Get your Baltimore City or County rental Inspection.

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I am availible to complete your Baltimore City or County rental Inspection.

Hire me to complete your rental inspection.

Smoke alarms are a requirement to pass your Baltimore City or County rental Inspection.

Why do smoke alarms beep in the middle of the night? Click the image to find out.

Remember to put smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your Baltimore City and County rental property.

The State of Maryland requires smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level in all rental properties

Remember to get your Baltimore City or County rental Inspection.

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CO alarms are a requirement for your Baltimore City or County rental Inspection

Click the picture to read about Carbon Monoxide

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Get your Baltimore City or County rental property inspected by central inspections.

Contact me at 443-629-0893 for a Baltimore City or County rental inspection.

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Current pricing as of today, March 26, 2021

Current pricing:

Baltimore City: $120

Baltimore County: $100

These prices are for one inspection in one day. If you have properties with two or more units in one building, or if you schedule multiple inspections in one day, I offer discounts.

Baltimore: Epicenter of Formstone

Formstone was patented by the Baltimore based Lasting Products Company in 1937.

Originally the majority of buildings faced in Formstone were single-family homes. However, it was not long until rowhome homeowners in urban and working-class areas of Baltimore wanted Formstone, since these homes, built by the 1,000s in the early 1900’s, were constructed using low quality bricks, which were porous and leaky.

This single family home is typical of many still seen in Baltimore City and County

These buildings required significant maintenance -- repairing bricks and re-pointing (since the mortar used to lay them was also poor quality).  Painting was also used to repair the bricks, but salesmen touted that for the cost of three painting jobs Formstone could be applied to the building’s exterior and eliminate much of the effort to maintain the exterior brick. It was promised to remain weatherproof and insulating forever with no upkeep or repair (which didn’t turn out to always be true).

For this reason, Formstone was primarily used in remodeling, although it was sometimes used for new construction.

Many people don’t realize that Formstone buildings actually have brick under the Formstone facade.

The formstone cladding is chipping away at this building in Highlandtown, revealing the brick underneath

A homeowner holding a picture of his house on S. Bethel St before the Formstone was removed

At the height of its popularity in the 1950s, Formstone was a sign of wealth and stability in the working class neighborhoods of Baltimore. But the longevity of Formstone was not living up to the promises and it fell out of favor by the 1960s.  Aluminum and vinyl siding, much cheaper ways to weather-proof buildings, became more popular and contributed to the decline of Formstone.

One major failure of Formstone is that the metal lath holding the faux stone to the building can start to pull away from the brick. Without a strong bond between the Formstone and the underlying brick, moisture is allowed to enter between the two materials and become trapped. Applying Formstone to rowhouses constructed with early brick from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries caused many problems. This early brick was soft, porous, and susceptible to deterioration.  Formstone prevents the historic brick from breathing and the accumulation of moisture causes cracks to form.  This moisture combined with the freeze-thaw cycle can damage the Formstone material and, if left uncorrected, can lead to further deterioration and penetration of moisture into the underlying brick.  This can lead to loosened mortar joints on the brick facade.  Formstone is only waterproof as long as it does not deteriorate and separate from the wall.

Another issue stems from the application of the Formstone. When it was applied to the exterior facade of a building, significant architectural features were often covered up or removed. Features such as cornices, lintels, and sills.  These features were not only decorative -- they were necessary for diverting water away from the building, leading to even more damage from moisture intrusion.

There is debate over the historical significance of Formstone. Because it was usually applied to buildings long after their initial construction, Formstone is viewed by some as an inauthentic addition that detracts from the historical significance of the building.  But some historic preservationists, particularly in Baltimore City, argue that Formstone has acquired its own historical significance as it has become a part of the Baltimore landscape and is representative of the history and evolution of the city’s working-class neighborhoods.  These preservationists want Baltimore to retain it title of the “Epicenter of Formstone.”

Large Formstone building in Curtis Bay

A Formstone clad house on E. Lanvale St

Making sense of smoke and CO alarm rules

The overwhelming reason properties in Baltimore City and Baltimore County are not prepared for rental home inspections is inadequate smoke detectors and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.

And important point to understand is that on January 1, 2018, a new law went into effect for the entire State of Maryland stating that smoke detectors (and CO detectors) must be either hardwired (AC) or 10-year sealed battery. Removable-battery alarms and plug-ins are no longer allowed. Therefore, this law applies to both Baltimore City and Baltimore County rental inspections.

In Baltimore County the smoke detectors must be hardwired on every level and interconnected. Wireless interconnection is acceptable as long as each unit is hardwired. That means they are hardwired but not hardwired to each other (what electricians refer to as daisy chaining). The pic below is an example of this type.

hardwired, wireless interconnect, combination smoke/CO alarm. Perfect for Baltimore County.

Please note: In Baltimore County, the CO detectors do not have to be hardwired, although they can be. If they are not hardwired they must be the 10 year, sealed lithium battery type. This is why I recommend using hardwired combination units in Baltimore County.

In Baltimore City you also need a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector on every level of the unit, although they are not required to be hardwired or interconnected. They can be either hardwired or 10-year sealed battery. Removable batteries and plug-ins are not allowed.

The pics below are of a hardwired, wired interconnect combination alarm, and a 10-year sealed battery combination alarm, respectively.

hardwired, wired interconnect, combination alarm

10 year, sealed battery combination alarm