Charlotte/Lake Norman Area Home Inspections
Home inspectors spend hours on your home going into attics and crawling through crawl spaces inspecting the home's structural integrity, exterior, roofing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, appliances, insulation, and ventilation. Costs range from $200 - $400 depending on the inspector and the size of the residence. According to the N.C. Licensed Home Inspectors Association ,inspectors spend hours in homes every inspection, but there is plenty of information they probably won't, or can't tell you about your new purchase. Inspectors are generalists - which means they have a broad range of knowledge over many different disciplines.
The Charlotte Observer has come up with a list of 8 other things that may possibly call for a specialist:
Termites are a major problem in the south that many people moving from up north may not know that much about. Anyone that performs structural pest control for the general public must be licensed by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Anyone buying a house in this climate should have a termite inspection performed.
Radon Gas is a cancer-causing natural gas that can leak up from the ground into your home. Any home that is not properly ventilated and sits on an area that contains this gas can be a major health threat. Most developers of new construction do not test for this gas.
Fireplaces and Chimneys if not properly sealed and maintained can be an invitation for a possible water leak. A specialist can run a chimney cam down the length of the chimney to check for such problems.
Roof - inspectors will visually check a home's roof (with binoculars or a ladder), but if it is a large house or there are hard to see areas, it may be a good idea to have a roofer inspect it.
Asbestos and lead paint can be a problem in homes built before 1978. Asbestos was a form of insulation usually used around plumbing. It can be harmful if disturbed with the fibers getting into the air. This usually happens when a house is renovated. Lead paint was used prior to 1978. When buying a new purchase, the homebuyer has 10 days to test the home for lead paint. To fix this problem, the paint has to be encapsulated properly.
Mold - if you are worried about mold, hire a certified mold inspector. Some use thermal imaging and infrared scanning to find problems. The only way to control mold is to eliminate the moisture problem. Sometime even new homes have problems because they are built with wood that is wet to start and are never given a proper chance to dry.
Air and water quality is important to those that have allergies or resiratory ailments. It is always good to have clean air-ducts and test homes that come with wells.
Insulation - even though many juristictions are adding insulation inspections to their inspection lists it is always possible that a home is missing some insulation. I've seen first hand where drywall companies will remove insulation while hanging drywall so make it fit better. Insulation inspectors can use an infrared camera to look for missing insulation within walls.
Contact your Lake Norman Agent for more information!
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Jeremy Adair
Real Living - Davidson, NC
Cell: 704.315.8106
Fax: 704.892.9766
Jeremy.Adair@RealLiving.com
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