Sewer piping that is damaged can not be seen from the exterior of the home. The only way you can see this is by a sewer scope or a dig up.

If you are a home buyer that is preparing to hire a home inspector then you might want to read this article.  Recently while inspecting a home in Chicago I was questioned if I was going to inspect the sewer line of the home.  This question made me think awhile until I could explain to my client that is impossible for me to inspect the sewer because it is underground  and I physically cant see the sewer and identify if there are cracks or other issues with the sewer piping materiel.  This led me to recommending sewer contractors to scope the sewers in homes that I was inspecting for home buyers.

My clients from the Chicago home inspection were a little upset that I could not determine the health of the waste piping underground until I fully explained that the best I could do was to run the water for long periods of time to see if the sewer could take all the water.  This is the standard way most home inspectors inspect the sewers in the home inspections they are hired to perform.  Most people do not understand that home inspectors can not change, modify or convert any portion of the home in any form or fashion.  This is what led me to decide to start recommending that home buyers hire sewer contractors or plumbing contractors to perform sewer inspections.

My clients from the Chicago home inspection hired Roto Rooter from Chicago to perform a sewer scoping.  The cost of the sewer scoping which included a clearing of the sewer was $315.00.  I know what most people are saying.  Home inspection costs $400.00  and sewer scoping costs $315.00 at a total of $715.00 before I even move in the home.  Luckily for my clients from the Chicago home inspection they performed a sewer inspection which found 2 partial collapsed clay sewer pipes!

No big deal 2 broken sewer pipes?  Wrong!  Replacement costs to repair the Chicago homes sewer was $4150.00 which was paid by the seller!  I cant promise that this will be the results of a sewer scope that you may pay for.  I can promise you that the repairs on a sewer can cost a whole lot more though.  Some Realtors do not appreciate that I recommend that perspective home buyers have sewer inspections performed because they are afraid they inspection may find a reason that the home buyers wont buy the home.  I believ the excat opposite.  I believe it gives the home buyers a definitive feeling of all of the components of the home and will allow them to move forward in the home buying purchase with a sound mind.

My home buyers from the Chicago home inspection did buy the home they hired me to inspect.  If your home is newer then you might not want to hire a sewer contractor to perform a sewer inspection.  Knowing if there are issues is worth every penny.  If you have further questions about sewers or any other portion of your home please contact me at The Thermal Home Inspector or 312-961-4228.

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe.

Jim Kolke

Its the holidays here in Chicago land and a lot of people like to decorate their home with lights and lighted decorations.  Unfortunately most of these homes do not have the proper breaker box configurations. Basically the load on the wiring and the breakers in these boxes may be overloaded due to the extra load from the decorations.  That was the case at the Glenview home inspection I recently was hired to perform.  The issues with the electric did not start until I started to test the microwave in the kitchen.  As you probably could guess the microwave use of electric was the tipping point that made the breaker trip that happened to be tied to the exterior outlets also.

Generally the electric for the exterior outlets of a home have their own dedicated breaker as do the kitchen appliances.  Unfortunately I found that the electric at the Glenview home inspection had other issues that would need correction.  When I went to reset the breaker in the breaker box I unscrewed the breaker box cover and found double taps and triple taps.  A double tap or triple tap is when multiple wires are installed in one breaker.  Each breaker should only have one wire.  This is why the breakers where found to be overheated at the Glenview home inspection.

The next issue I encountered at the Glenview home inspection was that there was no room for future breakers in the box.  That is probably why the breakers had multiple double tap connections.  The correction for all of these issues was to hire a licensed electrician who would install a larger electrical panel and to separate the double and triple taps.  The repair cost for a new electrical panel is $700.00 – $1600.00 depending on where you live in the country.

During home inspections my clients are always concerned what is something that they would have to do right away.  Overheated breaker pane la and double tapped breakers are defective issues and I would recommend immediate repair.  That is exactly what I recommended my clients from the Glenview home inspection do.

