Posts in category: Repairs

Without maintenance, real estate starts to fall apart. A basic rule in physics is that things tend towards maximum disorder, which means things fall apart. It’s a reality in nature. In case you’re wondering, it’s called Entropy and is dealt with in physics as the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. We are mentioning this because it’s real. Roofs eventually leak, siding deteriorates, wood rots, metal rusts, mechanical systems fail, etc. Without ongoing maintenance, you will have bigger and more expensive problems in the future because one problem leads to another. It just happens. So, our motto is “solve the problem before it becomes a problem”.

Most people can usually tell immediately whether the house has been kept up or not. Maintenance definitely affects value. So, obviously the moral of the story is to keep up on maintenance!

For more related information click on this link:  https://safeharborinspections.com/

During our inspections, we are often asked “is that the utility company’s responsibility or mine?” The answer is, between the street and the structure, there is a “Point of Demarcation”. Typically, for electricity, it’s where the wires connect to the Structure, and for gas, it’s where the gas line connects to the gas meter. For water, it’s at the water meter.

So, from the Point of Demarcation out to the street, it’s the utility company’s responsibility. From the Point of Demarcation into the structure, it’s the owner’s responsibility. So, PSE&G has a responsibility for the power lines up to the point where it connects to the structure.  And the gas and water companies, have responsibility from the street all the way up to the meter.

So, for example, if the wires are damaged in the owner’s yard, it’s the responsibility of the utility company. If there is a problem between the gas/water meter and the street, it is the utility company’s responsibility. From the meters into the structure, it is the owner’s responsibility. The Points of Demarcation can vary depending on the location, but what I said above, is typical.

If you are interested, all our previous newsletters are available on our website blog. Click on the following link and it will take you right to it.

https://safeharborinspections.com/blog/“

If your dishwasher doesn’t drain completely, dirty water can collect on the bottom of the dishwasher. Very often it’s a very simple fix. Just raise the plastic discharge drainpipe as high as possible under the kitchen sink. If the dishwasher drain is too low, gray water from the kitchen sink can make its way back into the dishwasher. All it requires is a simple clamp to hold the plastic tube as high as possible. That way, the chances of the kitchen sink backwashing into the dishwasher becomes highly unlikely.

If you ever have this problem, hopefully this little bit of information will be helpful to you.

If you are interested, all our previous newsletters are available on our website blog. Click on the following link and it will take you right to it.

https://safeharborinspections.com/blog/“