Home Inspection Client Asked, “Do You Inspect In the Rain?”

People sometimes ask if we inspect in bad weather. When I answer, I tell them stories. Here are two.
It was one of those rare days last summer when it not only rained – it poured. I was doing a final phase inspection on a newly constructed home. During the inspection the bottom fell out and it rained so hard that the clients and I were stuck in the house. Water was running down the street from curb to curb, like a river. We were talking as I inspected about how badly we needed rain, not just a “gully-washer.”
As we walked into the garage, I noticed two puddles of water. The puddles were on opposite sides of the garage. Each puddle was gathering at the floor, running from behind the sheetrock walls.
Upon entering the attic I found two distinct spots on the bottom side of the roof decking where the rain was coming in, dripping onto the sheetrock below, and running to the walls and below.
The moral of this story is, I would never have located those roof leaks on a dry day, and the home buyers wouldn’t have found them until they were home owners.
Recently, I was inspecting early in the morning after a hard over night rain. What made me think of this article was what I saw outside the home that morning. There was a 10-12 foot wide pool of water standing at the foundation on one side of the house. All along that side of the house, the water was puddling, and not running anywhere. My thought that morning was that the ground actually looked like it would drain pretty well, down the side of the house and off the property. The moral of this story is the same: Though we always check for grading and drainage problems, I would not have suspected that water would stand along the side of that house, unless I had been there after a hard rain.
We inspect in bad weather. We do so, because the inspection schedule doesn’t allow for a whole lot of juggling, but also because we know that when you buy that house, you will be living there in good weather and in bad. And you deserve to know our best opinion. So, give us a call and let us put our hard work to work for you.

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Wind Damaged Roofs Throughout Metroplex – Schedule a Roof Inspection

This week’s surprising inspection discoveries were not spotted during an official home inspection. These photos of roof damage were taken in neighborhoods where we were inspecting last week. These are shingles which have been damaged by high winds. And there are storm damaged roofs all over the Metroplex.

It’s not unusual, either. All it takes is a high fastener raising a shingle tab up so the wind can get under it. Maybe the roof was installed on a cold or damp day, and the shingle tabs never stuck like they were supposed to.

So, here’s the question, “When was the last time you looked at your roof surface?”

Storm Damage Happens Around Here
Thunderstorms happen in various parts of the Metroplex on a fairly regular basis. Granted, we just passed through a pretty dry summer, but do you know if your roof suffered any damage when those rare storms came through? Do you have roof damage that you haven’t seen? Wind-damage to shingles doesn’t require a bad storm, either. Shingles can be easily damaged if they were not installed properly.

Storms aren’t the only thing that can cause damage. Shingles can be easily damaged in high winds if they were installed incorrectly. Or other damage can occur while a roof is being replaced. See the post in this section “Hazards Caused By New Roof Installation” about damage we found on an inspection, which had been caused by careless roofers.

From now until December 15, 2011, House Exam Inspection offers a stand-alone Roof Inspection. We’ll come and examine your roof for $99.00. That’s $30 off our regular price. We’ll let you know exactly what the damage is, where it is and how to present a claim to your insurance company along with our letter. No more wondering. No more guessing. You will have the factual information for your peace of mind.

So call to schedule a Roof Inspection, and get the Peace of Mind you are looking for.

Call (817) 797-2461

 

Newest Satisfied Client From an Inspection in East Fort Worth

We couldn’t wait to get this most recent review up on the site. This California investor needed extra photos, extra information and got a private phone consult on a property he was wanting to buy in East Fort Worth. Listen to his comments on our service.

Dear Mr. Sedinger,

Thank you for this unusually thorough inspection report. I’ve had a number of inspections run in Texas and California, but yours is easily the most thorough I’ve ever read. As an out of state purchaser, the inspection is that much more important since I can’t see the property first hand, and you have helped us significantly. If you ever need an out of state reference, I’d be very pleased to describe what a great job you’ve done for us.

Best regards,
Steven B
San Jose, CA

Call now to book an inspection for your Fort Worth Area home inspection. We serve the Fort Worth, Arlington and mid-cities areas.

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Home Inspector Answers: “What if my circuit breaker keeps tripping after I reset it?”

The photo in this article is from an inspection we did in Fort Worth a few weeks back, on an existing home. It shows a circuit breaker in the “tripped” position. As you can see, the switch is neither on, or off, and there should be no power on this circuit.

At House Exam Inspection, our policy when we find a circuit breaker that is “tripped” is to take a photo of it, include it in the report it as a deficiency, and recommend that a licensed electrician evaluate the problem and repair it as needed.

The reason? Simple: we don’t know what caused the breaker to “trip,” turning the power off to that particular circuit. A tripped circuit breaker is a clue that there is a problem in the wiring, or in the devices attached or plugged into the wiring. The safest thing to do is to pay attention to the clue we’ve been given.

If you live in a house where a breaker continues to trip, especially if you have reset it more than once, the best advice we can give you is to leave it tripped, and call a licensed electrician and have the circuit checked out and repaired as needed. It could be something simple, like a faulty breaker. Or it could be something serious that could cause an electrical fire.

Don’t risk the safety and health of your family! Stop ignoring tripped circuit breakers!

Want to know more? Post a question or comment below. Other topics you want to learn about home ownership and maintenance? Leave us a note.

Your professionalism and expertise in the Home Inspection business…

Dear Victor,

I wanted to drop you a quick note and let you know how much I appreciate your hard work and efforts that you have provided my clients over the last two years. Your professionalism and expertise in the Home Inspection business has been nothing short of excellent.

All of my clients have different backgrounds and personalities and you are able to adapt and work with everyone in a manner that lets people know you are keeping their best interest in mind when comes to inspecting the home they are buying. I will continue to use your services and recommend you to other agents as well.

Thank you for everything you have done in the past and I look forward to working with in the future!”

Sincerely,
Ross Douglass
Realtor®
President’s Club & Team Leader
Ready Real Estate