Barry Stone
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The gas man out-did our home inspectorMay 04, 2018 6:00 am - Q. We just bought a 20-year-old home and hired a home inspector before closing escrow. According to our inspector, the wall heater was in good working order when he insp...
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Maintaining smoke detectors in rental unitsApr 27, 2018 6:00 am - Q. As the owner of a twelve-unit apartment building, I encourage my tenants to maintain the batteries in their smoke alarms. But when apartments become vacant, I often f...
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When buyers decline to hire a home inspectorApr 20, 2018 6:00 am - Q. I've been a Realtor for nearly 11 years, and I regard defect disclosure as an essential service to my clients. That's why I encourage every buyer to hire a home inspe...
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Inspector says remove padlock from electrical panelApr 13, 2018 6:00 am - Q. The people who are buying our house hired a home inspector. His report advised removing the padlock from our electrical panel. This seems like a pointless recommendat...
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Living with a hot-tempered showerheadApr 06, 2018 6:00 am - Q. My shower is a pain in the neck; in fact, it's a hot or cold pain in the neck! Every time I use it, I hope no one flushes the toilet or runs the washing machine. If t...
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Sellers' wall repairs were soft and shrinkingMar 30, 2018 6:00 am - Q. Before we bought our home, we asked the seller to patch several holes, about 3 inches wide, in the bedroom walls. Two days before escrow closed, we did a final walk-t...
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Homeowner disagrees with roofing contractorMar 23, 2018 6:00 am - Q. I am about to have my roof replaced and am questioning the method suggested by my roofing contractor. The old wooden shingles are to be removed, and asphalt compositi...
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Comparative ways to seal an asphalt drivewayMar 16, 2018 6:00 am - Q. When we bought our house, our home inspector reported that the asphalt driveway was cracked and worn. He said the pavement would last longer if we would have it seale...
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Sale could be doomed because of odd bathroom lightMar 09, 2018 5:00 am - Q. The house we are buying has a lamp that hangs by a chain from the ceiling above the master bathtub. Our home inspector says this is dangerous. We've asked the seller ...
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Dim-witted way to wire a ceiling fanMar 02, 2018 6:00 am - Q. Last year I installed a dimmer switch on the ceiling fan in my living room. This enabled me to control the brightness of the light, as well as the speed of the fan. D...