home safety

Inspections / Safety

Importance of Testing for Radon Before Buying a New Home

Radon Could be Lurking in any Home With the Environmental Protection Agency estimating that nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. has elevated radon levels, you may have heard about radon testing for homes. If you have not, do not fret - we will explain in this article the basics of radon in residential homes and what you need to know about it. Reading this statistic might make you a little nervous about buying a home, but do not fear! Information is the best antidote for fear, which is part of why having a radon test done before…

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March 11, 2020
Read more about the article January Is National Radon Action Month
Inspections / Safety

January Is National Radon Action Month

You may have heard of Radon on the news or from a friend or family member, or maybe you are familiar with it personally, or maybe you have never heard of it before now. What is Radon, you may ask? Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally deep under the earth's surface and it, unfortunately, enters our homes and buildings where it can build up to harmful levels. By now I am sure that you have heard that smoking causes lung cancer, but did you know that Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States?…

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January 9, 2020
Inspections / Safety

4 Potential Health Hazards in Your Home and How to Protect Yourself

Your home should be a safe and healthy refuge for the entire family. While you may be diligent about minimizing your exposure to household chemicals, there may be other substances causing health threats throughout your home. To protect yourself and your loved ones, beware of the following home health hazards that may be present in your home here in the Maryland/Pennsylvania area: 1. Radon What is radon? Radon - Radioactive Gas You cannot see, smell or taste Radon… but it may be a problem in your Maryland or Pennsylvania area home without you even knowing it!   Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive…

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December 9, 2019
Maintenance

Fall Home Maintenance Tips

Here in the Central Maryland and South-Central Pennsylvania area, Autumn is in full swing now. The colors of the leaves are rapidly changing and many of the trees have already lost their foliage and are preparing for the forthcoming winter season. Temperatures have dropped dramatically here in the last week and are forecasted to drop further into the coming weeks. We have experienced several frosts already and we have even dipped below the freezing mark. Along with the gorgeous scenery Fall brings us, it also brings with it some crazy weather shifts and some strong winds, especially in November. Although…

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November 6, 2019
Safety

Homeowner Safety Tips for Summer Travel

It is here - SUMMER officially begins in just a few short days and we are starting to feel the heat and humidity here in the Westminster area and surrounding Maryland and Pennsylvania towns!  Schools are finishing up their final days of the year and the kids (and Teachers!) are excited for a hard-earned Summer break. With Summer breaks comes the Vacation season, and with some preparation and prevention, we can truly rest easy as we travel away from Home Sweet Home on our adventures. Even us Home Inspectors tend to take some time off during the summer months to…

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June 18, 2019
Maintenance

Home Maintenance Tips for Spring

Dare I say it? The calendar shows we have officially entered the Spring season and it is starting to show here in the Westminster area and surrounding Maryland and Pennsylvania towns! What a welcome change! Finally, right? Along with warmer weather, we will undoubtedly get a lot of rain and possibly some strong Spring thunderstorms occasionally, too! Before we know it, Summer will be here next. Now is a great time to focus a little attention and effort on your home in order to keep things running smoothly and to help maintain a safe and comfortable home for you and…

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March 28, 2019
Inspections / Maintenance / Safety

Daylight Savings March 10, 2019 – check your smoke alarms!

I know, I know - Daylight Savings time is this weekend, March 10, 2019 at 2:00am and, let me guess, you're tired of hearing the same old cliché, "Change the batteries in your smoke detectors", right? Well, perhaps I have some good news for some of you that live here in Maryland! With the current Maryland smoke detector law that had a deadline of January 1, 2018 for compliance (it was passed in 2013) and depending on when your home was built, some Maryland residents might not have to change batteries in smoke detectors anymore! For the rest of us,…

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March 8, 2019