Knox Inspection Services, Inc.
Knox Inspection Services, Inc.
Problem:
Upon removing the wall-to-wall carpet you discover stains in the wood flooring,
or cracks in the concrete floor
slab. Neither
of these can be seen by the inspector unless the carpet and padding are
removed for inspection.
Solution:
Seldom is the unfinished concrete floor conveniently available for inspection.
Unevenness is in the floor
covering can be
the result of numerous possible situations, most of which do not comprise
structural defects. If you have
concerns about
this potential problem, the only solution is to remove the carpet and padding
or floor covering for
examination of
the unfinished floor. This will require replacement of the disturbed
covering at a cost that should be
resolved before
the covering is removed. This additional examination exceeds the
scope of most Home Inspections.
Problem:
The sewer line becomes clogged shortly after taking occupancy. Upon
calling the plumber, you learn the
sewer line will
require repair or worse, replacement. The inspector ran a lot of
water during the inspection to detect
resistance in
the function of the sewer system. Some clogs are the result
of roots that slowly swell with use after the
home has been
vacant for a short time immediately prior to your occupancy. They
will drain fine at the inspection and
clog when you
move in. The clog problem may have been chronic, known only to the
occupant until Inspected by Video.
Solution:
Before you need a solution, get a Video Inspection! Run a
lot of water on several occasions giving roots, (if
any), time to
swell and clog the sewer line, particularly in the situation of a vacant
house. This process may reveal the
necessity for
repair, (or worse replacement). In the case of old or defective buried
plumbing lines, the best solution is a
video camera examination
of the sewer lines. We offer the Inspection of the sewer system through
an Affiliate Vendor.
Problem:
The roof begins to leak after a rain shower. An examination of the
of the reasonably visible portions of the
ceilings and visible
parts of the attic area are part of a roof inspection. Future leaks in
otherwise dry or undamaged areas
are almost impossible
to detect. Is the dry staining active leaks or old leaks? Only
the Seller knows for sure. All roofs
begin to leak
at some time. Is there evidence of prior repair to the stained areas
that are now wet?
Solution:
Obtaining a thorough inspection is about all the home Buyer can do, except
repair the leak. Often, the Home
Warranty company
will cover roof leaks if there was no mention of leakage in the area of
the roof that is now leaking, as
shown in the inspection
report. Cosmetic paint cover-up, now obvious because of dampness
and staining, is a problem
of the Seller's
disclosure, and should be resolved by the Buyer and Seller with the provisions
in the sales contract.
Problem:
Upon building a fire in the "fireplace" you discover; it discharges smoke
back into the house, does not draw
smoke up the chimney
well, or has flue problems within the chimney stack. The function
of the solid fuel device, whether
original masonry
construction, a metal free-standing addition, or combination of both, is
difficult to evaluate because the
opportunity to
see it in use is very unlikely. The interior of the flue and chimney crown
are impossible to see without
special equipment.
An Affiliate Vendor will perform this job because they have the equipment.
Most inspections exclude
the function or
deep interior portions of the flues of solid fuel combustion devices because
of the difficulty of inspection.
Solution:
A chimney cleaning and repair company can often use a special equipment
to examine the interior of the flue
and make recommendations
for dependable operation. This is a special service which we offer
at no additional cost to
our Customers.
An Affiliate Vendor will try to provide facts about the normally hidden
portions of the Chimney flue.
Problem:
The home was purchased and inspected during the colder months preventing
operation of the Air
Conditioning system
to determine if it is in "normal working order". We presume for the
purpose of this information that
there was nothing
visible about the A / C equipment at the time of the Inspection to indicate
malfunction.
Solution:
Purchase or negotiate for the Seller to purchase a Home Warranty to be
part of the sale. Home Warranties
are normally available
through the Realtors®. Most of the Home Warranties included with
Inspection services are limited
to the items found
acceptable at the time of the inspection, (if the A / C could not be inspected
it may be excluded).
Problem:
The tile shower floor is leaking into the crawl space or surrounding floor.
The inspector will cover the drain, fill
the shower floor
several inches deep, and then inspect the area that is accessible and adjacent
to the perimeter for
evidence of leakage.
If the adjacent areas are not readily accessible, then problems (or past
leakage), may not be
discoverable until
after the home become vacant.
Solution:
The temporary solution may include what the Seller did before we inspected
the shower. That is to caulk and
seal the tile
floor to temporarily stop leakage outside of the tile enclosure.
It will usually work for a period of time. If it is
determined the
"pan" is leaking, then removal of the tile floor will often be necessary
to access the pan for repair or
replacement.
The Seller is expected to disclose past leakage. Temporary repairs
may cause a follow-up Inspection to
“pass”.
Professional repair (recommended in the inspection report) is the best
prevention for this dilemma
Problem:
Cracking begins to appear in previously repaired areas or in new locations
on the exterior veneer. See the
page entitled
Maintenance Tips: Foundation. The cracks are of concern to the Buyer
and maybe a piering company
has rendered an
opinion for “repair” or improvements.
Solution:
It is unusual for a house to begin moving unless there has been a change
in something relating to moisture.
We will come out
and review the concerns with the Buyer to find the best solution if a solution
is required. Piering
companies encourage
the installation piers to stabilize the home. That’s not necessarily wrong,
however the situation
often capitalizes
on the homeowners fears and the piering can be nothing more than expensive
preventive maintenance.
Problem:
A family member or guest has just run a full bathtub of water. Shortly
thereafter water is discovered leaking
out of the ceiling
or around the tub area. Since you were present at the inspection,
you saw the inspector run a lot of
water into the
tub without any visible leakage. The cause is often the bathtub overflow
pipe is loose or disconnected
within the wall.
Any ceiling stains that suddenly appear after you move in are suspect of
a cover-up. Did the Seller fail to
disclose?
If so, the answer is probably ”painted on the ceiling” in prior repairs.
Look closely if there is concern. Please
remember it’s
probably used plumbing and it can begin leaking at any time.
Solution:
Contact a plumber and determine the cause and make the necessary remedy.
These kind of problems may
be covered under
the Home Warranty programs.
Problem: There
seems to be a lot of little problems with various appliances and components
in the home. This common
complaint when
the homes are in the range of 7 to 10 years. We believe it is because
the appliances are all showing
signs of wearing
out as predicted by the manufacturers.
Solution:
A good inspection detailing the necessary repairs, and then authorizing
the repairs to be performed before the
closing will go
a long way to get off to a good start in your "new" home. Another
good investment is a one year Home
Warranty that
is usually available through your Realtor®.
Summary:
Experience tell us that most of the problems that the Buyer discovers after
the closing are known or
suspected by the
last persons to live there, (which is usually the Seller). Therefore,
it is imperative that you very carefully
read and ask questions
about the information on the Seller's disclosure form.