Why It’s Important You Clean Out Your Gutters

Some homeowners don’t realize how important it is to clean out gutters when they get clogged after the fall season with leaves and other debris. It’s extremely important if you don’t want any damage to your house to happen.

If gutters are clogged from debris built up in the fall season, serious problems can happen to your home if not taken care of properly.

Damages to Your House

Gutter build-up can lead to many different problems including:

Roof Damage – if debris is built up in the gutters, water won’t be able to flow as easily away from the house and roof. The excessive water needs to be drained out somewhere, which means if it stays, then it can cause roof damage and water leaks in your home.
Broken Gutters and Fascia Damage – gutters clogged with wet leaves, sticks, and other debris can get very heavy after time. The gutters will then break away from the fascia causing more damage to the house and roof.
Leaks – clogged gutters can cause roof leaks if they aren’t cleaned out. The standing water will, over time, cause rotting in the roof, which then can cause water leaks inside the house and other damages to occur including mold and mildew build-up in the home.

What should you do to prevent these problems to your home?

The simple solution is to clean out your gutters after a wet, fall season. This will only help you save time and money in the future to your home.

If you suspect damages to your home, it also may be a good idea to get a home inspection done. You may be experiencing problems, but you’re not sure exactly what is causing them.

At First Choice Inspectors, we have the right services to help you identify and solve problems or concerns you have with your home. Contact First Choice Inspectors at 773-429-9711 today, and we can help you get to the bottom of the problem.

What Is Knob and Tube Wiring and Why Is it a Safety Hazard?

If you’re thinking about buying an older home, be sure to keep an eye out for knob and tube wiring. This outdated style of wiring, commonly used in homes built between 1880 and 1950, is considered obsolete and may constitute a safety hazard. Here’s what you need to know:

How Does It Work?

Knob and tube wiring utilizes copper conductors that are protected and insulated by porcelain tubes. Along their length, the tubes are supported by porcelain knobs that are nailed to nearby studs and joists. When the wires enter a wall or switch, they are protected by a “loom.” The loom is made of flexible cloth or rubber insulation. Note that knob and tube wiring cannot support three-pronged appliances because it lacks a ground wire.

Is It Dangerous?

Knob and tube wiring is not inherently unsafe. Rather, it can become hazardous due to age, improper modifications and situations where building insulation envelops its wires. Because it has no grounding conductor, knob and tube wiring is also more vulnerable to fires than modern electrical wiring.

Is It Legal?

While knob and tube wiring is not permitted in any new construction, there is no safety code that mandates its complete removal.

Should You Have It Removed

Ultimately, this may depend on your budget. It’s expensive to completely rewire a house, but damaged or improperly modified knob and tube wiring is a serious fire hazard. It’s always best to have a professional electrician evaluate the situation.

A thorough home inspection can help uncover knob and tube wiring, along with other issues that affect older homes, such as faulty insulation, foundation issues and more. If you’re in the Chicago area, call First Choice Inspectors at (773) 429-9711 to get your free quote today.

Keep an Eye Out for Drum Traps in Old Homes

If you’re in the market for an older home, it’s important to look for outdated plumbing and electrical components that might need to be replaced with more modern alternatives. A drum trap, for example, is an obsolete style of plumbing trap that can be found in many old homes. These traps are prone to clogging, and they even constitute code violations in some areas. Fortunately, drum traps are typically easy to spot.

What do drum traps look like?

Look for a reservoir shaped like a coffee can that’s located in the floor alongside a tub, mounted in a closet or hidden behind an access panel. If the drum trap is in the floor, you might be able to see a circular metal cover flush with the floor. You may be able to find drum traps suspended under the flooring in a home’s basement as well.

Why were they used?

Drum traps were designed to capture debris and prevent sewer gas from entering the home. In theory, homeowner would regularly open the trap and clean it to avoid clogging; however, this rarely happened in practice. Try to clean the drum trap now, and you may find that the cover has corroded and can’t be easily removed.

What problems are they associated with?

Clogging is a major issue. Clogs are especially difficult to address with a snake, since water flows into the trap at one level and out at another. Moreover, the metal reservoir can rot out, causing the trap to leak.

What should you do?

The best option is to have drum traps replaced with a more modern design, such as a P-trap. This is an easy and inexpensive fix that can save you a lot of headaches down the road.

A thorough home inspection can help uncover drum traps, along with other issues that are common in older homes, such as foundation problems, insulation gaps and more. If you’re in the Chicago area, call First Choice Inspectors at (773) 429-9711 to get your free quote today.

These Improvements Can Boost Your Home’s Resale Value

Thinking about selling your home? Some home improvements offer a better ROI than others when it comes time to put your home on the market. Today we’ll consider a few renovations that can significantly improve your home’s resale value.

