How a Home Inspection Can Save You from Headaches (Literally)
Buying a home is likely the biggest investment you’ll ever make. Protect it with a home inspection and indoor air quality test.
Professional inspection companies, such as Inch by Inch Inspections, give you peace of mind with knowledge about the home or commercial property you’re purchasing. Since inspectors vary in experience, ability, and thoroughness, make sure you engage with a professional inspection company.
Inch by Inch prides itself as a onestop shop offering a range of services, including home and commercial property inspections, indoor air quality testing, mould inspection and remediation, and asbestos testing and inspections. Inch by Inch adheres to the industry’s largest, most comprehensive standards of practice and abides by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, as well as the International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants (IAC2). It believes clients should arrive at their own conclusions about a property by being provided with objective results and solutions.
Peace of mind
A home inspection is easy to complete and typically only takes a few hours. Certified inspectors will assess the exterior and interior of your home or building, including electrical, plumbing, roofing, HVAC, and foundation. These inspections can uncover potentially life-threatening problems, such as mould or faulty wiring that can cause serious fires.
Many lenders won’t offer financing on a property without an inspection. But don’t wait for the bank to demand one — a home inspection gives buyers peace of mind by identifying any potential issues before closing. It can also be used as a contingency in your contract with the seller, allowing you to back out if the inspection reveals significant defects that you don’t want to take on.
The inspector provides a detailed written report, which they’ll discuss with you so you’ll know of any safety issues or minor or major defects. This lets you know what work might be needed in the short, medium, and long term.
Breathe easy
The air you breathe inside your home shouldn’t make you sick. An often-overlooked feature of any home is indoor air quality. While your nose can be your preliminary air quality test, most of us don’t have the knowledge and expertise to detect issues of poor air quality. An air freshener is not a solution to poor air quality — it simply disguises the problem. An expert is needed to assess and remove the pollutants. Inch by Inch uses stateof-the-art technology to test indoor air quality and provide property owners with a detailed analysis of pollutants and other factors contributing to poor air quality.
Many factors inside and outside the property can create a buildup of pollutants in the air, which can result in short- and long-term health problems. Hiring a professional inspector means these health issues, some of which can be serious, can be alleviated and future air quality issues and health risks prevented.
Some common pollutants that impact air quality in a home include:
• Airborne spores and bacteria from mould
• Allergens created by poor air circulation
• CO2 buildup from improper venting
• Organic chemicals
• Off-gassing from old asbestos installations
Test for mould
The biggest culprit contributing to home air quality issues is mould growth. Mould is an organic fungus that can easily fester and develop in areas of poor air circulation and humidity. Unmanaged, mould can continue to grow and take over walls, fixtures, wood components, and even carpets, releasing harmful mould spores and bacteria. The two biggest factors contributing to mould growth are blocked airflow and humidity. Restricted airflow doesn’t allow moisture to evaporate, leading to increased humidity in a defined space, including basements, attics, garages, laundry rooms, kitchens, and unfinished parts of a home.
When you think there are issues of poor air quality or a mould problem in your home, trust a professional who can test for and remove mould, asbestos, bacteria, high levels of CO2, and more.
Inch by Inch prides itself as a one-stop shop offering a range of services, including home and commercial property inspections, indoor air quality testing, mould inspection and remediation, and asbestos testing and inspections.