Inspecting a house is a simple process, right? You walk around and write down the things that you can see that are wrong, right? No you have to do more! What about the things that are hidden from view? What about issues with the plumbing or the electrical system that you can only find by measuring? To carry out an effective inspection today you have to work like a forensic scientist at a crime scene! You have to consider how the problems with the house may have been deliberately hidden or just unknown because you need specialist equipment and knowledge to find the problem.
This is the approach we take to determine the true condition of a house. We systematically examine the property using special instruments and cameras that reveal problems that cannot be seen by the naked eye. The foundation is a great example, it is normally inspected visually but we measure the level which can reveal the presence of leaking pipes below the slab.
The sewer lines are another example of where a specialist camera can be used to reveal expensive faults such as corrosion in cast iron pipes, bellies in PVC pipes and holes in the pipes of brand new houses.
During the average inspection most electrical outlets are checked for power being present but we use a specialist instrument, a circuit analyzer, to find dangerous voltage drops which can lead to a house fire.
Unless it is a new house in the process of being built you cannot see what’s inside the walls, right? Not true, if your inspector has in infrared camera, he can! As part of our investigative inspection, we routinely use infrared to reveal leaking pipes, poor or missing insulation, and over heating electrical wires that could cause the house to burst into flames.
Water intrusion into a house can cause structural damage and mold. We use a moisture meter to check for the presence of water around the windows and ceilings. Houses with gas appliances represent a danger from escaping gas so we use a gas detector to find leaks in pipes and fittings.
This is what sets us apart from other inspectors. We carry out an in depth inspection using specialist measuring equipment and engineering knowledge to reveal as much as possible about the true condition of the property - no matter how hard the problems are to find. Many of the problems we find would have been missed if we had not taken the time to measure or look into those hidden areas with specialist cameras.