Radon measurement has been around for 20 years, but has recently come to be one of the most used services that Pinnacle Property Inspections Services performs for their clients.  When my client from the Barrington home inspection called, he wanted to know if I could tell if the home had radon by the year it was built.  I explained that It was impossible to tell if the home had high levels of Radon gas without performing a radon measurement.  Radon gas is a derivative from Radium which comes from Uranium.  All of these materials are natural occuring and are components of the earth that can not be eliminated but reduced in homes and buildings.  Radon gas has characteristics that make it impossible to detect without testing equipment.

• Radon gas is colorless which means that you can’t see it in the air or as dust.
• Radon gas has no smell.  Completely odorless.
• Radon gas has no taste.
• Radon gas is known to cause lung cancer.

Radon gas can be found in new homes, old homes, condo buildings, office buildings, warehouses.  All properties have some amount of radon gas that is moving throughout the building.  Radon measurements are the only way to tell how much radon your home will have.  In Illinois we use a continuous radon measurement for 48 hours to deliver a non-bias result.  We often suggest radon mitigation systems to be installed in homes that have radon measurement higher than 4.0   (pCi/l).  We do thousands of tests and you can check your cities averages.  My client from the Barrington home inspection had a 2.6 pCi/l reading which is acceptable.

There are many myths about which homes have radon and many homes that could reduce their homes radon gas levels by following the list below.

• Sump pump covers and pits should be sealed.  Radon gasses are notorious from entering the home from the drain tile piping under the home that delivers water to the pit.
• Crawls spaces that are dirt or gravel should be seal tight with a plastic material to prevent the radon gases that may or may not be present from entering the home.
• Basement cracks in the floor should be sealed to prevent the radon gases from emulating from these cracks.
• Gaps around the perimeter of where the foundation meets the floor of the basement slab should be sealed to prevent radon gas entry to the home. 

I explained these radon reducing methods to my client from the Barrington home inspection.  I was hired to do a retest after my client performed these repairs and his radon measurement was 0.9.  This is a great radon measurement that is below the national average.  As you can see, my clients from the Barrington home inspection received an education on radon and the causes and effects.

If you have further questions about radon measurements then please contact me at ~ The Thermal Home Inspector or 312-961-4228.

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe.

Jim Kolke

Overheated electrical breaker

  As most of you know I’m known as The Thermal Home inspector.  When we sent out an email confirmation for a thermal home inspection in Winnetka I received a call from the buyers real estate agent wanting to know what a thermal home inspection is.  Many agents are afraid of our Fluke thermal imager until the see what it does for their clients.  I named myself The Thermal Home Inspector because ALL of my home inspections come with thermal imaging.  Thermal imaging with Pinnacle Property Inspection Services, Inc. is complimentary to all of my clients.  I believe a home inspection without thermal imaging is like driving blindfold.  Some home inspectors say its not needed!  Really?  That’s what people said about cell phones, internet, television, radio, electric and so on.  Do you see where I’m going with this?  Even if your home inspector charges extra for the use of their Fluke thermal imager for thermal scanning its worth the charge.  In this article I’ll give the major components we used the Fluke thermal imager on at the Winnetka home Inspection.    

• Exterior walls are scanned to see if their are any water penetration issues from flashing’s, siding materials, roofing, chimneys, windows, doors, light fixtures, electrical fixtures and bathroom vent penetrations.  If we see an abnormality we qualify the area with the use of a Tramex moisture meter.  The Winnetka home inspector did come up positive with water issues on the exterior of the home do to issues with flashing’s.  This is highly probable with older homes that are not maintained properly.

• Plumbing walls, ceilings and floors are areas that we scan on are standard home inspection.  These areas are known to have water penetrations from loose floor toilet connects, leaking wax rings, leaking p traps from sinks and poor caulking around tubs and showers.  If you have a tile shower base we are scan the floor below this base to make sure it was installed properly.  All of these areas are definitely areas with possible intrusions.

  Water leak below bathroom

   

• Electrical breaker boxes are scanned after every light fixture is turned on for 1 hour to optimize our testing capabilities.  we are looking for overheated breakers that can cause fires if not found.  To the naked eye you would not know this

.  

• Flat roofs are scanned at night and are qualified with the use of Tramex roof scanner to assure that we really do have water in the roof.
• Basement finished walls are scanned to see if their is any foundation leaks. If heavy rains happened prior to our home inspection then the chances of water entry documented with our Fluke Thermal imager is very high.  This was another issue that was found at the Winnetka home inspection

These are just a few of the areas that we use our Fluke Thermal imager to do thermal imaging while performing a home inspection.  When you hire The Thermal Home Inspector for your home inspection you will see why it is worth every penny for the knowledge of what is really wrong with your home.  In the future every home inspector will carry a thermal imager for his or her inspections or he will be out of business!    

