Categories Home Inspection, Home safety

Being Proactive: Pool Safety Tips for Every Summer

Having a pool is great! They’re fun, they give you a place for friends and family to gather, and they can add some serious value to your property. With that being said, they do require upkeep. And if you’re a parent or pet owner, you know the great responsibility you have to enforce and monitor pool safety.

 

The American Red Cross released their findings that about 4,000 people die of unintentional drownings each year, with children having the highest risk. In addition to NEVER leaving your child unattended in a pool, you must keep it clean for sanitary and health reasons.

 

Along with these, there are many other reasons pool safety should be your top priority.

 

Keeping Your Loved Ones Safe and Healthy In and Around the Pool

1. Use a Pool Cover

You have tons of options here and can even get one custom made to fit your pool’s measurements.

 

Pool covers are great because you can add an extra level of security plus you’re keeping debris out of your pool. This adds up to less maintenance!

 

 

2. Keep Water Clean and Clear

Regularly checking pool chemicals via weekly testing can help prevent any rashes, skin irritations, or burning eyes.

 

 

3. Update Drain Covers

If you have an older pool or spa, you should replace drain covers to ones that are anti-entrapment; and the same goes for homeowners installing new pools.

 

 

4. Security Systems

Alarms aren’t just for your home; there are tons of options for security systems.

 

You can get underwater motion sensors that use a sonar grid to alert you of any motion beneath the surface.

 

You can also get a small alarm for your pool gate that will sound if left open for a few seconds. These are both great options for families with young children.

 

 

5. Non-Slip Surfaces

The area around your pool and spa can be made safer with the right surfaces. With so much water everywhere, its no shock that slips can happen.

 

 

6. Pet-Proof Pool Time

While all of the above steps can apply to our beloved furry friends, there are a few more things you can do: like buying a pet life vest, read up on pet CPR, and adding a fence around the pool.

 

 

Possible Issues You Can Have with Your Pool

Another part of pool safety is having a well maintained and functional pool. There are signs that show potential pool problems. Some things to look out for include:

 

  • Pool Leaks: Any place where you have plumbing, you have the possibility of a leak. If you find that you’re constantly needing to add fresh water, then you likely have a leak.

 

  • Liner Wear: In general, pool liners should be replaced every 8-12 years. If you see cracks, fading, stains, or wrinkles, then your liner has suffered damage and you will need a professional to check it out.

 

  • Need for Frequent Cleaning: If you are having to clean your filter more than once a month, there is a problem. This could be a problem with the water quality or another issue that an expert will need to determine.

 

 

Pools are a big investment and a big responsibility, and should be treated as such. If you want to ensure that your investment and family is safe, let a pro take control.

 

Our pool experts at EIG will do a thorough check of the condition of a swimming pool and/or spa to ensure that the mechanics, components, electrical parts and surrounding areas are up to safety standards and operating properly. We’ll also check that the pool remains free of bacteria, viruses and algae that can pose health risks.

 

To schedule your inspection today, check out our easy, online scheduling tool!

We Can Help

 

Image attribution

Categories Home Inspection

Knock Your Pre-List Inspection Out of the Park

If you’re about to sell your home, getting a pre-listing inspection could do you wonders! Many people wrongly assume home inspections only benefit buyers, but they can also help sellers.

A pre-listing inspection can make a property more attractive to potential buyers and help you identify any major issues well before the negotiations begin.

Simply put, pre-listing inspections are a smart investment and could protect your bank account!

 

What Is a Pre-listing Inspection?

Much like a buyer’s inspection, a pre-listing inspection’s goal is to review the home and provide a written report about the state of the home. Having one can allow you to negotiate from a position of power and knowledge as you will truly know your home’s worth.

After a pre-listing inspection, you can address the problems found or let prospective buyers know about them upfront. Hence the goal is never to take the findings and hide them from prospects.

Now that you have a clear idea of what pre-listing inspections are, let’s talk about how you can ace yours and make your selling process that much easier!

 

Keys For A Successful Pre-listing Inspection

  • Open everything: Well, not everything, but certainly make sure doors, windows, and gates are accessible. You don’t want to lock your inspector out!

 

  • Turn on the lights: Replace any burnt out bulbs, and address light fixtures before we arrive; this will make the inspection run smoothly.

 

  • De-clutter: If you were a little late on your spring cleaning, now is the time to catch up. Make sure all critical areas are accessible—this includes water heater, furnace, AC units, and attics.

 

  • Check under the sink: We’ll have to get in there to look for leaks or moisture damage, so please clean up those areas before we arrive.

 

  • Address landscape issues: Take a look at your yard and make sure it’s tidy, trees are trimmed, fallen branches are cleared, etc.

 

  • Test monitors: Have a look at your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors to ensure they’re in working order.

 

  • Get documents ready: If you have regular maintenance done (like changing furnace filters), or have had a roof repair, have this info ready for us. Side note: this documentation will also be useful for potential buyers!

 

  • Schedule a playdate: If you want to stick around for the inspection, no problem! But we recommend taking children and pets out of the home for the duration of the inspection.

 

  • Leave utilities connected: Even if it’s a vacant home, we’ll be checking your stove, washing machine, AC, etc. If utilities are turned off we won’t be able to complete the inspection and will need to reschedule.

 

  • Leave keys: We’ll need access to outbuildings and electrical boxes; so if you have keys for that please have them handy.

 

Before scheduling your inspection, take a day to get things in order. Not only will it make our job easier, but it will allow the entire inspection to run much more smoothly and give us the best look at your home.

