As a home inspector, I spend my days crawling under houses, checking for cracks in the foundation, and making sure the plumbing isn’t about to turn into a geyser. Frankly, compared to that, dealing with a cracked boiler is often less stressful than dealing with Uncle Gary at your Christmas party after his third glass of eggnog.

It’s that time of year again. The air is crisp, the lights are twinkling, and the collective groan of millions of people preparing to spend several days in close quarters with their extended family can almost be heard. We all love our relatives—in theory. But the holidays can turn the most structurally sound family dynamic into a crumbling foundation faster than a leaky roof can cause mold on the ceiling.

So, how do you ensure your holiday gathering is structurally sound, emotionally insulating, and doesn’t end with someone needing to be duct taped to a chair? 

Here’s my guide to having a safe and harmonious holiday season, borrowing heavily from the principles of good home inspection.

The Pre-Inspection: Know Your Environment

Before I inspect a house, I study its layout. You should do the same with your family gathering.

• Identify the “Hot Zones”:Every family has them. The kitchen, where Aunt Carol gets territorial about the stuffing. The living room, where cousin Timmy feels compelled to discuss politics. The dining table, which serves as the ultimate pressure-testing point for everybody’s patience.
  
• Locate the “Escape Routes”: Just like I need a clear way out of a crawlspace, you need a pre-planned exit from an awkward conversation. Is it the dog? (“Oh dear, Fluffy looks sad, I need to go pet her.”) Is it the freezer? (“I think we’re out of ice, I’ll go check.”) Identify them, memorize them, and use them liberally.
  
•  Inspect the “Insulation”: What protects you from the emotional heat or cold? For me, it’s usually a large slice of pie. For you, it might be a shared activity, a harmless movie, or perhaps a tactical retreat to your phone. Ensure your personal insulation is fully intact and ready to deploy.

Structural Integrity: Setting Boundaries

A good foundation is key to a long-lasting home. Strong boundaries are the foundation to a long-lasting relationship with your in-laws.

• Seal the Cracks (Before they Widen): Has your sister-in-law already made a pointed comment about your new paint color? Address minor issues gently and immediately before they turn into major foundational cracks. Use humor. “Oh, yeah, this is the ‘I Know You Hate It’ Red. Don’t worry, I’m already planning to repaint it next year… or maybe tomorrow.”

• Reinforce Load-Bearing Walls: The load-bearing walls are the topics you know will cause a catastrophic failure. Money, politics, why your nephew still doesn’t have a job—these are the structural weaknesses. Steer the conversation away from these. Use a distraction! “Wow, that’s a heavy topic. Did anyone notice how nice Aunty Zelda’s hair looks? Speaking of heavy, who wants to lift this massive ham?”

• Ensure Proper Ventilation: When tensions rise, you need to let off steam safely. Go for a walk. Play a game. Start a (harmless) conversation about a shared interest, like the incredible advancements in chimney inspection technology. (Okay, maybe skip that last one.) The point is to create an airflow of positive interaction to prevent emotional pressure from building up and bursting a pipe.

Post-Game Analysis: Cleaning Up Debris

The party is over. You survived. Now it’s time to assess the damage.

• Check for Leaks: Did anyone over-imbibe and spill a lifetime’s worth of resentment onto the carpet? If so, treat it like a serious leak—clean it up quickly, apologize where necessary, and commit to better prevention next year. A sincere, “I’m sorry little Tommy’s comments about your weight were hurtful,”goes a long way.

• The Follow-Up: I always recommend follow-up work for home repairs. For family harmony, a brief, upbeat text the next day can do wonders. “Thanks for hosting! My favorite part was watching Uncle Gary blame the dog for his cheesy reaction to the baked beans. Hope your foundation is still intact!” This confirms goodwill and provides emotional “caulk” for any tiny cracks that appeared.    

Remember the Main System

As home inspectors, we focus on the major systems: structure, roof, plumbing, electric. In life, the main system is LOVE. Even when Uncle Gary is still arguing about the Bush/Gore election, and Cousin Timmy is cracking jokes about your daughter’s new braces, remember that at the core, this is all happening because you love these crazy, chaotic people.

