Craig A. Manock - Northern States Inspection

02/11/2026

This is why I always carry dog treats when heading to an inspection 😁

09/28/2025

A neglected, if ever done maintenance item that you should consider doing before issues arise. If you have egress windows and a sump pump this is something you should do, even though it’s not fun.

The problem that occurs is over time dirt infiltrates your pea rock in the window well and essentially turns it into a semisolid mass that doesn’t drain very well. Over the years I’ve heard homeowners tell me they never had any water enter around their basement windows until all of a sudden water started seeping in around the window or a shrinkage crack by the window. I can now add myself to that list.

The remedy is to break up your pea rock, shop vac out the drain tile standpipe in the window well, wash everything really good so the pea rock looks like it’s fresh and then fill the standpipe with the newly clean and loose pea rock, spread out the rest of your pea rock again in the window well and you will be good to go again for several years. After researching this issue they recommend doing this every 5 years.

09/12/2023

It’s time to test fire your furnace. I know some people refuse to turn on their furnace until absolutely necessary but the worst time to find out your furnace doesn’t work is when it’s absolutely necessary.

03/03/2023

With the recent heavy snow be sure to check out your exterior exhaust pipes and clear any snow if needed.

Clear snow away from furnace, fireplace, and water heater vents to prevent a buildup of carbon monoxide. Vents near the ground can be easily drifted over with the amount of snow we recently received.

08/26/2022

When you need to check a window seal and someone doesn’t want you down in the window you get to become a snake wrangler. For a snake that was close to death from cooking in the window well he sure came alive fast once I tried to get him out. I have never had a garter snake coil up and lunge at me with an open mouth. He was lucky I was a nice guy😊

12/28/2021

Check your furnace intake and exhaust pipes for ice buildup.

I’ve taken several calls the last few days for furnaces that quit working. In each case the exhaust pipe was iced over. I was happy to help these customers and they saved themselves from a service call and cold house.

If you have an ongoing issue with icing contact a Heating Company for further evaluation. An ongoing icing problem can be corrected and is usually due to insufficient slope of the vents or a few other “usually” easy to fix issues.

Iced up furnace vents can not only stop your furnace but can cause carbon monoxide issues inside your home. Speaking of carbon monoxide, if you do not have a carbon monoxide detector in your home go buy one as soon as possible! PLEASE SHARE, one of your friends may need this information.

11/26/2021

This actually works great

The kitchen sink disposal can really get stinky! Use this quick, effective and economical method to keep your disposal clean and odor free!Buy your DFJ T-Shi...

09/08/2021

Check those dryer vents and replace your plastic or mylar style vent with a smooth wall metal vent. The flexible plastic and mylar vents are huge lint traps that are a fire hazard if not attended to regularly.

07/25/2021

The stairway to Heaven😬. Gotta love it when you come across one of these situations.

04/19/2021

Keep an eye on your outside vents. The birds are busy building nests and your vents are a place they love to make their home.

06/25/2020

Would you dare?

Craig A. Manock

05/07/2020

Everyone knows that smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. But did you know that radon is the leading cause in non-smokers?