Alertness over Radon Contamination

Radon is a colorless, tasteless and odorless radioactive gas formed from by the disintegration of Uranium and Radium. Radon is the number 1 cause of lung cancer for non-smokers in America. Radon deposits can be unpredictable, wherein you can find some in one home and none in the house right next to it.

It is advisable for every house, old or new, to be inspected for traces of Radon by an expert especially if suspicion has been raised by a certified home inspector after conducting a routine generalist home inspections.

There is no relation of Radon levels to the age of a house. New houses can have as much or even have higher levels of Radon as compared to some older houses. Radon testing is not only recommended by most home inspections associations but many health and medical associations as well such as the Surgeon General and the American Lung Association.

The area most prone to high levels of Radon are the lowest portion of the house such as the basement. It is also found out that houses with basements have higher Radon readings than those which has none, hence it is better to be safe than be sorry, and have a professional conduct test in your home.

Unlike generalist home inspections services like air sampling and mold inspections, Radon testing needs a longer time to finish. In an average, it would take 48 hours to see the complete results for a Radon test. There are also lots of tools that can be used to look for traces of Radon such as modern electronic devices, as well as the old charcoal canister test. The charcoal canister test requires the canister to sit in a room for 72 hours, and then it is sent out to a laboratory for proper analysis. Usually Radon tests are conducted in rooms or areas with less than 7 feet in ceiling height.

South Bay Home Inspections does not conduct Radon testing; however, our professional home inspectors and mold inspectors are also on the lookout for contaminations such as that of radon. Should we suspect something during our Generalist Home Inspection, we will be alerting you, the homeowner of our suspicion so you can choose and act accordingly and perhaps move to have the house undergo radon testing by a specialist.

This is one of the advantages of having your house undergo regular generalist home inspections by a certified home inspections companies like South Bay Home Inspections because during the course of the inspections conducted by our well trained and professional home inspectors, there is a good chance that possible harmful contaminations will be found out through our keen and well trained senses. We cannot assure of  100% correct readings for cases of radon contamination as it is not our expertise and we don’t claim it as such, but we can help homeowners be alert sooner about the possibility of these harmful things lurking in the property so homeowners like you can take proper and immediate actions.

Without regular home inspections it might take years before you even begin to suspect that there is something harmful contaminating your home. Years that maybe too late as the contaminants has already harmed your love ones. Thus, having your house periodically inspected by a certified home inspections company is a wise decision.

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Difference of Home Appraisal and Home Inspections

The sales of houses from last year grew about 6 percent, and about 44 percent of these homebuyers are first time home owners, thus the American Society of Home Inspections or ASHI is always advocating that it is important to have a home appraisal and a home inspection before buying a house. But ASHI also stated that both home inspections and home appraisals are different from each others and one should not be mistaken for the other.

A Home Appraisal gives the current market value of a home. An appraisal is usually needed by banks before approving a home loan. This process is often mistaken by home owners as home inspection. Although an appraisal states the market value of the house, it is not focused on the real condition and safety of the property. Some factors that can affect the value of a house are location, size of the property, age of the house, condition of the building, appliances, and landscape. The lender also needs to conduct an appraisal to determine the value of the house and to know if it passes the Federal Housing Authority’s housing standards.

In a home inspection, on the other hand, certified home inspectors like the professional home inspectors of South Bay Home Inspections Company will take a detailed look and evaluation of all physical structures and systems of the house. Certified home inspections reports are also much more detailed than home appraisals. Professional home inspectors could also give expert advice whether there are things to be done in order to prevent accidents inside the house or things to be installed for better safety.

Buying a house should not be the only reason why you should consider looking for the services of a certified home inspection company. ASHI recommends having a regular schedule of a home inspection every few years. A home inspection and maintenance schedule of 3-5 years is necessary in order to catch problematic areas before they get big and do more damage and before repair cost will reach sky high. A home inspector could also make recommendations to point out key issues if the home owner is planning for a remodeling or renovation project.

