Category Archives: Blog

Went into a crawl space one time and look what we found!

This is why it is so important that Spradling Home Inspections, LLC
Inspects Your Home!!
This is a joist holding up the main floor and now it has been
compromised because it has been cut to accommodate the plumbing!
There is nothing holding up the toilet above! 

Now when you sit on the toilet the floor will fall through!!!!

Yes this actually happens more than you realize in homes!

We do not think that plumbers do this on purpose, they just are
trying to get things done and do not realize sometimes that
what they might do will cause major problems. It could have been an oversight
but it will come back to HAUNT the Home Owner Soon After Moving In!!

In the article: On the level: the horrors that lurk beneath our floorboards,

You will hear Jeff Howell’s story about the horrors under his floor!

Could this be the same at your home?  

Call Spradling Home Inspections, LLC
573-268-0780 and schedule today!

Ok Everybody, the weather has been crazy and it seems like everywhere I go the lightening strikes so close!

I was in Boonville yesterday and I was setting a package on a friend’s stoop and
all of a sudden a Bright White Flash struck so close and then an Immediate KA-BOOM!!!
I totally freaked out and got to the car FAST!!!
I called my friend, who was heading back to the house and he said, “You Must take shelter! On the hill where our
house sits, our chimney has been struck, the cattle in the field have been struck. We have had several trees
struck! ”  I got chills up my spine when he told me all of this! The hairs on my neck were standing up!!

So this brings me to YOU-THE HOME OWNERS!!

Keeping your home from going Ka-BOOM is what I want to talk about!

Do You Have CSST (Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing) in your house?

Is it bonded properly and do you know why this is a safety hazard if not bonded properly?
Here is a picture of it!
It is the yellow tubing connected to your black iron gas line!

A nearby lightning strike that does not strike a structure directly
can cause all electrically conductive systems
in the structure; your home, to become energized.
Thus possibly causing an Explosion!

Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST) should be electrically bonded
as required by the manufacturer.
The bonding conductor should be permanently and directly connected to
the electrical service equipment enclosure,
the grounding conductor at the electrical service,
the grounding electrode conductor, or to one or more of the grounding electrodes used.
Recommend repairs by a qualified electrician.

For further information on this important safety upgrade, visit
www.csstsafety.com

Call for Your Comprehensive Home Inspection Today!

Shocking Pictures from Our Home Inspections!

We have found all kinds of “Totally Shocking” things when inspecting homes!

One time we were inspecting an electrical panel in a garage and on the outside wall above
the panel was the hose bib! The hose bib had frozen during the winter and the valve was dripping onto the panel!
Imagine our SHOCK when we saw that!!! SAFETY HAZARD INDEED!!

Electrical Panels Can Be Totally Shocking!
So Check Out What Was Caught By Surprise When We Opened this Electrical Panel!!!

Hello Mr. Mouse-Starter of House Fires!

Mice love to chew on EVERYTHING! They chew the coverings off of
electrical wires exposing the electrical current which can cause fire!

Here are pictures of the openings in an electrical panel called,
“knockouts” and they are not closed off with approved clamps or bushings!

The Wires In This Panel Have Been Chewed Through!
This is Why You Need Spradling Home Inspections, LLC

The Best Way to Keep Mice Out of Your House:

1. Make sure all food sources for mice are out of your garage and around the exterior of your house:
   Dog food, trash cans, keep them covered with tight lids, old newspapers, etc.
2. Make sure all entry holes in your walls are closed up:
   Use foam filling holes that mice can not chew through.
   Use steel wool in corners of your garage.
3. One of the Best products we have found that kills
   mice and keeps them from smelling is CONTRAC
   It kills rats, mice and meadow voles!
   You want to get this from Wingate Pest Control!
   You also want to keep it away from your pets and children!!!
4. CALL TODAY! SPRADLING HOME INSPECTIONS, LLC
   

   We love to help you discover the health of your home!

We get asked this question a lot! What should I fix first?
Especially when it comes to the Marginal Summary of our reports.

DEFECTIVE ITEMS REPORTED
When looking at the Defective Items List in Our Reports; One must look at what items
are safety hazards that would be detrimental to the life of your family. (Life or death) issues:

Remember all Defective Items Should Be Repaired or Replaced by a Qualified Contractor!

Here is how a person can determine sequence of repairs:
*This is just an example and is not an exhaustive list.
All Defective items need to be repaired and the order is up to the owner of
the report of how such repairs are dealt with.

For Example: First Set of Repairs

Furnace:
1.  The heat ex-changer on the furnace is cracked which would cause carbon monoxide poisoning which can cause death.
2.  There is inadequate clearance between the furnace flue and combustible materials which could cause fire.

