Author Archives: mikew

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  Many (mis)uses of tape

  Posted on December 10, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use It

  These uses have not been approved by the author of this article and have in almost every situation failed to live up to the hopes and expectations of their installer. The manufacturer might cringe at the sight. Not even a trained professional is capable of pulling off the following repairs with tape. The following is […]

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  Roof Maintenance – plumbing vents

  Posted on November 30, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use It

  There are open pipes sticking out of our roofs. And you might wonder, Aren’t holes in a roof bad? Not in this case. Let me explain what they are and then offer a suggestion for keeping these in good working order in the future. These are plumbing vents so that when you pull the plug […]

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  The p-trap is not a pee trap

  Posted on November 20, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use It

  Below every sink and tub is drain-piping shaped like a sideways letter “P”. This is called the p-trap… and, as you might imagine, the source of plumber humor and bathroom misunderstandings. The p-trap performs two important functions. First, it water collects in the lower crook that traps the odorous sewage gases from escaping up through […]

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  Treating gut(ter) indigestion

  Posted on November 10, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use It

  Some of you started reading this with concern – I’ll give Mike one paragraph and he better not gross me out. Some of you have dealt with some intestinal issues and thought a home inspector’s perspective might be helpful. And still others of you enjoyed my play on words and hoped more cleverness was to […]

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  What in the world is that?

  Posted on October 30, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use It

  Always appreciate the opportunity to be an ongoing resource for clients. One of my clients earlier this year moved in and sent me numerous pictures of items he had questions about. After our email exchange he gave me permission to share the pictures and correspondence. You might have the same question he had! This thing […]

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  So many uses for the common nail

  Posted on October 10, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use It

  #1 – Gate Catch Use it as a catch for your gate bolt. With a simple bend of the nails you can adapt to any size latching mechanism. #2 – Tool Hangar Do like your great grandpa used to do and skip the peg board – the whole wall is a canvas upon which to […]

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  Can you name this old plug?

  Posted on September 30, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use It

  I’m always interested to find old things in my inspections. This home built back in the 1950s had a feature that I had never seen before. I was puzzled until I came across an actual telephone attached to one of the plugs. And it worked!! If you ask your kids what they think this used […]

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  A Perfect “10” in Creativity

  Posted on September 20, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use It

  As the fall arrives with the rain and darker days I think this might brighten things up for you. I dedicate this to the many do-it-yourselfers out there who may not always be praised for a perfect attempt, but deserve a perfect 10 in effort! Here are more of my recent home inspection discoveries. Old […]

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  What is “LP” Siding?

  Posted on September 10, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use It

  When clients or real estate agents hear that a house has LP siding there is a lot of concern. Let me explain few things that these folks have found helpful. First, this is a manufactured material made from wood-fibers (ground up trees) and a resin glue that holds its together. It is pressed together, cured […]

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  Up Periscope!

  Posted on June 20, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use It

  This was a peculiar sight in a recent attic. This picture is of a plumbing vent pipe improperly terminating in the attic. In short, there are pipes sticking out of most roofs to allow water to drain quietly and smoothly when we flush toilet and pull stoppers on drains (see the next picture). This one […]

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