Hey Mark,
I’m selling my home and the buyers inspector did a radon test. The result was 4.9, and they said I had to have a mitigation system installed. That’s not very high. Why do I have to have it fixed?
Bob
Hey Bob,
Technically, there are no federal laws that require you  to do anything about the radon [...]

Filed under: Asbestos, Buyer's Inspection, Home Owner, Insulation, Radon Gas, St. Louis Home Inspection, St. Louis Home Inspector, Vermiculite | 1 Comment »

Q. Hey Mark,
We are trying to move from Texas to Wisconsin and found a home. We had the typical inspection and radon test performed. There were numerous semi- minor issues but a few bigger ones. Radon at 5.7, tree roots growing into the sump pump crock, etc. In our contract we did not give the [...]

Filed under: Buyer's Inspection, Home Inspections, Home Inspector, Home Owner, Radon Gas | 3 Comments »

Q. Hey Mark,
I have read the postings about vermiculite and that you should not disturb it. We only have 6 inches of insulation in our attic and need more [for] our cold winter weather. How do we add more insulation to the attic without disturbing the vermiculite and causing a health hazard? Will a professional [...]

Filed under: Asbestos, Home Owner, Insulation, Vermiculite | No Comments »

Hey Mark,
I am told that the vermiculite currently mined has no asbestos.
Here is the website: http://www.vermiculite.com/

The reason I am interested in using vermiculite as an attic insulation is that it is one of the few materials that is non toxic and non flammable. Fiberglass is flammable and in addition, I hate working with the stuff.

Does [...]

Filed under: Asbestos, Home Owner, Insulation, Vermiculite | No Comments »

Hey Readers,
I had an experience during a recent inspection that got me thinking about buyers’ expectations for their home inspection. How can you know what your home inspection will include? Every individual who is hiring a home inspector should ask their inspector what “standards” he or she follows during an inspection. For example, I [...]

Filed under: Buyer's Inspection, Home Inspections, Home Owner, Sellers Inspection, Uncategorized | No Comments »

I am always very concerned when a home buyer declines having a radon test during their home inspection. I’m genuinely uneasy about the potential health repercussions of that decision. For me, I think it strikes particularly close to home for two reasons. One reason is that my wife’s grandmother, a non-smoker, passed away from lung [...]

Filed under: Home Inspections, Home Inspector, Home Owner, Radon Gas | No Comments »

Hey Readers,
Occasionally, I’ll take a look at the types of internet searches that bring folks to this page. I’ve recently noticed some people who found www.HeyMark.info via a search similar to the title of today’s post. ‘How do I improve a radon test?’
My first thought was one of shock. On the surface it appears someone [...]

Filed under: Buyer's Inspection, Home Inspections, Home Owner, Radon Gas | 1 Comment »

Q. Hey Mark,

I’m purchasing a home that is currently owned by a bank. The inspector stated that we had to make sure that the bank had all the utilities turned on. We thought they had but when we got there, there were signs all over saying the home was winterized. My inspector [...]

Filed under: Buyer's Inspection, Home Inspections, Home Inspector, Home Owner, Vacant Homes | No Comments »

5.2 Earthquake and Radon
Hey Readers,
Since the recent earthquake here in St. Louis, I’ve received calls from folks who are concerned about cracks that have formed in their homes. Earthquakes instill a fear in all of our hearts that the structural integrity of our home might be compromised. For larger earthquakes, that is a very real [...]

Filed under: Earthquake Damage, Foundation Cracks, Home Inspections, Home Owner, Radon Gas, St. Louis Earthquake | 1 Comment »

Q: I am purchasing a home, and I just had a home inspection done. The sellers still live there, and they had some belongings in the closet that were blocking access to the attic. My inspector said that he was unable to look in the attic because it was blocked. It was only a couple [...]

Filed under: Buyer's Inspection, Home Inspections, Home Inspector, Home Owner | No Comments »