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Laguna Hills, Calif. - Nov. 14, 2007 - The International Association of Certified Inspectors (InterNACHI) has partnered with Allied Home Inspection School to create a library of home inspection career resource articles on its website www.nachi.org.
The Allied Home Inspection Library contains articles on skills, home inspection training and industry developments that affect both veteran certified home inspectors as well as individuals considering home inspection as a career.
"We're honored to team up with such a respected home inspection association like InterNACHI," said George Achenbach, president of Allied Home Inspection School. "Real estate inspection is a dynamic and important industry and we're pleased we can contribute resources to help those in and around the industry."
InterNACHI Founder and Director of Public Relations, Nick Gromicko, echoed Achenbach's comments: "At InterNACHI our focus is on improving the professionalism and expertise of home inspectors. Allied Home Inspection offers quality home inspection training that demonstrates their commitment to the industry. We believe the Library will be an excellent resource for inspectors."
The Library is scheduled to be updated weekly and become an important resource for both InterNACHI members and non-members alike. Two examples of the initial offerings in the Library include: Home Inspectors and E&O Insurance and What Homebuyers Should Expect from a Home Inspector.
In addition to the Allied Home Inspection Library, InterNACHI and Allied have been working together for some time to help new home inspectors get a foothold in the industry. InterNACHI offers graduates of Allied Home Inspection School a one-year complimentary membership to InterNACHI, which entitles them to a host of benefits including discounts on Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance and access to group health coverage, to name just two.
The Allied Home Inspection Library on InterNACHI's site can be found at www.nachi.org/alliedlibrary.htm. For more information on Allied Home Inspection School, visit us online or call (888) 925-2108 to speak with an admissions representative.
Labels: home inspection, home inspection school, home inspector school, Press Release
The issue of home inspection standards is sometimes a touchy subject among certified home inspectors, but when it comes to the issue of mold - home inspectors agree that the standard response to mold should be extreme aversion. With this in mind, licensed home inspectors confronting mold will certainly benefit from the International Associations of Certified Indoor Air Consultants' (IAC2) Mold Inspection Standards of Practice.
IAC2 is a certifying body for home inspectors who have met certain education requirements in the area of indoor air quality. Members of the National Association of Home Inspectors (NACHI), for example, receive a free membership to IAC2 when they pass certain courses. When you become a home inspector, you enter an industry where continuing education is important - it's never too late to learn, as the expression goes.
IAC2's standards clearly lay out the ground rules for home inspectors when confronting mold; the standards make it clear, among other things, that a mold inspection is not a home inspection, nor should it be considered a proper indoor air quality inspection. It's important that students entering home inspection schools understand that a real estate inspection and a mold inspection are two different things.
"A mold inspection," according to IAC2's standards, "is a non-invasive visual examination of a building to identify and report on conditions that have led to water intrusion, water damage and conditions conducive to microbial growth."
The inspector is not required, for example, to enter the attic, touch insulation or walk on the roof during a mold inspection. On the other hand, an inspector is required to inspect visible duct work, gutters and the ventilation of attic spaces, to name just a few requirements.
The standards indicate that a mold inspection is not "technically exhaustive" and is not designed to find concealed or latent defects in the house. Mold inspectors should also know that IAC2's standards only apply to housing structures with four or fewer dwelling units.
Whether someone is already a seasoned home inspector or just beginning to consider home inspection training, familiarity with these standards of mold inspection can only benefit their inspection knowledge. To read the mold standards in their entirety, visit IAC2's site at www.iac2.org/sop.php
Labels: home inspection, home inspector, National Association of Home Inspectors
You've walked on them your whole life, but when you become a home inspector, you'll have to examine a floor with a whole new critical eye - determining whether the structure is sound or not. First-rate home inspection training will prepare you to inspect, not only with your head, but with your feet.
If possible, get underneath the floor to have a more thorough look at the structure. The two biggest issues to gauge are sloping and uneven floors. Certified home inspectors don't have their heads in the clouds - they're using all their senses to perform a super home inspection job. Sloping floors usually go in one direction and should be noted in an inspection report. Uneven floors often have hollows in them, where the floor sags between joists. Sagging can also be observed on a larger scale when heavy objects, like appliances, weigh down a portion of the floor.
Then there are squeaky floors, which may give "character" to a house, but licensed home inspectors need to make note of such floor noise. The problem is often the result of a weak connection between the joists and the sub flooring.
The next step is to inspect the floor covering, which may be wood finish flooring, flooring tiles, carpeting, linoleum, etc. Like much of your home inspection, water stains and water damage are opponents to look out for. It's extremely important to look for rotting wood, particularly in areas of the kitchen and bathroom. Oftentimes a firm foot in a suspect area will tell you all you need to know. When you get your home inspection license, you'll soon gather on-the-job experience that will prove invaluable as your career unfolds.
As you walk the floors of a house, always be on the look out for tripping hazards; look for floor covering that is curved, sticking up or detached in some way. Inspect carpets carefully to see that they are securely in place and not bunching up. When it comes to wood floors, check for buckled floor boards. If you're examining tile, then inspect the grout and see if it's keeping things together.
Real estate inspection is not a job, as much as it is a craft. If you view your home inspection report as the sum total of your skills, patience and knowledge, you're bound to work more like an artist than anything else. And so if Michelangelo could work artistic wonders on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, then surely home inspectors can bring the same attention to detail to the floors they step on each day.
Labels: Certified home inspectors, home inspection training, home inspector training, real estate home inspection
