Limitations and Exclusions of Home Inspection

If you are planning a major remodel or a new home building project, there will be inspections by the local building authorities. Many owner builders dread these inspections fearing that their projects will be delayed and costs will rise if they have to correct errors found by building inspectors.

I get this question repeatedly:

Question: How can I be sure to pass the building inspectors’ home building inspections?

Answer:

This is the fear of many homeowner builders. What if you don’t pass inspections? Well, I’d like to put your mind at ease. It’s not as difficult as you might expect! And, frankly, should a mistake be made, you definitely want the inspector to find it to ensure the quality of your home.

Getting Through the Inspection Process

Home building and remodeling have specific processes to follow. There are systems in place that can make passing inspections relatively easy. You must, however, be aware of these systems. That’s not hard.

Here are some steps and processes that I recommend that you follow:

* Professionally drawn and engineered house plans use local and universal codes to ensure they pass inspections
* Local governmental building departments and professional inspectors are normally very willing to work with owner builders to help them pass inspections
* Owner Builders are advised to use licensed framers and other subcontractors who follow the plans and know the building codes
* Owner Builders can also use a Home Building Coach to help them inspect the work provided by subcontractors prior to all inspections

Checklist Provides for Planning & Execution

In most cases, your local building authority will provide you with a checklist of exactly when inspections are required and what they will be inspecting. And, if you work closely with your knowledgeable subcontractors, everything should go well.

This should ease your mind. And the process is the same whether you’re building a new home or remodeling the home you own.

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By Mel Inglima

If you are the slightest bit handy around the house you could save yourself thousands of dollars by taking care of the 10 most common repair problems. We’ll cover two of them here.

Let’s start with the main water valve. It is very important to know where the main water valve is and where to shut it off. You never know when a major problem will happen with your water. For example, a pipe could freeze up and break in the winter. Or you just may have a pipe break because of age.

So knowing the location of the main water valve is very important. Put a tag on it saying that this is the main water valve. Then show it to family members so they know where it is and how to shut off the main water valve in case there is a problem. This may save you thousands of dollars. Make sure that the valve turns easily so that anyone could shut it off if necessary.

The second simple repair is those pesky doors that stick. I am not talking about doors that are out of square because of a structural problem. I am talking about those doors that rub and have sticking problems. Let me give you the two main causes of doors sticking.

One of the easiest things to check and to fix is the door hinges. Sometimes the door hinges come loose over time. There is a very simple fix if your door hinges are loose. Just take a screwdriver and tighten up the screws that hold the door. This will tighten the door up and let it fit properly in its position.

Sometimes you will find that the screws will not tighten up but there is no reason for alarm. Here is a very simple way to fix that problem. The first thing you want to do is support the door because you want to take out all the screws that are holding the hinges.

Now this is the most expensive part. Take a little bit of glue and some toothpicks and stick them into the screw holes. Let the glue dry for about 20 to 30 minutes and then put the hinges back together. I know this may sound strange but it really is an old trick and it works very well. You will be very surprised how well it works.

The second problem with doors is between summer and winter. In the summertime you will notice that the door and frame swell and cause the door to stick and in the winter time the door works fine and has no sticking or rubbing.

On this particular problem where the door is swelling you can try and check the hinges first. But if this does not work you can buy a very inexpensive tool that costs under $20 and can be purchased at any hardware store. You probably can just borrow one from a friend. This particular tool is called a block planner hand rasp.

It looks like something that you would cut cheese with but I do not suggest that you do that. What you want to do is leave the door open and mark the door where it is rubbing. Once you mark the door you can start planing that area. Keep planing until the door closes properly. When you plane the door you are removing small portions of the edge of the door at a time.

This will only take a few minutes and you will find out that you do not have to remove very much material. If the door is real bad and you can not get the door to close then you might have to get a professional carpenter to look at your door problem.

Most likely with just a little planing your door will be fixed.

If you are buying a home, be sure to work with a professional home inspector who will examine the residence and let you know of any items that could turn into major repairs.By David Haigh

Don’t you just hate when you go outside and walk around your front steps and see cracks in the concrete and stone? One of the biggest problems is where the hand rail is mounted into the steps. This is the biggest culprit because most of the time the concrete is not filled to the top where the hand rail and steps meet.

