Earlier this year I interviewed Bob Emmett, AC, LEED AP BD+C of PCA Consulting Group. We discussed the home inspection process as well as general home maintaince suggestions.
What is a home inspection? It is an evaluation of the current condition of a home or building. I am looking for defects and other areas of interest a homeowner should know about.
What is a pest inspection? In a pest inspection, I am looking for evidence of wood destroying organisms such as beetles and termites as well as fungus.
Are there other inspections you recommend to home buyers? I also encourage buyers to get a sewer lateral inspection, during which the inspector evaluates the condition of the private sewer line and its connection to the main sewer. They do this by putting a camera down the sewer line to look for breaks. You can also get chimney or civil engineering inspections although they seem to be less common.
What are the most common issues you see when conducting a home inspection? Systems within the home, such as electrical or plumbing, have not been updated to current code, therefore do not meet safety standards. Having an outdated electrical system is very common because it’s usually original to the house. Along those lines, common issues are a lack of GFCIs and/or too few outlets.
What do you consider "alarming"? I consider water damage and issues with the foundation to be the most alarming. I care about this because water damage can be very expensive to fix. Buyers are often focused on the house with the new kitchen and don’t care about possible water intrusion. Water intrusion can be from the exterior (leaking roof, siding, etc) or from the interior (plumbing). What starts as a small leak could lead to secondary issues that are very serious as well as costly to repair, such as dry rot and mold for example.
What does not keep you up at night? When I am doing an inspection, I’m mostly noting systems which do not meet the current code requirements. The changes in code occurred for a reason, usually out of safety concerns. Acknowledging a house does not meet the new standard isn’t in itself an issue, assuming the home owner understands the safety risks. For example, knob and tube wiring is an outdated but common electrical wiring system. There is nothing wrong with it unless you overload it. If your house has an outdated system, it usually does not need to be fixed immediately but you should take the time to educate yourself on its limitations.
In terms of home maintenance, what things are important for homeowners to do on an annual basis? The most important thing to do as a homeowner is to protect your house against water damage. This means cleaning the gutters, regular painting, repairing of silicon joints, and/or other items that weather away. Most people forget to drain their hot water heater. You should do this annually to remove any sediment build-up. I also recommend pest inspections every 3-5 years.
Do you have questions about maintaining a home? Ask me anything!