Pelican State Inspection

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Moving Tips To Make Your Next Move Your Easiest Move

08/14/08

If you're preparing to move, whether long or short distances, big or small, doing it right can only mean one thing... preparation.



 
1. Start with one room. Do not proceed to the next room until you have determined what you don't need. Decide what you REALLY use and what is just taking up space.
2. Take a good look at those big items. You probably have one or more pieces of furniture cluttering up your rooms. If you're not using it, someone else can. If you don't know anyone local who needs the item, you can ship large items to a friend or relative in another state - or make some money by selling on eBay.
3. Don't pay a full-load mover to send large pieces. Instead contact a small move specialist. Small move specialists will move a single sofa or a room full of furniture a lot cheaper than a full-load mover. (They combine pickups from a given area and transport multiple shipments on one truck to reduce your cost). You get full service from a professional mover, including inside pickup and delivery and blanket wrapping, but you pay less.
4. You can box up and ship clothing the same way. Or give it away. Get rid of anything that you have not worn in the last two years. There are many charities that would be more than happy to have them.
5. Clean floors, walls, windows, curtains, blinds and baseboards - now that you can get to them!
6. Clean up and organize your personal and work files. Now that your home is clean, start cleaning up your personal and work paperwork. Remember to organize and clean out your electronic files too - including email.

When your small move is long distance, a full-load moving company charges you for a full truck- regardless of how small your move is. Small move experts will charge only for the room the items in your small move require. Make sure to get an exact small move price quote including inside pickup and delivery. There should be no surprises and no hidden charges for your small move.

Take advantage of the move to declutter. Be ruthless. A change like moving house can also be an opportunity to change other aspects of your life (like the wardrobe you've had since the '80's). Hire some help to decrease the stress levels. Aside from tips they should also help with small moves and can supply anything from boxes to moving quilts.
 

 

Easy Lawn Care Tips

07/05/08

Everyone has a neighbor with a perfect yard. You know the one- their grass looks like a thick, green carpet that covers their entire property and they have landscaping you see in magazines. Most of these people probably spend a good portion of their monthly home maintenance budget on their yard care, but there are a variety of things you can do to maintain your lawn without spending a fortune.

Lawn Mowing

Avoid mowing your lawn at the lower blade settings. Low-mowed lawns cost more money because they require frequent watering, more herbicide to control the weeds, and require mowing more often to keep it that short. If you set your mower blades at a higher level, the lawn ends up thicker and has a natural ability of blocking water evaporation from the soil below. Weeds do not grow as well in a higher lawn, so aim for a lawn length of between 2.5 and 3.5 inches during the summer. Leave your grass clippings on the lawn as they return nitrogen into the soil. You can use a mulching mower to break them up smaller for a nicer appearance and for better lawn health. If you don’t have a mulching mower, you can simply leave the clippings on the lawn and mow over them again next time to break them up. As the weather begins to cool towards the autumn months, you can lower your blade a little and cut the grass shorter. When you do your final cut before winter, cut it at it’s shortest length as it will prevent mold from growing due ice or snow, as well as prevent the grass from clumping together.


Aerate Your Lawn

The soil under your grass becomes compacted after years of use. The compacted soil reduces oxygen in the soil, which is required by the roots of grass to absorb water and nutrients properly. You can easily tell if your lawn is compacted by cutting out a small one square foot section that is about six inches deep. If the roots of grass are growing less than two inches deep, you should aerate the lawn. Aerating works best when it’s done in the fall. You can rent a core aerator from a hardware store or rental center. If you’d like to reduce the costs of the rental, ask around to your neighbors to see if they’d like to share the use of the machine and divide the cost of renting it. When you first aerate the lawn, you’ll have little plugs of soil and grass left all over the yard and it’s not very attractive. But by spring, your grass will be healthier, and have better access to oxygen, fertilizer and water.


Lawn Watering

You don’t have to water your lawn every day, contrary to popular belief! If your lawn is receiving an inch of rain once per week, it’s getting enough water. If the rainmaker isn’t cooperating, you can give your lawn a drink of about one inch of water in a single watering session - best if done early morning or early evening to prevent evaporation and waste.
 

 

How To Clean Grout

06/31/08

Grout can become stained or dirty for various reasons. In the kitchen this is usually due to spills and foot traffic. While in the bathroom, mold and mildew are the most common culprits. Consider the follow tips when cleaning your grout:

1. Avoid harsh cleaning products or those containing bleach. They're may stain or discolor your grout.

2. For general cleaning, mix baking soda with water to form a paste. Apply the paste to the grout and scrub with a stiff, plastic bristled brush. Scrub in circles to avoid damaging the grout. Work in small sections until you have cleaned all the stained areas, then flush liberally with water. Mixing equal parts vinegar and water works as well.

3. Try to clean your tile with a steam cleaner for more stubborn stains. If you do not have access to a steam cleaner you can try 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide and 1 cup water.

4. Clean your grout regularly to prevent a built-up of dirt, grime, mold, and mildew. To make the job faster and easier, consider purchasing a powered cleaning tool designed for cleaning grout or tile.

 

Deck Maintenance

04/20/08

As summer approaches, most of us will be planning outdoor activities on the backyard deck. It is important to make sure your deck is well maintained for the summer months. The key to keeping a deck in good functional condition is regular maintenance and inspection.

Frequently inspecting your deck for problems and addressing them when they occur can help you avoid costly future repairs.

