Author: buildinginsights_vkv4y8

Hunting for the perfect new home for you and your family can be exciting and fun. For many people, they easily romanticize and idealize every house they visit, and often begin to plan where they might put their furniture or how each room might be used on their initial walkthrough. Getting a home inspection from a qualified and licensed home inspector is a vital step on the road to purchasing a new home, and can help to provide clarity and insight into the pros and cons of purchasing a particular home. Building Insights offers the best in service and approaches each inspection with the utmost care and attention. A home inspection will help you see what’s beyond the fresh paint or new floors and reveal issues that otherwise would go unnoticed and subsequently unrepaired or unaddressed.  

A thorough home inspection involves examining every nook and cranny in the home, focusing on areas that are known to be problematic or prone to structural issues. While it’s true that most sellers are not trying to dupe you or be dishonest, in most cases they will do everything they can to sell you their home. In some instances, this may mean they are not forthcoming or perhaps unaware of the possible issues within their home. 

Are Home Inspections really Necessary? Is it Bad to Skip a Home Inspection? 

Many people wonder if a home inspection when considering the purchase of a home is truly necessary. The simple answer is, yes! While you may pay your home inspector a relatively small fee, they have the potential to save you a whole lot of time, money and disappointment. Imagine purchasing your dream home only to discover that it has a mold problem, or bad plumbing, a pest problem or unsafe electrical wiring. By that point it will be too late, and any repairs or renovations required will fall solely on the buyer of the home.  

What Happens during a Home Inspection? 

The home inspector will conduct a thorough evaluation of the home, examining both the interior and exterior while keeping an eye out for some specific things.  

Inside the home the inspector will:  

-Check the foundation of the house as well as the basement for any structural issues, cracks or water leaking
-Examine the walls, ceilings and floors for any damage or defects
-Turn on and off all taps and faucets, gauging the water pressure and ensuring they are in working order, as well as flushing all toilets  
-Check all electrical outlets, switches and fuse box
-Check windows to ensure they open and close properly
-Examine all attics, crawl spaces, closets and spaces underneath stairs
-Conduct a thorough inspection of the heating and cooling systems 

From the outside of the home, the inspector will:  

-Review the exterior of the home looking for signs of weather damage, structural issues with railings, decks or balconies. 
-Inspect the roof, eavestroughs, chimneys and flues
-Evaluate the grading of the house’s foundation 

What Won’t a Home Inspector do? 

A home inspector cannot put holes in walls or pull up flooring and they do not have x-ray vision, so often they can only provide their best guess when it comes to what might be behind the drywall or under the floor. Because of this it is important to remember that at some point you may still uncover some problems with the home, despite having a home inspection done. 

Should you Ever buy a House without a Home Inspection? 

No! Surprises can be great fun at birthdays or anniversaries, but not so fun when it comes to unexpected issues with your new home. You may have heard about people foregoing a home inspection in order to improve the odds of their offer being approved on a certain home, especially in a hot market. While that may be enticing to some sellers, you might want to consider why they would be keen to make the sale without an inspection. It is also important to note that purchasing and moving into a new home without a home inspection could pose a serious health and safety risk.  

A home inspection from an experienced and licensed home inspector can help you understand and be prepared for any problems or issues that may need immediate attention. In addition, the home inspector may identify issues that the buyer should keep an eye on should they worsen as time passes. A home inspection can also help to leverage your offer, and often sellers will agree to remedy certain issues to secure the sale. A home inspection can help to ensure you get the best rates and terms from your mortgage broker or lender as well.  

These are just a few of the many reasons it is so vitally important to secure a home inspection before finalizing your purchase of a new home. A quality home inspection can make all the difference in your decision making process and will potentially save you a significant amount of money and frustration. If you want to learn more about our home inspection procedures, services and rates or how we can help make the process of closing on a new home as smooth and stress free as possible, contact us today! At Building Insights, our inspections are 100% satisfaction guaranteed, and can often be scheduled as soon as 24-48 hours from your initial call.  

