Home Pro Home Inspections : Providing Home Inspections and Radon Testing to the Rochester, MN and Southeastern Minnesota area.

Connie & Mike D, Rochester, MN

rickerickson — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:28:18 +0000

Rick, you did a wonderful job making the inspection process understandable, especially during the walk through. Thank you very much!

Damaged Garage Door

rickerickson — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:57:07 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the attached video of a cracked garage door top panel. I come across this defect quite often during home inspections. Improper adjustment of the garage door tracks and/or the drive chain can result in jerking of the door during operation. The jerking can result in flexure at the center of the door when the panel is in the horizontal position. There is a lot of stress at the connection point where the chain drive is connected to the garage door.

If your garage door is flexing or jerking during operation, contact a local Rochester or Southeastern MN contractor specializing in garage door installation.

Rick Erickson, Home Inspector. HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942

So Why Wouldn’t You Cover Your Air Conditioner During The Winter Months?

rickerickson — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:31:57 +0000

Yes, there is an air conditioner under there

Some experts argue that some AC covers actually trap moisture inside your air conditioner for long periods of time which could then lead to the rust as well as the exact same icing problem as when it wasn’t covered. Others point out that covers on AC units keep them dry and relatively clean and free from a steady cold wind – which makes them a perfect place for mice, chipmunks and other critters to snuggle in for the winter and chew your air conditioners wires to shreds.

To summarize, here are the pros and cons of covering your AC unit in the winter months:

Pros to covering your air conditioner:

Keeps your air conditioner coils a little cleaner so it may run a little more efficiently when you use it again
Prevents heavy debris like sticks, branches and other yard waste from blowing into your AC
Helps prevent water from directly resting on your coils and freezing, which could be damaging.
May save on maintenance costs and help lengthen the life of your air conditioner

Cons to covering your air conditioner:

Could trap in moisture if not doneproperly
Could provide a tempting spot for small animals to nest during winter months
Most AC manufacturers don’t specifically recommend covering the outside unit

Air conditioner units are expensive to replace and even repair should something happen to it. If you’re not going to use air conditioner for a good six months or so out of the year it makes logical sense to close it off from the elements, at least a little bit. Covering your ac unit each year may allow it to last and run a little longer.

Here are some options to consider:

Cover Just the Top of your Air Conditioner: A lot of people choose taking the middle ground with an AC cover. They cover the top of their unit with a piece of plywood and secure it using a heavy brick or rock. This prevents most of the snow and ice from entering your AC unit from the top and it still leaves the sides open for plenty of cool air to blow through, eliminating the trapped moisture problem.

Fully Cover Your Air Conditioner: If you fully cover your air conditioner, you’ll want to take a few things into consideration. Using plastic makeshift AC covers out of things like tarps or large plastic bags are not a good idea because they can easily keep moisture stuck inside for a long time. They will also almost certain rip or blow off during a long winter unless you get pretty creative with your fastening.

If you’re going to go with a full cover then you might want to consider using a specially designed air conditioner cover

Rick Erickson, Home Inspector, HomePro Home Inspections, Serving Rochester and Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942

Vinyl Flooring Stains Around A Toilet

rickerickson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:57:49 +0000

The gray, (and sometimes pinkish), stains below the surface of the vinyl flooring around your toilet may indicate water damage. When there are stains around your toilet, there is probably a leak in the wax seal ring that seals the toilet to the plumbing flange at the floor. Continued leaking over a period of time will rot the flooring under your toilet and eventually leak into the ares below.

Try moving the toilet gently fron side to side. Your toilet should not move. If it is loose, you will probably need to have a new wax ring installed.

Sometimes a quick fix can be completed by tightening the nuts at either side of the toilet at the floor. Usually these nuts are located under a small plastic cap. You will need to be very careful in tightenening these nuts. Your toilet is made of porcelain that can break if you over tighten, have uneven pressure, or poor support at the flange. Turn only a quarter turn at a time. When the toilet will no longer move, it is tight enough.

Rick Erickson, Home Inspector. HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942

Adam H, Rochester, MN

rickerickson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:45:04 +0000

I needed an inspection ASAP, and I got one! Thank you for being so flexible in scheduling!

Matt & Angela P, Kasson, MN

rickerickson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:42:22 +0000

Thank You for taking the time to go over the report and for the final walk through to go over all the details in the inspection. We would recommend your services to others.

Emily V, Rochester, MN.

rickerickson — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:30:22 +0000

Thank You so much for your help Rick. You answered all of my questions and even more. I am more than happy with all of the information you offered me!

John & Deanna I, Rochester, MN

rickerickson — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:39:50 +0000

Thank you so much for the thorough job! Your report and answers were fantastic. We are very confident that we are getting a “solid” home. We will definately refer you to our friends and family.

Jim & Karen L, Rochester, MN.

rickerickson — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:27:08 +0000

Very professional, thorough and complete.

Eliminating Ice Dams

rickerickson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:11:38 +0000

Ice Dam

Ice dams can be a problem this time of year here in the Rochester area. Snow melts on the roof and freezes at the eaves leaving a dam. Continued melting will pool up behind the dam and has the potential to seep under your shingles, resulting in water damage to both the roof deck, as well as the walls and ceilings. During this home inspection I discovered that most all of the insulation from the roof deck had fallen loose in the partial attic section of this story and a half home. In addition, there was no insulation on the interior knee wall, and very little insulation in the ceiling area. The problem results in heat escape to the roof deck, causing the snow melt.

The recommendation here is to hire an insulation contractor to provide adequate insulation to the affected areas to increase insulation efficiency and eliminate the ice damming.

Rick Erickson, Home Inspector. HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942