Barry Stone
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Contractors overlook asbestos ceilingsDec 29, 2023 6:30 am - Q: I am a general contractor and recently encountered a situation of interest. While bidding on the remodeling of an older home, I noticed acoustic ceilings in severa...
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Home inspector explains comments against ‘needless litigations’Dec 21, 2023 6:00 am - Q: I look forward to your column as a weekly voice of common sense and reason. So I was surprised and offended by a statement you made in a recent article. Your main ...
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Home inspector provided no reportDec 18, 2023 10:57 pm - Q: I recently purchased a brand new home, and the home inspector I hired never gave me a written report. He just reviewed his findings verbally by phone and then sent...
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Comparing older and newer homesDec 02, 2023 5:00 am - Q: I'm considering the purchase of a home that was built in 1951, and I have two questions: 1. Are plumbing systems from that era consistent with today's standards? (I t...
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The best ways to vent an atticNov 25, 2023 6:00 am - Q: We're about to have a new shingle roof installed, but our roofing contractor says out attic is not adequately vented. We currently have a ridge vent and a power exhau...
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Builder won't fix leaky buildingNov 23, 2023 10:00 pm - Q: I bought a new home from the builder about three years ago. The building consists of concrete block walls on a concrete slab foundation. For quite some time, there ha...
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Plumber out of his league with mold issueNov 11, 2023 5:00 am - Q: Our plumber says we have mold in the crawl space beneath our home. This is surprising because the house is only two years old. According to the plumber, the mold is c...
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Living in the shadow of dead treesNov 04, 2023 10:00 am - Q: The neighbors who live behind us have three large cottonwood trees that border our back fence. Unfortunately, these trees are dead. Two years ago, our insurance compa...
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Agent says building permits not required; contractor disagreesNov 01, 2023 6:00 am - Q: When we bought our home, the seller disclosed that the sunroom had been added without a building permit. Our Realtor assured us that a permit was not required because...
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Covering asbestos ceiling with drywallOct 22, 2023 7:00 am - Q: My home has "popcorn" ceilings, the kind with asbestos. The cost of asbestos removal is so high, I've decided to overlay the ceilings with drywall. The person I've hi...