The Good and Bad of PEX Pipe

Cross-Linked Polyethylene (PEX or XLPE) is a flexible plastic (polymer) tubing pipe primarily used in both hot and cold-water distribution plumbing systems. During the past two decades in the United States, PEX has also become a common alternative to copper, polyvinyl...

When Bad Things Happen to Good Buildings

The presence of various historically-deficient building materials such as polybutylene piping, fire-retardant treated plywood, and aluminum branch wiring is considered a “red flag” by real estate investors, managers, and lenders. The identification of these...

Mine-Related Subsidence is No Fun

We recently performed an assessment in an area of Illinois that was extensively mined for coal in the first half of the last century. The neighborhood of the property was situated on top of former mining operations which resulted in land and building movement from...