• Oxidation: Aluminum wiring is prone to oxidation, creating a white powdery crust that further increases resistance and worsens connection issues.

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It is important to note that not all aluminum wiring is dangerous. For instance, multi-strand aluminum wires are widely used as the main lines running to the house. The stuff we're concerned about is single strand (meaning it looks like one wire, not a bunch twisted all together) on 15 and 20 amp circuits. 

​Image of a loose connection on aluminum wiring at a neutral bus bar. Notice the scorch marks on the single strand bare aluminum wire.

​Image of a melted outlet due to overheating from aluminum wiring.​

Identifying Aluminum Wiring in Your Home
There are a few ways to identify if your home has aluminum wiring:
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• Look for exposed wiring: During renovations or repairs, if you see wiring with a silvery color, it's likely aluminum (though there is some tin coated copper that also looks silver). Copper wiring is typically reddish-brown.
• Hire a qualified electrician: The most reliable way to determine if you have aluminum wiring is to have a professional electrician conduct a full inspection of your home's electrical system.

Don't Be Left in the Dark: Consult a Qualified Electrician

If single strand aluminum wiring at the branch circuits was called out in your inspection, don't hesitate to contact a qualified electrician. They can assess the condition of the wiring, identify any potential problems, and advise you on the best course of action. In many cases, a process of connecting copper wires to the aluminum with special crimped fittings can be employed to eliminate the risk, and complete removal of the aluminum is not required.

​If you're the proud owner of an older home, you might come across a term during an inspection that sparks concern: knob and tube wiring. This type of electrical system, while once common, is no longer considered safe for modern homes. At Sage Home Inspections, we prioritize your safety, so we're here to explain why knob and tube wiring can pose a threat and what you can do about it.

What is Knob and Tube Wiring?
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Knob and tube wiring was installed in homes from the late 1880s to the 1940s and consists of insulated wires that are threaded through porcelain knobs and ceramic tubes. These "knobs" and "tubes" were what held the wiring off of the wood framing of the home. This is one of the very first iterations of electrical wiring installed in houses, and is widely considered to be outdated and unsafe by today's standards. Unlike fine wine, electrical wiring standards do not get better with age. 

Why is Knob and Tube Wiring Unsafe?
Several factors contribute to the safety concerns surrounding knob and tube wiring in today's homes:

• Outdated Insulation: The original rubber or cloth insulation on the wires can deteriorate over time, becoming brittle and cracked. This exposes the live wires, increasing the risk of electrical shock and sparking.
• Ungrounded System: Knob and tube wiring typically lacks a grounding wire, a crucial safety feature in modern electrical systems. A grounding wire provides a safe path for excess electricity to flow in case of a fault, preventing damage to appliances and reducing the risk of shock.
• Limited Capacity: Knob and tube wiring wasn't designed for the increased electrical demands of modern households. Today's homes rely on multiple appliances and electronics, which can overload the circuits and cause overheating, potentially leading to fires.
• Improper Modifications: Over the years, some knob and tube systems may have undergone modifications by unqualified electricians. These "amateur" repairs can further increase the risk of electrical hazards.

The Importance of Upgrading

​While knob and tube wiring might have functioned perfectly well for the homes it was originally installed in, it simply can't keep pace with the electrical needs and safety standards of today's residences. Upgrading to a modern electrical system is an investment in the safety of your home and your family.

What to Do if You Have Knob and Tube Wiring

If your home inspection reveals knob and tube wiring, don't panic. A lot of homes built before the 1950's still have this type of wiring in use today. It's actually not that uncommon to see in homes of that vintage.  A qualified electrician can assess the condition of the wiring, advise you on the best course of action, and provide a quote to perform the recommended repairs.

Often forgotten about and neglected, the attic space plays a vital role in a home's overall health.  Improper ventilation in the attic can create a breeding ground for moisture and microbial growths, leading to a host of potential problems. This blog post will shed light on the importance of proper attic ventilation,  helping you ensure it stays a safe and well-maintained area.