Tampahomeinspector's Blog

Advice for consumers on choosing a home inspector in Tampa, St. Petersburg or Cleawater

http://www.ledflashlightreviews.info

Chinese Drywall Settlement

tampahomeinspector — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:20:01 +0000

(Reuters) – Owners of thousands of U.S. homes tainted with foul-smelling Chinese drywall agreed to a legal settlement on Thursday with a German manufacturer.

Knauf International’s Chinese subsidiary made the tainted product, which has been blamed for producing a stench and fumes that damage air conditioning, wiring and fixtures.

Plaintiffs say the settlement, which requires court approval, could provide for repairs on as many as 4,500 properties containing drywall made by Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, or KPT.

Read the full article here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/15/us-drywall-settlement-idUSTRE7BE1NK20111215

Mark Cramer

Mark Cramer Inspection Services, Inc.

492 20th Ave.

Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785

727-595-4211

Advice for consumers on choosing a home inspector in Tampa, St. Petersburg or Cleawater

http://www.ledflashlightreviews.info

Tankless Water Heater Recall

tampahomeinspector — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:57:40 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 27, 2011
Release #12-074 Firm’s Recall Hotline: (800) 244-8202
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 Navien Recalls Tankless Water Heaters Due to Risk of Carbon Monoxide
Poisoning

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of
the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled
products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or
attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Navien Instantaneous or Tankless Water Heaters

Units: About 13,000

Importer: Navien America Inc., of Irvine, Calif.

Manufacturer: Kyung Dong Navien Co. Ltd., South Korea

Hazard: An unstable connection can cause the water heater’s vent collar to
separate or detach if pressure is applied. A detached vent collar poses a
risk of carbon monoxide poisoning to the consumer.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported

Description: Navien tankless hot water heaters are white with “T-Creator”
and “NAVIEN” on the front. Recalled model numbers are CR-180(A), CR-210(A),
CR-240(A), CC-180(A), CC-210(A) and CC-240(A) manufactured in 2008. A label
on the side of the water heater lists the model number along with the
manufacturing year in YYYY format.

Sold by: Wholesale distributors to in-home installers nationwide from
February 2008 through March 2009 for between $1,500 and $2,100.

Manufactured in: South Korea

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using and check the model and
manufacture year information on their Navien water heater. Consumers with
recalled water heaters should immediately contact Navien to schedule a free
repair. Navien will replace all Nylon 66 vent collar with PVC collars.
Consumers who continue use of the water heaters while awaiting repair,
should have a working carbon monoxide alarm installed outside of sleeping
areas in the home.

Customer contact: For additional information, contact Navien at (800)
244-8202 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the
firm’s website at www.navienamerica.com

Note: Regardless of the type of water heater that is used, every home should
have a CO alarm outside all sleeping areas and consumers should ensure that
their CO alarms have working batteries.

To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including a picture of the recalled
product, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12074.html

Mark Cramer
Mark Cramer Inspection Services, Inc.
492 20th Ave. Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
727-595-4211

Tampa Bay Area Home Inspector
http://www.BestTampaInspector.com
Clearwater Home Inspector
St. Petersburg Home Inspector
Advice for consumers on choosing a home inspector in Tampa, St. Petersburg
or Cleawater
http://ledflashlightreviews.info

Tampa Holiday Safety Alert

tampahomeinspector — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:51:32 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 13, 2011

Release #12-054

CPSC Hotline: (800) 638-2772

CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

UL Media Contact: (847) 830-1404

Holiday Safety Alert: Consumer Injuries Involving Decorations and Decorating Are on the Rise CPSC and UL Provide Tips for a Safe Holiday Home

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Holiday decorating plans do not normally include lacerations, falls and fires. Unfortunately, these hazards make an unwelcome appearance in the homes of thousands of consumers each year. To help avoid hidden decorating dangers, CPSC and UL are providing families with tips for a safe holiday home.

Reports of falls from ladders while stringing lights and hanging decorations, incidents of lacerations from broken glass ornaments and other holiday-related injuries are increasing. During November and December 2010, CPSC estimates that more than 13,000 people were treated in emergency departments nationwide due to injuries involving holiday decorations. This is an increase from 10,000 in 2007 and 12,000 in 2008 and in 2009.

Although estimates of deaths and injuries related to Christmas tree and candle fires are down, there are still an alarming number of incidents. Live trees or other evergreen decorations that have dried out burn fast and hot in a matter of seconds if they come in contact with an open flame.