Make a Good First Impression

When it comes to job interviews, first dates and home sales, first impressions matter. Refreshing your landscaping and adding a fresh coat of paint to your home can go a long way toward increasing its resale value and making it easier to sell in a competitive market. According to one study conducted in 2016, a complete landscaping upgrade can offer an estimated 105 percent return on investment.

Give Your Siding a Facelift

If you currently have dated vinyl siding, consider replacing it with modern fiber cement siding. Not only will your home look more attractive in realtors’ photos, it will also be better-protected against harsh weather conditions.

Update the Kitchen and Bathroom

Kitchen and bathroom improvements are perennially effective ways to increase resale value. Don’t have the budget for a complete redo? Replace worn tile or outdated fixtures to give these high-traffic rooms a cost-effective makeover.

Replace Your Windows

Energy-efficient tinted or double-paned windows can increase your home’s resale value and reduce your energy bills during the summer and winter.

Add a Deck

Buyers will imagine themselves relaxing with a cold drink in the summertime—and pay thousands more for your home.

When you’re ready to start house hunting, you can count on First Choice Inspectors to give you an honest, thorough home inspection so you can get the best possible deal at the negotiating table. To learn more, feel free to give us a call at (773) 429-9711 today!

Invest in a Chimney Sweep Now to Prevent Fires Next Winter

It may seem far off now, but when winter rolls around again you’ll look forward to the cheer and warmth of a roaring fire in your living room. However, if you don’t maintain your chimney during the warmer months, it can constitute a serious fire hazard.

Our advice? Invest in a chimney sweep now to prevent fires next winter.

What’s dangerous about an unswept chimney? One word: creosote. When you burn wood in your fireplace, the smoke travels up the chimney where it cools and forms condensation. As that condensation hardens, it leaves an oily residue called creosote.

The problem with creosote is that it’s highly flammable. If you don’t have it removed periodically, it can accumulate and create a major fire risk. A mere eighth of an inch of creosote can quickly catch fire. Any stray spark or ember from the fireplace can ignite the creosote, posing grave danger to your health and property.

The solution to creosote accumulation is to schedule an annual chimney sweeping and inspection.

A professional chimney sweep can get rid of any hazardous creosote accumulation and ensure that your chimney and fireplace are safe to use again next winter. Don’t wait until it gets chilly again—the best time to book your sweeping and inspection is during the warmer months, when your chimney is not in use.

Still have some lingering concerns about the safety of your home and its chimney? Feel free to give the team at First Choice Inspectors a call to get your free inspection quote today!

These Home Improvements are Great for Older Homes

Do you live in an older home that could use some updating? There are dozens of home improvement projects that you might be considering, but some of those projects are better-suited to old homes than others. Let’s take a look at a few home improvements that can dramatically improve your home and its resale value in the process.

Add energy-efficient insulation.

Home insulation has come a long way in the past several decades. Not only can modern insulation make your home more comfortable; it can also reduce your energy bills during the summer and winter. If your home feels a little drafty on cold mornings, consider investing in an energy audit to find sources of heat loss that could be sealed with fresh insulation.

Install a tankless water heater.

Another way to reduce the energy costs associated with your older home is by replacing your current water heater with a tankless option. Tankless water heaters are great because they don’t take up much space, they deliver hot water on-demand and they are far more efficient than traditional water heaters.

Repaint the interior.

Many older homes are still painted in colors that were popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Does your home fall into this category? If so, simply updating the interior with more contemporary colors can make a huge difference in its overall appearance. If the current paint in your home is really old, however, you may want to consider having a lead-based paint inspection first.

Install new light fixtures.

In addition to being somewhat unsightly, outdated light fixtures can also hide old electrical wiring that may not be up to code. Consider replacing these old fixtures with modern alternatives, and outfit them with LED light bulbs to help you save money on your electric bill.

Cross These Items off Your Home Fire Safety Checklist

Smoke Alarm Test There are more than 1.3 million fires that take place in the U.S. every year. Many of these blazes start inside houses and put homeowners, their families and their properties at risk. The good news is, there are effective steps you can take to protect your family and your home in the event of a fire. Cross the following items off your home fire safety checklist today.

Make sure smoke alarms are installed throughout your home.

If a fire starts in your home, you want everyone to know about it as quickly as possible so that they can escape in a timely fashion. Smoke alarms can help alert you and your family to the presence of a fire, but only if they’re properly installed. You should have at least one smoke alarm on every floor in your home and an alarm inside each bedroom. This will ensure your smoke alarms are able to detect isolated fires before they spread to other parts of your home.

Test smoke alarms and replace the batteries accordingly.

