Barry Stone
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Waste water from neighbor's laundryDec 05, 2021 5:00 am - Q: We live in a rural neighborhood, with septic systems rather than sewers. Nearly everyone here drains their laundry into a backyard sump pit to prevent detergents from...
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Engineer homeowner disputes buyer's inspectionNov 28, 2021 5:00 am - Q: When the buyers' home inspector inspected our home, we made the mistake of not attending the inspection. My husband, Bill, is a civil engineer and he disagrees with s...
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Varying standards among home inspectorsNov 21, 2021 5:00 am - Q: After moving into our home, we noticed a gas smell near the fireplace and immediately called the gas company. They found a leak and turned off the gas service until o...
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Home inspector failed to inspect furnaceNov 14, 2021 5:00 am - Q: When we bought our home last year, our home inspector said the forced air furnace was in good working order. Then winter came, the furnace wouldn't start, so we calle...
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Protect yourself when buying a new homeNov 07, 2021 7:00 am - Q: The new home we're buying will be completed next month. We want a professional home inspector to do the final inspection before I move in, but the builder says, "No w...
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Buyer regrets bypassing home inspectionOct 30, 2021 6:00 am - Q: I'm embarrassed to confess that I broke your cardinal rule: I bought a rental property without having it inspected, and now the chickens have come home to roost. The ...
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Should foundation vents remain open?Oct 24, 2021 7:00 am - Q: My question involves the unwise practice of closing foundation vents around a home. As a heating contractor, I've noticed some homeowners and maintenance people close...
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Firewall requirements in attached garagesOct 17, 2021 7:00 am - Q: Our house was built in 1955, before firewalls were required in garages. Now that we're selling, the buyers want us to upgrade the garage to current fire-safety requir...
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Evaluating home inspector liabilityOct 10, 2021 6:00 am - Q: We bought our home nearly four years ago and just discovered a major roof problem that was not reported by our home inspector. The added sunroom recently developed a ...
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Home inspector disputes the house detectiveOct 03, 2021 6:00 am - Q: As a veteran home inspector, I take exception to a recommendation in one of your columns. You advised that home inspectors urge their clients to do a permit check at ...