What happens is that water gets into the holes and when it gets cold it freezes. When water freezes it expands and cracks the steps. There is a real easy way to fix this problem even if part of the step has broken off. Go to your local hardware store and pick up Vinyl Concrete Patch. This product is very easy to use. It is a matter of adding water, mixing, and applying with a small putty knife.

If there are other cracks or holes, you can also use this product to fix them so no further damage will occur. By doing this yourself you will save yourself some money. If you are still not sure how it works, then when you go to the hardware store just ask someone in the store and they will be glad help you.

Another problem in the house is a hot water heater that is getting close to being 10 to 12 years old. For most hot water heaters 10 to 12 years is all they last. If you start seeing water on the floor this may be an indication that there is a problem coming your way. It may be as simple as a rusted tank. This is very common for a hot water heater. There are other signs of aging. If you start smelling rotten eggs or when the hot water heater is creating hot water you may hear something that sounds like it is rolling around inside the tank. Both of these are signs of a hot water heater nearing the end of its useful life.

If you spot any signs of problems, you should immediately replace your hot water heater to avoid any water damage.

I do have a couple other suggestions for you about your hot water tanks. For less than $15 you can buy what is called a watchdog water alarm. What this does is it sits at the base of your heater and warns you if a leak develops. I would only suggest using this if you do not have the funds to buy a new hot water heater. If the alarm does go off hopefully you can turn the water off before any major water damage occurs.

The second thing I suggest if you are installing a new hot water heater is to see if you can put a catch pan under the heater with a drain line that can go to the exterior of the house or to a sump pump. This way if your heater does leak, the pan will catch it and drain the water out. You can buy drain pans that cost under $10 at your local hardware store.

These tips that I have given you will help you and save you money. And saving money is what it is all about nowadays. There are a lot of things you can do yourself instead of calling a professional to come to your house and fix it for you which is costly. If you tackle a problem when you see it you would be surprised how easy it may be to fix it yourself.

Your house is a valuable investment that you have made so keep an eye out on those little things that need to be fixed and fix them as soon as possible. I hope these tips have helped you and keep an eye out because there are more on the way.

If you are investing in buying a residential property, a professional home inspection can help you to avoid costly repairs. During their examination they can spot problems and potential problems that may cost you a lot of money. Minor repairs are one thing but buying a house full of problems without knowing it can be devastating to the financial security and health of your family.By David Haigh

Even if you don’t think you’ve got mold in your house, it’s a good idea to have your home checked occasionally. Certified mold inspectors can make sure you never do have a problem. That’s because mold can cause serious health problems, from persistent allergies to significant respiratory ailments or even worse. It’s especially imperative to get your home inspected for mold right away if you have persistent allergies that don’t seem to go away. If a problem with mold is found in your home, you can get it taken care of so that your health and possessions — and those of your family — are protected.

Certified mold inspections can’t be done by just anyone, and have to be done by companies that are qualified to do so. These companies should have a reputation for excellence and honesty on the job. If you’re working with someone who is professional, you’ll get a mold inspection report, along with the mold inspector’s insurance and certification qualifications.

What will the report contain?

The report will state whether mold exists in the house; if it does, the report will detail where it’s located, and what kind it is. The report will also give suggestions as to how to get rid of the mold and prevent it from recurring.

Price should not be your first consideration

Certainly, you want a good price for the mold inspection you have done, but the company with the lowest price is not always the best company to hire. The first thing you should pay attention to is a particular company’s qualifications and reputation. Check with the Better Business Bureau and see whether or not any negative reports have been filed against the company.

Look for conflicts of interest

The mold inspector you hire for the inspection should not be the same company that provides the remediation for the mold — fixes the mold problem, in other words. That’s because companies that offer inspections and remediation for mold problems at the same time are engaging in a conflict of interest. Instead, the inspectors should recommend a company for mold remediation that is reputable. And of course, even so, you should always check out any recommended mold remediation company’s reputation before you accept the inspector’s recommendation.

Other things to know about mold inspection

A good mold inspector is going to be one who can identify all affected areas, and will utilize the best technology to determine the level of mold infestation, as well is the danger that mold represents.