Some common problems that occur are:

 Special attention should be paid to:

 

The Anatomy Of A Deck

03/25/08

Whether you plan on hiring a professional to built you deck or building it yourself, it is important to familiarize yourself with the parts that make up a deck. These individual parts can be broken down by both function and location and when properly installed work in conjunction with each other to form one strong unit.

Foundation Parts

These parts form the foundation which the structural parts all rest.

Structural Parts

These parts form a grid on which the decking will rest.

Other Deck Components

 

Candles Fires - The Overlooked Danger In Your Home

02/25/08

For centuries candles have been providing us with both light and decoration. In modern times their everyday use for light is no longer needed, but they still provide us with use for decoration.  Currently it is estimated by The National Candle Association that 7 out of 10 U.S. households burn candles.

Our increased use of candles has also caused and increase in the number of residential fires each year that are directly linked to candles. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that 23,600 residential structure fires each year are caused by candles. These fires cause an estimated 1,525 injuries, 165 fatalities, and $390 million in property loss. Data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) points to curtains, furniture, cabinets, and bedding being the leading materials first ignited in candle fires. Over 55% of all candle fires are caused by candles being to close to combustible materials.

 

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued over 70 recalls for candles or products containing candles over the past 10 years. To check for CPSC candle recalls you can search their web site at www.recalls.gov. Some of the common factors in these recalled products are:

If you are going to burn candles in your home, Pelican State Inspection recommends you follow these simple safety guidelines.

 

Why You Should Have Your Home Inspected

01/28/08

In Louisiana it is not yet required that you have a home inspection when you buy a house. Does that mean that you should not have one? Absolutely not! A home inspection plays a vital role in most real estate transactions today. Hiring Pelican State Inspection to perform a pre-purchase inspection could save you thousands of dollars and possibly save you from making a huge mistake on your next house purchase. The purpose of a home inspection is to better inform you on the conditions of the major systems of the house. In Louisiana the State Board of Home Inspectors defines these major systems as:

The home inspector inspects these systems in accordance to the Standards of Practice written by the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE LOUISIANA STANDARDS OF PRACTICE.

Pelican State Inspection will uncover problems for you involving these systems. Problems can range from cheap and easy to fix to the expensive type. It is common for us to find old and leaking roofs, dangerous electrical conditions, leaking plumbing pipes, structural problems and much more. These are problems that the untrained eye will overlook. These are problems that a professional home inspection will bring to light.

When you make an offer on a house you are assuming that these major systems are in safe and working order. Often they are not. The home inspection report will help you understand the problems to help you make a more informed buying decision.

 

Is It Necessary To Have A New Construction House Inspected?

12/20/07

Absolutely Yes! Pelican State Inspection routinely inspects and discovers defects with new construction homes. Just because the city code enforcement inspector signed off on the house does not mean there are not problems. The city code enforcement inspectors do their best , but they are over worked and do not get to spend the time needed in your house during construction. You are lucky if they stay 10 minutes. They do not inspect for the functionality of the home's systems, only if they are up to the city standards. In other words they do not check for leaks, they do not check if your heating & air system is working, they do not check if the hot water heater works,  if your doors, windows, and outlets function.

The city standards also defer many items and say that they should be installed per the manufactures installation instructions. This means that they do not check for installation defects such as siding clearances from ground and roof or proper clearances from combustibles for your appliances. Having you new construction home inspected will save you money in the future by correcting the problems up front that the builder should fix so that when you sell you do not get left holding the bill.

 

 

 

 

 

Our News

06/06/08 - We will be out of town this weekend to attend the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors Quarterly Board meeting in Baton Rouge on Friday. We will also be attending an 8 hour training course on fireplace defect inspection on Saturday in Baton Rouge. The course will be provided by F.I.R.E Service, one of the nations leading fireplace investigation, research, and educational providers

06/05/08 - We are pleased to announce that on 06/12/08 Foxe Smothers has been invited to speak at the NW Louisiana Mortgage Lenders Association monthly meeting which will take place in Shreveport at the Petroleum Club from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm. Mr. Smothers will be speaking on the general topic home inspection, answering questions on what a home inspection is and why it is so important in today's market.

03/02/08 - We believe that education is paramount in the home inspection industry. When you hire a home inspector you want the best trained inspector you can find. In order to provide our clients with the BEST home inspection experience in the Shreveport and Bossier City areas we strive to attend as many continuing education seminars as possible. On 03/07/08 we will be traveling to Baton Rouge to attend the quarterly board meeting of The Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors. The following day in Baton Rouge we will be attending the 8 hour Louisiana ASHI continuing education seminar. On Sunday and Monday we will then traveling to Covington to attend a 16 hour class hosted by the National Swimming Pool Foundation. By successfully completing  the class will obtain our Certified Pool Operator & Certified Pool Inspector designation. This long weekend of travel and education is just another of the many ways that Pelican State Inspection remains you best choice for home inspection in the Shreveport and Bossier City areas.

02/04/08 - Pelican State Inspection is proud to announce our first issue of monthly online magazine titled The Pelican Brief. The Pelican Brief  contains fun and educational topics relating to Home Life and Real Estate. To sign up for a free subscription of The Pelican Brief simply send an email to subscriptions@pelicanstate.net and include "subscribe" in the subject line.

Click Here To View Our Most Recent Issue

01/16/08 - We will be attending the American Society of Home Inspectors national conference 01/16/08 - 01/19/08 in New Orleans. The conference is a 4 day event with over 18 hours of continuing education available.