The Importance of Environmental Inspections

Home inspections are extremely important to determine the condition of any dwelling. We highly suggest that any sale or listing involve a thorough home inspection by a reputable, certified inspector. Home Inspector Experts is one of the leading home inspection companies in the Long Island area across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Prospective clients often reach out to us after their realtors have recommended a home inspection. Our answer is always the same: Yes, you should have a home inspection. We offer various types of home inspections. One very important inspection that usually cause clients to pause is an Environmental Inspection. However, the problems these inspections can uncover are often invisible or silent with dire health consequences if left undiagnosed.

WHY PERFORM ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS?
An environmental inspection can uncover or detect a silent killer such as carbon monoxide or radon which can make residents sick with prolonged exposure. Environmental testing can require specialized equipment and/or testing, and only those inspectors with the correct certification and training should perform these types of tests.

We offer are various types of environmental tests as part of an environmental inspection. You can do one of the tests or all of them depending on the circumstances. If you’re unsure as to what you should do, we can help you decide. We don’t believe in doing unnecessary tests, but we do believe in safety and the high value of home inspections. However, prolonged exposure to some of the possible environmental issues can have serious consequences and we recommend that if there are any doubts, a test be performed. For example, exposure to carbon monoxide can be fatal in a fairly short period.
As a leader in the home inspection industry on Long Island we know how valuable these inspections can be, particularly among older homes. However, we are quick to add that even newly-built homes can have issues! Our licensed and certified inspectors and experts will carefully inspect your dwelling and notify you of any health of environment concerns we have. All our testing methods are E.P.A. approved.
These are the types of environmental inspection we do (each is important for its own reasons):

— Water quality screening can help identify any bacteria or pollutants in the dwelling’s water.
— Carbon Monoxide can be fatal and testing for its presence (including installation of carbon monoxide detectors) can mean the difference between life and death.
— Mold inspection and testing is important for health purposes, particularly in homes with children or asthmatics.
— Urea Formaldehyde testing will check for vapors in your home. Urea Formaldehyde was used in the 1950’s in foam insulation inside homes. Its vapor can cause certain health complications.
— Asbestos testing. Asbestos is a mineral fiber that under certain conditions can be a highly toxic carcinogen, and it’s important to have your home inspected for its presence. In some cases, if asbestos is found, it can be left undisturbed. If it needs to be removed, it should be done by certified professionals.
— Electro-Magnetic Fields are more controversial as the science on whether or not they can be carcinogenic is still inconclusive. Even so, it’s can be beneficial to check your dwelling for the strength of EMF’s bearing in mind that modern technology inevitably exposes all of us to EMFs.
— Radon testing: This is what the EPA states regarding Radon testing: “Health authorities like the CDC, Surgeon General, American Medical Association, American Lung Association and others agree that we know enough now to recommend radon testing and to encourage public action when levels are above 4 pCi/L.” Radon occurs naturally in the ground and can be found in both older as well as brand new homes.

If you are unsure as to whether you should have a professional home inspection, give us a call to discuss how we can help you.

The Importance of Environmental Inspections was first published on Home Inspector Experts

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Doing a Structural Inspection

While buyers and sellers will think of ordering a basic home inspection, not many think of a structural inspection, particularly important on older buildings. A structural inspection evaluates the structural integrity of a building or, in other words, its skeleton. It will look in great detail throughout the building from the roof to the basement or crawlspace to examine the foundation.

