Home Inspection Services Provided

Purchasing a home is a big investment. So you need a competent and professional evaluation of its condition before you buy it. As Alliston’s Premier Home Inspection company, we have inspected over 7500 homes in the past 15 years. You can count on us for an experienced and thorough analysis of your home.

As a Certified Building Code Official, we are trained to analyze and report on all the major systems and components of the house, including roofing, structure, electrical, heating, insulation, plumbing, air conditioning, interior, exterior, property and site.

During the inspection, your home inspector will point out any repairs or necessary improvements, the time frame in which they should be addressed, and the approximate cost involved. This is an excellent opportunity for you to gain valuable information regarding the condition of the house, and to discuss concerns or plans for renovations.

Your home inspection report

Your easy-to-read inspection report is computerized and includes richly-illustrated text and photos of your home. It will identify components that are not performing, as well as items that are near the end of their life.

Pre-Listing Inspections can save you money and stress.

Why a Pre-Listing inspections? As the seller, many people think that only the home buyer has a home inspection upon buying the home. However, the seller can benefit from a pre-listing inspection because it avoids unnecessary problems down the road. If you’re selling your home, consider getting pre-listing home inspection services.Eventually, your buyers are going to conduct an inspection. You may as well know what they are going to find by getting there first.

Having an inspection performed ahead of time helps in many other ways, such as:

• Allows you to see your home through the eyes of a critical and neutral third party.

  

  Sellers Inspection

• Alerts you to immediate safety issues before agents and visitors tour your home.
• May alert you to items of immediate concern, such as radon gas or active termite infestation.
• Permits you to make repairs ahead of time so that …Defects won’t become negotiating stumbling blocks later.
• No delay in obtaining the Use and Occupancy Permit.
• You have the time to get reasonably priced contractors or make the repairs yourself, if qualified.
• It helps you to price your home realistically.
• It may relieve prospects’ concerns and suspicions.
• It may encourage the buyer to waive his inspection contingency.
• It reduces your liability by adding professional supporting documentation to your disclosure statement.

Ensure your Home Inspector is a Trained Professional.  I recently completed a Home Inspection where the property had a sign indicating a Pre-Listing inspection was performed.  Some of the items he missed were:  Asbestos on the heating ducts,  Cheater Vent used in bathroom and he could not find the main water shut off.

Caveat Emptor –  Buyer Beware    An educated consumer is a Smart Consumer.

Most home buyers will also want a WETT Certified Inspection of Fireplaces, Wood Stove or Pellet stove prior to purchasing.  As part of Pre-Listing Inspection you can have your Wood Burning appliances inspected for only $100.00 as part of your Inspection Package.

WETT stands for Wood Energy Technology Transfer, a WETT inspection is an inspection of a wood burning appliances such as a stove or a fireplace by a certified WETT inspector.  A WETT inspection can give you the peace of mind you need when buying or selling a home, living in a home, and is required by most insurance companies prior to insuring home.

Why I need a WETT inspection?

Any wood burning appliance, has the potential to release harmful pollutants into your home.   Level 1 site basic WETT inspections are also now required by most insurance companies and some Local Building Departments. If purchasing an older home that includes any of these wood-burning appliances, a WETT inspection is typically required.

What is included in a WETT inspection?

A WETT inspection is conducted by an inspector who is WETT certified, it includes an inspection of all the visible and readily accessible elements of a wood burning appliance, to make sure that it has been installed correctly and is installed with compliance to building codes and regulations.

When included as part of Home Inspection, the Alliston Home Inspector’s fee is only $100.00.   Regular Fee is $200.00

WETT Report is issued at time of inspection.

Asbestos in your Home can be a dangerous health hazard!  Asbestos can only be verified by laboratory testing?

To Determine if a substance contains Asbestos it has to be analysed by a laboratory.  We use Pro-Lab, which is located in Toronto for all our Asbestos Test Requirements.  They are a Listed Laboratory with NIST that comply to EPA/600/R-93/116.