So, as you head into the holidays, remember to be patient, stay grounded, and check your structural integrity often. If all else fails, retreat to the bathroom and call a friendly home inspector (like me) to discuss your most recent crawlspace adventure. It’ll be a nice, safe, non-controversial topic.

Tidings of Comfort and Joy!

Happy and harmonious holidays from all of us here at Peter Young Home Inspections! 

May your eggnog be strong and your foundations stronger!

And may the coming year bring harmony, happiness, and health to you and your loved ones.

The post 🎄 Surviving the Holidays: An Inspector’s Guide to Family Harmony and Foundation Safety 🎄 appeared first on Peter Young Home Inspections.

The holidays are nearly upon us. Does it seem like the year just flew by? As the song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Families reunite in the joy of the season. Little ones make a joyful noise. But it’s also a time for household accidents and injuries.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) cites approximately 160 accidents a day related just to home decorating. Nearly half of those involve falls, broken bones, concussions, and soft-tissue injuries. Let’s explore why more accidents happen during holidays.

Connecting the dots

Holiday accidents are influenced by several factors, such as:

• Increased activity. Holidays mean more cooking, baking, decorating, and entertaining, all of which can increase accident risks.
• Distraction. Stress, shopping, trips to the airport, meal planning and more make people distracted. This can lead to mishaps, such as forgetting to turn off burners or tripping over electrical cords.
• Decoration hazards. Holiday decorations (lights, candles, and ornaments) can be safety hazards. Frayed cords can cause fires, and small decorations can be choking hazards for toddlers.

Deck the halls

Since decorations play a big role in holiday entertaining, let’s take a look at some safety precautions.

Here are some tips for safer holiday decorating.

• Let kids help with decorating, but only with non-breakable items within their reach. Adults should hang breakable decorations, ornaments, light bulbs, and tinsel out of kids’ reach. 
• Watch out for decorative plants that can be toxic to children when eaten. Some examples are mistletoe, holly, Jerusalem cherry, and amaryllis. Keep these away from children and pets.
• Beware of bubble lights, which contain a chemical that’s harmful if swallowed and irritating to skin. 
• Keep cans of snow spray out of children’s reach. The powder is hazardous when swallowed or sprayed into your eyes or on your skin.

Just to be on the safe side, keep the number handy for the National Poison Control Center, 800-222-1222.

Don’t play with fire

The best advice for fire safety is to prevent fires from happening at all. Here are some tips:

• Be sure to test smoke alarms and change their batteries before starting holiday decorating.
• Never leave holiday lights on when you’re sleeping or if you are leaving the house.
• Don’t overload indoor or outdoor electrical outlets.
• When hanging lights, check wires for fraying or damage. If damage is evident, discard the lights.
• If you’ll have a living Christmas tree, be sure to keep it watered. Dry trees are more likely to go up in flames. Keep the tree in a sturdy stand that won’t tip over. Most importantly, keep the tree away from all heat sources, such as outlets, candles, radiators, and space heaters.
• If you prefer artificial trees, be sure to purchase one that’s “fire-retardant.”
• Take candles seriously! Stay in the room when candles are burning, don’t leave unsupervised children alone with candles, and be sure to blow them out before going to bed.
• Have your fireplace inspected by a professional before lighting the season’s first fire. Always use a sturdy fireplace screen, or if you’re using a wood stove, keep flammable materials away from it.
• Be sure to have an emergency evacuation plan in case of fire.

Eat, drink, and be safe!

Holidays always have a whole lot of cooking going on, so take these steps to prevent burns:

• Cook on back burners whenever possible, and turn pot handles away from the front of the stove.
• Never leave the oven door open
• Don’t let kids play near the oven.
• Keep kitchen appliances clean to prevent grease fires.
• Here are some other food and drink tips:
• Nuts and small candies can be a choking hazard for toddlers. Keep these out of reach.
• Avoid alcohol poisoning by keeping drink cups out of reach. Even a small amount of alcohol can injure children.

