http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com What are the dangers of asbestos? Three home inspection experts recently got together to discuss that very thing. home inspector Preston Sandlin out of Charlotte NC, home inspector George Cline out of Rochester NY, and Chicago home inspector Gary Monfeli talk about the inpecting for asbestos and the hazards associated with it. Asbestos actually comes from the Greek word meaning unextinguishable. The Greeks though of asbestos as the miracle fiber because it wouldn’t burn. The danger associated with asbestos is that once it becomes friable or airborne human lungs cannot metabolize it and it leads to a host of resiratory problems. Watch this video to learn more about asbestos. http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

There are some special considerations when buying a foreclosure that might not be a consideration when purchasing a normal house. The first of these considerations is to make sure that the water and power are turned on. Usually these houses are vacant and the bank has had them locked up and winterized. While this protects the house from a pipe rupture going unchecked or an AC running 24-7 it does not make a thorough home inspection possible. The agent or representative from the bank is going to have to do this as home inspectors can’t do this because their insurance will not cover this.

Since the electricity has been off for a long time no air has been ventilating. This is a problem because with no air circulating moisture has a hard time escaping. When moisture gets trapped in a house it will cause mold and mildew. This mold and mildew gets worse over time. You really need to air circulating again. If any mold area is more than ten square feet it needs to be remediated professionally according to the EPA. If it is less the ten square feet you can clean it yourself with a water and bleach solution.

Since the water has been off for some time a lot of the gaskets and washers actually dry out. When you turn the water back on it leaks where these gaskets were. In my experience as a home inspector here in Charlotte NC I have found more plumbing leaks in houses that have had the water turned off and then turned back on than any other type of house. When I inspect a foreclosure I fully expect to find some plumbing leaks. Here is a little test anyone can do to see if they have leaks in their pipes. Make sure everything is off and go out to your meter. If it is moving at all you have a supply line leak somewhere.

When we perform regular home inspection for a normal non-foreclosure house most of the items that are found are usually fixed prior to closing. The items are fixed before the buyer moves in at the sellers expense. Foreclosure houses are sold “as-is” and then the buyer has to fix the issues one his/her own. Here is the problem. Sometimes these problems cost more than you or the contractor estimated and you have to eat the extra costs. You also can’t blame the home inspector as long as he pointed it out in the first place. The other thing to watch for is unscrupulous contractors who give you a low price to get the job and then once they have your house opened up they tell you it is going to be more money. When hiring a contractor make sure you get plenty of references and tell them to give you worst case scenarios for expenses.

I hope these tips have helped you with the home inspection process of buying a foreclosure. If you want more information or have any questions please go to Home Inspection Carolina or Ask the Charlotte Inspector.

While perfoming an inspection matthews home inspector Preston Sandlin found a dent in the tilled shower which was really odd because backer board would not allow a dent like this. Well it turns out that this tile was actually mounted on drywall instead of boakboard whick is a big no no. All of this tile in this walk in shower will have to be pulled down. Backer board will have to be installed and then it will need to be retiled.
If you need home inspection information or you are in need of a great home inspector in the Charlotte, Huntersville, Matthews, Belmont Concord, Fort Mill or Rock Hill areas contact Home Inspection Carolina http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com . The have performed over 23,432 home inspection and will not let you buy the money pit. We have over 100 years of combined home inspection and construction experience. Please give us a call (704) 542-6575

Preston Sandlin
Home Inspection Carolina

Have you ever been told there is no such thing as a hot water heater? I must have heard this a thousand times growing up. The water is not hot before it goes into the water heater. The people who told us this were actually right but I would make me so mad when they would say this because I think they just wanted to be a smart alec. You can call it a hot water heater and I want give you a hard time.
There are basically two types of water heaters or hot water heaters if you prefer. There is gas and electric. You can tell which type you have by looking at the top and bottom of the unit. A gas unit will have a metal flue and possibly a draft hood. The gas unit will also have a gas line with a cut off (hopefully) at the bottom with a burner. Also if the gas unit is in the garage it should be “18 off of the floor for safety reasons. If you have an electric unit it doesn’t have to be off of the floor. The electric unit will not have gas line or a flue but it will have a 220 line in a conduit going into the top of it.
When inspecting an electric water heater one of the first things you want to check is the water temperature. Most manufacturers have the temps preset to 100-150 degrees F. You have to keep in mind that if the water is over 120 degrees F it can scold a small child. We usually write it up if it over 120. You check the temperature of the water by using a digital meat thermometer in the hot water as it is coming out a faucet preferably close to the water heater. The next thing you want to check for is a reverse water-line installation. You can tell whether the installation is reversed by touching the pipe and comparing it the hot outlet fitting at the top of the tank. If it’s cold where it says hot and hot where cold it’s reversed. A reversed connection results in inefficient operation of the heater. When the inlet-outlet is connection is reversed, the cold water enters the tank at the top and mixes with the hot water as it settles to the bottom near the outlet fitting. So for the same thermostat setting the temperature of the hot water is lower than it otherwise would have been. The next thing you need to check is the element and the thermostat. There are checker for these that can be bought at Lowes or Home Depot. I think it is important to note here that you must turn the electricity off to do this. Another thing that you should know is that if you turn on a water heater with no water in it you will burn out the element. This is something you definitely want to keep in mind if you are dealing with a foreclosure in which the power and the water have been off for awhile.
An internal part of the water heater that you can’t see is the anode rod. It is usually made out magnesium and attracts any corrosives or oxidizers in the water. This saves the tank from oxidation. It is hard to see or inspect this rod without taking the water heater apart to do so. The way you test for this is to run the hot water and smell it for a sulfur smell. You obviously check for leaks and pay particular attention to the joints in the pipes. If two dissimilar metals are touching each other without some sort of dielectric connection, electrolysis will occur resulting in corrosion and then a leak. There is a drain at the bottom of the water heater that you periodically want to drain out settlement. Near the top of the water heater you should see a temperature relief valve or TPR valve. What this does is let off steam if the unit malfunctions and continues to heat the water. The spring in the relief valve will depress and release the pressure to keep the unit from exploding. There are set for certain temperature and a certain pressure which is stamped on the side of the valve. Sometimes after a couple of years the spring goes bad and this will leak. These are relatively inexpensive to replace.
For a gas water heater everything is pretty much the same except that instead of a heating element you have a burner at the bottom of the tank that should be checked for corrosion and rust flaking. The gas line should be checked for leaks. This can be done is a gas leak detector or bubbly water. The draft should be checked for CO with a detector. Also the flue should not be in direct contact with wood or drywall (or any o the flammable material for that matter. I hope this gives you a better understanding of how to check water heaters. I will talk extensively about thankless water heaters in another writing. The next time someone correct with the old “no such thing as a hot water heater” You can ask them something like what does an anode rod do on a water heater. For more info on water heaters check out the audio at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-charlotte-home-inspector or http://www.charlottenchomeinspector.com .