Thermal imagers are the only way to go when having your home inspected.  If you have questions about thermal imaging then please contact me at ~ The Thermal Home Inspector or 312-961-4228.    

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe.    

Jim Kolke

If you are looking at homes to purchase right now then you probably have looked at foreclosure, short sale and regular homes for sale.  These deals are generally structured a little different than each other from the realtor side.  When a home inspection is needed they all need to be treated the same.  What I mean by that is that all the utilities will need to be turned on prior to the inspection date and time.  Why do we need the utilities turned on for a foreclosure home inspection?

• Water main- The water serviced needs to be turned on and the property needs to be de-winterized prior to the arrival of the inspector.  A home inspector will inspect to make sure that there are no leaks in the water service or the waste service.  These issues are generally ones that can compound in to costly repair costs if not found at the time of the home inspection service.  The standards of practice for home inspectors does not suggest that home inspectors turn on or install water meters and/or de-winterize the home prior to inspection.  Unfortunately the water meter was not installed at the home inspection I performed in Mount Prospect.  Luckily for my client I’m a licenced plumber (Chicago Lic. # PL-194988) and was able to install the water meter and complete the home inspection properly.  I do catch quite a bit of  backlash from home inspector associations about standards of practice.  The bottom line is that my clients want the home, the realtor wants to sell a home and I want to inspect the home and I have the means and the extensive background to make it happen for my client.  We all win!
• Gas Utilities – The gas needs to be turned on prior to a home inspection to test the furnace, water heater, dryer, and stove to make sure they work and that there are no leaks in the gas supply lines.
• Electric panel -The electric needs to be on and generally never is shut off by the foreclosure companies do to the fact that that most homes have sump pumps and will need electric to run in the case that there is a need for a sump pump.

I receive calls weekly from perspective clients looking to do a foreclosure home inspection without the utilities being turned on and I always explain that I would suggest that all utilities be turned on prior to the inspection.  If you decide to do  a home inspection with the lack of utilities being turned on you take a risk that there may be very expensive repairs after the closing of the home. 

My clients from the Mount Prospect home inspection were very happy that we were able to assist them with their lack of water main service.  They were promised that the water would be turned on and it did not happen.  This happens more and more with the abundance of foreclosed homes on the market.  If you have questions about foreclosure home inspection or any other issues that you can think of please contact me at The Thermal Home Inspector or 312-961-4228.

Thanks for stopping by and be safe.

Jim Kolke

Home Sweet Home! Might not be so sweet if not inspected properly?

If you subscribe or follow my blog you see I’m always talking about how to save money.  Saving money and getting a good value for the money you spend are two different things.  I receive phone calls and emails from potential clients that need home inspection services, condo inspections, pre- listing inspections, home buyer inspections, new home inspections, radon measurements, mold measurements and so on. 

 ”How much does your home inspections cost?”  is one of the first questions we receive when a client contacts us.   This is a hard question for a national audience, so I will answer what we charge for a home inspection in the Chicago metropolitan area.  

If you’re hiring a professional home inspection service company, then you might want to ask these questions when hiring  a home inspector to inspect the most expensive item you might buy in your life – your home.  

1. How long have you been inspecting homes, condos and buildings?  If the answer is a year or two you, might want to take a pass on this company.
2. Are you a licensed home inspector? Do you belong to a home inspection association?  In Illinois, we have to be licensed by the state to be a home inspector and or own a home inspection entity.  There are home inspection associations that some home inspectors join to give their company credibility and gain knowledge from other home inspectors.  Some of these associations are Inter NACHI, ASHI, NAHI and all can be accessed online.
3. What kind of construction background do you have?  If they tell you they sold shoes or worked in the mall or have no knowledge of  previous construction you might want to take a pass.  Your home inspector might find problems in the property you are buying, but will he or she be able to tell you how to repair them?  We are able to give prices for repairs or replacement items because of our 20+ years in construction.
4. Do you carry Errors and Omission Insurance and general liability?  Errors and Omission Insurance will protect you if the home inspector misses an item that needs to be repaired. Their insurance will cover themselves and you.  If they don’t have insurance, again take  a pass and call another home inspector.
5. Do you give a home inspection warranty?  There are warranties that home inspectors can provide for their clients to protect them if there are problems with an item or system that was working when the  home inspection occurred and now it does not work.  These home inspection warranties generally cover the home for up to 180 days and have limits of how much they will pay.  Either way they are a great way to take care of your client.  We use Mountain Warranty Corporation.  If the home inspector you contact does not offer a warranty you might want to take a pass.
6. Do you use thermal imagers?  A thermal imager can save you thousands of dollars in issues that can not be seen by the naked eye.  We use a Fluke thermal imager that can detect water intrusion, insulation issues, utility bill loss and so on.  We include this service with all inspections.  We suggest that your home inspector use this tool with a moisture meter also.  If they don’t offer this service you should take a pass.
7. How long will your home inspection take and  does the client need to attend?  Our home inspections take anywhere from 3 hours to 6 hours depending on the size of the home. We always want the client to attend so we can educate them about THEIR home.  If the home inspector you called says his inspections only take a hour or two and they do not care if you show up. Take a pass.
8. What kind of reporting system do you use and how long will it take to get my report?  We happen to use a computer reporting system and you get your report the same day.  There are home inspectors that use hand written reporting systems and they are just fine.  Make sure you get your report as soon as possible.  If the home inspector tells you ” in a day or two” you might want to take a pass.