By following these tips, you can help to keep yourself and your family safe during the holiday season.

Buying or selling a home?

Avoid unpleasant surprises! Contact Asheville Home Inspector Peter Young before signing any contracts. Call (828) 808-4980, or click here to make an appointment.

The post Keep holiday season safe for kids, family, and YOU! appeared first on Peter Young Home Inspections.

Perhaps you’ve seen old Uncle Bert taking nips from that little flask he keeps in his jacket pocket. Let’s make sure Bert is the only thing getting fried! Beware of that turkey fryer.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission reports 168 turkey fryer accidents since 2002, including explosions, serious burns, fires, and carbon monoxide poisoning. The best way to fry your turkey? Just don’t! All right, we can’t convince you. At least, follow these turkey fryer safety tips:

• Never fry your turkey indoors. Set it up outside, at least 10 feet from the house
• Make sure your fryer is set up on flat, level ground, and not near dry grass, leaves, or other flammable materials
• Keep children away from the fryer at all times
• Never leave the hot fryer unattended
• Wear oven gloves or mitts to touch the fryer lid or handle, because the surface can be hot enough to cause severe burns
• ALWAYS fully thaw and fully dry your turkey before putting it into the fryer; a frozen or moist turkey causes a dangerous eruption of bubbles, which may cause boiling oil to spill over the top and sides of the fryer, igniting nearby surfaces
• Keep a fire extinguisher rated for oil fires handy when frying turkey

Just in case you think we’re exaggerating the risks of turkey fryers, please watch this video of a demonstration by the Brooklyn Park Fire Department.

Light my fire!

What could be more cozy than a warm fireplace and the glow of holiday candles? However, a houseful of open flames and combustible decorations are dangerous bedfellows.

If you decide to play with fire over the holidays, here’s a commonsense list to keep your home safe:

• Never leave burning candles unattended; extinguish all flames before you leave the room
• Keep burning candles out of children’s reach
• Make sure your candles are in proper holders on stable surfaces
• Never sleep in a room with a burning candle
• Do not put lit candles near trees, decorations, curtains, or other flammable material
• NEVER dispose of Christmas trees, wreaths, or shiny wrapping paper in your fireplace
• If you use your fireplace in winter, be sure to inspect and clean the chimney before the start of the cold season

Getting festive for the occasion

There’s nothing like brightly colored holiday lights to get you in the mood for holiday festivity. Be sure to keep in mind that dealing with electricity requires good common sense and caution. Here are some tips about decorating safely

• Real Christmas trees need to be kept watered so they don’t dry out and become a fire hazard
• Always use a step ladder when hanging lights inside or outside; NEVER stand on a chair or tabletop
• Inspect your lights very carefully for frayed wires, broken sockets, or loose connections that can become fire hazards
• If strings of lights are frayed, discard them and replace with new ones
• Poinsettias and mistletoe can be hazardous to health if ingested; be sure to keep them out of children’s reach
• Wear a mask when spraying artificial snow on windows to protect your lungs from irritating fumes

Don’t give the “gift” of food poisoning

Food is the cornerstone of holiday gatherings. Prepare food correctly, and everyone will enjoy a delicious meal and come back for more. Neglect basic food safety, and the result can be serious illness.

Here are some tips to keep food safe:

• Thaw food in the refrigerator, leaving enough time for it to fully defrost before cooking
• Rinsing raw meat or poultry before cooking only spreads bacteria around the kitchen; don’t do it!
• Wash your hands frequently when handling raw meat or poultry
• Use a food thermometer to cook meat and poultry to a safe temperature
• Don’t leave food sitting on the counter too long while after eating; get it into the fridge within two hours
• Leftovers have a shelf life of four days in the refrigerator
• Cut turkey into small pieces to chill faster

Keep it light and loving

Speaking of old Uncle Bert getting fried, what do you do when he launches into divisive political arguments during a peaceful holiday dinner? Our best advice is don’t get into a shouting match. Just tell Bert you love him, and steer the conversation into safer topics. Recall a story that everyone loves about the family, or ask one of your adorable nephews or nieces to tell you their favorite things about the holidays. Just keep it light and loving, and everyone will thank you for it, maybe even Uncle Bert.