If you’d like to go the extra mile, we recommend making a list of all known flaws before we arrive. For example, cracks in a window or a broken light fixture; no matter how big or small the issue, let us know at the beginning!

 

Ready for a professional pre-list inspection? Schedule yours here with our easy online tool!

We Can Help

 

Image attribution

Categories Home Inspection, Home safety

Watch Out for These Spring Plumbing Problems

Winter can take a real toll on your home’s plumbing. As the temperatures are rising in spring, many homeowners find they are dealing with a few smaller problems popping up.

If you experienced frozen pipes during the winter, you’ll want to pay special attention to your plumbing, as the expansion of ice within the pipes can lead to cracks or even a full burst.

Below we’ll go through some of the common spring plumbing problems to keep an eye out for.

 

Typical Spring Plumbing Issues

1. Foundation shift

Extreme weather, like heavy rains, can cause movement beneath your home.

When the ground below becomes too saturated to absorb more water, a shift will occur and your home could suffer various leaks.

If left unnoticed for too long, your water bill will see a spike, since pipes could be damaged. You’ll want to call a professional to check it out.

 

  • Avoid this by keeping an eye on your plumbing and immediately turn off the water if you notice any major changes.

 

2. Cracked Water Pipes

Frozen pipes can lead to serious issues in warmer weather. And while the consequences have the potential to be detrimental to your home, there are some easy steps you can take to prevent damage.

 

  • Avoid this by insulating your pipes or turning off your water altogether when temperatures are very low.

 

3. Sink or Tub Not Draining

Maybe you enjoyed a few bath bombs to get yourself through the long winter or you had to give the family pet a bath — you can’t exactly hose them off outside when the temperature is cold!

Either way it’s normal to see your bath or sink accumulate different things over the seasons. Clogged drains aren’t the worst problem to run into and you have many options when it comes to this issue.

  • Avoid this by cleaning the drain stopper frequently; make it easy on yourself by cleaning it weekly and it won’t have a chance to get so gross.

 

Are you one of the lucky few that haven’t come across one of these typical spring plumbing problems?

There are still a few things you can do to make sure your plumbing is in line, so you can spend more time outside enjoying the warm weather!

  • Clean and inspect your roof gutters. Remove debris and make any repairs now to save yourself from bigger problems down the line.
  • Test the sump pump which may have frozen in winter and won’t be able to properly do its job now. If broken or working erratically, you may consider a professional maintenance.
  • Check for leaks around different parts of your home, especially around the hose bibs (the low, outdoor faucet).

We hope that you find these tips useful and can avoid any major issues so that you can get straight into enjoying the spring season! If you want to save yourself time and trouble go ahead and schedule a full inspection with us!

EIG guarantees an inspection within 48 hours of scheduling.

We’re Here to Help

 

Image attribution

Categories Home Inspection

Eight Unusual Cleaning Tips Guaranteed to Make Spring Cleaning Fun

cleaning tips

Recently we talked about how to best prep for your spring cleaning ventures.

If you’ve found it difficult to motivate yourself and get the tasks done, maybe these unusual cleaning tricks will be just what you need.

We all have a trick or two that we likely learned from our grandma, like shining silver with some toothpaste, but have you ever wondered about some other kooky cleaning tips?

Stick with us for some unconventional, but totally effective cleaning methods for your home.

Nowadays there’s a scrub, spray, and sponge for everything; but sometimes it’s not necessary to make a run out to the store when you likely have some great products already in your pantry.

 

1. Potatoes to Make Glass Sparkle

If your glassware has water marks or mineral stains take a few slices of freshly peeled potato skins and buff away. Voilà! Your glass will be sparkling in no time.

 

2. Baby Oil for the Toilet:

Cheap and available almost anywhere, baby oil is a great polisher to apply to chrome fixtures. Put a few drops on a cloth and take to your faucets, toilet handle, and even the toilet bowl until the porcelain is gleaming just how you like.

 

3. Save Your Wooden Coffee Table

Noticing rings from glasses and mugs on your favorite side table?

No need to start shopping around for a new one — just put a little olive oil and salt on a cloth or cotton ball and rub across the table. Within a few hours the rings should disappear

 

4. Manicures for the Toilet

If you have problems with rusty toilet hardware or shifting seats, paint a few coats of clear nail polish on bolts and screws. They’ll be less likely to loosen and rust!

 

5. Long Live the Screen Door

If you have a screen door, you may think the only way to keep it looking fresh is to replace it every so often.

However, a simple lint roller can keep pet hair, cobwebs, and other debris out of the screen and helping prolong the life a little while longer.

 

6. Ditch Funky Smells

If your garbage disposal has been smelling odd lately, there’s an easy fix!

Just turn off the disposal (important!) and use an old tooth brush (also important!) to clean the undersides of the splash guard. Typically old food and grime gets caught up underneath.

 

7. Bring the Car to the Kitchen

Well, not literally! But using any basic water based degreaser from an auto parts store can be just the thing your oven range hood filter needs to revive its life.

 

8. Don’t Forget the Dishwasher

Your dishwasher can harbor harmful bacteria and mold if not disinfected regularly. Run an empty cycle with bleach, baking soda, and vinegar to help keep it fresh.

 

Have you ever tried any of these strange solutions?

Which ones are you eager to test out?

Leave a comment below and let us know or add a few things to our list!

If you haven’t scheduled your annual home inspection yet we can help! Book now with our easy online system and you can check off one more thing from your to-do list!

 

Image attribution