So the questions on pricing will not be answered until those questions above are answered.  We charge $395.00 for a 3 bedroom 2 bath single family home.  Some say this is a high price for a home inspection.  I believe it is a good value for the dollar.  Some of my competitors charge this and more and do not deliver the same results nor do they offer the same professional services.  So if you’re looking for a home inspection service in Chicago or anywhere in the world make sure you use our list of questions when choosing your home inspector.  

If you have further questions about home inspection prices please contact me at The Home Inspector or 312-961-4228.  

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe.  

Jim Kolke

Tree lined streets really make a neighborhood home!

Trees planted around a home give a house curb appeal and make the property “homey”.  I personally love a tree lined street like the one I live on in Chicago’s North Shore.  I also understand that there is a price to having those big trees close around my home.  There are positives and negatives in all items of a home.  This is exactly what I informed my clients that hired me to do a home inspection in Buffalo Grove, Illinois on a vintage tree lined home with tons of curb appeal.   

Lets talk about the positives first because they are self-evident.   

•   Trees deliver curb appeal that make people want the home that you own. 
•  Trees deliver shade in the summer and they supply wind breaks in areas that do not have properties close by.
• Aid in helping the topsoil from eroding around the property.

The negatives to having trees around your home goes hand in hand with these type of trees primarily:   

• Willow
• Silver Maple

  Silver maple

   

• Ash

  ash Tree

   

• Box Elder

  Box Elder

   

• Sweetgum

  Sweet gum tree

   

• Poplar

  Poplar trees

   

• Sycamore

  Sycamore tree

   

All of these trees when grown to full capacity and within 50 feet of a homes foundation, water supply, and or sewer waste system need to be monitored.  Why?  All of these type of trees are known to seek out water from weak areas of a water supply system and waste water system.  When homes have been left for long periods of time havoc can be done on a sewer system by the roots of these trees.  The home inspection in Buffalo Grove had Willow trees around the home.   Luckily, for the owners of this home there wasn’t any evidence of sewer damage.    

Sewer waste systems, french drains, septic fields and water supply systems can be compromised by these trees.  Tree roots find areas that are weak and access the area where water is active to feed.  If this happens to your property, you have a couple options to eliminate the problem.   

1. Rod the sewer ~ The sewer may need to be roded and inspected with a sewer camera to decide how much damage has been done to the waste system by the roots of these trees.
2. Replace all or part of the sewer main ~ If you find through a sewer inspection camera that your sewer system has areas that are cracked or a collapsing due to the roots gaining entry you might have to either dig up the sewer and replace it or install a sewer liner.

• Replacement of sewers can be done, but are costly and timely and can be very messy.  Sewer repair prices start at $2000.00.  You can see  more repair  prices at sewer repair prices.
• Sewer lining can be done for up to 50% cheaper than replacing sewer lines. Lining of a sewer can be done generally in a day. There is only 1 hole dug for the installation of the liner.  The hole is dug at the city side of the sewer main and then pulled through into the main of the home.

Homes with trees close to the foundation are suggested to have chemicals installed into the sewer on a regular basis to prevent possible damages and costly repairs.  As you probably know, I’m a licensed plumber and always used  copper chloride as a root killer after a roding of a sewer.  This is not good for return calls for plumbers, but it makes for a happy customer.   

So if your buying a new home or already own your dream home and aren’t sure what your looking for you  are more than welcome to contact me at The Home Inspector or 312-961-4228.   

Thanks for stopping by and be safe.   

Jim Kolke