A home inspection is a noninvasive visual inspection of the current condition of a residential or commercial property. We pull permits and other information from online sources or from the county or municipality to better understand the building practice as well as alterations that have been done before we even arrived at the property. This information can be used to better help our clients understand what has been done to this property in the past. Such as building extensions, additions, to roofs, plumbing systems, or electrical upgrades and much more.
Grading: The manner in which the soil slopes away from the house is extremely important. We call this grading. Grading should be pushed up high against the home to ensure water washes away from the foundation. At the same time, it is very important that soil does not surpass the siting line, especially on wood frame houses as this may cause damage and moisture intrusion as well as would destroy organisms if to intrude into the interior of the walls.
Exterior: exterior inspections usually start with a lap around the property noting the building material used for the home as well as the siding that is attached to it. We’re looking for any cracks are separations as well as damage that should be repaired or replaced to prevent moisture intrusion and to protect future conditions. We have tools and technology that allows us to go deeper and find moisture you cannot see with the naked eye. We are looking at all wall penetrations to ensure these are sealed properly and no water can enter. At the same time we’re looking at windows, doors, and frames, electrical outlets which should be protected with safety devices as well as outdoor HVAC condensing units and much more. We look at the plumbing supply lines in which the city supplies the home with water as well as any visible waste drains. So many variables go into doing an exterior inspection is an extremely important part of the evaluation process and homeowner should have this done annually to better protect future conditions.
Roof: we look at the building practice as well as the materials that were used there are so many variations of building materials to hold different service life expectancies. It is importing that your inspector knows and is extremely familiar with the building materials used in the state of Florida if to better help make a more accurate evaluation of the current condition of that building material and how much life can be expected out of it. Unprofessional installations may lead to water intrusion or even warping of framing and decking if not installed properly.
HVAC system: Most AC Systems here in the state of Florida consists of the outdoor condenser and an interior air handler which makes up what we call a “split system” but there are also many different types). These are the most common. We go much further than most and take these units are apart to view the internal components. Most of the systems typically have 10-12 year lifespan. We run through the systems to ensure they are installed properly and are fully functional at the time of inspection. Home warranties may be obtained for older units that may currently be working but appear to be at the end or approaching the end of the useful Service Life. Although we don’t typically use heat functions in the state of Florida we thoroughly evaluate these components and test for their function and professional installations.
Plumbing: During our exterior inspections we note the city connection in which the house is supplied with water. This may be from the city or a water well system. We follow these plumbing supply lines for the home and test them for full functionality at sinks, bathtubs, kitchen sinks, garage sinks, toilets and many other areas in which water is supplied to the home and waste leaves the home. We fully evaluate the water heater and note the Age, manufacturer, piping material used, capacity and fittings as well as a safety device and what current state the unit is in as well as proper professional installation. We note any deficiencies in recommend replacements and repairs where necessary. Some older homes are still utilizing building materials that are outdated and are known to fail. We note these unprofessional installations and building materials immediately to ensure the future condition of the property.
Electrical: Electrical system usually consists of two parts, one of which is the feed in which the home is supplied with power located on the exterior panel. We look for unprofessional installations and check to make sure safety devices and safety installations such as ground wires are protecting the system in case of a failure. We follow these lines to the interior panel of the home which safety devices such as breakers protect independent circuits and which bedrooms, systems, appliances, and other electrical components are protected. We note unprofessional installations because these could potentially harm the system or even cause house fires. We look at the manufacture of the panel in breakers to ensure they all correlate with each other properly per manufacturing specifications.
Appliances: All systems, as well as appliances, are tested for full functionality and professional installations. Unsafe installation practices or installations are noted immediately to protect off the Penske inside as well as the future conditions of the home. We test units such as washers and dryers, dishwashers, microwaves, stoves, wood fans, and much more. And safety recall checks can be conducted to check serial numbers of the systems or appliances to ensure they were not recalled for safety reasons
Interior: the interior inspection of the usually consists of a visual inspection of the walls, floors, ceilings, windows, ceiling fans, the electrical outlets, vent fans, interior doors, drywall and Finish types, lighting, switch plates, smoke detectors and much more. Signs and symptoms such as cracking of the drywall above doorways and windows can lead to predictions of foundational movement. Even cracks in the tile which may be covering the foundational slab are great signs to look for. It’s important to have an inspector if that understands the signs and symptoms to make A better evaluation of the home he or she is inspecting. Unprofessional wiring practices at wall outlets may lead to disaster and if you don’t have an inspector that can properly evaluate these you might be in trouble. We have tools that help us do this better on a day to day basis to keep our clients and their family safe. We note insect evidence, mold-like substance evidence, unprofessional installations, moisture intrusion and many other deficiencies with ease. Our infrared cameras to help us see things that we cannot see with our naked eyes like missing insulation, failed safety devices, roof leaks, plugs and pipes, and much more!
Foundation: Here at home inspections123 we are foundation experts. While doing our exterior inspection we note settlement type stress fractures within the block or siding that help us make a determination if the house is moving a certain direction. Water slipping underneath the foundational slab may create areas that are stronger than others and the house may settle accordingly. The signs can be found within the block on the exterior or on the interior of the home above doorways or windows. The interior floor covering may have uneven areas or even cracks in the tile that may indicate foundational movement. We can slow down this process or even prevent it by adding soil at the edge of the foundation on the exterior of the home if to ensure water washes away from the foundation. We can also add gutter systems as well as drainage systems to better help the rain or access water leave the perimeter of the property.