Building Consulting Services

Inspecting a New Roof for An Elderly Client

I was once hired by a disabled homeowner, who was referred to me by her adult son. This wonderful woman had recently had a new roof installed on her home. Before making her final payment to the contractor, she wanted to ensure that the job was done correctly. Upon inspecting the work, I found extensive defects with the roof and the new gutter system they installed. (Additionally, I noticed that her deck was in danger of collapsing and that there was mold in her basement. I was not hired to inspect these areas, but I did include these problems in my report and did not charge her for this.)

But what was the most important thing I discovered? It was early fall, and she had recently turned on her furnace. She mentioned that her smoke alarm went off shortly after turning the furnace on. Upon entering the attic, I discovered that the roofers had unintentionally disconnected the vent for the furnace. So it was not her smoke detector alarming, but rather her carbon monoxide detector.

Evaluating Flooring After a Leak

Another homeowner that I worked with had recently had a leaking toilet repaired. Once the leak was fixed, she received conflicting advice. One contractor told her that she needed to replace the flooring, including the tile, subflooring, etc. Another contractor told her that the floor was safe and that there was no reason to replace it. To ensure that she made the right decision, she turned to If Walls Could Talk Home Inspection, Inc. When I inspected it, I saw minor water stains and minimal damage, saving the homeowner thousands of dollars and giving her peace of mind that her floor was stable.

Reviewing a Renovated Basement

When remodeling his basement, one of my clients relied on a contractor that had done work for his neighbors and came recommended. Upon talking to the client, I learned that the contractor did not apply for a permit and that the homeowner was not sure if the contractor was licensed by the state. Both of these are required by law, and the fact that the contract did not have a license or a permit were major red flags.

During the inspection, the homeowner and the contractor's son (who was doing the majority of the work) were having a conversation. I heard the son saying how proud he was that he just passed his court-ordered drug test. You can't make this stuff up!

I was able to do my inspection before the drywall was installed and found that the framing has a significant amount of defects that did not meet building standards. I informed the owner that there were a significant number of defects, which could hinder the resale of the home.

If you have some type of concern regarding your home, Building Consulting Services may be a perfect fit for you. To learn more about my focused building consulting, give me a call today at 404-786-3794.