Why do a structural inspection?
1) The building’s structure is what holds it together. It’s absolutely important for you to be certain when purchasing a new home that it is structurally sound. If even one piece of it is compromised, the structural integrity of the building is also compromised and the consequences could be significant.
2) Structural inspections go where the naked, untrained eye might not. Most of the building’s structural components are within the walls, ceiling, etc. A home inspector is trained to detect issues by looking for evidence or clues of a possible problem.
What to expect from a structural inspection:
A reputable and well-trained inspector will inspect the building from top to bottom, and they should do so very carefully. They will closely examine walls (interior and exterior), roof (inside and out), framing, foundation, basement, floors and ceilings, and any visible support beams or columns.
During the inspection, they are looking for any evidence that there is or might be a structural problem. Given that most structural elements are contained within the envelope of the building (many structural beams are behind walls, for example), it’s important that your inspector be experienced and skilled in this type of inspection. For example, an experienced inspector will know whether cracks in the foundation are normal or a sign of more serious issues with the structure.
A checklist for the inspector of would most likely include:
— Examining the exterior or facade of the house to check that they are straight with no sagging or cracking.
— Checking windows and door frames to ensure they are square and level; that windows aren’t bowed.
— Check the fascia board lines to ensure they are level and straight.
— Check the foundation to ensure it’s good, straight, with no serious cracks.
— Check interior walls, ceilings and floors to make certain that they’re plumb and level, not sagging.
— Check any visible structural wood such as in the attic to ensure there’s no damage, cracking, sagging.
Whether or not to do a structural inspection above and beyond a basic home inspection can be a difficult decision but you could discuss this idea with your inspector and whether or not a separate structural inspection is necessary.

You should attend the inspection and any reputable inspector will welcome your presence. You should feel free to ask any questions during the inspection, particularly if the inspector finds any issues.

Once your report is complete, you will have detailed information about the house you are purchasing (or selling). Any areas of concern will also be detailed in the report along with the recommended course of action. Most importantly, the report should detail whether or not the structure is safe and sound.

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Home Maintenance Tips From Your Inspector

As licensed home inspectors here in Long Island, New York we have the pleasure of entering and seeing many brilliant and beautiful homes on a daily basis. I consider it one of the awesome perks of the job to be able to see some of these houses, it is truly amazing!

One of the things that I am also taken aback by so many times on the job is how some of these homes are so poorly taken care of. Most of the time in life, our homes will be the biggest investment that we ever make and if you take care of it, it will take care of you in return.

In the same fashion that brushing our teeth, eating healthily and working out can dramatically improve our health and the quality of our life, doing some simple maintenance and upkeep on our homes can do wonders for not only it’s look and feel but also in keeping everything running like a well oiled machine.

The following article by makingdiyfun.com outlines 12 home maintenance tips to keep things running smoothly:

12 Home Maintenance Tips To Keep Things Running Smoothly.

Just like your precious car, your house and your property needs some fine tuning. It’s a little time consuming, but your house will look nicer, and run more efficiently, saving you time and money in the long run.

To help you start with your home maintenance tasks, here is a simple checklist.

Hopefully you gained some value from the above article and were able to take away some actionable tips on how you can better maintain your home. If you are a new home owner you might be a little overwhelmed by the tremendous amount of responsibility that owning your own home can be.

Don’t worry though, because with every great responsibility comes tremendous reward. Just think of how nice it will feel on Sunday afternoon after a long week’s work and you have finished all your responsibilities. The house is clean and taken care of, the lawn is mowed, the oil guy just left after delivering your oil and all is well with the world. Now you can sit back and truly enjoy the fruits of your labor.

This article is not only meant for the new homeowners that need a crash course on maintaining their homes. It is our hope that we can provide some value and actionable information as well as gentle reminders for the long time homeowners as well. The following Youtube video has some really great tips on maintaining your home:

Maintaining Your New Home

We are so very lucky in this modern age to be able to have just about all the information we could ever want and need literally at our fingertips. The internet contains a plethora of information that can answer just about any question that a homeowner might have. There are some absolutely wonderful forums and communities out there such as thisoldhouse.com and diychatroom.com where you can ask questions and get them answered by experts who have been through exactly what you are looking to do or accomplist. How great is that!?

