NO SURPRISES

  • HOME

  • SERVICES

  • ABOUT

    • CONTACT
  • BLOG

  • More

    Use tab to navigate through the menu items.
    • All Posts
    • Exterior
    • Paul Author
    • Electrical
    • Plumbing
    • Roof
    • Maintenance
    • Cleaning
    • HVAC
    • Attic
    • Misc
    • Concrete
    • Insulation
    • Ventilation
    • Crawlspace
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Drainage
    • Remodel
    • Pests
    • Caulking
    • Attic
    • Safety
    • Apps
    • Garden
    • Decks
    Stab-Lok breakers made by Federal Pacific don't trip reliably: if at all.
    Paul Cummins
    • Oct 26, 2020
    • 1 min

    Stab-Lok breakers made by Federal Pacific don't trip reliably: if at all.

    The rule in real estate sales is: if it isn't broken, it doesn't need to be replaced. Well, this doesn't account for systems that have a...
    2 views0 comments
    You're selling a house and can't find the garage door remote?
    Paul Cummins
    • Aug 26, 2020
    • 1 min

    You're selling a house and can't find the garage door remote?

    This baby is called a universal remote control. It works for Chamberlain, Linear, Genie, Stanley and Wayne Dalton openers. I was...
    7 views0 comments
    Lighted Picture Rail: Just like the MOMA!
    Paul Cummins
    • Jun 13, 2020
    • 1 min

    Lighted Picture Rail: Just like the MOMA!

    Just did a basement condo with a long hallway covered in fabric wallpaper. Client wanted to hang a bunch of photos. Putting a bunch of...
    26 views0 comments
    LEDS Come of Age:  Warm Light 50 Watt Equivalent
    Paul Cummins
    • Jun 7, 2020
    • 1 min

    LEDS Come of Age: Warm Light 50 Watt Equivalent

    Click on above image for link. The far light is the new LED 3 watt bulb. Same color as the 50 watt nearby. These are not really...
    8 views0 comments
    Dark Closet Floor No More!
    Paul Cummins
    • Nov 16, 2019
    • 1 min

    Dark Closet Floor No More!

    Warm light turns on when you get near. Rechargable with USB. I have this plugged in to nearby receptacle. But works with regular...
    6 views0 comments
    I crave power!
    Paul Cummins
    • Apr 4, 2019
    • 1 min

    I crave power!

    After a remodel and adding a new set of drywall, it can be a far reach to screw in an outlet. This extender can take care of those loose...
    73 views0 comments
    Use these on your vacant properties!
    Paul Cummins
    • Oct 20, 2018
    • 1 min

    Use these on your vacant properties!

    Just installed a new porch light fixture for my mother-in-law. Found these great light bulbs that have an electric eye. Just keep the...
    23 views0 comments
    Can save you from a moldy attic!
    Paul Cummins
    • Jul 24, 2018
    • 1 min

    Can save you from a moldy attic!

    This switch senses humidity and turns on the bathroom fan automatically! Good for basement and top floor bathrooms. If moisture doesn't...
    398 views0 comments
    My luminous wife says, "Lighting is everything!"
    Paul Cummins
    • Jun 13, 2017
    • 1 min

    My luminous wife says, "Lighting is everything!"

    Well, it certainly affects mood (ergo, "mood lighting") and is the point of argument for couples and their progeny. She does not really...
    133 views0 comments
    The Mystery of Electricity
    Paul Cummins
    • May 17, 2017
    • 1 min

    The Mystery of Electricity

    Electric current flows in a circuit from the positive to the negative. It is often portrayed as a flow of electrons but it's more of a...
    13 views0 comments
    Who Woulda Thought?
    Paul Cummins
    • May 17, 2017
    • 1 min

    Who Woulda Thought?

    Just read in my Black and Decker Advanced Home Wiring that we all are supposed to "exercise" our circuit breakers once a year by flipping...
    43 views0 comments
    Don't get shocked when you're blow drying!
    Paul Cummins
    • Mar 17, 2017
    • 1 min

    Don't get shocked when you're blow drying!

    Current code recommends Ground Fault Circuit Interupters, in basements, garages, outside and within 6 feet of water inside. They are...
    69 views0 comments
    What not to put over what!
    Paul Cummins
    • Jan 1, 2017
    • 2 min

    What not to put over what!

    Ha! That title reminds me of the new grammar I learned while I was a peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines. Interestingly the dialect...
    36 views0 comments
    Weird Things That Happen During Inspections:  All Smoke Detectors Go Off at Once!
    Paul Cummins
    • Dec 17, 2016
    • 1 min

    Weird Things That Happen During Inspections: All Smoke Detectors Go Off at Once!

    Within a month of each other I filled two spas and tested them. But then I drained them and one leaked into the dining room and the...
    8 views0 comments
    Easy guide light anywhere!
    Paul Cummins
    • Nov 29, 2016
    • 1 min

    Easy guide light anywhere!

    See the circle bottom left? That's the light sensor. Half circles at bottom are LEDs. Just remove old face plate and snap this in for...
    11 views0 comments
    From No Bars to Four!
    Paul Cummins
    • Jul 25, 2016
    • 1 min

    From No Bars to Four!

    I live down near George Washington's old house. There is a bottle brush cell tower there that doesn't really look like a spruce tree. ...
    12 views0 comments
    Sunlight Anywhere!
    Paul Cummins
    • May 2, 2016
    • 1 min

    Sunlight Anywhere!

    Just inspected a 70 year old basement. Leaky walls, leaky plumbing, dank and dark, a huge neglected space. Any unused space is...
    8 views0 comments
    My Wife Says Light is Everything
    Paul Cummins
    • Feb 21, 2016
    • 1 min

    My Wife Says Light is Everything

    I would add good air as an additional essential and provide lots of ventiliation ideas on this site. Basement stairs are a particular...
    5 views0 comments
    Switch Knows When Dusk and Dawn Are!
    Paul Cummins
    • Jan 28, 2016
    • 1 min

    Switch Knows When Dusk and Dawn Are!

    Put your longitude and latitude into this switch and it will turn off at dawn and on at dusk with NO photosensor! Click on image for...
    7 views0 comments
    Transfer switch from generator to furnace beats record storms!
    Paul Cummins
    • Feb 24, 2015
    • 1 min

    Transfer switch from generator to furnace beats record storms!

    I just installed this on my electric panel. Took about 30 minutes. It allows me to plug my 4500 watt generator directly to my gas...
    8 views0 comments
    1
    2

    Home Inspection  NOVA-DC

    T 703-472-9020 / info@NoSurprisesHomeInspection.com / © 2014 No Surprises - Home Inspection NOVA-DC, LLC