Follow these tips for a safe and happy holiday season. Whatever way you choose to celebrate, your friends at Peter Young Home Inspections wish you the best holiday ever!

Buying or selling a home?

Avoid unpleasant surprises! Contact Asheville Home Inspector Peter Young before signing any contracts. Call (828) 808-4980, or click here to make an appointment.

The post Tips for a safe, happy holiday season appeared first on Peter Young Home Inspections.

Ah, the holidays. Time to unwind and create lifetime memories with family and friends. Holidays are also times when people let their guard down and become prone to accidents. Stay safe, and stay alert to celebrate joyous holidays with your loved ones. Here are some common holiday accidents and how to avoid them.

Decorating hazards

A study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that nearly 6,000 individuals are injured in decorating-related falls.
Most of these falls are from ladder accidents, and men were more likely than women to sustain serious injuries.

To avoid injuries from falls, take these precautions:

• Be sure ladders are on a level surface, and do not stand on the topmost rung
• Avoid overreaching when using a ladder; reposition the ladder rather than stretching out your arms
• Don’t stand on furniture; use a sturdy ladder
• Don’t use a ladder alone; have someone with you at all times
• Keep extension cords away from where people will be walking

Be sure the path is clear

Poorly lit, icy walkways are hazardous to guests, especially the elderly and children. Be sure to clear snow and ice from driveways and walkways, and be sure those walkways are well-lit for the dark winter nights so guests can navigate safely from their cars to your doorstep.

Keep the home fire burning, but only in the hearth

Nothing like a toasty fire on a cold winter night. That is, unless you’re watching your house burn down!

Christmas tree lights and candles can start fires. That’s why they should never be left unattended.

When you buy a Christmas tree, be sure it is fresh and moist, with green needles and sticky resin on the trunk. If the needles are turning brown and falling off, they are notorious fire hazards.Also, check your lights for frayed or loose connections, broken bulbs, and cracked sockets. Discard frayed and damaged light strings, and check your extension cords for wear and tear. When in doubt, throw them out! If you’re burning candles, keep them where they can’t be knocked down, and keep them away from the Christmas tree, curtains, furniture, wrapping paper, and anything else that’s flammable. Always be sure to extinguish candles before leaving the room.

Don’t get fried over the holidays!

Speaking of fires, be extra careful if you’re using a turkey fryer. The National Fire Protection Association shared these sobering statistics: Each year turkey fryer accidents cause at least five deaths, 60 injuries, and more than $15 in property damage.

A major source of serious fryer accidents is dropping a frozen turkey into boiling oil. The bird literally can explode, showering burning hot grease on anyone or anything nearby. Click here to see a demonstration by the Gulfport, Mississippi Fire Department of what can happen when you drop a frozen turkey into a deep fryer.
In fact, turkey fryers are so hazardous that none of them are approved for safety by Underwriters Laboratories.
If you do decide to use a turkey fryer, use it outdoors – not in a garage – away from any flammable materials. Wear goggles to protect your eyes, and always use post holders or oven mitts when handling the fryer.

Keep pets stowed away

CDC statistics show that about 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs annually. While your dog or cat may be quite mellow around familiar family members, some animals behave differently among crowds of strangers. Dogs not accustomed to children may respond unpredictably if approached by a child.

Cats can injure children, as well. Better to err on the side of caution and keep pets out of sight. Also, at holiday meals, don’t forget that human food isn’t always safe for pets, and some foods can cause serious health problems to your furry friends. Better not to take chances.

Careful in the kitchen

Keep your wits about you when preparing holiday meals, If you’re cooking poultry, use a meat thermometer, and be sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Food poisoning is not laughing matter, and it can be especially dangerous to toddlers and the elderly. Do not allow unsupervised children in the kitchen around hot pans and dishes, and sharp knives. Be vigilant, and stay safe.

