The premier source for home inspector news and information. Whether you're a homebuyer or a licensed home inspector, you'll find valuable insight on the world of home inspection training and competency on this blog.
Turn on the television these days and chances are you'll hear something about mold. Increased publicity about this problem increases the likelihood that certified home inspectors will field questions on this subject.
Mold in the home can lead to serious health concerns for residents, including allergies and other respiratory ailments. Often there is a lot of hype in the media about health hazards, but toxic mold is a reality and people do get sick. Licensed home inspectors need to treat the problem seriously and check for mold during a home inspection job.
It's certainly necessary for certified home inspectors to know what mold looks like and where in the house it's commonly found: wood studs, drywall, ceiling tiles, ductwork and carpets, to name a few. But it's also increasingly important for licensed home inspectors to know what mold is. A solid home inspection training course will school you in the basics of this important issue.
Mold is a microscopic organism that helps break down organic material in the environment. One of its favorite snacks is cellulose, which is commonly found in wood. And if it weren't for fungi, such as mold, we'd be up to our eyeballs in ten thousand year's worth of yard waste. This we can appreciate, certainly, but when mold starts growing on our floors joists, all thanksgiving goes out the window. A home inspection career means you'll help people identify this potential health hazard.
Mold needs three important ingredients to prosper: moisture, warmth and food. Very often mold encounters these conditions in the bathroom, basement or kitchen. This is one reason licensed home inspectors are always on the look out for moisture and water damage in a house, which might lead to a serious mold problem. According to the National Association of Home Builders, standing water in an area with a temperature between 40 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit can produce mold in as little as 48 hours.
Mold comes in many colors, including black, white, orange, green and brown. It often appears as a black stain. The best way to see what mold looks like, is to check out photos on the Internet. During a home inspection job, a strong flashlight is the weapon of choice for examining stains and spots.
One reason a home inspection is so important, is to identify mold for a potential home buyer. For homeowners who've had some mold issues and are hoping to sell their home, a few home inspector training tips may help:
- Get that house dry - identify water leaks
- Install exhaust fans in damp areas of the home
- Put plastic down on the floor of crawl spaces
- Remove water damaged carpets
- Don't forget to vacuum regularly
When you become a home inspector, you'll learn many things you expected, and some you didn't. The need to identify mold may come as a surprise, but any professional home inspection class will feature it as part of their training.
Labels: Certified home inspector, home inspection career, home inspector
A certified Home Inspector will tell you there's a lot to consider when inspecting a basement, but he'll also stress that the number one priority is water damage. It's estimated that up to 95% of basements will experience water penetration at one time or another. So, if you want to become a home inspector, then you better develop a keen eye for signs of moisture.
Basements come finished and unfinished, and in addition to serving as personal storage areas, they commonly house HVAC systems, electrical panels, and plumbing controls. The most pressing issue for licensed Home Inspectors is standing pools of water, but usually the problem is more subtle, involving water stains on the walls or floors. Yet this must be distinguished from normal stains, scruffs and other marks, as well as the normal damp odor that affects most cellars during the humid months of the summer.
Most people fear that water stains indicate structural problems. It's important to understand that cracks appear in most foundation walls and do not necessarily point to a cracked foundation. A licensed Home Inspector is someone who can make a call on this kind of issue. Another concern with water stains is that they point to a potential problem with mildew or mold, which for people with allergies can lead to serious health problems.
A home inspection job also includes a check of the floor joists. Any sagging, termite damage or visible mold on these wood joists will reveal a wealth of information about the house. Some basements contain a submersible pump (sub pump), which must be in good working order. It also goes without saying that support columns must be inspected carefully; it's important to see if any of the columns have been replaced. If there are any sinks, faucets or drains in the cellar, home inspection training will help the inspector evaluate them just as he would plumbing fixtures in the kitchen or bathroom.
Certified Home Inspectors don't inspect homes during heavy rain storms, so you'll have to rely on your Home Inspector training to detect the clues that might point to a moisture problem. In the end, a career in home inspection will present many challenges and areas for growth, but don't be surprised if you sometimes find yourself doing a Sherlock Holmes routine as you inspect water stains in the basement.
Labels: Certified home inspector, home inspection job, home inspector training, inspecting a basement
After gaining the education you need to begin working as a home inspector, you might find a whole lot of home inspectors already out there. Every year, the number of trained home inspectors increases. Last year, the state of Illinois alone experienced an increase of nearly 3,000 home inspectors from less than 500 the year before.
While the first instinct someone might have when faced with increasing competition is to cut their prices, the results can work against you. Cutting your prices means more work for less pay. More importantly, it could make you appear cut-rate in a field where quality is of far greater importance.
What can you do to stand apart from other home inspectors and get yourself noticed?
One of the best ways of standing out from the crowd is to form relationships with professional, home inspection organizations. Joining a home inspection association gives you the advantage of a professional stamp of approval on the quality of your work. There are several associations with great reputations who represent home inspection:
- InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors): InterNACHI is the world's largest, most elite non-profit inspection association. Their inspectors have all successfully passed InterNACHI's Inspector Examination, adhere to Standards of Practice, abide by a Code of Ethics, and are InterNACHI Certified
- HIF (Housing Inspection Foundation): An organization of professionals dedicated to the promotion and development of home inspection through information, education, standards, ethics, and professional recognition, HIF is an excellent organization to network with licensed home inspectors.
- NAHI (National Association of Home Inspectors): The mission of the National Association of Home Inspectors is to promote excellence and professionalism in the home inspection industry, in addition to providing standards of practice and a code of ethics for home inspectors in the USA. NAHI home inspectors must meet strict membership requirements and are held to the highest standards of practice in the home inspector industry.
- ASHI (Association of Home Inspectors): ASHI has a strong network of experienced individuals with their home inspection license. ASHI builds customer awareness of the importance of a quality home inspection and enhances the professionalism of home inspectors.
Labels: become a home inspector, Certified home inspector, home inspector, interNACHI
