So, you’ve found the home of your dreams and accepted the offer… Now what?
Well, now it’s time to check the home for any dangerous, or expensive flaws. This is vital information so you don’t end up with a home that’s more of a headache than it’s worth.
To check the health of your home, you’ll need to hire an inspector.
A home inspector can find problems with your home that you may not be able to find. Keep reading to learn more about what an inspector can do!
Home Inspectors Have Special Training
The average knowledge of home health isn’t going to be enough to conduct a thorough home inspection.
Home inspectors have knowledge and resources that help them find problems you can’t. Here’s why inspectors can find problems you might miss.
American Society for Home Inspectors
The American Society for Home Inspectors is a training program that gets potential inspectors ready for a job in their field.
This training program spends hours teaching inspectors what to look for during a home inspection. Inspectors who have gained the certification through this program have many more hours of experience than inspectors who have not.
Additionally, the American Society for Home Inspectors has a code of ethics that is taught to their potential inspectors.
When you’re looking for an inspector, you’ll want to make sure that you choose one who is certified.
A Home Inspector Has Tools That You May Not
Along with training, a home inspector has access to tools that you may not have.
There is a great deal of tools that each home inspector takes to inspections. Each tool allows them to look deeper at certain components of the house. The use of these tools gives a home inspector access to areas that an average person may not be able to get to.
Here are some of the tools that a home inspector will use.
Tool Bag or Belt
An inspector needs to carry quite a few tools, so a tool bag or belt makes it much easier to do so.
Carrying a tool belt with the necessary tools will make the inspection go by quicker because the inspector won’t need to keep running to their car. A tool bag isn’t a required tool, however, it’s really beneficial for an inspector to carry one.
A Gas Detector
A gas detector is one of the most important tools that an inspector can carry.
This is because the average person doesn’t have access to a gas detector. While gas detectors aren’t a common thing to have, they are extremely important in a home inspection.
Most harmful gases are colorless and odorless, so a gas detector can determine if these are in the home. A gas leak is something that will need to be fixed before anyone should move into the home.
Breathing in gases is going to have a negative impact on anyone breathing it in, so make sure your inspector checks for them.
Infrared Thermometer
Many of us have never even heard of an infrared thermometer, much less owned one.
Certified inspectors will know that an infrared thermometer is important for any home inspection. The infrared thermometer can detect the temperature of an object or area.
The infrared thermometer is great for detecting issues with HVAC, water leakage, and heated ceilings or floors.
Protective Covering
To perform a thorough inspection, your inspector may need to mess with some unsafe components.
Because of this, your inspector should be dressed in protective clothing and carrying other protective gear. This includes non-flammable clothing, gloves, masks, and safety glasses. The inspector may need to get under the house or touch insulation, which is unsafe without protection.
A Level
Have you ever thought something looked level with a naked eye, only to realize it’s crooked when measured?
Well, a certified inspector understands this issue. A home being level is an important factor to check during an inspection. Your inspector will want to measure many areas to make sure that nothing is folding in, sinking, or falling apart in the home.
Failure to detect these issues in the foundation will cost you down the road.
Tape Measure
While a tape measure can be found in most households, not everyone knows how to use it for a home inspection.
A certified inspector will measure areas like the stairs, which should be a certain length and width to be considered safe. If you have kids or elderly people living in your home, it’s especially important to have safe stairs.
Moisture Meter
While infrared tools can see stains, there’s no way to tell if that water is new.
A moisture meter can tell you when there’s water in an area. This is important for finding water leaks during the home inspection. If water isn’t identified at the home inspection, you run the risk of getting mold in your home.
Plus, water leakage can be really expensive to fix.
Respirator
There are certain parts of your home, like attics or crawl spaces that can be unsafe without the proper equipment.
If you aren’t sure what the condition of your attic or crawl space is, you can’t go into it without protection. The area may contain asbestos, which is harmful to breathe in. Once the inspector clears the area, you’ll know it’s safe to go into.
Electric Circuit Tester
Another reason for a failed home inspection is faulty wiring.
If wiring is done by hand or done before the latest fire codes have been released, the wiring can pose a hazard to your health. Your inspector can test the wiring with their electric circuit tester.
Hire an Inspector to Find Underlying Issues That You May Not
It’s important to hire a certified inspector to perform a home inspection before purchasing a house.
Without the knowledge of a certified inspector, you may miss key problems that will cost you thousands later on. With tools and knowledge the average person doesn’t have, a home inspector is a must as you purchase your home.
If you’re looking for an inspector, reach out to us to schedule an inspection today!