What Really Matters…

Hey Readers,

I had an experience during a recent inspection that got me thinking about buyers’ expectations for their home inspection. How can you know what your home inspection will include? Every individual who is hiring a home inspector should ask their inspector what “standards” he or she follows during an inspection. For example, I am a member of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, and I use the standards of practice from InterNACHI (http://www.nachi.org/sop.htm). Prior to the inspection, I discuss with my client where my standards might differ from those, and also note it in the report, if appropriate. This gives my client a clear picture of what he or she can expect to occur during the home inspection.

I realize that buying a home can be very stressful and overwhelming. You have the seller’s disclosures, your personal observations, your agent’s recommendations, a lengthy home inspection report, and photographs, all jumbling around in your mind. But remember, your home inspection is supposed to give you peace of mind. Don’t let it have the opposite effect.

RELAX! Don’t let the inspection report overwhelm you. Most of it is mundane information, recorded for your reference. Things like: the age of your furnace and other major appliances, maintenance recommendations, suggested ideas for improving the home (to perhaps bring it up to modern standards), and occasional minor imperfections. These things are nice to know about and are useful to you in budgeting for future repairs, but the issues that really matter during your negotiation process fall into three general categories:

1. Major defects. An example would be a structural failure, or an active roof leak.

2. Things that lead to major defects. A faucet leaking, that might lead to damaged flooring or future mold growth.

3. Safety hazards, such as loose stairs, or exposed electrical wiring.

In my opinion, anything in these categories should be addressed. Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property (especially in categories 2 & 3).

Many times, the home sellers are surprised to learn of defects uncovered in their property during an inspection. This is just one of the many reasons I recommend sellers have their homes inspected prior to placing their homes on the market. It helps to avoid big surprises that can jeopardize the successful completion of their home sale.

In the end, I would encourage home buyers to remember that NO HOME IS PERFECT. Keeping things in perspective is very important during the process. Don’t walk away from your deal over things that do not matter. Generally, it is not considered appropriate to demand that a seller address minor maintenance issues, nit-picky items or conditions already listed on their disclosure. Your real estate agent’s expert advice will be invaluable as you determine what items need to be addressed and how to proceed through the negotiation process.

Test Your Home for Radon! (My Personal Experience)

I am always very concerned when a home buyer declines having a radon test during their home inspection. I’m genuinely uneasy about the potential health repercussions of that decision. For me, I think it strikes particularly close to home for two reasons. One reason is that my wife’s grandmother, a non-smoker, passed away from lung cancer. Through that experience, we learned first-hand what an insidious disease lung cancer is. Secondly, about 15 years ago, my wife and I bought a home in St. Peters, MO. We hired a home inspector and even though radon testing wasn’t as common in those days, we asked for a radon test. Our home inspector had never performed one before, but he did comply with our request and purchased canister type testing devices to test the home. The radon gas detected by the test was at an acceptable level, and we purchased the house. Several years later, when I started my home inspection business, I ran another radon test in my home with a continuous electronic radon monitor. We found out that our radon levels were 3 times the level at which the EPA recommends mitigation. This was horrifying to us because we do not know whether the home inspector we had was so unfamiliar with the testing protocols that it was done incorrectly, or whether our home sellers might have tampered with the testing, or whether our levels just increased over the years. But, the bottom line is that our children had been exposed to very high radon levels for an unknown length of time.

I strongly recommend radon testing with a home inspection. This is not because I want to sell another service, but because I think it is extremely important for the health of my clients and his or her family. While the canister devices are generally accurate and a good choice in some situations, I usually recommend using a continuous electronic radon monitor within a real estate transaction. This gives you the highest degree of protection against tampering. If you find the radon levels are too high, you may be able to negotiate for mitigation before you purchase the home. Mitigation is a relatively inexpensive thing to do and will remedy the situation.

If you are not buying a new home, but just want to test your current home for radon, a canister-type of testing device should suffice. Follow the directions carefully and you should get good and accurate results. They can be purchased inexpensively from your local hardware store. Home owners also need to know that the EPA recommends retesting a home for radon every 2 years because radon levels can change over time.

For more comprehensive information you may want to visit these web sites, as well as watching this video from the EPA.

EPA’s page on Indoor Air Quality: www.epa.gov/iaq
Home Buyer’s and Seller’s guide to radon: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/hmbuygud.pdf
Consumers Guide to Radon Reduction: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/consguid.pdf

Q. An Abandoned Oil Tank

Q. Hey Mark,
I was showing a home to a client, and a concern was raised about the abandoned oil tank in the basement. One of the client’s relatives said is was a potential explosion hazard, and it would cost thousands of dollars to have it removed. What do you think?
Cyndi

A. Hey Cyndi,
Frankly, I haven’t run into many oil tanks. So, I had to do a little research and enlist the help of a few “InterNACHI Certified Inspector” friends to help me out.

