Whole House Inspection
Our purpose during the inspection of your home is to look for the following 5 items:
- Health and Safety issues
- Structural problems
- Items or systems in need of repair
- Water penetration and its affects
- Insect damage
In addition, our goal is to educate the buyer on the care and maintenance of a home to help your investment continue to increase in valve according to the market value of the home.
A complete home inspection is a thorough examination of the major components that combine to form the structural support and working systems in a home. We abide by, but are not necessarily limited to the ASHI standards of practice. Our inspections include, at the minimum, the following components:
- Roof, vents, flashings, and trim
- Gutters and downspouts
- Skylights and chimneys (when accessible)
- Decks, porches, walkways, and railings
- Eaves, soffits, and fascia
- Grading and drainage
- Basement and foundation (including accessible crawlspaces)
- Water penetration
- Heating and Cooling systems
- Main Water shut off valves
- Water heating system
- Interior plumbing fixtures
- Drainage sump pumps
- Electrical service line and meter box
- Main disconnect and service
- Electrical panel, breakers, and fuses
- Grounding and Bonding
- GFCI’s and AFCI’s
- Fireplace dampers, doors, and hearth
- Attic framing, insulation, and ventilation
- Garage doors, safety sensors, and openers
Wood Destroying Insect Inspection
This inspection includes the visual examination of the readily accessible areas of the structures included in the report including attics and crawlspaces which are reasonably accessible. The inspection includes probing or sounding of accessible areas to determine the presence or absence of visual evidence of wood destroying insects. For the purpose of this inspection, wood destroying insects include:
- Termites
- Carpenter ant
- Carpenter bees
- Re-infesting wood boring beetles
If any of the above wood destroying insects, or their damage, is found treatment for the extermination of the species is recommended. Learn more about Wood destroying insects.
Radon Gas Testing
Radon gas is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring gas that is formed from the breakdown of uranium deposits in the rocks and soil under your home.
Our radon tests are performed by using a continuous radon monitor by Sun Nuclear Corporation. The monitor is placed in the proper location for at least 48 hours. It measures the radon level hourly and averages the results for the duration of the test. At the conclusion of the test, we print our an easy to read line graph the clearly shows the hourly results and average concentration of radon in your home.
Dewinterizations/Winterizations
Winterizing
We properly winterize a home by draining the water lines using compressed air to blow any remaining water out of pipes and other difficult areas. Water heaters are drained and blown out to remove any chance of ice forming inside. We also add anti-freeze to all the drain traps, tub and sink drains, and the commodes. This helps prevent remaining liquid from freezing and helps to ensure that sewer gasses do not escape from the septic or sewer system. Adding plastic wrap over commodes helps ensure that evaporation of the antifreeze does not take place.
This process can take from 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours depending on the size of the house, number of bathrooms, and layout of the home.
De-winterizing
When the home needs to be inspected, the process of winterizing is reversed. The pressure tank is filled, the water pump is primed if needed, and the shut-off valve is activated. After all faucets and shut off valves are turned off, the water is slowly allowed into the lines until they are full. After carefully checking for leaks, the individual faucets are turned on to check for proper flow, pressure, and delivery. The process of de-winterizing the home is less time consuming.
Water Quality Testing
We collect samples of potable water and have an independent lab test them for any or all of the following contaminants:
- Nitrates
- Nitrites
- Bacteria (including e-coli)
- Lead
- Copper
- Arsenic
- Sulfates
- Fluorides
Lead Paint Testing
Many older homes include at least one layer of lead based paint. This can be a hazard in one of two ways. First, any child or animal that chews on window ledges or trim with lead paint can ingest paint chips and be contaminated. Second, whenever the paint becomes airborne, the dust is inhaled and can cause serious health problems. The most likely cause of this is when renovations occur and the contaminated paint is sawed or sanded.
Our testing of lead paint is simply a swab test that will detect the presence of lead. It does not detect the amount of lead or on what layer of paint the lead is present. Lab analysis would be required for these more precise measurements.
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