Plumbing:
1.  Gas Service Lines: Black iron piping and copper tubing; Copper tubing and flare fittings are no longer approved
for use with natural gas. Again a Gas Leak potential.
2.  CSST: Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing: Must be electrically bonded to prevent burn through in the event of
a nearby lightening strike. CSSTSafety.com

Electrical:
1.  The main lugs are double tapped in a 100 amp panel. Electrical fire.
2.  120 VAC Branch Circuits: Copper; Rodent damage to the wiring in the panel was observed. Fire Hazard.

Fireplace:
1.  Broken fire brick liners were observed. This can cause carbon monoxide poisoning or fire in the home.
2.  Heavy creosote deposits in the flue of your fireplace chimney.  This is a fire hazard.

For Example:
Second Set of Repairs Listed in the Defective Summary of Your Report:

Read More »

We were inspecting a house that had a well for their water.

We told our clients that they needed to have their water tested for toxins, especially LEAD.

Little did they know that the property next door used to be a junk yard.
We have been living in Columbia since we were born and we were aware
of many areas of Boone County that were dumps.
Since, we knew what used to be next door to the House we were inspecting we told our clients
that they definitely needed to do water tests for these toxic elements:
waste oil
petroleum products
lead
acid from batteries

When you move into a home do you know what water system is used to provide your home
with drinking water?

It is important to be educated on where your water comes from.

How old is the infrastructure that is providing your home with safe drinking water?

There are many stories of families who have been exposed to lead from drinking
water from their water supply in their homes and their children
becoming very sick!

Call your local water service provider to find out:
How your water is treated?
What chemicals they use to treat the water?
How often is it tested?
What types of pipes does your homes water pass through.

A Home Inspector can only see the supply piping that comes into your home.

So Be In the KNOW! Do not become a victim!

Contact your local water supplier or
the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Public Drinking Water Branch (573-751-5331) or

David Erickson, MoDNR, Missouri Water Resources Center
Tel: (573) 368-2332
E-mail: david.erickson@dnr.mo.gov

VICTIMS STORIES:

It is so fun to sit on the front porch and watch the birds go from feeder to feeder!
Their colors especially the blue birds are so vibrant.
To hear the doves sing brings such peace to my soul!

BUT BIRDS CAN BE A PAIN IN YOUR HOUSE!

Check This One Out! He/She is just making Your Home Theirs!

Birds can Damage your Home and
Bring in All Kinds of Unwanted Pests like snakes.

Learn About the 5 Diseases Birds Carry that Can Infect YOU!

Read More »

We were out driving around looking at Houses Being Built.
We love looking at new construction. It is fun to see the steps in
progress!

We came across the craziest site ever!  The duct work was in the attic but no roof.
The job site had boards everywhere with nails sticking out of what looked
like pulled off roof boards and lumber sprawled everywhere!
Nails were scattered all over the premises. It was CRAZY!

Before You Buy Learn All YOU CAN!

1. What moisture exposure did the house have before being built?
2. How long were the framing boards on the ground?
3. Was the foundation poured and protected correctly?
4. How much weather exposure did the interior have before the roof was put on?
5. Was the electrical hooked up and installed to the panel safely?
6. Is the exterior of the house like brick, EIFS, and or stone applied to current standards?
7. WAS THE HOUSE BUILT ON FILL DIRT?

ALL THESE QUESTIONS ARE SO IMPORTANT WHEN BUYING YOUR NEW HOME!!

Check out the List of Problems That Can Occur to All the Situations Listed ABOVE:

Just like the Sun Burning Holes Through Your Eyes During an Eclipse the Sun Can Also Damage Your Home!

Imagine being outside in the sun playing in the sprinkler or sipping tea reading a book but Uh Oh you forgot to wear sunscreen
and now your skin is burning and your are as red as a lobster. Aside from your skin turning red your are also going to become
dry and the moisture from your skin will become depleted quickly!

The Same Thing Happens to Your Shingles, Siding, and Exterior of Your Home!

This can become costly:

Melted siding

Blistering of Shingles

Deterioration of floor boards on decks and stairs

Overheated Concrete that chips and buckles

Ways to Prevent Sun Damage and Future Problems

What Do You Mean?
I do not want to have a Flooded Basement-ANYTIME!

During Hot Dry Weather the Soil Around Your Foundation Pulls Away and Drys Out.

Then when it rains hard, your dry soil will not
absorb the moisture that fast; therefore running all the way down into your
basement. Possibly flooding, leaking, or staining the walls causing a host of problems!

Start by making Watering Foundation Plan.

Stuart was inspecting around the corner
when he heard the sound of Fire Engines and saw smoke!

Everyone thinks, “Oh this only happens to other families, not us!”
Not true it can happen to YOU!

When have you had your home inspected?

Wiring?
Furnance?
Water Heater?
Attic?
Roof?
Foundation?
Exterior?
Radon Gas…Radiation?
Doors, Windows?

All these components are important for healthy living!