Nassau County · South Shore

Home inspector in Merrick, NY

Between 2014 and 2020, Lou Rubino inspected 11 homes in Merrick. Like its neighbours, Merrick splits in two: older streets near the railroad with houses that pre-date the war, and the post-war spread of capes and splits filling in around them, running south to the canals.

Rated 5.0 on Google as of August 2026 · U.S. Army veteran owned · NY licence #16000039568 · 516-330-3870

In Merrick, the panel tells you the decade

On older Merrick blocks the electrical system is often the honest historian of the house. Lou opens the readily accessible panel covers on every inspection — New York requires it (19 NYCRR 197-5.9) — and what is behind the door frequently spans three generations of work: original circuits, a 1970s upgrade, and last decade's additions, not all of them tidy.

Heating runs a close second. Chimneys and flues that served an oil boiler for fifty years have usually been converted, re-lined or abandoned somewhere along the way, and which one happened is worth knowing before closing rather than after.

What the inspection can examine here

Every readily accessible panel cover comes off — older wiring and panels are the recurring Merrick finding.
Flues and chimneys — converted, re-lined or abandoned, the report says which, with photographs.
The heating plant and its age, read off the data plate, not guessed.
Gas metering and service equipment — how a house is metered is part of what you are buying.

Photographs from Merrick reports

An open electrical panel in a wood-panelled basement with multiple findings marked by red arrows. — An older panel in a wood-panelled Merrick basement, findings arrowed. Three generations of wiring in one box is normal here — the question is whether they meet safely.

The inside of a round chimney flue with debris blocking part of the opening, circled in red. — Looking into a Merrick flue, the blockage circled. A converted or abandoned chimney is fine — an undocumented one is a question for the seller.

A bank of four gas meters mounted on house siding under snow, one arrowed. — Four gas meters on one Merrick wall, photographed for the report — how a building is metered is part of its story.

All three photographs are from Lou's own Merrick inspection reports, chosen because they show a building component and nothing that identifies a property or an owner.

From the Merrick files

More of what Lou has actually photographed and flagged on Merrick inspections. Open any note to learn what the finding means for a buyer — every link stays on this site.

Asphalt shingle roof beside a skylight with a red box marking stained, worn shingles — The red box marks a band of stained, worn shingles beside a skylight. Water runs off along the skylight edge, so shingles here wear faster and are checked closely for damage that could let moisture through.

What this means: roof wear

Asphalt and slate-type roofs age in legible stages: curling, cracking, slipped pieces, exposed fasteners. Reading the stage helps establish the visible wear and whether maintenance, repair or further evaluation is the honest next step. The report must say how the roof was examined.

Metal skylight flashing on an asphalt shingle roof with a red line along the raised edge — The red line follows the metal flashing where a skylight meets the roof shingles. Flashing that is lifted or unsealed along this joint is one of the most common entry points for roof leaks.

What this means: flashing

Flashing — the metal where a roof meets a wall, a chimney or another roof — is where most leaks actually start. A leak here typically shows up rooms away from its source, which is why the report photographs the source. How moisture problems are traced.

Brick chimney base with black roof cement smeared over flashing, red line and arrow — The red arrow points to heavy roofing tar applied over the flashing at the base of a brick chimney. Thick tar patches usually mean past leaks were sealed over rather than the flashing being properly repaired.

What this means: flashing

Flashing — the metal where a roof meets a wall, a chimney or another roof — is where most leaks actually start. A leak here typically shows up rooms away from its source, which is why the report photographs the source. How moisture problems are traced.

Dark stone cap on an exterior brick wall below a window, red line and arrow at the joint — The red line follows the joint under the stone cap of an exterior brick wall. Open or failed joints here let water into the masonry, where freezing can crack the wall over time.

What this means: the exterior envelope

Siding, trim, masonry and parged walls are the building's raincoat, and cracks or failed mortar can give water a way in. The report documents their location and pattern so the right contractor or specialist can evaluate them when warranted. Where water gets in, explained.

Wood beam in an unfinished space, label reading screwdriver easily penetrated main wood beam — The label records that a screwdriver easily penetrated this main wood beam, meaning the wood is soft from decay or insect damage. A weakened main beam supports the structure above it, so this finding calls for further evaluation.

What this means: the structure

Cracks are information: their direction, width and pattern say whether masonry has settled and stopped or is still moving. The report traces them so a later reader can see change. What a condition report does and does not rule on.

Inside of an electrical panel with breakers and wiring, red arrow at a breaker terminal — The red arrow marks a wiring connection on a circuit breaker inside the electrical panel. Inspectors remove the panel cover to check terminals for problems like doubled-up wires, loose connections and scorching.

What this means: the electrical panel

An inspector removes the readily accessible panel covers because New York requires it — most of what matters in a panel is invisible with the cover on. Double-tapped breakers, mixed wire eras and scorched connections are all findings that only appear with the cover off. Why the covers come off.

All photographs are from Lou's own inspection reports for jobs in this area, screened so nothing identifies a property or an owner.

Approximate town-centre locator — Merrick in red, Lou’s Wantagh base in navy. Not a job location, an office, or a service boundary.

Where this sits in Lou's territory

Lou covers Long Island, the five boroughs and Westchester from his base in Wantagh, and the archive behind these pages shows where that work has actually concentrated.

Also nearby: Bellmore · Freeport · East Meadow · all 26 towns.

Buying in Merrick?

His Merrick file goes back to 2014. Yours would not be the first.

Schedule an inspection Call 516-330-3870

Not sure yet? Read what New York requires of your inspector or see a real report.