So, while the holidays can be joyous times for you and your “tribe,” you want to ensure that you and your guests are out of harm’s way. Use common sense, and follow our recommendations for a safe and happy holiday season.

Buying or selling a home?

Avoid unpleasant surprises! Contact Asheville Home Inspector Peter Young before signing any contracts. Call (828) 808-4980, or click here to make an appointment.

The post Be sure you and your guests are safe to keep the holidays joyous appeared first on Peter Young Home Inspections.

It’s holiday time once again. For many people, it’s their favorite time of the year. With delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen, the twinkle of Christmas lights, that tangy Christmas tree smell, the excited voices of children ­– it’s the time to rejoice in glad tidings. Basking in the warm, holiday glow can make it easy to let your guard down. Don’t! We at Peter Young Home Inspections urge to you to keep your holidays joyous by observing some common sense safety precautions.

Lights

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Lights transform holidays into magical feasts for the eyes. Here are a few ways to enjoy your holiday lights without YOU lighting up like a Christmas tree.

• Who doesn’t love the smell of scented candles? Remember to keep candles away from decorations and combustible materials. NEVER use candles to decorate a Christmas tree. Trees dry out as time goes by, making them a serious fire hazard when flames are nearby.
• Inspect new and used light strings carefully. Check for loose or broken bulbs are frayed wiring. Repair or replace damaged components before plugging the lights in.
• When mounting lights, guide them through hooks or insulated staples. Do not use nails or tacks.
• Don’t overload extension cords. Use high quality power strips equipped with surge protectors.
• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. If a wire becomes frayed, the tree can become an electrical conductor, presenting risk of injury or death by electrocution.
• Be sure outdoor lights, wires and cords are rated for outdoor use.
• Plug outdoor lights and decorations into circuits equipped with ground fault interrupters (GFI) to prevent electrical shocks. If you’re not sure if your outdoor receptacles have GFIs, please consult an electrician.
• Shut off all lights and other electrical decorations when you go to sleep or leave the house. Unattended holiday lights can short out and cause fires.
• Keep children and pets away from lights and other electrical decorations. Always hang lights and decorations at least six inches higher than children can reach. 

Christmas Trees

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Nothing says Christmas better than that wonderful fir tree smell! Here are some ways to enjoy your tree in safety.

• Buying a live tree? Always check for freshness. The tree should be vibrant and green. Needles should be hard to pull from branches and should not break when bent between your fingers.
• Set up your live tree in a stand that allows for easy watering. Cutting a few inches off the trunk to expose fresh wood lets your tree absorb more water and keeps it from drying out and becoming a fire hazard. Be sure to keep the stand filled with water.
• Prevent your tree from tipping over by making sure the stand is big enough and sturdy enough for the size of your tree.
• Set up your tree away from heat sources, such as radiators, electric heaters, fireplaces, and woodstoves.
• Keep pets away from your tree whenever possible. Also, if you have pets, don’t use edible decorations on your tree, such as strings of popcorn. Your pet may try to eat them and bring the tree crashing down.
• If you are purchasing an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled as “fire-resistant.”

Entertaining

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The best part of holidays is time spent with loved ones. Here are some ways to keep them safe.

• Never leave small children unattended while you are entertaining guests. If your attention is elsewhere, be sure to have a babysitter, relative, or older sibling taking care of the children.
• Keep children away from ovens, stoves, and hot surfaces. If possible, keep them out of the kitchen while you are preoccupied with cooking.
• Keep an eye on your guests. Serve alcohol in moderation so nobody drives home intoxicated.
• Always use timers when cooking. A common cause of holiday fires is food burning in the oven.

Follow these simple tips and stay safe for the holidays. In whatever way you choose to celebrate, we wish you and yours a joyous holiday season.

Knowledge is power!

Are you buying or selling a home? Avoid unpleasant surprises by calling Peter Young Home Inspections today.

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