Home inspections are a stressful part of any home-buying process. An inspection report could show that your dream home is full of nightmare problems! But it could also save you thousands of dollars and years of unwanted surprises.

The Realtors over at Round Table Realty help buyers through the inspection process everyday. Buyers rely on RTR agents to help them meet home inspection deadlines and to decide on what types of inspections a home requires. Those agents are relying on us here at Inside & Out to highlight anything that could affect the value of a home or it’s insurability. Using modern tools like an infrared camera to find hiding issues, combined with years of experience, we can help Realtors save their buyers from surprises.

Not long ago, Round Table Agent Alan Levinson told us a story of a buyer he helped with the purchase of a home. He recommended Inside & Out for the inspections, but the buyer chose a company that offered less for a lower cost. Alan respected the buyer’s decision and after receiving the inspection report (which was minimal), he reminded them that they would not have any negotiating power after the sale of the home if unseen problems popped up.

Sure enough, several months later the buyer was surprised to find that an ongoing leak under the guest bathroom sink led to a full-on bathroom flood! The bathroom floor had to be replaced, not to mention the sink had to be fixed! Alan was devastated for his client, but was reminded why tools like infrared cameras cost a little more up front but save buyers in the end. Round Table Realty agents recommend Inside & Out Inspectors by name regularly thanks to our thorough, accurate, and professional reports. They get exactly what they need in order to continue to negotiation process on behalf of buyers, ensuring that big ticket items be address in the price of the sale.

No matter how many times you buy a home, getting that inspection report is scary! But we at Inside & Out want you to know the good, the bad, and the really really bad long before you sign on the dotted line.

Using IR to help find hidden damage or moisture

     Home inspections are conducted for many different reasons. For instance, they are used to help get

homeowner’s insurance and they can help you determine the condition of the home too. That’s why

there are thousands of home inspections conducted in the USA every year. Of course, not all of them

are the same – some of these inspections are better than the others.

     In the recent period, many homeowners use home inspections to identify hidden damage or moisture

with the help of infrared technology. This is what every successful home inspection company has in its

offer and Inside & Out Property Inspectors is not an exception. Infrared technology or IR technology is

focused on detecting infrared radiation which is a type of electromagnetic radiation just like UV

radiation, radio waves, microwaves, and X-rays. (1) But, how exactly does IR help people find hidden

damage or moisture?

     During this process, home inspectors use special infrared devices that are able to see heat. So, they are

non-contact devices that can identify infrared heat and turn it into an electronic signal which is

ultimately converted into an image on the device’s display. (2) Every object radiates a certain amount of

heat and this is how this special IR inspection can help. The heat detected by the IR device is quantified

in a very precise way. An experienced user of a device like this can easily assess the level of heat-related

issues in your home. Obviously, you need professionals like the ones from Inside & Out Property

Inspectors to get the most from this activity.

     Ordinary home inspections where IR devices are not used will determine problems that are visible. With

an IR device, you will bring the home inspection to another level and find problems that are not visible

to the naked eye.

     For instance, if you suspect that there is a problem with moisture in your home, but you cannot detect

the source, you’ve got two options – to drill holes in the walls or to use an IR device. Obviously the latter

is much more helpful. As we all know, moisture can lead to mold growth and mold is associated with

many illnesses. In addition, mold can damage the structure of your home. But, moisture issues are not

the only thing that you can detect with IR technology.

IR inspection can help homeowners detect conditions like unbalanced loads, open circuits, loose

connections, overloads, defective equipment and more.

     Thanks to IR, people will reduce unscheduled downtime and extend equipment life. They will also find

increased levels of moisture even behind walls which mean lower risk of mold growth. This also means

lower repair costs because you will know exactly where the problem is located. The IR technology is

here to prevent disastrous failures and keep the integrity of your home.

Once the IR inspection is finished you can expect at least three benefits. First of all, this inspection gives

you precise information about the current condition of your home without the use of invasive methods.

Finding issues like energy or insulation problems, HVAC issues or occurrence of moisture has never been

easier.

     If you are planning on using home inspection services, make sure that the home inspector uses infrared

technology. This is by far the best home inspection in terms of effectiveness and convenience. Inside &

Out Property Inspectors is offering high-quality IR services to every home owner in Florida at a

reasonable price. The best part is that this activity is part of the regular home inspection provided by

Inside & Out Property Inspectors.

(1) https://www.livescience.com/50260-infrared- radiation.html

(2) https://www.lifewire.com/definition-of- infrared-817726

How to make sure your windows and doors open, close, lock and unlock easily for years to come.

Don’t you love how easily your windows and doors open and close? Keep them operating smoothly by performing these steps:

• Vacuum dirt from sill and track areas regularly, and before each washing.
• Check to make certain that drainage or weep holes are clear of dirt or obstructions. Weep holes can be found outside the window or door in the bottom of the frame. Use a small, soft bottle brush to clear openings.
  Note: If the window is ‘stacked”, there may be weep holes between units.
• Moving parts in hardware components and tracks and rollers should be lubricated regularly. In salt-air environments like Jacksonville Florida, this can mean at least monthly.
• Check weather stripping around operable window and door panels to be sure it seals evenly.
• Adjust sliding door rollers for proper height clearances. Most door rollers can be adjusted with a screwdriver through access holes in either the end or side of the sliding panel at the bottom. Be sure to lift the panel to take the weight off of the roller during roller adjustment.
• Roller screen doors can be adjusted to glide smoothly. Use a screwdriver – often in all four corners – to make adjustment.
• After making roller adjustments, it may be necessary to also make adjustments in the lock strike placement. Most strikes may be adjusted by loosening screw fasteners, moving the strike plate and retightening. Check for proper lock operation.
  

  
  How to maintain aluminum windows in coastal areas:

• Use mineral spirits to remove any salt deposits, dirt, etc.
• Use a light soap and water solution to wash windows, and rinse well.
• Apply a light car wax solution to the extrusion annually. Do not apply wax without cleaning the windows first. This is especially important in corrosive environments where salt deposits may be sealed to the extrusion by the wax, allowing the salt to continue to do what it is known to do – corrode the extrusion.
  In corrosive environments it is recommended that windows be rinsed regularly to reduce salt deposit build-ups and ease the annual cleaning process. This is especially true for anyone living near the ocean where salt water spray reaches the home.