Between 2006 and 2008, there was an annual average of four deaths and $18 million in property damage related to Christmas tree fires. During this same time period, CPSC received reports of about 130 deaths and $360 million in property losses related to candle fires.

"A well-watered tree, carefully placed candles, and carefully checked holiday light sets will help prevent the joy of the holidays from turning into a trip to the emergency room or the loss of your home," said Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "Follow CPSC’s safety tips and give your family the gift of a safe holiday home."

"This is easily the busiest time of year, but it’s important to make time for safety while celebrating the holidays," said John Drengenberg, director of consumer safety at UL. "By committing a few minutes each day to safety, many accidents can be avoided and your holidays will be memorable for all the right reasons."

CPSC and UL suggest using the following 12 safety tips to help keep your holiday home safe this year:

Trees and Decorations:

1. Buying live trees, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, its needles are hard to pull from branches, and its needles do not break when bent between your fingers. The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin and, when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.

2. Setting up a tree at home, place it away from heat sources, such as fireplaces, vents, and radiators. Because heated rooms rapidly dry out live trees, be sure to monitor water levels daily and keep the tree stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic, and do not block doorways with the tree.

1. Buying an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean that the tree will not catch fire, it does indicate that the tree is more resistant to catching fire.

4. Decorating a tree in homes with small children, take special care to avoid sharp, weighted, or breakable decorations. Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children who could swallow or inhale small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.

Candles:

5. Keep burning candles within sight. Extinguish all candles before you go to bed, leave the room, or leave the house.

6. Keep candles on a stable, heat-resistant surface where kids and pets cannot reach them or knock them over. Lighted candles should be placed away from items that can catch fire and burn easily, such as trees, other evergreens, decorations, curtains and furniture.

Lights:

7. Use only lights that have been tested for safety by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as UL. Lights for both indoor and outdoor usage must meet strict requirements that testing laboratories are able to verify. On most decorative lights available in stores, UL’s red holographic label signifies that the product meets safety requirements for indoor and outdoor usage. UL’s holographic label, with the green UL Mark, signifies it meets requirements for only indoor usage.

8. Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets and do not use electric lights on a metallic tree.

9. Check each extension cord to make sure it is rated for the intended use.

10. Check outdoor lights for labels showing that the lights have been certified for outdoor use, and only plug them into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI)-protected receptacle or a portable GFCI.

Fireplaces:

11. Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if swallowed. Keep them away from children.

10. Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

To find more valuable safety information for keeping your home safe and bright this holiday season, please visit www.cpsc.gov or UL’s www.SafetyAtHome.com

To see this press release on CPSC’s web site, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12054.html

Mark Cramer

Mark Cramer Inspection Services, Inc.

492 20th Ave.

Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785

727-595-4211

Advice for consumers on choosing a home inspector in Tampa, St. Petersburg or Cleawater

LED Flashlight Reviews

Long Time Home Inspector Honored by ASHI

tampahomeinspector — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:44:45 +0000

Anniversary Media Release

News Release	Contact (Mark Cramer)
	(727-595-4211)

Tampa Bay Area Inspector Honored by the American Society of Home Inspectors^® for Long-Time Service

Tampa, FL: Mark Cramer of Mark Cramer Inspection Services Inc., a local firm based in Tampa that conducts inspections of new and existing homes, was honored recently by the American Society of Home Inspectors for 20 of membership. Mark Cramer has been an ASHI Certified Inspector since 1991.

The American Society of Home Inspectors, founded in 1976, is the oldest, largest and most respected international professional organization of independent home inspectors in North America. Its Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics is the benchmark for professional performance in the field.

To become an ASHI Certified Inspector, a member must meet rigorous professional and technical requirements, including the successful completion of two comprehensive exams. In addition, he or she must perform at least 250 fee-paid home inspections that meet or exceed the ASHI Standards of Practice.

Mark Cramer conducts existing and new construction, pre-purchase, pre-listing and expert consulting inspections in the Tampa Bay area, including Clearwater, Tampa. Wesley Chapel and St. Petersburg.

Further information about Mark Cramer’s home inspections is available by calling 727-595-4211 or by visiting the inspector’s Web site at www.BestTampaInspector.com

####

DBPR HR-7020 Balcony Inspection

tampahomeinspector — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:22:13 +0000

Balcony Inspections

We provide DBPR HR-7020 Balcony Inspections. This is a required inspection of all balconies, platforms, stairways, railings and railways.