Another great tool for maintaining your home and tips on caring for it properly is an age old secret. It involves dealing face to face with the experts. In this case I’m not talking about home inspectors and home improvement people at all. I’m talking about your older relatives, your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and/or really anyone who has owned their own home for a significant amount of time. With this time comes experience, experience that you can learn from, make it a point to pick their brain or discuss some home maintenance things with them, you might be surprised by their answers!

Also, depending upon where you live you will need different tips, tricks and techniques involved with proper maintenance on your home that is specific to the area that you live in. For example, taking care of and maintaining a home in Hawaii would naturally be night and day different to maintaining a home in the pacific northwest.

There also major differences that come with each season and things will need to be done differently accordingly. With winter here we thought it would be appropriate to expand on some winters home maintenance tips. The following is a great article on winter home maintenance tips:

Winter Home Maintenance Tips

Preparing your home for winter is an important annual ritual for homeowners. For instance, did you know that adding insulation in your attic before winter arrives can help prevent ice dams this winter? And do not forget that tuning up your heating system now can help prevent more costly emergency repairs at the height of a storm, when it can be difficult to find supplies and licensed contractors. The following winter maintenance tips can help you prepare your home to withstand another cold season.

We hope that you will find this post helpful to you no matter where you are in your life or how long you have been a homeowner.

For more great actionable articles like this please visit our blog at: http://www.homeinspectorexperts.com/blog/

 

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What to Ask a Home Inspector Prior to Hiring Them

It can be tempting to just buy that exquisite home without ordering a home inspection – after all, it looks perfect. That, however, could be a mistake.

Whether a home is new or old, ordering an inspection prior to signing off on the purchase is always prudent. Some mortgage lenders might even require an inspection prior to approving a loan. Even the best contractor/builder, or the most meticulous of homeowners, can’t ensure everything is in perfect working order. And, as a potential homeowner, it can be easy to miss issues if you’re on a walk-through.

It’s extremely important to select a highly reputable home inspector. Here are a few tips to consider, as reported in 2014 by U.S. News & World Report’s Money blog.

1) It’s perfectly appropriate to interview any home inspector prior to hiring them. Ask if they belong to one of the industry organizations: National Association of Home Inspectors, American Society of Home Inspectors or the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. There are some minimum requirements to belong to one of these, and you should eliminate any inspector not a member of at least one. Also, ask if they belong to any local or state organizations.

2) Ask about their background and how they got started as a home inspector. The best inspectors have serious training and/or background in the building industry. Some were once builders themselves.

3) Once you know how they got a start in the inspection industry, ask how many years of experience they have. It might be worth asking where they’ve gotten most of their experience. A red flag could be an inspector who has worked in several states in a short period of time. Ask for references of other homes they’ve inspected both recently and several years earlier. (If they missed something during a home inspection, it might not be obvious to a home owner for a while ).

4) Be sure you know what their fee covers before you hire them. What exactly will they be inspecting? Their job is to find things that aren’t obvious – those things that can’t easily be seen within reason, of course. Roof, attic, and basements should be inspected and a good inspector should be able to access them. Appliances, especially water heaters, furnaces, and electrical box should be inspected. Some inspectors will be able to tell you whether certain items are up to code but at minimum, should be able to tell you if systems are functioning properly and safe.

5) Two final items: Ask if you can be at the inspection. If they say no, that’s a serious red flag. (A good realtor will often attend the inspection with you as well.) You should not only be able to attend the inspection, but you should feel free to ask questions. It’s also not unusual for the inspector have some questions of their own and provide feedback as he goes through the inspection. You should be certain not to get in their way, but having homeowner/potential homeowner in attendance is usually welcomed by a reputable inspector.

And, it’s important to know when their report will be ready and what should you expect. If the inspection is required by the lender, you need to be certain that his report meet their requirements and any required format.

Checkout this video for our Huntington NY home inspection services:

 

Related: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2014/04/27/7-questions-to-ask-when-choosing-a-home-inspector

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