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Independent
inspections help assure you get the value and safety you are
paying for. Did your home come with a warranty? Check it
out before it expires! Don't be intimidated by professional
builders, developers or warranty companies We only work for you!! Just
ask our many satisfied clients.
Brand New Homes
All homes benefit from
independent inspections. Some general contractors will cut corners
knowing that municipal inspections are rarely complete, and
push their subcontractors to get it done as fast as possible. This
is especially true in large developments where a workers jump from
site to site, missing the critical details, or taking the time to
alert others of problems they find.
The following 2 pictures were items we found in a brand new
home we inspected before the owner took possession. This had
passed all its municipal inspections, but clearly the building
inspector didn't check any of these problems.
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During this inspection
we noted low air flow to the heat registers.
Disconnected
duct work
This is the main
heating duct under the home. This was blowing precious
warm air into the crawlspace. I doubt that heating
contractor left this ductwork in this condition. Surely he
was not the last worker in this space. I am sure this
buyer was glad we caught it, his gas bill would have been
terribly high trying to heat the home by warming the
crawlspace.
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Incomplete
Vapor Barrier and Wood Debris
Vapor barriers (Usually
plastic sheeting) are critical to moisture control in the
crawl space. During this inspection we noticed saturated,
heavy clay soil. Water does not percolate like it does in
sandy soil. In this crawlspace, all of the soil was damp.
The lack of a complete vapor barrier and leftover wood
construction wood debris are conducive conditions for wood
destroying organisms,( ie. beetles, ants or termites.)
Removing wood debris and moisture control are simple steps
to preserve the integrity of all homes.
Someone had to notice
these glaring flaws, but either the plumber, heating
contractor, insulation crew, vapor barrier installation
crew or all of them had the attitude "not my
problem" and moved on to the next house in this large
development. Read the letter
from this customer and how the contractor fixed the
issues we found.
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 Warranty
Inspections
Most
of the problems we find in home are hidden or ones not
recognized by the home owner. This home buyer had a leak
on the roof covered under their warranty. The builder
repaired the leaking valley but He NEVER FINISHED!
The siding, trim, flashing and stone work at the corner
weren't completed. I was shocked to see this repair, and
the owner was too. To make matters worse, during the
repair, they removed the downspout. The only way to see
this work was to climb up on the 2nd story roof, she had
no idea that her home was left in this condition. This is
all too common, making shoddy warranty repairs especially
in areas where a homeowner will not see the work since the
cost is coming our of the builders pocket. She was told
the repairs were all done, do they look complete to you?
If this were not repaired soon, the warranty would have
expired and there would be significant damage to the home
in the first driving rainstorm. The builder agreed to make
the repairs right away.
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Sub
contractors skipping the details
In
this picture you can see that water has been splashing up
on the side of the house. and eroding the soil. The
architect knew that a gutter and downspout was needed
here. Notice that white cover at the corner? That is the
drain cap for the downspout that was never installed. The
plumber put it in the drain but
the gutter contractor never installed one! Everyone
recognized that there was a need for a proper gutter and
downspout. This sub was in such a hurry that it was
missed. The result? Erosion, water splashing up on the
side of the house and a conducive condition for structural
pests. You would think that buying a house for more then
$600,000 would come with complete gutters as designed, but
not this time!
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