Square One Inspections, LLC

10/22/2024

If you’re reading this, please walk to your basement and confirm you have a Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm near the heating system. I’m not talking about a smoke alarm. That’s different. A CO alarm typically has a date stamped under it and should be no more than 10 years old. Testing the button only confirms it will make noise, not that it will detect carbon monoxide. Humans don’t smell or taste Carbon Monoxide. We just don’t wake up. A plug-in CO alarm is $21 at Lowe’s. Please have at least one on each floor. Start now and confirm you have one next to the heating system. Lowes closes at 10pm. No excuses. Go now.

Freedom Fire Chief Jim Waterman said the cause is believed to be a cut in an exhaust line of the home's heating system.

10/22/2024

Freedom Fire Chief Jim Waterman said the cause is believed to be a cut in an exhaust line of the home's heating system.

02/27/2024

You know the contractor used nothing but the best materials when you find a chrome exterior conduit to carry electrical wires from the home to the garage. Makes me want to celebrate with a nice, hot shower. Wait, that’s a water supply line from a showerhead…

02/22/2024

Due to the AT&T outage, we may not be that easy to reach today, but will be connecting to Wi-Fi whenever possible. Have confidence if you leave a voicemail, an email or text, we will get back to you no later than this afternoon. We have an available inspection spot tomorrow, if needed.

05/26/2023

Happy 50th Birthday water heater! New record. May 1973.

04/24/2023

https://www.squareonemaine.com/post/how-to-manage-a-3-day-contingency-period

We all know the market is tough for buyers right now as supply is very low and demand hasn't seemed to decline at all. If a contingency period can be negotiated, it's expected to be short. So how do we protect our client's interest (home inspection, radon test, etc.) with only 72 hours? In a word: C...

03/08/2023

https://www.squareonemaine.com/post/attic-mold-is-manageable-that-s-right-i-said-it

Buyers are easily intimidated by mold stains in the attic. Mold should be taken seriously, but its typically very manageable. Don't rush to make a decision. Process all information and then decide. Yesterday, I inspected two homes that had or will have mold. A 1998 house followed the proper bathroom...

03/02/2023

https://www.squareonemaine.com/post/wet-basements-today-s-winter-rain

Not all basements leak, but many will leak will during a winter rain, like today's. Frozen Ground + Rain = Wet Basement (potentially...) In summer, water finds a way into your basement when an accumulation of rain exceeds the amount of rain the ground can absorb. The ground surrounding our homes act...

02/15/2023

Frozen pipes discovered during a home inspection...

https://www.squareonemaine.com/post/frozen-pipes-my-experience

01/30/2023

For all those who wonder about the effectiveness of a heat pump in a traditional Maine home:

We are a family of five that heavily relies on energy to heat and cool our Maine home. Was a heat pump the answer after one year? First, a little background: We live in an 1800sf home built in the late 1970s. We have an oil fired furnace that we installed in 2006 and service annually. This furnace c...

01/03/2023

Homes we recently inspected had radon mitigation systems that weren't working to their potential, exposing the owners to undue risk.

We regularly inspect homes with active radon mitigation systems. By active, we mean an installed radon fan is powered and removing air from beneath the home before it can become trapped inside. An installed system sometimes leads home buyers to opt out of radon testing. I decided to write a blog pos...