Homewerx Home Inspection in Mesa, AZ

Category: Home Inspection

  • EPA Says 1 in 15 U.S. Homes has Radon Problem

    Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas that has been found in homes all over the United States. It is created naturally by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water.  Radon typically gets trapped inside your home by moving up through the ground to the air above, then into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation.  Radon can also get into the home through well water.  Once inside your home, it becomes part of the air you breathe or the water you drink.  Depending on ventilation and other conditions inside your home, the radon concentration may pose a serious health risk to your family. Radon is invisible, odorless and tasteless so the only way to know your home’s radon level is to test for it.

    Most people feel safe when they are at home and don’t worry about getting radiation exposure from their house.  But according to the Environmental Protection Agency, home is where you and your family are most likely to get your greatest radiation exposure because it’s where you spend most of your time.  In fact, the EPA estimates that radon causes 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year.  This makes radon the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. today, second only to smoking.  And if you smoke plus have high radon levels in your home, your risk of lung cancer is extra high.

    The EPA says one out of every fifteen U.S. homes has an elevated level of radon (4 pCi/L or more).  Furthermore, radon can be a problem in any home – new house or old, well-sealed or drafty, basement or no basement and regardless of the home’s geographical location.  It’s not possible to predict radon levels based on state or local radon measurements, nor can you rely on radon test results taken in other homes in the neighborhood.

    If your home’s radon level is 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher, the EPA recommends that steps be taken to reduce the radon level.  Radon mitigation contractors may use a variety of techniques to reduce your radon level.  Sealing cracks and other penetrations in the foundation may be part of the solution, but sealing cracks alone is not enough.  A system of vent pipes and fans may be installed in the crawl space or another location in your home, creating a "sub-slab depressurization system".  This system draws the radon gas through the vent pipes, preventing it from entering the home from below the concrete floor or outside the foundation.  Radon mitigation contractors may also use other methods depending on the design of your home and other factors.  While it sounds complicated and intrusive, these systems generally do not require major changes to your home, and repairs can usually be accomplished for around $800-$2500.  Even in homes where the radon level is less than 4 pCi/L, radon may still pose a risk and in many cases, can be reduced.

    While radon cannot be eliminated, the radon level in your home can be minimized.  Testing for radon is the first step.  The EPA recommends a radon test for anybody that is buying, selling or building a home.  The EPA also recommends testing your home after any major renovations, or if you change your living patterns (i.e. you begin occupying a basement level that was previously not used much).  You should also re-test your home after having radon mitigation features installed to be sure that radon levels have been reduced.

    A Radon Test costs:

    • $200 by itself, or
    • $150 if done in conjunction with a home inspection or other service.

    For more information or to schedule a radon test for your home, CALL HOMEWERX HOME INSPECTIONS TODAY!

    (480) 503-2611
    or Toll Free 1-888-THE-WERX

    or you can schedule online!

    ….because an ounce of inspection is worth a pound of repair!

  • Warranty Inspection Makes Good Sense

    DON’T PAY FOR YOUR BUILDER’S MISTAKES!!

    All homes have flaws and hidden defects, even brand new homes. The cracks in the walls and sticking doors may just be the tip of the iceberg. Some defects can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars to repair, as well as put your family’s health and safety at risk.  That’s why it’s important to have someone on your side like Homewerx Home Inspections.

    A warranty inspection by Homewerx Home Inspections will help you find the hidden problems that exist in your new home BEFORE your warranty expires. From roofs that are improperly installed and in some cases, not even finished, to broken trusses and missing insulation, we regularly find major builder errors that slipped by the busy city inspectors. Our inspection can easily pay for itself by saving you future out-of-pocket repairs.

    In addition to revealing problems caused by sub-standard materials and workmanship, we will also document the problems you already know about, making the ‘builder warranty process’ less of a headache.  Our easy-to-read, yet comprehensive typewritten report has color digital photos, a summary of necessary repairs you can give to your builder, and home maintenance tips to help keep your home in top shape.  Let us catch the problems now to save you time, frustration and money in the future.

