Home Inspections:
    We begin inspecting the house as soon as we pull into the driveway. Things we look at are: lot drainage, orientation of the home on the property, driveway slope, and retaining wall locations. All these have bearing on the foundation and weathering of the home. We meet and head inside for a brief time of explanation. 
    Then, starting in the more complicated rooms of the house such as the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry area, we begin systematically inspecting components. Water is run in every fixture and the cabinet doors and drawers are checked for proper operation. The dishwasher is run through a normal cycle. All ovens and the microwave is tested for functionality. While in the kitchen and bath, we check for proper plumbing and electrical operation. The only thing left in these rooms is then the floor, walls, and ceilings. 
    The bedrooms are then checked for functioning doors, windows, electrical outlets, walls, floors, and ceilings. Then the garage inspection is performed which includes, some mechanicals, plumbing, electrical, door operation, floor, walls, and ceilings. The attic is the next location that is inspected. Here the roof deck can be seen along with any chimneys, mechanicals, insulation, plumbing vent lines, and structure. 
    I save the exterior for last because it gives me a chance to sample the interior, looking for gaps, leaks, cracks, or damage. The exterior inspection includes the exterior portions of the doors and windows, porches, decks, stoops, and walkways. The siding and trim are then inspected with the knowledge that problems will vary depending on the kind of siding installed. Trim should not be damaged or missing and the siding should be water tight and without damage. The roof is then walked if it is at all humanly possible. Having seen inside the attic already, I am checking any trouble spots that were observed from the inside. I am also looking for improperly installed shingles or shingles that are loosing their granules or abnormally worn (curled edges and damage). Proper roof runoff and drainage is also a big issue when looking at the structure or foundation of the home. 
    Lastly, I enter the crawlspace or basement looking for any leaks from the water I ran in the bathroom and kitchen fixtures or broken or damaged framing. The duct work is inspected for attachment and proper insulation. There also could be mechanicals in the crawlspace to inspect. The foundation and subfloor are inspected for correct installation, insect damage, water damage, and mortar deterioration.
    It is my goal to not only meet the states mandatory inspection standards but to exceed them. This is my promise to you.

Radon Tests:
    The radon inspection is another important inspection when buying a home. The EPA recommends that every home be tested for a high concentration of radon gas. It doesn't matter if the house is built on a basement, crawlspace, or a slab. It benefits you to have it tested up front so, as a homeowner, you are aware of the level of radon in the home. When the time does come to sell, you have a pretty good idea if radon will be an issue for the your potential buyers. It will allow you to sell your home with confidence.
    We use the Sun Nuclear Corporation's 1027 Continuous Radon Monitor to perform the test in your home. We follow all the EPA's measurement protocols. These include performing the test under closed house conditions which should be initiated 12 hours before the test is performed. This ensures that the test will be accurate and that outside air will not dilute the radon gas and skew the readings. The unit is placed in the lowest habitable level of the home. This can include unfinished basements if the area can be lived in without making major renovations. The unit is left in this location for 48 hours to measure the gas levels. The device has a tamper and power alarm. If the device is moved or the power is turned off, it is recorded in the data log. This and the measurement information is stored in its onboard memory and then downloaded directly to a computer. The test is displayed in an informative report that gives the hourly data both numerically and in bar graph form.

    A Citizen's Guide to Radon



  

 Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon



  

       Consumer's Guide To Radon Reduction



  

      Buying a New Home: How to Protect Your Family  From Radon



      
     

   Protocols For Radon and Radon Decay Product Measurements in Homes

Termite Inspections:
Many lenders require the home be inspected for wood destroying insects. Even if the lender does not require it or the buyers are paying cash for the house, a termite inspection is still a necessary step to ensure that the house does not have any hidden damage or active wood destroying insects. To many home buyers have purchased a house and later found it to be severely damaged by termites or currently infested with termites. We want you to have the information you need when purchasing a home. This can be the difference between a good investment and a nightmare. 
    I have been trained as a registered technician by the North Carolina department of Agriculture, and can fill out the WDIR so all parties involved know the current condition of the home. I have personally performed hundreds of termite inspections for potential home buyers.
The Wood Destroying Insect Report:
    There is a section of the WDIR that asks if there are any areas of the home that are inaccessible. These might include: flooring-covered slabs, decks, closets, garages that are full of stored items, sections of the crawlspace that cannot be accessed without damaging the home or injuring the inspector, and attics that do not have access openings. These limitations are important to note on the report so the buyers know what could not be inspected. 
    There is another section on the WDIR that asks if there are conducive conditions that would promote or sustain termite infestations. These include plumbing leaks, soil in direct contact with untreated lumber, roof drainage into the crawlspace, and loose wood pieces or wood pulp in contact with the soil below the home. These conditions can be changed or removed so that termite activity does not begin.
    There are different types of infestations listed on the report.
        1. Subterranean termites.
        2. Powder post beetles.
        3. Old House Borers
        4. Other: carpenter bees and carpenter ants.

Under each of these categories the choices are:
            a. Control measures performed-
            treated.
            b. No control measures were
            performed- did not treat.
            c. Visible evidence of a previously treated infestation
                which now appears to be inactive.

    The person purchasing the report can walk away with a pretty good idea of what is going on in, or under the home in regards to wood destroying insects. This knowledge can give you the buying confidence you need to purchase the house.

Contact us to book your next inspection