RESIDENTIAL SERVICES IN MILTON

We provide a range of home Inspection services in Milton whether you are buying or selling a home. Our services provide a detailed inspection supported by a qualified Inspector and our satisfaction guarantee. After the inspection, you will be given an in-depth report in an electronic format, including pictures of any defects and safety issues discovered.

PRE-PURCHASE (BUYERS) HOME INSPECTION IN MILTON

When making a major decision such as buying a home in Milton, being informed about your potential new home, can ensure that your investment is a smart one. A pre-purchase home inspection allows Building Insights Inc to pinpoint any issues throughout the property, how to look after the home, and what improvements you may need to make in the future. A home inspection can take between two to three hours and your presence as a client is encouraged.

PRE-LISTING (SELLERS) HOME INSPECTION IN MILTON

Whether you are buying or selling a home an inspection makes sense. A pre-listing inspection ensures the seller (homeowner) can address any areas of concern before selling, determine anything that could increase the value of the property, and assess fair market value. Being well informed about your property can enable a quicker sale and eliminate the need for re-negotiating after a home buyer’s inspection.

Homes with a pre-listing inspection report sell much quicker and with less effort than those without. A credible pre-listing inspection report generates more buyers, creating better
negotiating circumstances for both sellers and buyers. With the home’s condition revealed to all, there is less liability for all parties.

Transferable Report

With the seller’s approval, our Pre-Listing inspection reports are available for the buyer to view. With the buyer, Building Insights Inc will tour throughout the property and explain the report to the buyer. Then, Building Insights Inc will turn over the report into the buyer’s name and enter a contract with the buyer. The fee charged for the transfer of report is $175 and paid for by the buyer.

PRE-OFFER HOME INSPECTION (BUYERS) IN MILTON

A pre-offer inspection is conducted prior to submitting an offer on a property. Building Insights’ pre-offer home inspection services are equally as attentive and detailed as a post-offer home inspection and it includes the same all-inclusive report. Instead of risking thousands of dollars by purchasing a home without a thorough inspection, choose to be well informed about your new homes’ condition prior to making an offer.

Included with all our Milton Inspection Services:

• A highly trained and qualified Inspector
• A Comprehensive, Computerized Report
• Executive Summary
• Home Wizard – Home Maintenance App
• Lifetime Homeowner Advisory Service
• Satisfaction Guarantee

Rock salt is incredibly damaging to our properties on several levels.

• Rock salt can damage or kill vegetation and trees. Salt damages roots and can also cause the plants to lose their winter hardiness.
• It corrodes mortar used to hold pavers, flagstone, or other walkway materials together. This can lead to loose pavers or bricks.
• It can cause corrosion to car parts, unprotected steel structures, and bridge decks.
• Used regularly, rock salt can cause discoloration. You’ve likely noticed white powdery residue after you’ve salted your walkways, and as time goes by this doesn’t always wash away.
• If you have pets, rock salt can dry out or irritate their paws and skin. If they eat it or lick up the melted ice they can develop a mouth irritation or even poison themselves.
• Rock salt is not usually a problem for children, but it can cause irritation. That being said, if you know that your child swallowed a piece of rock salt, play it safe and call poison control.

So what are some alternatives?

Physical traction alternatives can include biodegradable cat litter, gravel, wood chips, straw, and heated stair mats. Some safe chemical alternatives include:

1. Calcium Magnesium Acetate – Not only is this safe for your pets and plants, it also is no more damaging to your walkways than tap water. It works best at temperatures over 20 degrees, but can also perform at near zero degrees.
2. Magnesium Chloride – For temperatures above -13 degrees, magnesium chloride is a top choice for deicing salt. It is also far less damaging to your walkways and plants than rock salt.
3. Potassium Chloride – This works best when the temperature is above 15 degrees, and is not a skin irritant. It also is harmless to your vegetation, unlike rock salt.