The NVLAP Asbestos Fiber Analysis program provides assurance that laboratories are competent to analyze asbestos samples using polarized light microscopy (PLM) and/or transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), enacted in 1986, requires that laboratories that analyze asbestos samples taken from public, or private, elementary or secondary schools, to be accredited by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP).

Where Asbestos Found in your Home

Any home built prior to 1980 has the potential to have asbestos present in your building products.  . Asbestos was considered a great product and was used in over 3000 building products.   Some materials may include, but are not limited to; drywall/plaster, joint compound, floor tiles, pipe wrap on heating system, roofing and/or siding, insulation, concrete mortar, etc.

Vermiculite insulation

Vermiculite insulation was commonly used in attic spaces, crawlspaces, walls, fireplaces, etc.  it can be sampled and tested for the presence of asbestos; three samples can be taken from different locations of the attic (or concern area) to obtain an accurate representation of the material.

Identify materials that you plan to disturb or remove during renovation process, we will sample and have testing performed on those materials the samples are examined for asbestos by an approved laboratory.

Asbestos Air Sampling

We perform sampling of the air within your home to determine if asbestos particles exist if required. Clients usually choose this option if they are concerned about asbestos being present in the building materials of the home, have vermiculite insulation that has or may have been disturbed.

Why you need a Home Warranty Home Inspection?

Waiting for your new home can be a long process.  Your Builder will endeavor to get you in for your Pre-Delivery Inspection as soon as possible,  typically before everything is finished.  The Builders Rep will walk through with you pointing out all the nice things you have paid for.  On the other hand, I walk around taking pictures of all the items the Builders Trades People have missed or installed improperly. This is one of the most important Tarion Inspections because the Builder still has possession of the home and is responsible for all the deficiencies.

As a Certified Building Code Official we have the same qualifications as the Local Municipal Building Officials plus the benefit of having personally inspected over 7,500 homes.  I was also a Registered Builder under HUDAC,  the predecessor of Tarion.

Our report will contain pictures and commentary on the defect, which you can include in the Tarion Warranty Claim Form as an attachment.  I also recommend to my clients that they insist that the Builders Representative include our noted deficiencies on their PDI form before they sign it.

We included Thermal Imaging with every inspection.   We were the first Home Inspection Company north of Toronto to offer Thermal Imaging as part of the Home Inspection package.

What is Air Quality Testing?

Air Quality Testing or Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a test that checks the quality of air in a certain environment. It has become very popular in residential properties for landlord/tenants as well as when selling or buying a property. Commercial and industrial buildings will conduct an air quality test to ensure that employees are working within a safe environment.

Air Testing is used to identify any contaminates within the air such as carbon dioxide, toxic vapours, dust, fungi and ozone. The most common contaminate that is tested is for mold. The reason air testing is utilized and beneficial is because it distinguishes the type of mold particles and their individual spore levels, which is crucial.

We offer complete mould and air quality testing services.  We are IAC2 Certified to ensure your home is free of elevated levels of mould or other toxic substances. When an air test is being performed, there are a minimum of two samples that must be taken. One sample is taken from the area of concern and one sample is taken from outside or in the “controlled environment”. If there are mutliple areas of concern, than multiple samples must be captured. Once samples are taken, they will be shipped off to a lab where experts will analyze the samples. The results will be provided and a report will follow that breaks down the various types of mold discovered, along with the different mold spore levels.

We inspected the residence for signs of visible mold and/or moisture intrusion and take air samples and/or swab or tape lift from the home. Air and bulk samples are then analyzed by a 3rd party reliable laboratory. The laboratory report will identify the type of mold and the spores count detected, as well as air any contaminants present. The concentration and the relationship between interior and exterior samples are used to determine if elevated levels of microbial growth exist within the home.

We have provided Commercial Property Inspections for Schools, Office Units, Restaurants, Plaza’s, Strip Malls, Industrial Buildings, Apartment Buildings, Garage’s, Motels and Hotels.  We have experience in High Rise Apartment Buildings and Large Commercial Plaza’s

Call us today for a FREE Quotation.   Call Roger at 705-795-8255