So you are thinking about finishing that basement and actually using some of that exercise equipment that is doubling as a laundry line right now. Maybe you want to have a billiard room instead of a Christmas ornament depot. Maybe it isn’t the basement your thinking of finishing maybe it is that garage carport thing you want to turn into another bedroom. Hey it’s only storing a motorcycle you haven’t ridden in three years anyway. Whatever the reason you are thinking about finishing an unfinished area of your house the question always becomes do I need a building permit for that? Usually the answer that question is usually yes with a capital Y. Let me see if I can explain.
As a home inspector in Charlotte NC for over 15 year I have seen my share of unpermitted additions and rooms being finished. The dead giveaway that it wasn’t permitted is that the space has been added but the HVAC is still the same size as before. Sadly I have seen people try to get these permitted later only to find the code inspector had them strip of the drywall so he could see the plumbing and the electrical wiring. This is sad position to be in.
You might say well why even bother with a permit. First of all if there is a leak or fire insurance might well deny your claim if there is an unpermitted addition. Also you might have trouble selling your house with an unpermitted addition. It is the law. It is also possible that the county could file a lien on you for back property taxes for under reporting square footage. So when is a permit needed.
1. Any work on your house over $5000
2. The addition, replacement or repair of load bearing members or structures.
3. The extension, alteration, or installation of any plumbing system.
4. The alteration, extension, or installation of any heating or cooling system.
5. The use of material not included in the code
6. The addition of roofing, excluding replacement of like grade of fire resistant roofing.
No you may get a contractor who tells you don’t need a permit. He may say you will only wind up paying higher property taxes. The reality is that he might not even be licensed, bonded, or insured. He doesn’t want somebody checking up on him and he maybe planning to take some shortcuts. If you have a contractor spewing some garbage like that, don’t walk, run away from him. Remember that you as the property owner will be ultimately responsible for these repairs and the contractor will have been paid and long gone.
So go ahead get that solo flex dusted off and finish that basement or garage but remember to get a permit. If you use a contractor make sure he is licensed, ensured and bonded. Make sure he pulls and closes all necessary permits. Many property permits can be checked online these days. If you have any permit or home inspection questions please visit our website at Charlotte NC Home Inspector and Ask the Charlotte Inspector.

In this video Charlotte home inspector Preston Sandlin shows you what home inspectors look for when they inspect the HVAC on your home. If your differential is too low it could mean that you are low on Freon or your system is undersized. You could have too much of a differential in which your filter could be dirty or your fan speed could be set on the wrong speed. If you are thinking of buying a house in Charlotte NC, Gastonaia NC, Hunterville NC, Waxhaw or Weddington please keep the folk at Home inspection Carolina in mind.

Preston Sandlin
(704) 542-6575
Home Inspection Carolina

Recenty Morgan Fogarty of Fox News Charlotte interviewed Charlotte Home Inspector Preston Sandlin about an alrming trend. Some Charlotte Buyers are opting out of the cost for the inspection to save a little money. According to NACHI The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, the average repair cost for a home being bought is a little over $1600. The average inspection cost is $350-$400. Its a no brainer to get a home inspection. Charlotte home inspector Preston Sandlin says he had a house with $60,000 worth of damage. Morgan Fogarty says the only time you may not want to get an inspection is if your are buying a house from your parents. For more information about home inspection visit Preston’s site home inspection carolina.

Lets face it, 2008 has been a tough year for real estate. Do you remember that old supply and demand graph from Econ 101? When demand exceeds supply price goes up until the optimal point is reached. Well sadly the reverse is true; When supply exceeds demand the price has to fall until it reaches the optimal point. Unfortunately this where 2008 has found many of us in the real estate business. With supply exceeding demand is there anything a seller can do to accelerate their chances of getting one of these few sales? Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolina says there is; Preinspections. In this radio interview with Realtor Paul Jamison on WBT 1110 in Charlotte NC Preston lays out his program of preinspections and how this makes the house more marketable and saves the seller money in the process

Ever wonder what problems may be lurking unerneather your house? In this video by Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolina he shows some problems he find in the crawl space of and old farm house in Monroe NC. Thes problems include high moisture contentent, open wasteline, wasteline with an impropper slope, impropper support piers, floor joists supports without hangers or ledger board. The last concern is the snake skin and where might be the owner of that!

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.

Have you ever wondered how a pool works? Do you know the major types of pools and filtration systems out there? What maintenence is need to keep the water clean and clear? Do you know how to backwash and inspect a pool? In this video by Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolina in Charlotte NC shows how to inspect a pool.

Besides inspecting the pool, you should check the pool regularly for the PH and chlorine level. You should also check for total alkalinity. If the total alkalinity is low the chlorine will not work. You probably have to backwash once a week unless you have a cartridge filter pool. Things that can go wrong include leaks, filter clogging, pressure loss, and cracks. Nothing is greater on a hot summer day than taking a dip in a clean freash pool.

Do you have high moisture in your crawl space? Will a sealed crawl space fix it? Yes it will but how does it work. A “normal vented” crawl space actually pulls in more moisture if there are air conditioning ducts there. By sealing off the vents you are preventing new moisture from coming into the crawl. The plastic completely covers the floor and part of the foundation walls and piers. There is no insulation in between the joists but on the side walls. The air conditioner actually blows into the crawl to create a conditioned space. The downside is that you can’t see evidence of termites and that sealing a crawl with a professional sealing company is rather expensive. Please wath the video by Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolina in Charlotte NC to see an example of a sealed crawl space

Moisture in a crawl space is bad news. It can cause a host of problems including but not limited to undermining the foundation and footers. Moisture is also a conducive condition for termites. We all know the damage those guys can do. Another big time problem with moisture in the crawl is mold and mildew. Chronic moisture can lead to toxic mold or sick house. Its usually in the best interest of the house to keep the crawl space dry. The next question is where does the moisture come from. Sometimes the moisture comes from poor drainage and or poor topography of the land around the house. Sometimes the Moisture comes from poor to no ventilation. Poor ventilation can be a compound problem when joined with condensation. These are the usual suspects when a crawl space has high moisture. Every once in awhile though there is something very odd like a storm drain draining into the crawlspace! In this video Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolina shows us a storm drain that empties into crawl space of a townhouse in Lake Norman NC. Where do your storm drains empty?