From the desk of ...
Arthur S. Lazerow

Last newsletter I wrote that we should have terrific news about expansion of our home inspection division, which to date has been a one-person operation - me! After 43 straight 18-hour days of inspections combined with managing the business, my wife, Tina, suggested the time had come to expand.

Fortunately, about this same time Pat Cooney agreed to join Alban as a full-time home inspector. Pat is a licensed Realtor and a licensed electrician, heating contractor, Maryland home improvement contractor and county building contractor. And he has a fine family, with his wife Cheryl and three children.

After interviewing over 50 candidates for associate home inspector, only Pat had that unique mixture of professional construction experience, and the sensitivity to understand the concerns of our clients. These are the very attributes which set Alban Home Inspector Service apart from other inspection companies and why Alban has become the premier inspection company in the area.

573 Lancaster Place
Frederick, Maryland 21702
Metro 1-800-822-7200
301-662-6565

Full Fee Refund
IF SALE DOESN'T CLOSE

A backyard playground certainly makes for a good listing! However, the safer the play area, the less concerns buyers will have. Here are some things to look for to make a safer backyard play area:

1. Play Area Ground. Loose-fill materials such as hardwood chips, wood mulch, pea gravel, and sand are all acceptable "fall breakers," as are certain synthetic surfaces. Grass, soil, and hard-packed dirt fail to provide adequate protection. Seventy-five percent of all playground injuries are caused by falls, so this is one of the most important considerations.

2. Sharp Edges. Check structures for sharp edges and corners. Screws and bolt ends should be capped. Clothing caught in equipment can cause strangulation, so look for anything that may act as a hook or snag, especially at the top of slides.

3. Connections. Ensure that S-type hooks on swings are completely pinched shut. Also watch for rings or other spaces between five and ten inches in diameter where a child's head or limbs could be trapped.

4. Protective Barriers. Install guardrails or protective barriers on all raised surfaces (platforms, bridges, and ramps) to prevent falls. Any elevated equipment, including slides, should not be more than seven feet high for school-age children or six feet high for pre-schoolers.

5. Free Area. Allow for an open space free of other equipment and obstacles that extends for several feet in all directions around anything children can climb.

6. Swings. Seats should be made of soft materials, such as rubber or canvas, and set apart from other equipment. Allow at least two feet between swings and thirty inches between swing and support structure to provide proper clearance,

7. Deterioration. Inspect for signs of aging and corrosion such as rust and chipped paint on metal components; loose splinters, large vertical cracks, and decay on wood: and splitting and cracking in plastic. Also look for deterioration where the components are anchored to the ground -any problems there may cause instability.

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