Barry Stone
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How to sniff out an overpowering odorJun 30, 2017 6:00 am - Q. We've got this awful smell in our house. It comes and goes from time to time and is driving us nuts. We've checked in the crawl space for dead animals. We've cleaned ...
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Even new homes are not perfectJun 23, 2017 6:00 am - Q. We just opened escrow on a new-construction home and were advised against ordering a home inspection, simply because the house is new and was approved by the building...
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Heater blows hot and coldJun 16, 2017 6:00 am - Q. Our forced-air furnace is behaving strangely. Instead of heating the house in a normal manner, the gas burners turn on and off repeatedly, while the air continues to ...
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Handyman not wired for safetyJun 09, 2017 6:00 am - Q. We just went through the headache of selling our home. The worst part was haggling over who should repair the electrical problems found by the buyers' home inspector....
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Undisclosed septic system failureJun 02, 2017 5:00 am - Q. Last summer we moved from the city to the country and bought our first house with a septic system. A month after we moved in, both toilets overflowed onto the floor. ...
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Bathroom addition permitted but not approvedMay 19, 2017 6:00 am - Q. When we bought our home, the seller disclosed that the added bathroom was built with a permit. He even showed us a copy of it. After moving in, we learned there were ...
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Seller confused about plumbing jargonMay 12, 2017 6:00 am - Q. The people who are buying our home hired a home inspector. He said our dishwasher drain hose needs an airgap to prevent a sewage backup into the dishwasher. Unfortuna...
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Safety debate could be explosiveMay 07, 2017 6:00 am - Q. The sale of our home is locked in a debate with the buyers, and it was all started by their home inspector. The house is about 10 years old and has a propane gas furn...
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Home inspectors who repair defectsApr 30, 2017 6:00 am - Q. As a licensed Realtor, I encourage every one of my buyers to hire a home inspector. The inspector I usually recommend has always done a competent job, but one thing a...
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Home inspector's eyesight questionedApr 23, 2017 6:00 am - Q. The home inspector we hired when we bought our home doesn't seem to know his business, or maybe he needs a pair of glasses. His report listed two electrical circuits ...