How to avoid or take care of ice dams.

You may notice long, beautiful icicles hanging from the roofs on homes this time of year.  As pretty as these winter icicle can be they may do considerable damage to your home.  Ice dams form on roofs along gutters and valleys.  The hard ice ridge prevents melting snow from draining. As water backs up behind the dam, it can leak through the roof and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and

Source: http://roofing.owenscorning.com

other areas.

Ice dams are formed by an interaction between snow and heat of the roof.  Melted snow from the warmer areas will refreeze when it flows down to the colder portions, forming an ice dam.  Here are some tips from InterNACHI for preventing ice dams:

• Keep the entire roof cold. (Seal all air leaks in the attic floor.  Increase the insulation thickness in the attic. Move or elevate exhaust systems that terminate just above the roof.)
• A minimum of 3″ air space is recommended between the top of insulation and roof sheathing in sloped ceilings.
• Remove snow from the roof.  Careful to not harm roof.

Source: htttp://www.nachi.org/ice-dams.htm

AMS Inspection Services is a home inspection company based out of Leavenworth with inspectors in Seattle, Wenatchee and throughout Chelan and Douglas counties.  AMS Inspection also performs blower door and duct blaster testing for new construction projects.  AMS Inspection is a member of the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce.

Earn Your Turns Program: Mission Ridge Ski Team Seeks Volunteers

Here’s an announcement from a fellow Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce member:

The Mission Ridge Ski Team needs your help!  We need volunteers to help with our races for the upcoming 2012-2013 Race Season.  As part of our Earn Your Turns program volunteers get a free basic season pass to Mission Ridge and in return those volunteers commit to helping the Mission Ridge Ski Team with 10 of the 15 days of racing that the team will be hosting at the mountain this season, primarily as gate judges and/or course crew workers.  *Gate judges keep a scorecard and list which skiers, if any, don’t negotiate the course correctly (we provide training for both positions).  MRST will be holding a training clinic at their offices on Saturday, December 8^thfrom 4pm – 5pm.

For more information or to sign up for our Earn Your Turns Program contact Kari Johnson at 509.433.8217 or email her at kari@mrst.us.  *Participants must be able to negotiate all groomed runs at Mission Ridge to be eligible for the EYT Program.

AMS Inspection Services is a home inspection company based out of Leavenworth, WA, with inspectors in Seattle, Wenatchee and throughout Chelan and Douglas counties.  AMS Inspection also performs blower door and duct blaster testing for new construction projects.

Fall clean up for Leavenworth, WA, ends Nov. 15th

For City of Leavenworth residents:

Leavenworth’s annual fall clean-up for Single – Family residents will take place this year during October 16^th – November 15^th.  We are asking all residents on corner lots with street intersections to prune trees for better visibility.  Leaves, pine needles, and other yard debris is to be put into plastic garbage bags, no larger than 35 gallon size, not to exceed 35 pounds, and no more than 4 bags on any regularly scheduled garbage day.  Limbs must be cut into 4 foot or shorter in length and tied in bundles. The yard debris should be out next to your regular garbage and will be picked up at the same time. There will be no extra charge for the pickup of the first 4 bags of yard waste; additional bags will be charged $3.15 per bag.  Please remember outside burning in no longer allowed.

Source:  City Of Leavenworth Website

AMS Inspection Services is a home inspection company based out of Leavenworth, WA, with inspectors in Seattle, Wenatchee and throughout Chelan and Douglas counties.  AMS Inspection also performs blower door and duct blaster testing for new construction projects.

WA Home Inspectors Can’t Repair Homes They Inspect

We received a call from a Realtor recently asking if we do repairs on a home we inspect.  Absolutely not!  Even though there are home inspectors doing this, it is not allowed in Washington State.  The WAC 308-408C-020 (Code of Ethics) for Washington State Licensed Home Inspectors states “the home inspector must:

(8) Not for one year after completion of the inspection repair, replace, or upgrade for compensation components or systems on any building inspected – this section applies to the inspector’s firm and other employees or principals of that firm or affiliated firms.”

This Ethic is set in place to protect the home buyer/seller.  Otherwise, a home inspector could call out problems within the home just to create more work for themselves and additional pad their pocket.  You can view all the Ethics at the Washington State Legislature Website.

AMS Inspection Services is a home inspection company based out of Leavenworth, WA, with inspectors in Seattle, Wenatchee and throughout Chelan and Douglas counties.  AMS Inspection performs blower door tests for on new construction projects. 

Duct Blaster & Blower Door Testing for New Homes – WA State Energy Code

AMS Inspection Services provides duct blaster and blower door tests to the greater Wenatchee area for the purpose of testing HVAC and home air leakage.  The new Washington State Energy Code requires third-party testing to ensure that contractors meet the minimum requirements of the air leakage test in order to pass the energy code requirements.  Watch this video from the “Energy Experts” at WSU Extension to learn where air leaks from your home.  It may not seem so obvious.

 

Air Sealing, Chapter 3: New Homes from Energy Experts on Vimeo.

Blower Door, Duct Blaster & HVAC Testing Services in Wenatchee

Wenatchee HVAC Testing:  AMS Inspection Services is now offering duct blaster and blower door testing services in response to the requirements for  Washington State Energy Code. New construction homes must be tested by third-party technicians to ensure the HVAC and envelop sealing performs up to the new standards. We have two Energy Star Performance Technicians on staff and ready to help with your projects.  Ask us about a multiple home discount!

• Learn more about the HVAC & Sealing Energy Code.
• More info about Wenatchee Home Inspections and blower door testing available on our blog.

Reposted from:  Introducing Blower Door, Duct Blaster & HVAC Testing Services in Wenatchee.

Introducing Blower Door, Duct Blaster & HVAC Testing Services in Wenatchee

Home Inspection Blower Door Test

Wenatchee HVAC Testing:  AMS Inspection Services is now offering duct blaster and blower door testing services in response to the requirements for the 2009 Washington State Energy Code for HVAC: 503.10.3 Sealing. New construction homes must be tested by third party technicians to ensure the HVAC performs up to the new standards. We have two Energy Star Performance Technicians on staff and ready to help with your projects.  Ask us about a multiple home discount!

• Learn more about the HVAC Energy Code.
• More info about Wenatchee Home Inspections and HVAC performance testing available on our blog.