#remodel

Updates for those clumsy folding closet doors

Paul Cummins

Aug 11, 2019
1 min

Updates for those clumsy folding closet doors

Bifold doors get off track and bang into things. Here are some other options. Click on images for links. Barn doors are really cool too but they need clearance beyond the closet opening. #remodel

51 views0 comments

Paul Cummins

Feb 26, 2019
1 min

Renting Basement in DC

Need two means of egress, 7 foot ceilings in main living area, a separate "metering device" which I assume means also a thermostat, and I recommend photoelectric smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher. Click here for link to Urban Turf. #legal #remodel

6 views0 comments

New slim fridges good for small kitchens!

Paul Cummins

Oct 18, 2018
1 min

New slim fridges good for small kitchens!

Just saw one of these in SE DC. Sleek design: plenty of room in here! Click on image for link. #remodel

6 views0 comments

Make anything less squeaky, without the oily drip!

Paul Cummins

Sep 7, 2018
1 min

Make anything less squeaky, without the oily drip!

I use this on stiff windows, reluctant sliding doors and those spring-loaded steel balls used to keep doors closed. Click on image for link. #cleaning #remodel #maintenance

83 views0 comments

Load bearing walls: can't be sure until the wall is opened up but...

Paul Cummins

Apr 7, 2018
1 min

Load bearing walls: can't be sure until the wall is opened up but...

Here's a primer. Photo of a load bearing wall with 4 by 12 header. Scan from my radar device that shows the stud spacing (also detects type of stud) that is a start at figuring out whether the wall is load bearing or not. #remodel

56 views0 comments

Paul Cummins

Oct 23, 2017
1 min

Garage Door Lubricant

Talk about squeaky wheel! How about dozens of them! This is a lot simpler than getting out the grease gun. Click on image for link. #misc #remodel #maintenance

25 views0 comments

Paul Cummins

Sep 24, 2017
1 min

Fun to fix your old screens!

Just need a spline tool and utility knife. Click on image for video. #remodel #exterior #maintenance

95 views0 comments

Paul Cummins

Sep 22, 2017
1 min

HOUSEFAX: New Home History Resource

This service was being marketed to Home Inspectors but it seems more appropriate for realtors to offer to their clients. Or for home buyers to check out before they call me. I feel comfortable assessing the current condition of the house. Past events may or may not be relevant to that. Also the information in these reports may be incomplete or inaccurate. It does seem like an easy way to check if permits have been obtained for renovations. Click on image for video. #remodel

25 views0 comments

Paul Cummins

Feb 25, 2017
1 min

Great Under-Cabinet Hood!

Just inspected a new condo in DC. Really modern and bright. However, they had installed a draft hood that fit between the cabinet framing. This meant that greasy air would coat the end grain and between gaps in adjoining cabinets. YUCK! Found this model in the next house I did. Couldn't figure out how to turn it on until I pulled on the retracted glass canopy. Brilliant! Exactly what slick condo needs. Click on image for link. #ventilation #remodel

10 views0 comments

Paul Cummins

Feb 17, 2017
1 min

Man Caving!

Two days in a row met two guys with cold garages that they really wanted to spend more time in but the doors weren't insulated. I like this white option. You can certainly add reflective material too. Or buy this type below. Click on images for links. #insulation #remodel

13 views0 comments

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 had an inclusive and exclusive "we". So you could talk to a group of people and make it clear whether everyone was going fishing or only some of we are going fishing. They also had a modifier than could change nouns into verbs. It was mag. The word for thing was "kwan". The word "ba" adds emphasis. So the common phrase "Magkwan ba kwan

36 views0 comments

Where can I get that strange part for my old window?

Paul Cummins

Dec 26, 2016
1 min

Where can I get that strange part for my old window?

New windows range in price from $250 to $1000 each for a standard sized double-hung model. Unless they are fogged from the inside, which means the seal has failed, or UV light has fractured key components, it may be possible to keep them alive for a bit longer with the right part here and there. Click on image for a link to Blaine Window Hardware in Maryland. #remodel #maintenance

34 views0 comments

Under cabinet fridge (way-way) under $2000!

Paul Cummins

Oct 20, 2016
1 min

Under cabinet fridge (way-way) under $2000!

You need to be able to move in your kitchen! You live in a nice neighborhood. Take a walk and go buy that ice cream! Click on image for link. #remodel #electric

7 views0 comments

How do you decide what repairs to ask for?

Paul Cummins

Sep 13, 2016
1 min

How do you decide what repairs to ask for?

Extensive or mysterious water damage is one of them! Click on image for article from Trulia which gives guidance on items you may want to let go so that the deal doesn't fall through. Please keep in mind we home inspectors are not supposed to make sure the home is up to current code requirements, just that it is safe given what was installed originally. #misc #remodel

11 views0 comments

Paul Cummins

Sep 9, 2016
1 min

Cooperative Drywall Mud

Wow! NO bubbles, NO awkward streaks. That means one try and no sanding for simple jobs! Click on image for link. #remodel #caulking

13 views0 comments

Paul Cummins

Jul 17, 2016
1 min

High Pressure Laminate Flooring (Pergo)

This flooring is inexpensive, quite durable and provides some cushioning. However, the old product does not survive flooding and can be nicked with sharp objects. There is a newer version that has an all vinyl base that will not be damaged by water. It is three times the cost. Here is how you repair nicks: To repair larger portions of damaged floor it must be removed piece by piece from the finished end or cut out then glued in as described HERE. #remodel #maintenance

17 views0 comments

Paul Cummins

Jun 2, 2016
1 min

No fault asphalt repair

OK, this stuff is unbelievable...comes out like molten peanut brittle. Can be applied when wet. Spec sheet says it takes months to fully cure but when compacted, does not move. I just cleaned out pot holes with a high pressure nozzle on my hose and swept out the remaining water. Tamped down and ran over with car, viola! #concrete #remodel

30 views0 comments

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 potentially free real estate. Let there be light! These solar tubes can bring almost any space back to life and therefore pay for themselves rather quickly. Click on image for link. #remodel #electric

9 views0 comments

Got a small kitchen? I mean really small?

Paul Cummins

Apr 17, 2016
1 min

Got a small kitchen? I mean really small?

Kitchens and bathrooms...kinda opposite ends of our bodies and lives, so we like them to work for us. I always view saving space in my house as getting free real estate, and, since I was a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, have been determined to make the stuff work for us and not the other way around. For these reasons plus the shear engineering beauty of it, I love this all-in-one kitchen design. Click on image for link. The modifications mentioned include the steel back sl

24 views0 comments

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 challenge to light. You either have recessed spots that burn your bald head (alright MY bald head) or it's just too dang dark and you are liable to trip looking directly down because you have biofocals (OK, right, that's me again!). Today I visited a house with a beautifully lit basement starting with the stairs. The upper drywall was offset

5 views0 comments

NO SURPRISES

Home Inspection NOVA-DC