Jovag Home Inspection, LLC ​License #1820
  • Home
  • Services
  • Blog and DIY
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Services
  • Blog and DIY
  • Contact

Best Cordless Drill and Driver Combo

11/24/2017

 
Picture
Bosch Drill/Driver Combo Kit. Best set for DIY projects. Image from Bosch website.
Happy Holidays!

Looking for a gift idea for that someone who takes care of your home improvement needs? One of the best tool sets that I have ever used for general home improvement tasks is the Bosch 12 Volt Drill and Impact Driver set. These are small and compact tools that are powered by a rechargeable lithium battery. Though they are only 12 Volt batteries these tools are more than adequate for most home improvement projects. 

The combo set includes both a 3/8 inch drill (Bosch PS 31) and an impact driver (Bosch 41), two batteries and a charger. Highly recommended.

Amazon Link: Bosch PS 31 and PS 41 Combo Kit.

​

What's Causing That Spreading Ceiling Stain?

11/17/2017

0 Comments

 
Water stain on ceiling
Spreading ceiling stain after a number of rainy days. This part of the ceiling is located under a roof valley.
Something is going on with this ceiling. The homeowner noticed a growing stain on the ceiling that seemed to get worse every time it rained. This corner of the ceiling is under a low area of the roof and located directly under a roof valley (junction of two sloping areas of a roof). This stain is a good indication that the roof is leaking.

There was a previous leak in this same area, you can see the square area where a previous repair has been completed. Obviously the leak wasn't repaired adequately or a new leak has formed in the same area.

Common areas of roof leaks are roof valleys, junctions where a vertical surface abuts the roof or penetrations from pipes through the roof. The homeowners had a roofing company inspect the roof and they found an improperly installed valley flashing. The roofers repaired the flashing and made the roof water tight again.
Removing wet drywall
At least it's easy to remove wet drywall to see what is going on in the ceiling.
Once the leak has been repaired, it's time to open up the ceiling and assess the damage. The drywall needs to be cut from this section of the ceiling and any wet insulation needs to be removed. Inspect the attic area and try to find all the remaining water on the joists and wooden components. The repair area needs to be left open to dry before completing any repairs.
Removing wet insulation from a ceiling
Removing the wet insulation. This will need to be replaced with new insulation when the ceiling is patched.
Mildew growing on ceiling drywall
Mold and mildew growing on the back of the wet drywall. This leak has been here for a while.
Wet ceiling joists. Leak in the roof above.
Drywall removed and ceiling joists exposed. Hard to see in this picture but all the wood is soaked with water. The roof needs to be repaired and this area needs to dry prior to patching the drywall.
0 Comments

Chimney Damage - Failing Mortar

11/10/2017

0 Comments

 
Chimney bricks with failing mortar
Chimney with signs of water damage - moss growth and failing mortar between the bricks.
Brick and mortar chimneys exposed to water over time will deteriorate. Though bricks are more or less indestructible the mortar holding them together is prone to damage and eventual failure. Once the mortar between the bricks cracks and begins to fall out the bricks and structural integrity of the chimney are sure to follow. 

These pictures show some typical long term water damage to the mortar between bricks on a above roof chimney. Someone noticed this problem before and attempted to fix the failing mortar with silicone caulking. This is not the correct repair technique - caulking is not going to do anything to stabilize the brick.

This chimney needs repair - the bricks need to be "re-pointed". Re-pointing is the process of removing the old mortar joints and replacing with fresh mortar. This is within the realm of ability of most homeowners but it is a tedious job and depending on location could pose some safety concerns. If this project doesn't appeal to you or you are not comfortable being on your roof, look for a masonry repair specialist to do the job.

The following is a link to a nice overview of repointing-brick on the This Old House website. 
Chimney bricks with failing mortar
This mortar is easy to pull away from between the bricks. This needs to be fixed.
Chimney bricks with failing mortar
Not the right way to try to fix this problem. Someone used silicone caulk to try to repair the mortar between the bricks. This isn't really doing anything to fix the problem.
0 Comments

Should have done this before it rained. How to clear a backed up gutter.

11/3/2017

 

    Author

    Brian Jovag, owner of Jovag Home Inspection.

    Archives

    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017

    Categories

    All
    Attic
    Brick
    Chimney
    Construction
    Corrosion
    Crawl Space
    Deck
    DIY
    Electrical
    Furnace
    Gutters
    Heating
    How To
    Information
    Insulation
    Jovag Home Inspection
    Maintenance
    Moss
    Needs To Be Fixed
    Plumbing
    Roof
    Rust
    Safety
    Smoke Alarms
    Tools
    Video
    Wall
    Water Damage
    Water Heater
    What Could Go Wrong?
    Yard

    RSS Feed

    Helpful Info

    Infographics
    CPSC Water Heater Temperature
    File Size: 49 kb
    File Type: pdf
    Download File

    CPSC Garage Door Safety
    File Size: 129 kb
    File Type: pdf
    Download File

    CPSC GFCI Info and Facts
    File Size: 263 kb
    File Type: pdf
    Download File

    FEMA Smoke Alarm Recommendations
    File Size: 1942 kb
    File Type: pdf
    Download File

Site powered by Weebly. Managed by MacHighway