SERVICES
The Home Inspection. A home inspection is a non-invasive visual inspection purposed for the identification of deficiencies and material defects that may be present at the time of the inspection.
THE HOME INSPECTION
The inspection of a home can be one of the most important decisions a potential buyer can make. Inspecere Home Inspection Services will will conduct a thorough examination of the home from the roof to the foundation. A home is an integrated system working together to provide the occupant with comfort, security, well being and safety. When any part of this integrated system fails to perform, or perform sub-optimally the occupants expose themselves to many potential risks and problems.
A home inspection is a non-invasive visual inspection purposed for the identification of deficiencies and defects that may be present at the time of the inspection. A home inspection conducted by a appropriately credentialed, professionally trained, and educated professional can identify areas that present issues related to the systems and components of the home.
The Elements of a Home Inspection
The home inspection is a non-invasive operation that is purposed for the identification of material defects, both major and minor. The inspection is a visual examination of the readily accessible areas of the home. Any item that cannot be inspected, for what ever reason, are identified in the Inspection Report.
The following systems and components will be inspected and examined by Inspecere Home Inspection Services during your inspection. The data collected from the inspection is annotated in the Inspection Report. The Inspection Report is a detailed document provided to enumerate the presence of any active or latent material defects and quantify those finding as they exist at the time of the inspection.
Inspecere Home Inspection Services will provide recommendations based upon the finding and report those to you, the potential buyer. The Inspection Report is the product provided by Inspecere and is an integral part and the final product of the home inspection.
Site
The grading of the home site will be inspected to determine site slope and to assess the site’s ability to drain water away from the home. Other items that will be inspected to include, but not limited walkways, sidewalks, retaining walls, and the overgrowth of vegetation that may adversely affect the structure due to moisture intrusion.
Structure, Foundation, Basement, Crawlspace
Inspecere will observe the foundation for indications of possible foundation movement, such as sheetrock cracks, brick
cracks, out-of-square door frames, and unlevel floors.
The crawlspace, if present, affords the inspector to observe part of the structure from below the flooring. Inspecere will assess any cutting, notching and boring of framing members that may present a structural or safety concern. Parts of other systems can often be observed while in the crawlspace such as insulation, electrical, plumbing, and ventilation.
The basement, if present, can be finished or unfinished and may contain many features found in the main living levels of the home and will be treated as such during the inspection.
Roof and Roofing Materials
During the inspection the general structure of the roof and the roof covering materials will be assessed and documented. Other roof components to be inspected are the gutters, downspouts, ventilation, flashing, skylights, chimney and other roof penetrations.
Attic, Insulation, Ventilation
The attic, insulation and ventilation will be inspected to include the presence and type insulation. During the inspection mechanical exhaust systems located in bathrooms, kitchens and laundry areas are evaluated.
Fireplace and Chimney
All readily accessible and visible portions of the fireplaces will be inspected, including lintels. damper doors, clean-outs and frames.
All readily accessible and visible portions of the chimneys will be inspected structural condition, if masonry, the mortar and joints are evaluated, in general the structural soundness is evaluated. The inspector has the opportunity to inspect the chimney during several portions of the inspection; as a part of both the roof and exterior portions. The weatherization of the chimney is inspected along with its flashing and the chimneys ability to shed water.
Exterior
The exterior of the home will be inspected to include, but not limited to, wall-covering materials; eaves, soffits, fascia. windows, exterior doors, flashing and trim. The adjacent walk-ways, drive-way and carports will be inspected as well as and any exterior stairs, stairways, steps, stoops, ramps, porches, patios, decks, balconies, railings, guards, and hand rails. stairways.
Interior
The interior will be inspected to include windows and doors, floors, walls, ceilings, steps, stairs, stairways, landings, ramps, railing, guards and handrails. The entry ways and exits which compose the homes egress system will also be assessed.
Electrical
The electrical system of the home will be inspected to include; the service drop; the overhead service conductors and
attachment point; the service head, gooseneck and drip loops; the service mast, service conduit and raceway.
Also inspected as part of the overall electrical inspection is the electric meter and base; service-entrance conductors; the main service disconnect; panelboards and over-current protection devices; service grounding and bonding; a representative number of switches, lighting fixtures and receptacles, including receptacles observed and deemed to be arc-fault circuit interrupter and all ground-fault circuit interrupter receptacles and circuit breakers. The presence of smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors will be evaluated and documented.
Plumbing
The plumbing systems will be inspected to include the location of the main water supply shut-off valve, main fuel supply shut off, water heating equipment and its energy source; the venting connections; the temperature and pressure relief values, seismic bracing of equipment; the functioning of all water fixtures to include faucets, toilets, sinks, showers and tubs. The portion of the plumbing system dedicated to drainage, waste and venting will also be inspected.