Here’s what I’ve learned…
First of all, the tank is not an explosion risk because heating oil will not explode unless it is either atomized or under pressure, so that isn’t much of a concern. Of course if there is oil in the tank, and it leaks, then the spill would be an environmental concern, and just an all around mess to clean up.

While the tank isn’t really a safety concern, the consensus is that it should be probably be removed all the same. Even though I haven’t seen the site, I think I can say with a fair amount of confidence that it won’t be a major problem. They got it in the basement somehow, so they should be able to get it back out again the same way.

I think your cost is going to probably be in the $1000.00 range. Less if there is usable oil that the company can salvage out of the tank. Of course, the specific circumstances involved could make the removal somewhat higher, but the general consensus of my colleagues is in the $600-$1400 range. I would contact any heating oil distributor or oil boiler repair company for professional removal.

One of my Home Inspector friends suggested finding someone that would want to take it for free and make it into a barbeque pit. (Now I like that. That’s thinking outside the box. ) Try http://www.freecycle.org/ and see if someone wants to come and get it for free. You never know!!!

Q. Were the radon test canisters left too long?

Q. Hey Mark,
The buyers of a home I have listed hired a company to do a radon test. The test came back a little high (4.9). I’m concerned about the test because they used canisters, and they left them in place from Wednesday through Saturday. Wouldn’t this increase the radon levels in the canisters by leaving them longer than 48 hours?
Michelle

A. Hey Michelle,
The simple answer to your question is no. The radon levels don’t increase the longer the canister is in place. However the validity of the result in this circumstance is dependent upon the type of measuring device used.

How to Improve Radon Test Results

Hey Readers,

Occasionally, I’ll take a look at the types of internet searches that bring folks to this page. I’ve recently noticed some people who found www.HeyMark.info via a search similar to the title of today’s post. ‘How do I improve a radon test?’

My first thought was one of shock. On the surface it appears someone may be looking for ways to make their radon levels test better than they actually are.

Q. Problem With My Water Heater’s Location?

Q. Hey Mark,
I’m in the process of buying a house and just had a home inspection done. One item that the home inspector itemized in the report is the water heater in the garage. He said that it shouldn’t be installed on the floor of the garage. Where else could it be installed? I don’t get it. Every place we’ve lived before had a water heater sitting on the floor.
Thanks,
Dorothy

A. Hey Dorothy,
This is a great question. It sounds like the issue wasn’t explained thoroughly by your inspector. Actually, the problem isn’t that the water heater is on the floor, nor is the problem that the water heater is in the garage. The problem is that the water heater is in the garage AND on the floor.

Here’s why:

Q. Sources of Radon Gas?

Q. Hey Mark,
I’ve heard two different things about radon gas from two different inspectors. One inspector said that radon comes from soil. The other said that it can be brought into the home through other things. Which is right?
Kathy

A. Hey Kathy,

Both inspectors are correct, you just didn’t get a complete explanation from either of their comments. Radon is produced from the natural decay of uranium/radium in the earth’s crust and that decay ultimately produces radon gas and other dangerous decay products. The gas can then work its way through the soil and get trapped in our homes.

Q. Vermiculite Insulation — Does It Have Asbestos?

Hey Mark,

The home I am selling has vermiculite insulation. The buyer’s inspector said that it is asbestos, and now the buyers want me to remove all of it. That’s going to cost over $10,000.00. Is that really necessary?

Sue

Hey Sue,

Vermiculite insulation MAY contain asbestos. You can have some samples taken from various places in the attic, and have it analyzed, but the results of that testing may not be conclusive. The EPA recommends that you simply leave the insulation alone and don’t disturb it.

Q. Utilities Weren’t Turned On for My Inspection

Q. Hey Mark,

I’m purchasing a home that is currently owned by a bank. The inspector stated that we had to make sure that the bank had all the utilities turned on. We thought they had but when we got there, there were signs all over saying the home was winterized. My inspector really couldn’t inspect everything. What should we do?

Frustrated.

A. Hey Frustrated,

I feel your frustration because I was that inspector just last week. I showed up to inspect a bank-owned home, which was supposed to be ready for inspection. However, there were winterization signs all over, and the water and the water heater were both turned off. Unfortunately, my client was frustrated with me because I refused to turn the water on.

Q. Catch Pan Under Washer?

Q. Hey Mark,

Our home inspection report recommends a catch pan under the washing machine. What exactly is that and how do I get one?

Thanks,
Andrew

A. Hey Andrew,

Recommending a catch pan under a washing machine is a common recommendation with some home inspectors. Some municipalities even require it in certain circumstances.

Personally, I don’t commonly recommend catch pans for a number of reasons. The first problem being that they are difficult to install after the home is already built. If installed properly, they will have a drain and plumbing to direct the water safely away from the leak. However, if not installed with a drain, or if the drain is clogged, they can easily overflow if the home is not occupied for a period and the leak is not detected right away.