Home Inspection Services

Lead exposure of any kind is considered dangerous. For young children, exposure to lead dust can cause permanent brain and nerve damage resulting in behavioral and learning disabilities.

It is hard to distinguish lead dust in a home. The only way to know if a home has lead dust is to test. Testing for lead dust can identify potential lead hazards in home built before 1978. If you renovated or repainted, a lead dust test can confirm that lead dust levels are safe after the jobs have been completed.

Lead levels can change. Testing for lead dust is a snapshot in time and only measures the levels at that specific time frame when the sample was collected.

Mold is a fungus that exists everywhere in our world, including in every home, and our bodies have learned to co-exist with it over human history. There are two reasons to test for mold, (1) if there are elevated levels of moisture in the house (above 20% in wood and drywall) and (2) if there exists or existed a situation that may have resulted in mold growth in areas we cannot see. Mold testing requires an outside “control” test, in addition to other indoor locations as they're identified.

For example, a single story home with a basement, to cover the entire house would require a minimum of 3 test locations; 1 outside for the control, 1 in the basement, and 1 on the first floor.

Radon is an odorless, colorless, naturally occurring, radioactive gas that is very prevalent in our state which causes 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the U.S. No two homes, regardless of location (including being next door), will have the same radon level which is why we recommend testing during a real estate transaction. A radon test includes a single test canister usually placed in the lowest habitable level of the home (not including a crawlspace) for a minimum of 48 hours, however if there are multiple separate below grade areas, each area will need its own test.

Homes are built mostly of wood; if protected from moisture and insect attack wood can last for centuries. A Wood Destroying Organism inspection (called a termite inspection by some) is a visual, non-invasive inspection and review of the areas that wood destroying organisms such as termites, carpenter ants, beetles and fungus are known to attack in a home. We inspect the foundation, basement/crawlspace and any visible wooden members of the framing looking for potential entry points and past or present activity.

A pre-listing inspection is highly encouraged prior to the seller placing the home on the market. This inspection will focus on any major defects your home may have, any minor cosmetic issues you can remedy before listing your home and an overall safety check. Examples of major focus areas are roof and structure, foundation, heating and air conditioning systems, electrical and plumbing systems. Examples of minor cosmetic areas are trimming exterior foliage, bathroom caulking, cleaning gutters, the washing of windows and sills, replacing broken or damaged screens, tightening of doorknobs, restoring leaky faucets and fixing small holes in walls. Examples of safety items are smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and adequate exterior lighting.

New homes today have more technology and innovation built into them than ever before. It’s important to know that the contractor you hired to build your dream house gets the job done right. There are many sub-contractors and tradesmen that will participate in the construction of a new home that it always helps to have an outside eye that can point out any issue prior to closing in the walls and completing the house. For new builds we usually recommend two separate inspections: the first when the foundation and framing is complete with a majority of the plumbing and electrical “rough-in” done and the second when the home is a completed project right before your final walk through/move in. These inspections will help you avoid any issues that may arise later after you are already living in the house.

A re-inspection may be necessary when there are items that could not be inspected during the primary home inspection due to weather, temperature or snow cover. Additionally, some home buyers will request the seller repair any issues uncovered during the primary home inspection and want their trusted home inspector to review the repairs to ensure they are completed according to modern building standards and in a workman-like manner.