Home Inspection News & Articles

From the Trenches: Hilarious Home Inspector Photos

Ah...the do-it-yourselfer age! It has given us Home Depot, Bob Villa and (unfortunately) the botched handyman project! If there is one common pastime all home inspectors love, it would have to be sharing home inspection photos of bizarre, and sometimes downright dangerous, problems they come across during a real estate inspection.

Home inspection websites and journals never fail to publish humorous photos from their home inspection contributors. And just as no two snowflakes are alike; it seems the same holds true for any two messed-up home improvement jobs. When you become a home inspector, expect you'll come across a few memorable home owner quick-fixes by.

This Old House's website has gotten into the act as well, publishing 23 gems on their website. Without giving away too many surprises, these photos will show you how a radiator hose from a 1945 Pontiac, a dead rodent and aluminum foil all factor into some funny photos. Click here to check them out.

Although it doesn't take too much expertise to see that something is wrong in extreme situations, most common home inspection problems aren't as easy to spot. And that's why a solid home inspection program is essential for anyone who wants to start a professional home inspection career. And these days you don't need to go much further than your laptop to get the necessary training, because online home inspection courses are just a mouse click away.

Starting a home inspection business will involve lots of serious steps on your part, but at least you know they'll be humorous moments when you can put your home inspection checklist down and have a laugh.

Labels: home inspection, home inspection business, home inspection training, home inspector, real estate

Earthquake Retrofitting and the Real Estate Inspection

Americans are in love with the west. Each year, despite predictions to the contrary, Americans move from colder parts of the country to the sunshine states of Arizona, Nevada and California. For many of these transplants (particularly to California), the thought of an earthquake tearing into their dream house is a remote one.

People who want to become home inspectors, however, must be far more practical when seeing that older homes have been correctly retrofitted for earthquakes - a real estate inspection will go a long way toward making sure someone's dream house doesn't turn into a nightmare during an earthquake.

When inspecting a house for its "earthquake preparedness," there are generally four retrofit items to look for: stud spacing, steel roof and foundation tie downs and diagonal bracing. We'll take a look at each one to get a better understanding of their functions.

Recent experience in California has shown that when a house sits on a foundation - without being secured to it - the house will simply bounce right of the foundation when the quake hits. Home inspectors should look for steel rods that connect the foundation to the wood sill; the rods should be spaced every two or three feet. One should also look for steel braces on the support beams of the house.

Another important tie down is for the roof. Home inspectors should look for a steel rod that begins at the foundation (at all four corners of the house) and extends up to the top sill of the roof where it is fastened with steel clips.

Earthquakes, in a word, bring stress to a home's structure. Another important way to shore up a home is with diagonal bracing, which helps strengthen vertical studs. And when it comes to wood studs, their spacing is critical. To save money, many studs are sometimes placed several feet apart instead every 16 inches, which creates a stronger wall. A quick way to check the stud spacing is to inspect the garage or other areas where studs may be exposed.

It's important to remember that different states may have different requirements for what a home inspector can, and can't do, related to earthquake readiness, so it's important home inspectors know the rules in their local area.

Those individuals looking into home inspection as a possible career should consider online home inspection schools. Enroll in a distance learning home inspector training program, allows people to keep their current jobs while they study and prepare for a home inspection career. Many states require that one have a home inspection license, so it's important to check out your state's website for licensing information
Allied Schools, www.homeinspectioncourse.com

Labels: california home inspection, home inspector, real estate