My name is Thomas Herbst I am a Home inspector in Ashby Ma area. I started Clayton Home Inspections in 1994 with the purpose of delivering a thorough home inspection in Ashby Ma so, homebuyers can feel good about moving into their new home. Prior to that, I was in construction since 1979. I started from the ground up and have a Pest Certification License over many years and Certified Wood destroying certification for many years now and retained my pest license and Home inspector License ever since.
This knowledge and Experience is useful when inspecting the structure also electrical system, plumbing system, heating system and looking for signs of active insect or damage, as insects can cause significant damage to a house. It is highly unlikely that you will find another home inspector with that much experience in House construction and pest damage Identification, along with that much experience in home inspector. Now, I’m not just talking about having a Home Inspection license. I’m speaking about having the genuine experience as a Contractor who has overseen multi-million dollar house constructions. Anybody can get a Home improvement license.
If you want to find some of the best home inspector near me in Ashby Ma, you certainly need to do some research. There’s nothing worse than moving into a house and then recognizing that you need to drop $10,000-50K into it immediately, all because of an unskilled home inspector.
First, go to the State’s Board of Home Inspectors’ website and make certain the inspector’s license is still effective. Next, check the inspector out at the Better Business Bureau. Check for complaints and read any reviews that may be posted.
Don’t go for the inexpensive home adviser home inspector. In this industry, oftentimes you usually get what you pay for. Whatever you’re spending for that house, it’s a lot of money and searching for a home inspector with a “bargain-basement hunter’s” mentality is certainly not the right method. Hope to hear from you soon.
Water damage
This is a significant part of a home inspection, as water is a home’s “worst adversary”. I am additionally inspecting the gutters and downspouts to safeguard they are taking the water far enough away from the structure.
Exterior
I’m also examining the walls/siding, fascia’s, rake boards, soffits, and windows. I’m also checking the structural integrity of the building. Inspecting for structural integrity and safety. Inspecting underside, as well (if possible). Examining the condition of the roofing material (ie: shingles, etc.). Also inspecting vent pipes, exhaust vents, and skylights.
Attic Inspection
Confirming fundamental reliability of the roof. Making sure the attic is appropriately vented and insulated. Examination support system and for signs of water infiltration. Inspecting chimney (if present) and making sure there is a sufficient amount of insulation.
Interior
Walls, Floors, Ceilings, Doors & Windows Inspection. The State regulations only require that we operate one door and window per room. I go well beyond that.
Kitchen Inspection
State regulations do not require us to inspect appliances. I do not inspect and operate dishwashers, ranges, microwaves and trash compactors.
Bathroom Inspection
Inspect plus operate all toilets, sinks, tubs, and showers, checking for leaks and proper functionality. Also, inspect any exhaust fans.
Ensuring structural integrity, looking for signs of water penetration and also inspecting bulkheads.
Heating System Inspection (Temperature Permitting)
Inspect and operate all boilers, furnaces and air handlers. Making sure each room has a heat source. Inspection of oil tanks is not mandated by the State but they are certainly included in my home inspection.
Cooling System Inspection (Temperature-permitting)
Inspect and operate all cooling systems in-season (ie: condensers, compressors, evaporator coils, heat pumps, etc.).
In addition Inspect plus operate all plumbing fixtures and observing for leaks in supply and drainage pipes everywhere. also Inspecting there are no clogged pipes (backups). Water heaters are inspected.
Electrical System Inspection
Extremely important part of a home inspection from a cost standpoint, as well as safety. Also Inspecting all electrical panels and ensuring proper grounding of an electrical system. Also Inspecting all visible wiring throughout the building for loose and/or exposed wires. The Home Inspection State regulations only require us to check one outlet per room. I go way beyond that.
I am also looking for any kind of insect damage (ie: carpenter ant, termite, etc.) In addition my 15 years (previous) experience as a contractor along with my 24 years experience as a home inspector simply cannot be matched. If you or someone you know has more experience than me in each of these two fields (and can prove it) then I will gladly remove this claim.
Well water test
This test is highly recommended for any house with Well water. I can test for up to 26 items in the water (ie: bacteria, lead, iron, VOC’s etc.).
Radon Testing (add’l fee)
Radon
If there is a finished basement or if you plan on finishing it, then this test is highly recommended. There are also other situations that would constitute performing a radon test.
Any Questions?
Call Today (978) 793-1346
Native American sites in Ashby not documented; Yet known artifact findings (according to the history in the Open Space and Recreation Plan) and it is likely that Native Americans traveled along trails following Willard and Trapfall Brooks.
European settlement in this hilly town near the New Hampshire border was later than most other Middlesex County towns. Also In 1767 Ashby incorporated from parts of Ashburnham, Fitchburg and Townsend.
In addition At the time only 43 families were living here that number rose substantially to 422 persons living in Ashby in 1775, for unidentified reasons. These first settlers traveled along roads that followed Native American trails. County Road to Main Street was an east-west route leading out to Watatic Pond. The first meetinghouse constructed at the center between 1769 and 1774. Once the town center determined with the meetinghouse and burial ground, northwest routes connected the center with New Hampshire along New Ipswich and Mason Roads.
While the first grist mill opened in 1750, the early economy was based largely on dispersed farms. In addition Agriculture continued to be the mainstay of the local economy throughout the 19th century. Also connections with neighboring communities were augmented with the opening of the Ashby Turnpike in 1811 connecting Ashburnham through Ashby with Townsend where other roads converged. The connection with Fitchburg on Fitchburg State Road continued to be maintained and improved.
