Who else but a professional house inspector or home inspector can make an objective visual examination of a house?whether you are selling your house or buying one. An inspection involves analyzing the major aspects of the house for assessment purpose?from the structure, roofing, air conditioning, heating, insulation, electrical, flooring, the exterior and interior of the house, and the whole property as well.
benefits both the sellers and the buyers. For the seller?for them to be able to do something with the parts of the house that need repairs so that the house may be offered at a higher value. For the buyer'so that they can be assured that once they have signed the documents, made a down payment, and move to the house that they bought, there are no surprises. In the first instance, they will already have an idea of what to expect with regard to the condition of the house that they are buying.
Some people are too excited and in too much hurry when they shop for a house, such that they forget the very basic need to have a house fully inspected before they close the deal, sign the documents and make a down payment. But most often, this excitement is short lived?horror of horrors, they soon find problems, minor to major, which could cost them frustrations, and even a good amount of money for repairs. Do not make this mistake. Always ask for a pre-purchase , for your own assurance and peace of mind. If there are suggestions for repair, you may either negotiate for the cost of the repairs and treatment to be deducted from the proposed selling price or request the seller to have the repairs made first as a condition of contract. Having a house inspection report gives you the assurance that you got value for your hard earned money when making a purchase.
And yes, the property must be inspected for termites. House inspectors in the locality know the history and local geography of the land where the property has been built. Take Daystar Inspections, your home termite inspection in Houston. They will give you an idea of what to expect with regard to possible pest control issues, like if the property or even the neighboring properties, had issues on termite control and what treatments have been used. Your house inspector will be able to give advice on what preventive action to take and the type of pesticides to use for treatment in case you buy the property.
On the other hand, a professional or trained termite inspector will be able to advise long term solutions instead of pesticide treatments, which are most often not friendly to the environment. Some of these solutions are small changes around the house which can make a positive impact on keeping the property free from termites, like reducing sources of moisture, like leaking pipes and taps, and dripping hot water systems, and reducing gardening and landscaping items that contain cellulose that are good food items for termites.
Jobs In Home Inspection
There are two basic types of roofs, pitched and flat. A pitched roof is normally built of a wood framework of beams joined at the top at an angle, a deck usually made up of plywood and a weather resistant cover. The singles (cover) are the one layer that keep your roof dry so they must be intact in order to protect against the elements such as rain, snow and hail.
A professional home inspector will first do a cursory visual inspection of the roof. He will when go up on the roof to look for uneven shingles or a poor new shingles installation over old ones. Installing new shingles over old ones is not necessary a problem, as long as the work is done correctly. The home inspector will also check for sagging which could be caused by a damaged deck or a potentially more serious structural issue with one of the ridge beams. Any pealing, cracking or breakage of the shingles will be noted on the inspection report.
An inspection of the attic will also be made to ensure that there is no water damage on the underside of the deck which would indicate water leakage. The home inspector will also look for appropriate roof ventilation. He will count the number of vents and the soffit and their overall placement to confirm that there is adequate ventilation. Warm air must be allowed to escape the attic to avoid moisture build-up and ultimately rot.
In the case of a flat roof, a professional inspector will verify all the same elements as for a pitched roof with the addition of water pooling. The main difference between a flat and a pitched roof is that the flat roof is built to be water tight whereas the pitched roof is meant to have the water run off its sides. A flat roof should not have any ponds of standing water as it can breed insects and plants, which can ultimately damage the roof. With a flat roof, the inspector will look for any weak spots, visible cracks, blisters or corrosion which could compromise the integrity of the roof. Tracing the source of water damage from a flat roof may be more difficult as it may have started in one place but when zigzagged away and created damage somewhere else.
Before you buy a new home, have it inspected by a professional. This will give you not only peace of mind about any major structural or mechanical issues the home may have but it will also educate you as what areas of house will need attention in the near future. Such as the roof.
Both Rokai Kolam & Stefan Hyross are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.