- Name
- Rick Marsh
- Company
- Inspection Services NW
- E-mail
- Contact Rick Marsh (Inspection Services NW)
- Website
- http://inspectionservicesnw.com
- Office Phone
- (360) 771-5414
- Cell Phone
- (360) 936-8231
- Description
- Inspection Services Northwest serves Southwest Washington and North/Northeast Portland metropolitan area. We schedule inspections Monday thru Saturday.
Home and EIFS inspection
Welcome to Inspection Services Northwest. We are an inspection company that specializes in residential, condominium, and multi-family unit inspections. In today's market place, buyers need to be more informed concerning all aspects of purchasing a home, after all a home is the largest single purchase their family will make. It is imperative today's buyers have the information they need to make
an informed decision about their real estate acquisition. A quality professional home inspection can provide the essential information for the buyer to make an intelligent, informed decision. We provide a thorough quality inspection, using digital photos to show problematic areas, defects, non-functioning components, mold, termites, and items of interest that are not necessarily obvious. Along with the photos, we indicate the severity of the problem and a short narrative explaining the condition. The reports are generated the same day and can be emailed, printed, or saved to CD for your convenience.
Our home inspections are visual and are not technically exhaustive, destructive, or invasive. The scope of the report consists of the following areas:
♦ Grounds
♦ Cooling System
♦ Foundation/Crawlspace
♦ Electrical System
♦ Exterior
♦ Interior
♦ Roof
♦ Kitchen & Laundry
♦ Plumbing System
♦ Attic
♦Heating System
We also do a structural pest inspection which includes mold, termites, and conducive conditions for wood destroying organisms. The company is certified to perform EIFS (synthetic stucco) inspections. EIFS inspections are separate from normal home inspections.
Depending on the amount of EIFS, the inspection can take from ½ day to several days.
Our typical home inspection takes about 2 hours, (both owner/inspectors normally work together) to complete. We always encourage our clients to be at the inspection in order to express areas of concern and receive information about the house, such as where the shutoffs are for water, gas, etc. We also like to have a post-inspection conference to review findings and answer any questions.
Inspection Services Northwest serves Southwest Washington and North/Northeast Portland metropolitan area. We schedule inspections Monday thru Saturday.
About Us
Inspection Services Northwest is a home inspection company locally owned since 2003. We have over 35 years combined experience in construction and real estate. We believe the success of our business is based upon knowledge, integrity, and good service. Every home that we inspect and every client we serve are important to us.
We are fully certified, licensed, insured, and bonded in Washington and Oregon.
WSDA licensed structural pest inspectors
Oregon certified home inspector
Certified 3rd party EIFS inspector, Exterior Design Institute
Members in good standing of the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI).
Members of the Washington State Pest Control Association
Passed NACHI's Online Inspector Examination, Electrical Examination, Roofing Examination
Abide by NACHI's Code of Ethics
Follow NACHI's Standards of Practice
Fulfill a minimum of 20 hours continuing education every year
Use high-tech equipment such as combustible gas leak detector, SureTest circuit analyzer, infrared thermometer, wet-wall detector, moisture meter
Easy to read, detailed inspection reports with digital pictures, sent via email or hard copy
Residential inspection is our only business. You can be certain that we have no vested interests with real estate companies, agents, or contractors. Our reports are completely unbiased.
Contact Information:
Rick Marsh
Telephone: 360-936-8231
email: rick@inspectionservicesnw.com
J Brent Heberlein
Telephone: 360-771-5414
email: jbrent@inspectionservicesnw.com
EIFS (Synthetic Stucco) Inspection
WHAT IS EIFS?
EIFS stands for Exterior Insulated Finish Systems, also known as synthetic stucco. This system was introduced into the United States in 1969 by Dryvit Corporation, and is principally a marriage of two modern materials, polymers and polystyrene.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EIFS AND STUCCO?
The typical EIFS installation is comprised of:
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
Mesh
Basecoat
Finish Coat
Stucco is a Portland cement based plaster, which is usually applied in two steps, the basecoat and hard coat finish.
Both systems have advantages and disadvantages.
IS EIFS REALLY A PROBLEM?
It certainly can be! The EIFS system has had problems just about any place that it has been used in residential construction and some commercial applications. The problem is improper installation, lack of proper detailing, and poor sealing practices, which lead to system failure and water intrusion, leading to potential mold and dry rot of structural members. A thorough inspection can locate and identify areas of moisture intrusion, which helps to minimize costs and damage to the structure.
ARE ONLY OLD HOMES & BUILDINGS AFFECTED?
No! Any building or home, regardless of age, that has a failure from inadequate flashing, sealant failure, flat surfaces, or other improper installation techniques, can have moisture intrusion and develop mold or dry-rot conditions.
WHAT SIGNS WILL SHOW THAT MY EIFS IS FAILING?
Unfortunately not many! Most often, the damage is concealed and can only be found by specialized detection equipment. Some signs you can look for are bulging walls, stains running down a wall, black mold developing on a surface.
WHAT DOES THE TESTING & INSPECTION ENTAIL?
The structure is visually inspected to determine if the EIFS has been installed per industry standards. Non-invasive moisture testing is then performed at the wall surface to determine if excessive moisture is trapped behind the wall. Where moisture is indicated, the wall is probed to determine the amount of moisture, and in the case of wood, the studs are tested to determine how sound they are, or if they have experienced structural damage. Our report will have detailed pictures of all affected areas, descriptions of the areas and where we believe the water is penetrating the system, and areas that we believe need further invasive testing.
WILL THE PROBE HOLES BE NOTICEABLE?
No. The probe holes are small and filled with a sealant to prevent any moisture intrusion. The number of holes is dependent upon the amount and location of moisture found in the wall.
WHAT IS THE COST OF AN EIFS INSPECTION?
The cost varies, and is dependent upon wall area, access, height, number of penetrations, and the scope of the inspection.
WILL WE FIX ANY PROBLEMS THAT WE DISCOVER DURING THE COURSE OF OUR INSPECTION?
Absolutely not! In our opinion, performing an inspection and doing the work is a huge conflict of interest, and would not best serve the interests of the client or ourselves.
