Termite. The very word strikes fear into the heart of a homeowner or prospective home buyer, and sours most real estate transactions. It is with good reason too, have you ever seen termites, they can make your skin crawl and your house fall. We all hear the stories, but are termites as bad as everyone says they are; yes & no. A mature colony of 60,000 subterranean termites will only eat about 2-4 feet of 2 by 4 wood a year. So it takes a while before any real damage to be visible. Now if you have an infestation of about 2-4 million, that’s a reason to be scared. Termites usually will never create a nest inside the home, usually they will just be there to gather food (wood/paper) to take back to the colony, which is underground close to the food source. The body of subterranean termites are very soft so the like damp areas, and cannot survive above ground in the dry air and heat. There are very effective ways to rid your home of them. The fastest and most effective way of killing them is the barrier system, termite poison is sprayed around the property killing all the termites, and preventing new ones from coming near. This method is most used especially when in the middle of a real
estate deal. The other method is the bait system, tubes or boxes with termite food (wood/paper) mixed with termite poison put into the ground. Termites will come gather the poison and take it back to the colony, this method is slow and is only effective once the termites find the tubes or boxes of poison. There are also some ways to protect your home from a termite invasion like, keeping all wood exterior parts away from direct contact with the ground, and keeping your foundation dry. So if you suspect termites, no need to fret, just contact a qualified termite inspector, or pest control expert, and I’m sure they will be happy to assist you.
Here are a few pest control company’s that can assist you and come out to your home and evaluate your homes condition & provide you with a free estimate
In the inspection industry they say we have to walk on a fine line and be objective as possible about what we tell our customers regarding the property they are planning on purchasing. It is said that you should not tell the customer to buy or not buy a property and to leave it up to them to decide. Plus you don’t want to piss off any realtors. Well I say isn’t that what we are hired by our clients for? If not us then who is more qualified to tell them. If I am hired to inspect a home and I find it to be in a unsafe awful condition I not only tell my clients to not buy, but to run as fast and a far away as possible, and thats why people call us. They know were not going to feed them any Crap. Buying a home is a serious decision, one that takes a lot of thought and money. Shouldn’t you get a straight forward honest answer from the professional you hired? I think so.
1. Recharge Fire extinguishers
Asbestos is a greek word meaning inextinguishable. It has been identified as a carcinogen, a naturally occuring fibrous mineral found in certain types of rock formations throughout the world. Asbestos fibers are strong, won’t burn, resist corrosion, and insulates well. That’s why until 1978 it was the staple for architectural & construction applications. Asbestos is used in products such as cement siding, roof shingles, vinyl floors, ceiling tiles, textured paints, insulation, and more. Asbestos containing material in the home doesn’t necessarily pose a health risk. Asbestos is
only dangerous when damaged, disturbed, or deteriorates over time. They release tiny fibers which become airborne and inhaled through the nose & mouth and then lodged into the lungs. According to the EPA ( Environmental Protection Agency) every year 3,300-12,000 people die from exposure to asbestos. If the asbestos material is in an area where renovations will not occur, the EPA suggest that it is best left alone. If your home was built prior to 1980, it is a good chance that your home or building contains some kind of asbestos material. You should contact a qualified asbestos abatement professional to evaluate. For more information on environmental health hazards please visit 
The answer to the question is probably. Most homes that I have come across during a home inspection seem to lack a splash block or leader at the end of the downspout to lead the water coming down the spout away from the foundation of the property. It may seem like no big deal now, but if your home has a faulty drainage system or missing leaders than your in for big trouble. One of the major problems to a home is water damage. When there is no device to lead the water away, what happens is that the water coming down the spout will just start to pool around the foundation wall. Over time your foundation wall will start to crack and deteriorate, and then you will have water coming into the home, and once that happens more problems will follow; mold, mildew, pest, and damage to your home, which will be very costly to repair. So if your one of the many who do not have a leader or splash block at the end of your downspouts, I recommend going to your local hardware store and purchasing one for each downspout. Also check to make sure that gutters and downspouts are functioning properly and not in need of repair or cleaning.