No X-Ray Vision

By Frank G. Ross

The other day when I arrived at a home that I was going to inspect I met the buyers and their Realtor. The Realtor in jest said to the buyers, “Frank is the best there is. He will find everything that is wrong with this house.”  Immediately, but politely, I joined this conversation to clear up this misconception. I told the buyers and their Realtor that a home inspection is a visual inspection and even though I am very thorough I cannot guarantee that I will find everything that is wrong with the home. I told them that my toolkit does not include X-Ray glasses and so I will have to do the best that I can with what I have. That got a laugh from them but they understood that a home inspector is not Superman and cannot see through walls, roofs, or underground.

Relatively new to the home inspection industry are infra-red cameras.  They are the closest thing to X-ray vision currently available.  Basically they can detect temperature differences in walls and floors. They run in the neighborhood of fifteen to twenty thousand dollars and if a home inspector should use one of these cameras then he is no longer doing a visual home inspection but offering a totally difference service and with that kind of service would come a higher fee as well as a lot more liability for the inspector.

A home inspector will charge a certain fee to visually inspect a home. The report is a ‘snapshot’ in time of what he sees. In the 2 ½ - 3 hours that it takes to inspect an average size home a home inspector is checking the plumbing system, heating and cooling systems, electrical system, the roof and the foundation, the attic and crawlspace, as well as any major built-in appliances.  A Pillar to Post report covers up to 1600 different items.  Only a sampling can be discussed here.

The plumbing distribution piping and waste piping that can be seen is checked.  The inspector will also check plumbing fixtures by operating the faucets, toilets, showers, sinks etc., but he cannot fill tubs to capacity to see if the over flow is hooked up or leaky.  He should be running the dishwasher one full cycle to see that the unit works but he cannot do a load of dishes to see how well it cleans.

The water heater is visually checked for leaks, rust, corrosion, a proper relief valve installation and that the burner works properly. He does not check to see that there will be hot water after the shower has been used for 20 minutes.

The ceiling fans, if they are within reach, will be checked for the various speeds but not if the fans hang from a high ceiling.

The furnace is normally not checked in the heat of the summer and the AC and a swamp cooler are not checked in the dead of winter so those items usually need to be discussed with the home’s owners as to their performance.

It is nearly impossible to see the heat exchangers in the new furnaces and so the home inspector checks for a proper condensate drain from a condensing furnace, an electric shut off near the unit, a proper flue installation, the location and condition of the filter, and other things that can be seen.

The life expectancy of any item in the home is impossible to predict and any home inspector that states an item has a certain number of years or months left is promising you the moon.

The roof is something that is also visually inspected and it is general practice that a tile roof, a wood shake roof, a metal roof and an overly steep roof are not walked on. These kinds of roofs are checked with high powered binoculars from the ground and with a ladder to the edge of the roof.

The attic is generally not walked through as damage to the ceiling could occur. If ceiling stains are found or a suspect area of the roof is found then it may be necessary to try to reach that area in the attic with the understanding by the homeowner that even with extreme care some sheetrock joints could crack.

The report generated from a thorough inspection becomes an invaluable tool for a buyer or homeowner.  With the report in hand, homebuyers and those they share it with, will have a clear ‘snapshot’ of the condition of the house and this provides peace of mind as well as a sound basis on which to make decisions.

Frank Ross is a Certified Utah Home Inspector for Pillar to Post Professional Home Inspection, a full member of the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors and a member in good standing with the Utah Better Business Bureau.  Readers may contact Mr. Ross at (435) 867-6400 or frank.ross@pillartopost.com or visit www.pillarposthomeinspection.com