Author Archives: mikew

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  How do rodents get in my crawlspace?

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

  Rodents are motivated to get into your crawlspace because it is their Promised Land – safe, warm and they live at the top of the food chain! There are three common ways I have seen rodents enter crawlspaces. The first is through the foundation wall where the sewer line enters. Crawlspace clean-up companies will install […]

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  The cost of clean breath

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

  In an ongoing effort to improve the air we breath I offer three cost options for improving the air we breath: #1 – Install an air scrubber. This must be installed by a licensed HVAC company like CM Heating in Everett – they were the ones to first introduce me to this. The cost at […]

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• Rad Fads and Fun #4

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

  This fun little game continues in this post. One of the many enjoyable parts of home inspections are the variety of eras seen in the homes I visit. Some of the decor is nostalgic and interesting and sometimes makes you really wonder… So here are a few rad fads and fun to see if you […]

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  Answer for a garage drywall question

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

  The people I meet and build a relationship with are my favorite part of this job. I’m always thrilled when someone reaches out with home questions. This comes from a client who wanted to know how finishing his garage with drywall would impact his house. Hey Mike, thanks for the occasional blog posts and reminders! […]

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  Explaining those “ribbons” on some roofs

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

  Back to one of the two biggest topics for my clients, roofs. No one enjoys dealing with roof problems. Leaks make life unbearable. Climbing atop them makes people dizzy and queazy. Replacements gobble up savings accounts. There are good reasons for roofs being an important point of maintenance. One method folks use to deal with […]

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  “I’m a little water drop…”

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

  What’s the number one enemy of our homes? WATER! When it comes to inspections this is my major concern and what I’m always thinking about as I evaluate houses. I write this article as Mariner Cactus League baseball is underway in Peoria. There is much speculation and many interviews with coaches and players that I’ve […]

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  Second thoughts about tea-in-seconds

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

  I remember my parents getting our first microwave. One of the coolest features was setting the mug of cold water in the compartment and two minutes later pulling it out boiling hot and ready for a tea bag. In those days the “microwave culture” was born in my family, and that was about as far […]

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  Slap a little grease on it!

  Posted on February 28, 2019 by mikew in Fix It & Use It

  Do you know why we have hoods over our cooktop ranges? It is because of all the moisture and grease that comes off cooking. Physics dictates that heat rises and these vapors rise from cooking. Where do they go? They collect as micro-dots that grow into larger bodies of grease and promote organic growth. We […]

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  Heat Pump Maintenance in Snow Storms

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

  With all the recent snow fall, collapsing shrubs and broken tree branches, there has been a major maintenance issue with heat pumps. After we had 18 inches of snow the second weekend of February, it seemed like my heat pump was running too long and sounding a little strained. I peaked outside and was alarmed. […]

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• Rad Fads and Fun #3

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

  This fun little game continues in this post. One of the many enjoyable parts of home inspections are the variety of eras seen in the homes I visit. Some of the decor is nostalgic and interesting and sometimes makes you really wonder… So here are a few rad fads and fun to see if you […]

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