Heating and Cooling
The heating system will be inspected using using normal operating controls. During the inspection the location of the thermostat for the heating system will be located and documented as well as the the energy source, and the heating method. The cooling system will also be inspected using normal operating controls.
Windows and Doors
Doors and windows will be inspected. During the inspection of windows and doors the plumb of openings is evaluated. Additionally, windows with two or more panes of glass will be evaluated to determine if moisture has intruded between panes. Failure of the sealant between panes can be a cause of moisture intrusion.
Bathroom, Kitchen and Laundry
The bathrooms, kitchen and laundry areas will be inspected as part of the interior inspection.
Garage
The garage vehicle doors and the operation of garage vehicle door openers, using normal operating controls will be inspected with an emphasis of the safe operation of the photo-electric safety sensors.
SIX GREAT REASONS TO HAVE A HOME INSPECTION
One
A home inspection can identify both the active and latent defects with the home. Latent defects are those issue which as present may not be active yet indications point to potential and probable problems.
Two
A home inspection can save you money on costly repairs. Foregoing a home inspection is laden with risk. Many of the most common problems associated with an existing home, as opposed to a newly built home, will go unchecked and any number of defects with the home the new buyer will inherit.
Three
A home inspection is a very cost efficient way to protect you financial investment. Again, foregoing a home inspection means that any and all defects, unserviceable conditions, will become the new buyer’s problem. A leaking roof can be tens of thousands of dollars to repair and more to replace.
Four
A home inspection can identify and isolate defects, unserviceable conditions, with the foundation, structure, systems and components. Many issues arise due to daily usage, wear and tear, age, and lack of routine maintenance.
Five
A home inspection can protect your health by identifying the presence of biological growth, mold and mildew and the presence of pests. No home owner wants to share their home with racoons in the attic or snakes in the crawlspace!
Six
A home inspection can identify many safety hazards in the home. These hazards can run a wide range from ungrounded electrical receptacles, electric shock, to uneven walkways that present a slip, trip and fall hazard. Loose deck railings, missing hand rails, truly there can be safety hazards that can be potentially life threatening.
INFRARED THERMOGRAPIC IMAGING
Infrared Thermographic Imaging refers to the nondestructive imaging of materials, both exterior and interior, and the systems and components throughout the home by the use of a infrared capable camera producing high resolution thermal images and the analysis of the thermal patterns at the scanned object’s surface.
Inspecere Home Inspection Services LLC offers thermographic scans of the home, both exterior and interior scans are available. This service in invaluable and a proven method of identifying and isolating many issues with the home including the presence of moisture not visible with the human eye and can also identify heat gain and loss due to ventilation and insulation inadequacies.
THE INSPECTION REPORT
A home inspection can be one of the single most cost effective choices you make concerning the purchase of a home, and a Home Inspection could not be more critical to the decision making process. Having a thorough and well documented Home Inspection can add to your peace of mind and give you confidence that the home you are considering is not damaged or in need of structural repairs or component replacement.
All inspections come with a written report that is clear, concise and most importantly detailed. The report is comprehensive and contains many digital images, including Infrared Thermographic digital images.
The written report along with the digital images provide the buyer with critical information regarding the condition of the property. In sum, it illuminates any safety concerns, hazards and highlights the serviceable condition of the structure, systems, and components.
A home inspection is a visual examination of the readily accessible areas of the home. Items that cannot be inspected are identified in the inspection report. The inspector is not a qualified expert in all building trades, nor an expert in the building sciences. Therefore, the home inspection is not technically exhaustive.
A home inspection in a non-invasive operation that is purposed at identification and discovery of major defects of the site, structure and its systems and components.
A written inspection report will describe and identify the inspected systems, structures, and components of the building and shall list any unsafe or non-functioning systems, structures, and components.
An Inspection Report is a detailed document provided to outline the active or latent defects and quantify those findings and provide recommendations to the potential buyer. The Inspection Report is the product provided by the inspector and is an integral part of the property inspection.
The written inspection report will describe and enumerate the inspected systems, structures, or components of the building inspected, and shall list any unsafe or non-functioning systems, structures, and components observed during the inspection.
The inspection report is a written opinion of a trained home inspector based upon what was visible and evident at the time of the inspection.
“This information empowers the buyer! A well informed buyer makes sound home buying decisions!”
You, as a potential home buyer, have the vested interest and right to carefully examine your potential new home with a qualified home inspector. To find a qualified home inspector ask for references from friends, realtors, local licensing authorities and organizations that qualify and test home inspectors. It is important that the inspector conducting the home inspection is appropriately trained, educated and credentialed.