Electrical breaker panel inspections are a very important portion of any home inspection and should be taken very serious.  If you have any questions about electrical panels or any issue in your home or building contact me at 312-961-4228 or The Thermal Home Inspector.  Thank you for stopping by and stay safe.

Jim Kolke

jimkolke@pinnaclepropertyinspection.com

Tree branches over hanging your roof is an invitation for mayhem and costly repairs

 If you have been watching the news, then you will know that in Chicago we recently had micro tornado’s pass through our area.  There were winds that topped out at 100 miles per hour.  These winds forced a large branch from a tree that was over hanging over a home in Wilmette, Illinois.  The home that I am speaking about was a home inspection in Wilmette, I was hired to inspect.  The biggest concern I had for my client was that the tree was not owned by the home that the damage was done on.  This is a big concern these days because of all the wind and rain storms we been having of late.

My client was not concerned about the damage to the home because it was going to be fixed prior to his closing.  His concern was what to do to prohibit future issues like this happening. 

As you know I am not an attorney, but I will speak with some basic common sense.  If you see that their is a possible issue that may cause damage to your home, then I would think that the prudent thing to do is to eliminate that possible issue from causing damage to the property.  The damage to the Wilmette home inspection would not have happened if there was no branch hanging over the home to fall on it.

I know from personal experiences that some insurance companies will not insure homes with tree limbs  hanging over the home.  Trees planted to close to homes also are frowned on because they also can either fall on the home in a large storm or cause damage to the foundation  and sewer waste piping. 

How much will it cost to remove a branch over a home? Was the question from my client from the Wilmette home inspection.  The proper answer is hard because pricing for tree or branch removal can vary greatly depending on multiple factors.

• The height of the tree can add cost to the removal of the branch or tree.
• How close to the structure is the tree or branch?  The more dangerous or possible chance for damage to the home will raise the time it takes to remove the tree will increase the price.
• Is the tree in good condition?  If the tree had a disease that will make it difficult to remove then plan on a higher removal cost.

As you can see, there are many issues that can determine the price of your tree branch removal.  The tree branch issues at the Wilmette home inspection was priced out at $1700.00 and the neighbor who owned the tree was splitting the cost with the property I inspected.

Trees and the landscaping of a home should be a major part of any home inspection process and should definitely be documented.  If you have any questions about what to look for with trees hanging over your home, please contact me at ~ The Thermal Home Inspector or 312-961-4228.

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe.

Jim Kolke

Does this basement flood? With an overhead sewer probably not!

  Does this basement flood?  This is probably the most asked question by clients who are getting a home inspection.  I have a client who has had multiple home inspections that all had to many issues in his eyes to purchase the home.  After his 2ND home inspection I explained that he should call me will all the info on the property before he made another offer and went through the inspection process and spent money he might not have to.  He found a home that he wanted to move forward on.  The home inspection was in Riverwoods, Illinois.  He pulled the insurance records and found that there was 2 claims in the last 3 years with flood damage.  His question was will the Riverwoods homes basement flood again?

Flooding in basement comes from 2 places and both can be controlled.

• Sewer back up is probably the biggest reason for water damage in homes.  If you have an “in ground sewer” then your chances are high for getting sewer back up.  This is what most homes have.  An in ground sewer means the sewer lies underneath the floor in the basement and the waste is sent into the sewer main via gravity. 
• Water around the homes foundation is called ground water and can enter the home via the ground or window wells.  Generally the ground water enters a sump pump pit and is pumped away from the home via a sump pump.  Sometimes like everything the sump pump will fail and will need to be replaced.  We advise all of our clients to have a back up sump pump installed for these times.  The Riverwoods home inspection did have a sump pump pit but no back up pump.

The Riverwoods home Inspection did flood because the sewer wasan in ground sewer with no flood control system.  What is a flood control system?  There are two type of sewer systems your home may have.  If you have an in ground sewer you may need a flood control system. 

