I never let my schooling interfere with my education - Mark Twain
Just read a great post by Shane Dollman at http://activerain.com/blogsview/34630/What-to-look-for. Shane talks about what to look for in a professional home inspector. After reading, it got me to thinking ;)....
As it is in the US, up here in Canada, anyone can print up some business cards, hang a sign on their door and call themselves a Home Inspector. We have a floundering national certification process in progress up here, but we will save that one for another blog posting! :)
Back on topic....for a song and a dance and two wooden nickels, these so-called "Home Inspectors" bring disrepute not only on themselves, but the home inspection industry as a whole. They're not only setting themselves up for some major lawsuits, but they are also putting the well-being of unsuspectiing home owners at risk.
Now, I may take some flack for what I am about to say, but as someone with 13yrs of home improvements /renovations experience, I also include some (but, not all) of those who use to be electricians, engineers, builders, renovators etc, as doing just as much damage to the industry as these unqualified individuals. Having past qualifications and credentials is not necessarily a bad thing per se as they can definately be of assistance in understanding how specific components of the home are build or operate. However, an electrical engineer or electrician may not understand the reasons for the vapour barrier or how to identify mold, or a plumber may not know how to identify double tapped breakers.
Here is where the difference lies! In the fact that the home inspector is trained to look at all the different components of the home; structure, plumbing, electrical, heating, air conditioning, environmental issues, etc... and not only understand how each component operates, but how to also identify signs of breakdown or malfunction.
This is why it is of utmost importance that potential Home Inspectors - those who hold past credentials and certificates, as well as all the newbies with none - be properly trained and mentored by experienced Home Inspectors
Calvin Bailey
A Closer Look Home Inspections
www.inspectorpages.com/cbailey1
cbailey1@on.nachi.org
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