If the mold itself is particularly mild and not widespread, you may decide to try to do the remediation yourself, but you should be careful. Don’t do this job if you suffer from respiratory problems, allergic reactions, or other health problems. If the mold infestation is particularly severe, trying to do the remediation yourself could actually cause more harm than good. It’s not likely that you’d be able to completely eradicate the mold, and you may not only NOT take care of the problem in question, but you may actually cause further damage to your property and health.

Preventing recurrence

Once a mold problem has been identified, the severity of the problem has been inspected, and remediation has been done, you should be safe. Nonetheless, make sure you do occasional but regular mold inspections to make sure the problem does not come back. If it does, doing regular mold inspections will help catch the problem before becomes particularly severe, so that you can take care of it quickly and relatively inexpensively.

In short, although mold presents a challenge to many homeowners, it’s one that can be easily taken care of — with professional help. If you suspect you have a mold problem, make sure to hire a respected, professional mold inspection company to determine whether or not there is a problem and if so, its severity. If there is a mold problem, a good mold inspection company will be able to recommend a good mold remediation company — although a good mold inspection company will NEVER offer to do the remediation itself. It will make recommendations as to good remediation companies to hire, but make sure you do your own homework and research these companies yourself before you hire one.Even if you don’t think you’ve got mold in your house, it’s a good idea to have your home checked occasionally. Certified mold inspectors can make sure you never do have a problem. That’s because mold can cause serious health problems, from persistent allergies to significant respiratory ailments or even worse. It’s especially imperative to get your home inspected for mold right away if you have persistent allergies that don’t seem to go away. If a problem with mold is found in your home, you can get it taken care of so that your health and possessions — and those of your family — are protected.

Certified mold inspections can’t be done by just anyone, and have to be done by companies that are qualified to do so. These companies should have a reputation for excellence and honesty on the job. If you’re working with someone who is professional, you’ll get a mold inspection report, along with the mold inspector’s insurance and certification qualifications.

What will the report contain?

The report will state whether mold exists in the house; if it does, the report will detail where it’s located, and what kind it is. The report will also give suggestions as to how to get rid of the mold and prevent it from recurring.

Price should not be your first consideration

Certainly, you want a good price for the mold inspection you have done, but the company with the lowest price is not always the best company to hire. The first thing you should pay attention to is a particular company’s qualifications and reputation. Check with the Better Business Bureau and see whether or not any negative reports have been filed against the company.

Look for conflicts of interest

The mold inspector you hire for the inspection should not be the same company that provides the remediation for the mold — fixes the mold problem, in other words. That’s because companies that offer inspections and remediation for mold problems at the same time are engaging in a conflict of interest. Instead, the inspectors should recommend a company for mold remediation that is reputable. And of course, even so, you should always check out any recommended mold remediation company’s reputation before you accept the inspector’s recommendation.

Other things to know about mold inspection

A good mold inspector is going to be one who can identify all affected areas, and will utilize the best technology to determine the level of mold infestation, as well is the danger that mold represents.

If the mold itself is particularly mild and not widespread, you may decide to try to do the remediation yourself, but you should be careful. Don’t do this job if you suffer from respiratory problems, allergic reactions, or other health problems. If the mold infestation is particularly severe, trying to do the remediation yourself could actually cause more harm than good. It’s not likely that you’d be able to completely eradicate the mold, and you may not only NOT take care of the problem in question, but you may actually cause further damage to your property and health.

Preventing recurrence

Once a mold problem has been identified, the severity of the problem has been inspected, and remediation has been done, you should be safe. Nonetheless, make sure you do occasional but regular mold inspections to make sure the problem does not come back. If it does, doing regular mold inspections will help catch the problem before becomes particularly severe, so that you can take care of it quickly and relatively inexpensively.

In short, although mold presents a challenge to many homeowners, it’s one that can be easily taken care of — with professional help. If you suspect you have a mold problem, make sure to hire a respected, professional mold inspection company to determine whether or not there is a problem and if so, its severity. If there is a mold problem, a good mold inspection company will be able to recommend a good mold remediation company — although a good mold inspection company will NEVER offer to do the remediation itself. It will make recommendations as to good remediation companies to hire, but make sure you do your own homework and research these companies yourself before you hire one.By Leroy Kainoa Louis