Only a modest number of mills, mostly at South Village, were established in Ashby and the population never saw the increase that other communities experienced during the Early Industrial Period. In fact, the population which had risen to 1,240 by 1830 had dropped to under 1,000 by 1870. The 19th century mills were wood-related businesses such as saw mills, wood turning, tub and pail production and clock making businesses, all of which augmented the mainstay of the economy – agriculture. The lack of railroad connections meant that products had to be transported to Fitchburg for rail shipment. Even the farms remained small, with dairy and orchard products used locally or sent to Fitchburg for local consumption there.
In the first half of the 20th century businesses, including farming, declined in Ashby. Some road improvements included town roads that became part of the regional route numbering system so that Townsend Road, Main Street and West State Road became Route 119 and the roads connecting Fitchburg with New Hampshire – State and Greenville Roads – became Route 31.
A shift in population occurred from the 1940s to 1970 when Fitchburg mill workers came to live in Ashby so that the population more than doubled from 1,026 in 1940 to 2,274 by 1970. Many of the Fitchburg mills closed at the end of the 20th century, but the population growth stayed its course. At the same time Ashby’s farm owners turned to developing equestrian centers, market gardens and Christmas tree farms. By the close of the 20th century 2,845 people were living in Ashby.
Ashby’s Heritage Landscape Identification meeting, attended by approximately 11 residents, some representing town boards and local non-profit organizations, held on May 15, 2006. During the meeting residents compiled a lengthy list of the town’s heritage landscapes, included in the Appendix. Once the comprehensive list created, attendees asked to articulate the value of each landscape and the issues relating to its preservation. Based on the information gathered, community members identified a group of priority landscapes visited by the consulting team during the fieldwork. Each of the priority landscapes valued, contributes to community character and not permanently protected or preserved.
These landscapes, which listed alphabetically, represent a range of scales and types of resources from individual properties such as the Trapfall Bridge to transportation corridors such as Route 119. Some of the priority landscapes describe areas that have multiple layers. For example the town center includes features within it that also individually recognized as heritage landscapes. Such layering shows the complexity and interdependence that are characteristic of most heritage landscapes. The descriptions and recommendations included here are an initial step in identifying resources valued by the community and suggesting action strategies.
Ashby’s largest extant farm is the Ashby Stock Farm, known for a short period as the Middlesex Stock Farm. It has a history of raising livestock sold regionally and nationally for many years. The present tenant, the Morgan Horse Organization, raises Morgan horses trained as dressage horses. The farm also has many acres of active hay fields.
The Stock Farm’s 238 acres of hayfields, pastures and forest front on the north side of Main Street west of the town center. Pastures marked by post and rail fencing surrounding the buildings off the road accessed by a gravel driveway. There are three houses, a large New England barn with side sheds, other barns and a large new indoor riding facility. At the front of the property west of the driveway is a farm pond. Also on the property are two minor streams that are the headwaters for Trapfall Brook which is to the east and flows into Willard Brook. Caton Hill rises at the northern edge of the property forming a backdrop, where the owners have sited a large religious memorial overseeing the farm.
The property well maintained presenting a clean orderly appearance. The farm draws visitors to Ashby who come to do business related to horses. Ashby’s recently formed agricultural commission and its adoption of the Right-to-Farm Bylaw recognizes the value of such a business to the local economy and community character.
Ashby First Parish Burial Ground referred to as the Old Burial Ground established on the Common in 1767 at the time the town incorporated. This two-acre burial ground is located just behind the First Parish Church and bordered by New Ipswich Road on the east side where a brick receiving tomb is located at the road edge. The church, its parking area and the carriage sheds form the southern edge, an undeveloped area is to the west, and a private dwelling is just over a low stone wall to the north. The west side also has a low dry-laid stone wall bordering the burial ground. There a few mature deciduous trees within the burial ground and many around the edges.Headstones are primarily slate with distinctive 18th century motifs, but the cemetery also includes later marble and granite headstones and monuments.
They arranged in loosely formed rows. In the northwest corner the marker of a black Revolutionary War veteran, Prince Estabrook, who reported wounded at the Battle of Lexington. Originally buried outside the burial ground wall but re-interred inside the wall in the recent past.This burial ground listed in the State Register of Historic Places as part of the Ashby Historic District (a local historic district) which includes the Common and surrounding resources. Due to this listing it is eligible for certain grant programs. Issues include broken and leaning stones, trees in need of maintenance and a receiving tomb that would benefit from restoration.
Glenwood Cemetery the newest of Ashby’s burial grounds – established in 1867, just after the Civil War. The large (nearly 12-acres) trapezoidal parcel set back from the surrounding roads and framed by mature trees on three sides (east, west and south). The entrance on the north side approached via a long narrow driveway from Main Street. This entrance marked by granite piers,conservation/historical preservation restriction. Active recreation resources developed during this period include athletic fields at Flerra Meadows (a mixed-use property) and at Liberty Fields.
Just north of the outlet of Ashby Reservoir is a small mill village known as South Village. Here Ephraim Hayward established a gristmill in 1800. At the outlet of the reservoir where the water spills into Willard Brook are the two mill buildings – grist and saw – and some mill housing on Erickson and Valley Roads. The mill complex is owned by the Middlesex County Foundation and is operated as Camp
Middlesex, a 4-H camp providing recreational and educational uses. This site is unique in that so much of the early mills (both saw and grist) is preserved including the gear system within the sawmill building. The water falls from the spillway rushing between the two mills; the gristmill is on the west side of the brook; the sawmill is on the east side; and they are connected by a covered walkway or bridge high over the brook.
AshbyMassachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program 5 Ashby Reconnaissance Report
https://www.homeinspector.org/HomeInspectors/Find/Details/17648BA/Maynard/MA/Clayton-Home-Inspection-Inc