If a hotel or apartment building has 3 or more stories, the Florida Administrative Code for lodging establishments requires the operator to submit a Certificate of Balcony Inspection every 3 years.

The DBPR mandates the use of form HR-7020, filled out by the property operator. We provide the inspection and photographs of the subject balconies, stairways and railings.

Call today if you need a DBPR HR-7020 Division of Hotels and Restaurants Certificate of Balcony Inspection.

http://www.besttampainspector.com/DBPR-HR-7020-Balcony-Inspection

Mark Cramer

Mark Cramer Inspection Services, Inc.

492 20th Ave.

Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785

727-595-4211

Advice for consumers on choosing a home inspector in Tampa, St. Petersburg or Cleawater

A Fire Safe Home

tampahomeinspector — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:34:42 +0000

A Fire Safe Home: CPSC and NFPA Urge Consumers to Install Smoke Alarms,
Practice a Family Escape Plan Fire Prevention Week is October 9-15

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) urge consumers to take time
during Fire Prevention Week to check their homes for fire risks and to
develop and practice a family escape plan. CPSC estimates an annual average of more than 386,000 unintentional
residential fires, nearly 2,400 deaths and more the 12,500 injuries each
year from 2006 through 2008. “Build layers of fire safety in your home,” said CPSC Chairman Inez
Tenenbaum. “Install smoke alarms on every floor and in every bedroom. If you
already have smoke alarms, make sure they are working. Smoke alarms provide
early warning of a potentially deadly fire and can reduce the risk of dying
from fire in your home by almost half.” “Planning a home fire escape is an essential part of being prepared to act
and get out quickly if a fire occurs,” said NFPA President James M. Shannon.
“Develop a fire escape plan that identifies two ways out of every room and a
family meeting place outside. Practice your plan at least twice a year.”

Safe practices, such as the following, are the first line of defense in
preventing a fire in your home:

1. Install smoke alarms – A smoke alarm should be installed on every level
of the home, outside sleeping areas and inside bedrooms. When it comes to
surviving a fire, a smoke alarm is critical for early detection of a fire
and can mean the difference between life and death. About two-thirds of fire
deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that don’t work.

Install both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms. Alarms
should have battery backup. Consider installing interconnected smoke alarms
because when one sounds, they all sound throughout the home.

2. Have a family escape plan – Develop and practice a family escape plan.
Make sure everyone knows how to escape when the smoke alarm sounds, whether
awake or asleep at the time. The best plans have two ways to get out of each
room. Designate a meeting place outside. Once out, stay out! To help make a
family escape plan, see this NFPA publication. 3. Cook safely – Stay in the kitchen and keep a watchful eye while you are
cooking. Unattended cooking is the number one cause of cooking fires.
Cooking equipment accounted for the largest percentage of home fires from
2006 through 2008 that were reported by fire departments. For this time
period, CPSC estimates an annual average of nearly 150,000 cooking fires
which is nearly 40 percent of unintentional residential fires. These fires
resulted in an average of 150 deaths each year.

4. Fireplace safety – Have fireplace flues and chimneys inspected for
leakage and blockage from creosote or debris every year. Store fireplace
ashes in a fire-resistant container, and cover the container with a lid.
Keep the container outdoors and away from combustibles. Dispose of ashes
carefully, keeping them away from dry leaves, trash or other combustible
materials. Heating and cooling equipment accounted for the second-largest
percentage of home fires from 2006 through 2008. CPSC estimates an annual
average of nearly 57,000 fires and 220 deaths during that time period.
Fireplaces and chimneys represented the majority of those fires with an
annual average of nearly 27,000 from 2006 through 2008.

5. Electrical safety – CPSC estimates there was an annual average of 150
deaths from 2006 through 2008 attributable to electrical components.

Check the ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in your home to
make sure they’re working. GFCIs can prevent electrocution. CPSC recommends
installing GFCIs in the kitchen, bathrooms and other areas where the risk of
electric shock is higher. Install arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs). AFCIs are designed
to protect against fires caused by arcing faults in a home’s electrical
wiring.

For more information, see CPSC’s “Home Electrical Safety Checklist.”

6. Avoid mattress fires – Don’t allow children to play with candles,
lighters or smoking materials. Extinguish candles before you leave the room.
Buy a mattress that meets the federal flammability standards. The open flame
standard limits the intensity of mattress fires and provides more escape
time for consumers. 7. Use caution when smoking – Smoking materials caused the most deaths in
residential fires, an average of 600 deaths each year from 2006 through
2008. Don’t smoke in bed.