Installing smoke alarms throughout your home is smart, but they won’t do you much good if their batteries are dead. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to test all the smoke alarms in your homes about once a month to make sure they’re working. If there are any that don’t have functioning batteries, replace them right away. You should also replace your smoke alarms about once every 10 years.

Create a fire escape plan and practice it.

If a fire were to start in your home right now, what would everyone do? If you don’t have a fire escape plan in place, your family members may panic and not know where to go. Sit down with your family and come up with a fire escape plan that works for everyone. Practice it about once a month so that it becomes routine.

In addition to taking these steps, you should also consider having an electrical inspection conducted to ensure your home’s electrical system is safe and up to date. To learn more, feel free to give us a call at (773) 429-9711 today.

Chicago Named the Second-Most Affordable City for Home Buyers

Chicago Skyline Thinking about buying a home in the Windy City? Chicago’s housing market may be experiencing a period of slow growth, but it’s also one of the most affordable markets in the nation, according to a recent report published in Crain’s.

This report found that, of the 20 largest cities in the U.S., only St. Louis has a housing market more affordable than Chicago. Furthermore, while other major cities such as New York, Seattle and Philadelphia are expected to see an increase in housing prices over the next few years, the report estimates that Chicago’s market will continue to remain affordable through late 2021.

Rather than comparing cities to one another, this affordability index compared individual cities to their own price histories, taking into account variables such as employment growth, incomes and home prices. Based on this data, the report found that monthly payments on median-priced Chicago homes account for 23 to 24 percent of the median household income. In contrast, during the most recent housing boom, housing costs in Chicago were as high as 35 percent of the median household income.

These unique market conditions have made it a particularly good time to buy a home in Chicago.

Whether you’re buying your first home or shopping for investment properties, the team at First Choice Inspectors can work with you to make sure you’re making an informed decision. We offer a diverse selection of home inspection services, including new home inspections, energy audits, radon inspections and more.

Give us a call or contact us online to schedule your next inspection today!

Smart HVAC System Could Offer Significant Energy Savings

After a long, hot summer, you may be tired of seeing your energy bills spike from the increased load on your HVAC system. Thanks to the efforts of Iranian-American entrepreneur Hamid Farzaneh, homeowners will soon have access to a new “intelligent” ventilation technology that’s designed to make HVAC systems far more efficient.

The Alea Air system uses an array of 11 sensors to offer selective control over each HVAC vent in a home.

In contrast to smart thermostats like Nest, Alea Air optimizes HVAC efficiency with a series of vents that are networked together via a central Airhub. Over time, the sensors in these vents gather data about the temperature and air quality in the different rooms in a home. Based on the data they collect, the vents can open and close automatically to regulate airflow in each room. Furthermore, their simple modular design makes it easy for homeowners to install the vents without assistance from an HVAC technician.

Just like smart thermostats, the Alea Air system can also be accessed via a smartphone app. Through this app, homeowners can choose to manually take control of the temperature in different rooms. In the future, Farzaneh plans to add more sensors to his Alea Air vents that will allow them to detect dust and pollen as well. Alea Air units will reportedly begin shipping in January 2019.

Interested in finding new ways to make your home more energy efficient and reduce your utility bills? At First Choice Inspectors, we can conduct a home energy audit to identify hidden inefficiencies in your home’s thermal performance and offer suggestions for improvement. Just give us a call or contact us online today to learn more!

Keep an Eye out for Signs of Termite Activity This Summer

Did you know that termite damage costs U.S. homeowners an estimated $5 billion a year? Termites tend to be particularly active this time of year, when warm weather gives them an opportunity to swarm and form new colonies. With this in mind, it’s always a good idea to stay on the lookout for signs of termite activity in and around your home during the summer. Let’s start by inspecting your flooring.

Blisters in Wood Floors

If you have wood or laminate flooring in your home, check for areas with “blisters” that might resemble water damage. This blistering effect tends to occur when termites start chewing through a home’s subfloor. If you find these blisters and you haven’t had a plumbing leak in the past, there’s a good chance that termites are the culprits.

Damaged Wood

Spotting termite-damaged wood can be tricky because the insects tend to burrow behind walls, floors and other surfaces. That said, you can sometimes find the tell-tale grooves that hungry termites leave in the wood around your home’s foundation. If you see signs of termite damage in a crawl space or on the bottom edges of your siding, for example, there may be more damage on other wood surfaces in the home as well.

Discarded Wings and Termite Droppings

Many termites leave their nests in the summertime to find mates and new places to expand their colonies. During this process, they tend to leave a lot of droppings and discarded wings laying around as well. If you find these droppings and wings around your home this summer, consider calling an exterminator sooner rather than later.

Concerned about hidden structural issues in your home or a home you’re thinking about buying? Give us a call or contact us online to schedule an inspection with the team at First Choice Inspectors today!