Here are some of the resources available:
1. Home Inspection Video - See a home inspection!
2. Read an actual home inspection report.
3. Read/search Barry Stone's column, Inspector's In the House (below).
4. Send a question using the form to the right. ===>
5. If you are a Seller, get your own inspection before you put your home on the market.

California does not require any license to be a home inspector, so it is important for both home buyers and sellers to make sure that they hire an inspector who is a certified residential inspector and who carries errors and omissions insurance. To help you think through the selection of your home inspector, click here for our 10 Tips.

QUESTIONS/ANSWERS Click on any of these topics to read questions and answers by syndicated columnist Barry Stone.
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As a buyer, you can be present on the home inspection (and we really recommend it). Being there gives you a chance to ask questions, to see and discuss what Mark has found, and to ask other questions about your new home. Some of the areas inspected include: structure, heating and cooling, roof, electrical system, plumbing and fixtures, attic, basement and/or crawl space, foundation, gutters, insulation, interior and exterior walls, porches and decks, and the water heater and appliances.

A good inspector helps both buyers and sellers become aware of any defects that weren't already known. (If they had been known, they would have been disclosed.) Please note: Sellers have no obligation to repair any defects. Repair requests are just that--requests. However, if an unknown defect is a safety issue, violates the then-current building code, or affects functionality, many sellers will accommodate the request in one way or another. A good inspection helps to put all those issues on the table so that everyone is satisfied with the transaction.

For information about various topics, just click on any of the links to the left or run your own search! One of our 600+ articles is posted below.

INSPECTOR & CONTRACTOR DIFFER OVER AIR CONDITIONER
Inspector's in the House by Barry Stone, Certified Building Inspector

Dear Barry,
The home I'm buying was just inspected, and now there's a disagreement between the home inspector and the seller's contractor. The heating and air conditioning unit is located in the attic. According to the home inspector, the air conditioner needs a secondary drainpipe and an overflow pan. The contractor who installed the system says neither is required. Can you tell me who is right and who is wrong?

Jim

Dear Jim,

They're both right, and they're both wrong. The home inspector is right about the secondary drainpipe but wrong about the overflow pan. The contractor, therefore, is wrong and right in reverse order.

In layman's terms, here is how it works. An air conditioner is basically a refrigerator, and a byproduct of the refrigeration process is moisture condensation on the cold metal surfaces of the A/C system. Just as steam from a warm shower condenses on the cold surface of a bathroom mirror, condensate accumulates in an air conditioner and must be drained to the exterior of the building, otherwise it will leak into the attic, causing water stains on the ceiling. For this reason, the main air unit is equipped with two condensate drain outlets, a primary drain for conveying water to the exterior, and a secondary drain as a backup, in case the primary becomes blocked or congested. Unfortunately, installers of A/C equipment sometimes install the primary drain only and merely cap the fitting where the secondary drain pipe should be attached. This is a code violation, rightly cited by your home inspector.

The next consideration is an overflow pan. Even when the drain pipes are properly installed, other problems can cause condensate to leak from the base of the main air unit into the attic. To prevent ceiling stains and moisture damage, installers often provide an overflow pan beneath the unit, with a drain pipe extending from the pan to the exterior of the building. The Uniform Mechanical Code does not mandate the installation of a pan; therefore, its absence should not be cited as a violation. However, its use should be advised as an optional upgrade. It should also be noted that the IRC code in Canada does require a condensate pan beneath air conditioners in attics.

Regardless of which codes are applied, it should be remembered that building codes are minimum standards, not limitations on the quality of construction. Contractors are not obligated to exceed code, but the "high road" is often a better course when choosing between what is practical and what is required.

Distributed by Access Media Group. To write to Barry Stone, please visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com.