ADA Compliance and Building Codes
In September 2010, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) published the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all [...]
Pool, Spa or Hot Tub Permit Requirements
Did you know that if you wanted to add a swimming pool to your residential property that there are permits, documents and fees required? Fairfax [...]
What is an Overdrilled Beam or Stud?
Overdrilled Beam When Först Consulting Group is performing a detailed inspection, one of the things we can cite as a code violation is [...]
Common Issues With Metal Roofs
Although shingled roofs are most common, there are still a number of people who prefer a metal. A metal roof is beautiful, durable and requires [...]
Do I Need to Worry About Insulation in Summer?
Although most people think about insulating their homes against winter’s cold, summer is also a time when insulation plays an important role. Insulation was designed [...]
Is Your Home Builder Taking Shortcuts?
When you build a new home, you trust the contractor you hired. After all, you vetted them by checking their references, looking up their service [...]
Now is the Time to Prevent Ice Dams
While my company was working on a recent renovation of a client’s mud room in their Great Falls home, the client approached me and asked [...]
Feeling a Draft? You Need an Energy Efficiency Audit.
With summer’s hot months ahead, it is surely pleasant to have a good, energy efficient, air conditioning unit. But what good is spending all that [...]
Virginia Home Inspector Specializing in Construction Problems
One of our clients was remodeling her home when she started having problems with the contractor. His prices kept going up, but the work didn’t [...]
2018 ICC Building Code Revisions
Every two years, the International Code Council, or ICC, issues revised editions of its code books updated to include current and accurate code information, with [...]