Staging a home once meant adding accessories, props and even furniture to a home for sale, to create a feeling of warmth and appeal, and make it easier to sell. Today, staging a home still connotes rearranging possessions and furniture, but in more and more cases, the furniture and accessories are digital rather than real, a very cost effective alternative.

What is virtual home staging and how is it done? This new addition to the more traditional sales techniques used to market a home, focuses on taking a photo of the home as is and then dressing it up. The “after” photos of the home’s interior are created using virtual furniture, wall colors, pictures, window coverings and other décor to help potential buyers visualize a home’s possibilities.

With real home staging, furnishings and draperies need to be purchased, transported and then arranged in the home, in hope that the stager has accurately gauged current decorating trends and design techniques to catch a buyer’s eye. Unfortunately, the homeowner or the stager’s taste may or may not appeal to all buyers.

Today, virtual home stagers can embellish empty-room photographs taken and submitted by agents and owners with images of sofas, dining tables, area rugs, draperies and artwork. If one set of furnishings doesn’t quite capture the look, there’s no need to return the drapes. It’s easy as clicking a computer mouse to change the entire look.

However, there are some things most virtual staging companies won’t do for a homeowner. According to most virtual staging websites, statements of ethics reiterate that the companies will not add non-existent landscaping, wet bars or appliances, or erase power-lines or other detractions from photos. These companies also require customers to tell buyers and agents that the rooms are virtually staged, so a buyer’s expectations are realistic.

Virtual staging is easy enough on the seller’s end. Most websites simply require photos of the vacant listing and offer results usually within three to five business days. Sellers and agents can then add the photos to brochures, MLS pages, and websites.

It is recommended that the rooms immediately visible upon entering the house are staged. Other priorities are the kitchen, master bedroom, and master bathroom. For the best staging results, high quality pictures taken in a well-lit room are most desirable. For more information or to view photo galleries, you can visit VirtualStagingSolutions.com or VirtuallyStagingProperties.com.

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A geodesic dome is a structure built in an almost spherical shape—a structure made from struts set on large circles. Because of its curved walls and ceiling, these domes use approximately a third less surface area to enclose the same volume as a traditional box home. In fact, the geodesic dome has the highest ratio of enclosed volume to weight of any manmade structure. This allows less heat to escape through he walls in the winter and less air-conditioned air to escape in the summer. Additionally, the aerodynamics of the rounded walls force air to travel efficiently around rather than bouncing off of walls, keeping energy consumption to a minimum.

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Charlotte home inspector Preston Sandlin recently put only home buying seminar at the Keller Williams office in Indian trail. He started off his presentation by answering the question why did it home inspection. It’s actually pretty simple. The average repairs on a home being bought are around $1500. The average home inspection is about $350. On average getting home inspection saves you $1150. If a buyer bought a house without a home inspection they could be faced with some big unplanned expenses. Preston says he’s inspected houses that had $60-$75000 with the damage. When you think about it that way getting home inspection is really cheap. The other thing to remember is the home inspector works for you the buyer. His best interest is in your best interest. That’s not true for others in the real estate transaction. If you have any home inspection questions please don’t hesitate to contact Preston Sandlin at http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

Every season, lawn will be challenged by, varying temperatures, drought conditions or crazy insects. You should realize that even the best turf will stress and thin and this is why you need to aerate and seed annually.

Bill Gallagher, One of North Carolina’s best known Real Estate Instructors talks about Radon Gas in The Mandatory Update class in Charlotte NC in September. Bill Gallagher Owns Supeior School of Real Estate in Charlotte but conducts Real Estate classes throughout the state. Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolina is filming him. Radon:

Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. Its presence in your home can pose a danger to your family’s health. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims about 20,000 lives annually.

Have you ever had water leaking out of a pipe coming from your eave. Do you know what that is? It is draining from your catch pan under your HVAC system. The pan is full of water because the normal condensation line has clogged. In this video Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolina shows a clogged condensation line.