    HURRY…CALL BEFORE YOUR WARRANTY EXPIRES!

    (480) 503-2611 or 1-888-THE-WERX

    …or you can schedule online!

    REMEMBER…if our Inspector finds one flaw covered under your warranty that you were unaware of, this inspection can easily pay for itself!!

    Protect Your Investment…call for an appointment TODAY!

  • There’s a What on My Roof?

    Cactus on roof As a home inspector, I often make recommendations to my clients that they should remove or trim vegetation away from the house to prevent damage.  In this case, a small cactus was growing on the patio roof.  This is not the first time I have needed to recommend the removal of a cactus from the roof.   

  • Door To Nowhere

    Door to nowhere! I recently stumbled across this little jewel.  I was inspecting this mid 50’s house and when I opened a pocket door that I assumed was to a closet, I discovered that it was blocked off by the exterior siding.  Maybe this is a door to nowhere like in the famous haunted Winchester Mansion.  Hmmm.

  • Home Inspection, The Morning After

    The home inspection report is a very useful document, provided that it is carefully read, understood and implemented.  I’d have to say that in my experience, the report is most often used by the buyer’s agent to fill out the request for repairs.  I personally feel that this practice is alright provided that the agent does their due diligence.  What I mean by that is the agent needs to word their request so that the needs of the buyer are properly met while limiting their own liability.

    The inspection report is not set up as a request for repairs.  Its intended purpose is to make the buyer aware of the condition of the house and what kind of repairs might be needed in both the short and long term before they own the house.  Should the buyer ask the seller to make repairs during the escrow period, good for them.

    Real Estate Agents need to be careful how they use the report in their repair requests.  Some of the more common issues that I see arise from these requests are the requested repairs are poorly performed if at all.  This puts the agent in a sticky situation – usually the day before closing.

    Now I’m not a lawyer and I don’t play one on TV.  So the best advice I can give to an agent is to speak with your lawyer and/or broker about how best to protect yourself with regards to the repair requests.  However, I find that agents who make specific requests such as who is to perform the work and have them provide receipts for the repairs have fewer problems.

    Also, a home inspection and report is limited in nature.  Other conditions may exist that are in need of repair and fall outside the scope of the inspection.  By having a professional contractor further evaluate the problems, they can identify and repair any items not covered in the inspection.  Uncle Billy is just not qualified to make these kind of repairs.  After all, the seller just wants to get out of the house and move on the the next one.  Often times, they don’t care if the repairs are properly performed or not.  This can put the agent in a sticky situation after the house has closed.

    Home inspection reports, by their nature, do not outline how the repairs are to be made and can be vague regarding the specific work to be done.  Agents that make assumptions about the repairs are asking to pay for part of the repairs out of their pocket.  For example, if the report has 3 pictures of broken roof tiles, and the agent assumes that their are only 3 broken tiles and they ask for 3 broken tiles to be repaired, the agent may be paying for the repair of all of the broken roof tiles with exception of the 3 that were requested.

    It is important to understand that the request for repairs is an addendum to the purchase contract and should be treated as part of the contract.  What I am trying to say is that wording counts and can be held against you.

    I am fully aware that the inspection can be the most difficult part of the transaction.  But with good communication between the buyer, agent and the inspector, many problems can be avoided.

  • Burning Down the House

    Mvc001s One day as I arrived at my inspection, I was greeted by an excited home owner.  He immediately started to talk about the "clean up" and how they were lucky.  A little confused, he led me into the kitchen where I saw the charred remains of the microwave oven, black soot on the ceilings and walls, and crispy cabinets. 

    It turns out that the night before the inspection, they went to clean the oven (they said that it was on my behalf, so I would have a nice clean oven to look at).  A candle was left on the oven (not intentionally) and they left the house.  When they returned, they found the fire department and the entire neighborhood in their driveway to greet them.