Alternatives include biodegradable cat litter, gravel, wood chips, straw, and heated stair mats. Except for the heated stair mats, of course, these are used to provide traction rather than melt the ice.

Fall is coming and as you start to bring in the hoses before winter creeps in don’t forget to also clean gutters to remove leaves, sticks, and debris. Keeping leaves out of gutters is crucial for protecting the structure of your home and preventing costly water problems in the future. Here’s the top five reasons you should keep your gutters clean heading into the winter.

• Prevent water damage to your home. When gutters and downspouts are blocked with leaves and debris, rainwater will not drain properly. As water overflows from gutters, it can cause water damage and staining on both the interior and exterior of your home. 
• Protect your roof from rot. Clogged gutters prevent rainwater from leaving the roof. When water continues to flood over, it can back up to your roof decking and rot it.
• Keep pests away. Gutters clogged with leaves make a great home for rodents, birds, and insects. Keep them away from your home by not creating a home in your gutters.
• Avoid foundation damage. When water is not routed away from your home, it can pool around the foundation of your house and. This water can crack your foundation when it expands and freezes in the winter months.
• Avoid weight on ice filled gutters. Frozen gutters can pull at your home and roof because of the weight of all that frozen material. Avoid icicles and the possibility of gutter detachment.

Gutter and downspout cleaning can help prevent unexpected and expensive projects down the road. Taking preventive measures now can help minimize the likelihood of having to repair or replace your roof.

It’s easy to detect air leaks when you sit next to a problematic window on a cold winter night. It is harder to detect an air leak that is letting your A/C air out during a hot summer day. We don’t always know where air leaks are in our homes or how they might be impacting our health, physical structure or wallets. One of the best ways to detect home air leaks is with an infrared camera.

Air leaks not only cost you more money on your heating and cooling bills but are also a source of poor air quality. Homes that continuously leak air might be susceptible to moisture issues, which can invite mould or even rodents and bugs into your home.

How Do Infrared Cameras Work?

An infrared camera detects radiation that reflects heat differences in temperature variations. The cameras can identify temperature variables that the naked eye just cannot see. The viewfinder of the camera will display a series of gradient colors on a small screen giving the operator a clear look at the heat spectrum in a particular space. These colors are expressed in brighter reds, yellows, and oranges for warmer signatures; while cool blues and purples indicate cool areas of a home.

How Infrared Cameras are Used to Find Air Leaks

Infrared cameras use colour gradients to detect where air is leaking. If a wall is a consistent colour then there is no air leak. If there is colour differentials around windows or at tops of walls it could mean bad caulking, defective windows or insulation slumping in your wall cavities. A big part of using an infrared camera is knowing what you are looking for.

Call the air leak experts today. Get Building Insights working on finding air leaks for you!

Each winter, the freezing and expanding of water can cause damage to your faucet. Whether or not you notice, they may start to leak in the subsequent summer. Leaking outdoor faucets can cause your pipes to freeze and crack, creating plumbing issues inside your home as well. 

If you discover that one of your hose bibs is leaking, you may be able to repair it yourself. Here are step-by-step instructions for diagnosing and correcting the source of your leak.  

Start by tightening the packing nut. Use pliers or a wrench, and tighten the packing nut next to the faucet’s handle. Take care not to tighten the packing nut so much that the handle is hard to turn or you damage the fixture. Turn the water on and off, and if the dripping stops, nothing else needs to be done.

If the hose spigot continues leaking even after you’ve tightened the packing nut, you may need to replace the packing washer.

