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Home Inspections

A home inspection is a private, confidential visual evaluation of the observable systems and components of a home.  The report is intended to provide the client with an understanding of the conditions in a home that are defective and need immediate attention or are anticipated to lead to a deterioration of the home. Conditions may be safety concerns for the occupants of the home, damage or deterioration of materials or equipment in the home or violations of state or city laws applicable to existing homes.

A Home Inspection is not a warranty or guarantee of the home and does not necessarily indicate whether the home meets current or past building codes.  A home inspection relies on the experience and training of the inspector to locate conditions that should be reported to the client. The results of the inspection are not given to any other party unless authorized by the client. A home inspector has no authority to "Enforce" codes or require corrections. Your report will contain numerous suggestions and recommendations to improve the home and make it safer.

Radon Testing

Radon is a clear odorless gas that comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building — homes, offices, and schools — and result in a high indoor radon level. But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time. It can sometimes lead to certain health ailments and is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. Testing is inexpensive and easy. The test consists of an electronic sensing device and results can be printed out "on the spot" for quick analysis. This test requires set up 48 hours prior to getting your results.

What do you do if there is high level of radon? Radon reduction systems work and they are not too costly. Some radon reduction systems can reduce radon levels in your home by up to 99%. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels.

A radon test is not included in the cost of a home inspection.

Mold Screening

Molds are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees, but indoors, mold growth should be avoided. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.

Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins). Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis). Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people.

You may suspect hidden mold if a building smells moldy, but you cannot see the source, or if you know there has been water damage and residents are reporting health problems. Mold may be hidden in places such as the back side of dry wall, wallpaper, or paneling, the top side of ceiling tiles, the underside of carpets and pads, etc.

Mold screenings are not included in the cost of a home inspection. New York State now requires testing be done by a certified mold assessor for anything other than visual inspecting. I can refer you to the right people if you feel it is necessary after your home inspection,

Pest Inspection

A pest inspection is a visual inspection of the readily accessible areas of a home for evidence of wood-destroying insects (WDI) and wood-destroying organisms (WDO). The inspector will visually inspect the interior and exterior of the house. In areas where Dry wood termites are prevalent, and in houses where there are no sub-areas, the attic may also be accessed and inspected. After the inspection has been performed, the findings are reported on the applicable/appropriate form.

The average termite or pest inspection takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes for a thorough inspection, depending on the size and conditions (e.g. clutter; storage of personal items, etc.) of the home and property. Most states use the NPCA-1 Wood Destroying Inspect Infestation Inspection Report, which limits its scope to the inspection of termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and re-infesting wood-boring beetles.

Pest inspections are not included in the cost of a home inspection

Septic Dye Testing

A dye test is a relatively low cost, non-invasive method for testing of private sewage treatment systems. It is a limited, performance based test. This test does not provide a guarantee of the present, or future, performance of the system. It is not a full evaluation of a sewage treatment system, but nonetheless provides valuable information regarding the present performance of the system. A septic dye test is ideally suited for evaluation of septic systems for real estate sales purposes, since the test does not result in damage to the property, as would any excavation, and provides minimal disruption of the occupant's use of the home during the test. More comprehensive testing and evaluations are possible, and may be desirable, if greater assurance is needed.

Septic Loading and Dye Test procedure is used for testing the function of septic systems, focused on condition of the effluent disposal section, also known as a leach field, seepage pits, drain field or drainage field. Septic System Loading and Dye Tests involve flushing a special dye down a toilet or other drain combined with a known quantity of water sufficient to put a working load on the absorption system. If waste water leaks to the ground surface (an unsanitary condition indicating serious septic failure) one may find dye in that water provided the septic system is flowing at common rates. Dyed effluent usually appears in 20-30 minutes on a failed system.

Septic Dye Tests are not included in the price of a home inspection.

Water Flow and Purity Testing
A flow test is how we measure the amount of water available and the water delivery rate ability of various types of drinking water sources like wells, cisterns, dug wells, drilled wells, artesian wells and well and water pump equipment. The purity test will determine if there are contaminates in the water such as bacteria, lead, nitrates, nitrites, and rarely arsenic. It is wise for home owners to periodically test there well and also beneficial for buyers to test before purchasing.

There are some basic questions that must be asked and answered about a private water supply provided from a well.

1.      Water Quantity from the Well: How much water, in gallons or liters, can we draw out of the well? How fast can we take it out? Most banks and Real Estate contracts require 3 to 5 gallons per minute of flow, for 2 hours. Some require a 4 hour test.
2.      Water Quality from the Well:  What's in the water? Is it sanitary? Are there contaminants that are a health threat? That's water potability. Testing for potability is important and very often part of the contracts.

Water Flow and Purity tests are not included in the price of a home inspection.

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