The House Is the House

Hi David!  Good to hear from you!  Around here the agents recommend a minimum of three home inspectors.  Most provide a list.  And when people call me I always recommend to them that they interview a few inspectors before they decide.  This particular young lady spoke with me for 45 minutes a few days before the inspection.  I bet she did the same with the others.  She was very circumspect.  I don't know anything about her background obviously, so I did not judge her comment.  Just answered it the best I could!

Do you know my buddy Hank Vanderbeek?

Lenn - actually the buyer was alerted to the potential for future moisture problems in my report.  But you have just encountered the new wave in the home inspection industry!  Thermal imaging is the new inspection paradigm, though yet to catch on among all buyers.  The mindset is not there yet.  And not all home inspectors offer it as part of their service.  I do - it is another arrow in the quiver of my product.

I would like to do a thermal examination of every house.  Most people decline my offer.  As you know, moisture is not necessarily detected visually.  It does not always smell mildewy.  It often does not manifest itself until there is a real problem, associated staining, rot, etc.  The camera can "see" or detect problems that are just beginning, or before they become bigger ones.

Did you see one of my earlier blogs about how insulation slips inside the walls?  The IR camera is a great  way to detect that, unless you invade the wall, and cut open random, big holes all over the house.  When people call me for one-year warranty inspections, I ask them if there are rooms that are hot or cold.  Then I offer the service.  What better time to find insulation problems when the builder still has the house under warranty?

Why does it cost more?  Because the devices are very expensive (I bought mine in 2005 when they were much more expensive than now) and the training is ongoing, time consuming and also costs money.  And it is an additional service.

I think one day thermal imaging will become an expected part of all home inspections.

Fred - super question!  What thermal infrared imaging detects best is a difference in temperature.  Moisture usually shows up as a different temperature than its surrounds.  Moisture in a ceiling under a bathroom, under a window, or in a basement wall, looks a different color.  The camera can be set on reds and blues (blue demonstrates a cooler temperature) or black and white (with black showing a cooler temperature), or any of various color templates.

For the best readings, it is important to try to gain a good temperature difference between inside and outside.  In a basement wall, often moisture will do that on its own.

Your are so right Charles!  This particular client actually pushed the realtor away and did her own thing.  She did get a list of inspectors from him, which included me, but she went about interviewing and selecting.  She checked websites and so forth.  Good for her - in my opinion the more circumspect the better.  But that I would be somehow collusive with this agent (who I think referred me 3 times this whole year) is a stretch at best. 

He left just after letting us in and eft me a message today while I was at church saying that he was sorry to leave but did so on her orders.  I had wondered why he left - I assumed an appointment of some sort.  But...

All's well that ends well.  She knows what is up.  She was satisfied. The house is the house.

Hey Jack!  Well, this was a very strong-willed woman and she had no problems opening up!  As to dual agency - that is not really my purview, but I do those now and then when the agent represents both sides and I think that has to be a hard place to be in.  To say the least...