    Luckily for the homeowner, a passer by spotted flames through the kitchen window and called for help.  This quick action from a total stranger saved their house from burning to the ground.  I guess there are still some good Samaritans in the world.

    I guess what I am trying to say is watch your oven in the cleaning cycle.  Remove all objects from inside and on top of the unit, and it is even wise to pull it out away from the wall and cabinetry. 

    Although this was an accident, it could have been avoided by taking a few precautions.  I’m just glad they still have a house to sell.

  • Special Inspections – for Homeowners

    Why would you need a Special Inspection?

    • Are those cracks in your walls just settlement cracks or are they structural?
    • Should you pay to fix them or wait…will they just crack again? 
    • Have you received estimates from contractors and aren’t sure they’re being honest with you?
    • Are they telling you that something needs to be replaced when it only needs to be adjusted?
    • Do you have moisture getting in somehow but you’re not sure how?
    • Have you ever wondered why it is warmer in one room than another?
    • Do you hear running water even when no faucets are on?
    • What about the door that sticks and those cracks in your tile.

    Picture of a rotted wall caused by a simple leak that was ignored when it could have been fixed for a few dollars.

    The leaky shower head that caused this damage LOOKED like it was only leaking outside the wall. An inspection revealed that the leak had actually caused the wall to rot, requiring that it be completely rebuilt. (Picture above was taken during wall repairs.  No dismantling or destructive testing is performed during a home inspection.)

    Special Inspections are for homeowners that need help with a specific problem instead of an ‘entire house inspection’.

    CALL for an inspection TODAY!

    (480) 503-2611
    Toll Free 1-888-THE-WERX

    Or Schedule Online

    …because an ounce of inspection is worth a pound of repair!

  • Home Inspectors Must Always Beware of Dogs!

    Home Inspectors face dangers every day, such as these attack dogs!

    This is just one of the many dangers that Home Inspectors must face on a daily basis.  Stay brave.

  • Homewerx Home Inspections, NOT Homeworks, Homewerks or Homeworx!

    There is sometimes a little confusion about our name.  I know…it’s our own fault for spelling it funny!  But we still want our Clients and potential Clients to be able to find us when they need us.  So I’m writing this post to clarify.  We are not Homeworks Home Inspection or Homework Home Inspection, and we are not Homeworx Home Inspection either.  We are not Homewerks Home Inspection, or even Homewerk Home Inspection.  And we’re definitely not Homewirk Home Inspection, Homewirks Home Inspection or Homewirx Home Inspection!  And we’re absolutely, positively not Homewrex Home Inspection or Homerwerx Inspection!

    We are Homewerx Home Inspection (also known as Homewerx, Inc.) and we are the best home inspection company in Arizona!  We have the best and most competent Home Inspectors in the Valley!  We offer the most comprehensive and easy-to-read home inspection report available.  But most of all, we inspect each home as if we are buying it ourselves and we treat each Client the way we would like to be treated.  Give us a try and see for yourself!

    CALL HOMEWERX HOME INSPECTIONS TODAY!

    (480) 503-2611 or 1-888-THE-WERX

    or you can schedule your inspection online!

    ….because an ounce of inspection is worth a pound of repair!

  • Expert Witness Services

    Need an Expert on your side?

    • Are you fighting with your builder or contractor?   
    • Are you a Real Estate Agent, or otherwise involved in a real estate transaction gone bad? 
    • Feel that a lawsuit may be the only way to resolve your differences?

    Let one of our experienced Home Inspectors be your Expert Witness and:

    • Thoroughly inspect the property or item in question
    • Take pictures, video clips, verbal & written notes
    • Perform various research (public records, codes, etc.)
    • Prepare a comprehensive written report with color digital photos
    • Communicate findings supporting your position to other parties
    • If necessary, appear for depositions and/or testify on your behalf.

    We’re on your side!   Call for a free price quote today.

    (480) 503-2611 or 1-888-THE-WERX