• Turn off the water supply. Before replacing the packing washer, turn off the water supply. Next, drain the faucet. Be sure to do this before taking the handle assembly apart.
• Remove the handle assembly. Use pliers or a wrench to turn the packing nut counterclockwise until you can remove the handle assembly.
• Remove the packing screw inside the handle assembly. With the packing screw removed, use a standard (or slotted) screwdriver to pry the packing washer out. It’s a good idea to take the old washer to the hardware or plumbing supply store to make sure you purchase a replacement washer of the proper size.
• Replace the packing washer and screw. Insert the new washer and screw it in place.
• Reassemble the faucet handle and tighten the packing nut. Again, take care not to overtighten and possibly damage the packing nut. 
• Restore the water supply. Turn on the water supply and turn the faucet on and off a couple of times to test your repair.

If you suspect water and faucet problems in and around your home, have us inspect and suggest ways to fix and deal with your water problems.

Insulation isn’t just to keep you warm, it keeps you cool too! Adding insulation to your home’s building envelope (the walls, slab and roof that protect your home from the outside) can be one of the most cost-efficient ways to reduce your heating and cooling bills. In new construction, investing in the insulation is a smart way to reduce future maintenance costs by reducing the home’s energy consumption.

The insulation in the attic area plays a crucial role in maintaining cool interiors during summers. When sun shines on your attic, the attic absorbs heat. This heat then transfers to your living space, warming up the air conditioned air. As a result, the AC has to exert more to maintain the same degree of cooling.

Attic insulation effectively resolves this problem by adding a layer of insulation in the attic space. This insulation plays a dual role. At one hand, it prevents cool air from escaping into the attic and through the walls. At the other hand, it traps the heat and stops it from seeping into the living space. In this way, attic insulation helps you achieve comfortably cool interiors without overburdening your air conditioning.

If you think your attic insultation is low, book an inspection online for us to come check.

With online shopping becoming a more import part of how we get items we need during the pandemic, package theft also becomes a bigger concern. Most package theft is crime of opportunity so with a few handy tricks you can deter those pesky thieves from walking away with your family goods. 

With spring arriving and nature waking up you’ll want to make sure you keep these common pests from coming indoors! Here’s some tips on keeping them outside!

Carpenter Ants
With rising temperatures, carpenter ants come out and forage for new locations. These ants can be seen inside and outside of your home. They may be coming from an outside nest and may have already made a colony in the walls of your home. They can create tunnels in wood that may damage the structure of your home.

Pavement Ants
Pavement ants are found outside in the soil, but can also enter your home to find food. Their colonies can get extremely large.

Bees and Wasps
You may be seeing a wasp, hornet or yellow jacket queen bee that may have stayed in your wall voids and attics during winter. Once they wake up, they will look for a place where they can lay eggs and establish their colonies. Do not let these insects stay in your home.

Spiders
Spiders are commonly found in basements, garages, porches and other sheltered places. They usually come out to search for food and other insects. Their presence in your home is an indication that you have insects at home. Look for cracks in windows and foundations where they might be getting in.

Houseflies
It seems like any time a door opens, these pesky insects find a way to get inside. The only solution you might have for them is to keep the doors always close. Houseflies have a short life span and will die off quickly unless food is left out for them to lay eggs in.

Fleas
To control a potential flea infestation this spring, it is necessary to take care of the family pets. Give them their regular bath and treatments. It is also possible for pet-free homes to get an outbreak of fleas as a result of fleas coming from an outside wildlife. To get rid of fleas, use even your basic household cleaning tools like vacuming rugs where eggs lie and conduct proper sanitation. This can go a long way to limiting the potential outbreak of fleas.

Rats and Mice
Rodents are not just a problem every spring since they can be an all-year nuisance. From the house mouse to the black rat, these pests are often found to be the worst type of pests in homes. To stop them from entering our homes, better search out their entry and block any potential entry points. Areas such as ill-fitting doors, vents, roof gaps, and pipes travelling through wall spaces are a potential entry way for these pests. Make sure that all sources of food are kept and stored in tight containers. Also, store woodpiles or similar items away from your home.

All pests feed on almost anything we eat, so be certain that:

• Your food is always cleaned and cleared away.
• You keep food in the refrigerator or in a tightly sealed container.
• Food scraps are also cleared from floors or countertops.