8. Don’t use gel fuel in firepots – CPSC has recalled millions of bottles of
gel fuel due to burn and flash-fire hazards. The pourable gel fuel can
ignite unexpectedly and splatter onto people and objects nearby when it is
poured into a firepot that is still burning. Contact the manufacturer to
return the product for a full refund. There have been deaths associated with
gel fuel.

To see this release on CPSC’s web site, including links to various documents
mentioned, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12009.html

Mark Cramer
Mark Cramer Inspection Services, Inc.
492 20th Ave. Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
727-595-4211

Not Dirty Old Men in Raincoats

tampahomeinspector — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 22:28:01 +0000

Metal head flashing

Some contractors think that windows are “self-flashing” or that caulk is a substitute for flashing. Doesn’t work. Not in the long run.

This past week I inspected a wood frame home in Tampa that had no flashing above the windows. Inside the home, I could see obvious signs of water entry at many of the windows.

Stains on the interior at the top of window

Another place you want flashing is under a door in a wood frame wall. Here we use a pan flashing to collect the water that invariable leaks in and divert it to the exterior.

This same home had no pan flashing under the door. The wood floor was rotting. Ignored, this kind of leakage leads to extensive damage that’s expensive to repair.

Rotting sub-floor below door

There are no shortcuts. It’s tough to install windows and doors and keep the water out. You don’t have a chance without proper flashings.

How to Save $500.00+ Per Year

tampahomeinspector — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:44:47 +0000

If you haven’t had a Wind Mitigation inspection, you are throwing money away! The FL statutes require insurers to give you a discount on wind insurance if you home has certain features related to resiting hurricane force winds. Almost every house has at least one of these features. If you’ve put a new roof on your house in the last 8-9 years, you are eligible for a big discount.

The discounts vary, depending on what features your house has. They might range from $500.00 to $2,500.00 or more per year. The only way to obtain the discounts is to have a Wind Mitigation Inspection performed. For less than 100 bucks, you can save thousands, even tens of thousands over the years you own your home.

Call me today for more information.

These hurricane clips saved a homeowner $500.00 per year! Almost any home built since the late 50′s has these.

CPSC and HUD Issue Updated Remediation Protocol for Homes with Problem Drywall

tampahomeinspector — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 01:04:19 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are issuing an updated remediation protocol for homes with problem drywall. A study conducted on behalf of CPSC by Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, finds no evidence of a safety hazard to home electrical systems. Sandia simulated long-term exposure of wiring and other electrical components to hydrogen sulfide gas, which is associated with problem drywall.

Based on this study, CPSC and HUD staff, representing the Interagency Task Force on Problem Drywall, are no longer recommending the removal of all electrical wiring in homes with problem drywall. This change in the government’s protocol may reduce the cost of remediation for many homes.

After simulating more than 40 years of corrosive conditions that could exist in problem drywall homes, Sandia staff did not observe any acute or long-term electrical safety events, such as smoking or fire. Corrosion and blackening of the exposed electrical components did occur and was observed to be consistent with the characteristic corrosion reported to CPSC by thousands of consumers. Based on this study, it is the belief of the staffs of CPSC, HUD and Sandia that long-term exposure of wiring and other electrical components to hydrogen sulfide gases does not indicate a safety hazard to a home’s electrical systems.

With these changes, the remediation guidance for homes with problem drywall calls for the replacement of all:

* problem drywall;

* fire safety alarm devices, including smoke and carbon monoxide alarms;

* electrical distribution components, including receptacles, switches and circuit breakers; and

* gas service piping and fire suppression sprinkler systems.

CPSC and HUD staffs are also issuing an updated identification guidance, which broadens the range of installation years of affected homes to include homes where drywall was installed as late as 2009. Importantly, the drywall installed in 2009 had been previously imported during the years 2006-2007 and does not represent any new importation of problem drywall.

The staffs of CPSC and HUD believe that following the updated identification and remediation protocols will enable homeowners to correctly identify homes containing problem drywall and comprehensively remediate those homes to address any potential health and safety issues associated with the problem drywall.

CPSC is in the final stages of completing its scientific investigation into problem drywall. For additional findings from the Interagency Drywall Task Force’s investigation, visit www.DrywallResponse.gov

To see this press release on CPSC’s web site, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11176.html

Mark Cramer

Mark Cramer Inspection Services, Inc.

492 20th Ave.

Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785

727-595-4211