Home Repair

The Other Rolling Stones – In your basement

Mar 5th, 2010 | By Steve Kornspan | Category: Home Repair, Inspection

The Other Rolling Stones by Don R. Carter PE Granted, this report is only relevant to a small percentage of Kansas City Homes – those who have pre-1960’s mortared limestone basement walls.  That said, we are seeing enough problems with these walls that knowledge of a potential risk should benefit those who do have them. [...]

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Asbestos Prevention and Healthy Tips for the Home

Feb 27th, 2010 | By Steve Kornspan | Category: Home Repair, Inspection

Asbestos Prevention and Healthy Tips for the Home The road to owning a home is a wonderful experience, but one that requires new responsibilities. Homes that are newly purchased may require additional remodeling or repairs.

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Structural Pier Types

Feb 2nd, 2010 | By Steve Kornspan | Category: Home Repair, Inspection

Home Front by Don R. Carter PE The day the house fell The Day the House Fell1 is the title of a book by Richard Handy, wherein he states, “About half the houses built every year in the U.S. are founded on expansive clays.  Half of those will eventually show some distress. Of the houses [...]

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Some Common Types of Mold

Feb 23rd, 2009 | By Steve Kornspan | Category: Home Repair, Inspection

Aspergillus / Penicillium: are two separate genera of molds so visibly similar, they are often grouped together. They comprise of approximately 400 different species, produce dry spore that are easily dispersed through the air, and serve as a source of food for mites therefore also being dispersed by mites and other insects. Outside: They may [...]

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Mold

Feb 23rd, 2009 | By Steve Kornspan | Category: Home Repair, Inspection

What is it? Where is it? Medical research indicates that mold is the number one cause of allergic symptoms. Mold naturally occurs in home, office, and school environments, and many thousands of different molds exist, but only a few of them are known to cause significant health problems, of which Stachybotrys chartarum (toxic black mold) and Aspergillus niger(widespread [...]

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Wood Rot aka Dry Rot

Feb 22nd, 2009 | By Steve Kornspan | Category: Home Repair

First off, dry rot isn’t dry. It’s wet and nasty and destroys your home. This is far and away the most common discovery that I see on home inspections and that’s why I recommend that a homeowner takes care of it before the home even goes on the market. If the inspector doesn’t find wood [...]

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