Rehab risks: Part I

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Rehab risks: Part I

Many rehabbers cut corners in order to maximize profit. One way they do this is to hire cheap, low-skilled workers who lack the training and experience to do good work.  

At a recent Logan Square rahab, we found that the rehabber’s “plumber” connected hot water to a toilet.  It’s not always possible to find a defect like this on an inspection since a flush or two usually isn’t enough to get fresh hot water to make its way to the toilet.  This bathroom was right next to the utility room where the water heater is located, so the hot water didn’t have far to go.  After noticing the valve was hot, I touched the tank – it was scalding hot as well.

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Small inspection victory: plumber calls out own mistake

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Small inspection victory: plumber calls out own mistake

As home inspectors, we have to do a lot of detective work to find problems.  Sellers and contractors often work pretty hard to hide evidence of building defects.  Very rarely do they help the inspector find problems, even if they know about them. 

Here we have a plumber who didn’t have enough glue to connect a pipe, and rather than pretend the work was done and hope nobody noticed, he actually wrote on the pipe with a Sharpie to call attention to the issue.   Since inspectors can’t pull on each and every pipe to see if they’re loose, there’s a chance I wouldn’t have found the loose pipe here.  If only other contractors were so honest and helpful! 

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Where's the beef?

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Where's the beef?

Insulation is important – and most homes in Chicago are poorly insulated.  The best way to approach home energy improvements is to start with an energy audit by a qualified professional.  The audit will help provide a road map for a qualified contractor to seal off air leaks and add insulation where it’s needed.  Since the energy auditor isn’t making money on the actual work, this helps ensure the improvements will actually save money. 

But many homeowners think they can install insulation themselves.  They often do it wrong, and cause unintended serious problems as a result.  They block off attic ventilation, causing serious mold issues.  They install vapor barriers improperly, creating fire hazards.  And they often use weird materials that don’t do all that much to insulate.  I’ve seen people use old phone books, horsehair, discarded library books …

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'I may be large, but I'm no dumb cookie.'

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'I may be large, but I'm no dumb cookie.'

It’s hard to believe it’s been over 30 years since the 1985 Chicago Bears’ championship season.  As a kid, I was drawn to the team’s many larger-than-life personalities.  In particular, I was a huge fan of William “The Refrigerator” Perry. 

I still remember the day he came to sign autographs at a still-under-construction mall in Orland Park, IL.  The only open store was a Kohl’s – the rest of the mall was dark and cold (heat wasn’t on yet), full of shuttered stores.  

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