• Overhead sewers are the most ideal situation to have for a finished basement.  If your home was not built this way there is no way to convert the sewer system to an overhead type sewer system.  If you have an overhead sewer system that means you will most likely have an ejector pit in your basement.  An ejector pit takes water from floor drains, laundries, basement bathrooms, basement kitchens and pumps the water waste to the overhead sewer.  The probability of the Riverwoods home inspection flooding with this system is nill.  As a licensed plumber I appreciate this system and always explain how lucky my clients are to have this drainage system in their home.
• In gound sewers are the culprits for flooding in basements.  The Riverwoods home inspection proved this.  Just because the home has an in ground sewer does not mean you should not buy it.  The remedy for keeping sewer waste water from entering your home is having a flood control system installed on your sewer main.  A flood control system has a check valve that allows water to leave the home and not back into the home.  Some systems have reservoirs on the exterior of the home to catch all the water and store it until the waste water subsides.   The cost for a flood control system is from $5000.00 – $10000.00 and is recommended to all of our clients with finished basements.  Does this basement flood? Without a flood control system you will still be asking this question.

A flood control system was the remedy for the Riverwoods home inspection.  This is the only way the home will have a dry basement for sure.  The system can be installed in a day and you will be very happy when big storms roll through your town.

If you have any questions about flood control systems in your home please contact me at ~ The Thermal Home Inspector or 312-961-4228.

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe.

Jim Kolke

Buffalo Grove mold inspection explains where to look for possible mold issues.

   The home buying process  can be a very stressful period even for experienced home buyers who have purchased homes before.  Many of my clients call and want to order all the services that we offer.  There are no two homes that are the same and all home inspections should be approached with that mind set.  Recently my client from a Buffalo Grove home inspection wanted to order a mold inspection.  I asked my client why she wanted a mold inspection?  She said her friend said to get a mold inspection before buying a home.  There is nothing wrong with getting a mold inspection if you need it or you find reasons to perform a mold test.  There are issues that you should look for prior to booking your mold inspection in Buffalo Grove  is what I explained to my client.

• High moisture in a home can  be a reason to contemplate a mold inspection at your home inspection.
• Evidence of past or present water entry in a home can cause concern and a good reason to purchase a mold test.
• Past or present water entry in a basement is a good reason to purchase a mold test.  Finished basements are known areas that water entry can be hidden for years without the current home owners knowing that they have an issue.
• Foul or stale odors from a basement or crawl  can be the by product from mold growth and may be a good reason to purchase a mold test from your home inspector.
• Standing water in a crawl space is a known breeding zone for mold.  The inspection of the insulation and the floor sheeting will be needed to determine if as mold test is needed.

There are many types of mold that are in the fungi kingdom.  There are only a few that will grow in your home do to water issues that ignite the mold.  With further review I advised my client to perform a mold test with her home inspection at the Buffalo Grove home.  The Buffalo Grove Mold inspection came up with very high numbers in the basement and the second floor of the home.  The reason the home had mold growth was do to previous sewer back up that was not correctly cleaned in a timely fashion.  Generally you have up to 48 hours to clean and dry out the areas that are affected with water before mold will begin to grow.  the second floor of the home had high levels of mold growth because the furnace is in the basement and the forced air system was delivering mold fibers throughout the home through the ducts.  this leads me to a

Ducts can be breeding areas for mold when active areas go airborne.

new matter.  Not only do you have mold remediation to deal with but duct cleaning will also be needed to eliminate any mold fibers that may be breeding in the ducts.

The client from the Buffalo Grove mold inspection understood why I wanted to qualify her need for a mold inspection before she spent her hard earned money.  If you are buying or own a home that you think needs a mold test please review the possible issues above prior to spending your hard earned money.  Please contact me if you have further questions about mold or mold services at ~ The Thermal Home Inspector or 312-961-4228.

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe.

Jim Kolke