Some certified home inspections could also diversify their services aside from the full house inspection packages. Many home inspection companies hire certified home inspectors to conduct termite inspections, well and septic tank inspections, and home maintenance reports and recommendations. Some home inspection companies also do Air sampling and Mold inspections as well as looking for toxic materials inside homes and buildings such as lead, radon asbestos and carbon monoxide. Swimming pool and spa inspections are also offered by some home inspections companies.

But not all home inspection companies are members of ASHI. If you are looking for the best in Home Inspections look for companies duly registered, licensed and certified by ASHI like South Bay Home Inspections.

South Bay Home Inspections is also a member of the American Council for Accredited Certification or ACAC, and the International Code Council or ICC.

South Bay Home Inspections will provide you with a complete line of home inspections services that will answer all your home inspections needs.

We specialize in complete Home Inspection Packages with a full report and recommendations provided to you within the same day. Our certified home inspectors are also trained to conduct Air Sampling and Mold Inspections to warn your family of possible black mold attacks as well as make some recommendations on how to prevent black molds from building their colonies inside your house particularly in the garage or basement. Our South Bay home inspectors are also expert in conducting Pool and Spa inspections.

Your safety is our concern, so give us a call and look at our sample home inspection reports to know how thorough and seriously we do our job.

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Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

Many people believe that in order to save up electricity on heating and air-conditioning, it is wise to plug in or shut up any air leaks. But shutting air leaks could prevent fresh air from going inside your homes, as well as prevent bad air from coming out.

There are many pollutants and compounds in the air we breathe, and many of them can be found inside every house. One of the most common groups of these harmful compounds is VOC or volatile organic compounds. VOC are commonly used in building materials of modern houses. These materials can be used anywhere such as in carpets, flooring, paints, furniture, cabinets and even the framework of the house itself. Many of the VOC compounds has been already identified, but the most common and probably one of the most harmful among all VOC’s is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a chemical that can irritate the eyes, nose, and can cause serious respiratory ailments. It is also said that in can also cause cancer.

Due to the health concerns of the public, strict regulations has been made in the last decade to minimize the use of VOC for many building and construction materials.

A newly built house can have a significant amount of VOC. It is also the time where the rate of VOC off-gas is at its highest, making new house owner’s comments on the “how new the house smells”. It is advised that the house should be left open for a few days, to let most of the VOC escape, before one should move in. Once occupied, it is still best to continually keep the windows open and keep the house well ventilated for a couple of weeks.

After a few months, the level of the VOC’s off gas from building materials might slow down. But some research shows that the phenomena will still continue even after a year or more. After studying some new houses, a research concluded that after 9 months, levels of VOC can be at a minimal amount, not that harmful, but can still give of a certain scent or odor.

Carpets and vinyl tiles also contains VOC. Vinyl has a stronger smell than carpets, but it is said to be safe, so no alarm should be made.

Latex based paints and oil-based alkyd paints also contains high amounts of VOC. Alkyd based paints are usually used in the bathroom and kitchen. Both types of paint emit hundreds of VOC compounds.

VOC problems as well as other indoor air quality problems such as black mold spores can be easily managed by proper home ventilation. Proper home ventilation can let all the harmful VOC compounds out and lets fresh air in. Lots of fresh air can also stop black mold from colonizing.

To know if your current house or the house you are planning to buy has good ventilation, it is best to look for the advice and recommendations of a certified home inspector.

At South Bay Home Inspections, our professional home inspectors are certified and well trained by top home inspection organizations and training institutions.

Our certified home inspectors will get air samples to determine if the air quality inside your house is good or not. Not only can we determine if there are VOC traces in the house, we could also determine if your house has mold problems as well. Having your house undergo Air Quality and Mold Inspection is a must in order to keep your family safe from molds and from harmful gases.

Our certified home inspectors and mold inspectors can make a full recommendation in regards to your house’s ventilation and air conditioning system.

South Bay Home Inspections also specializes on Full House Inspections and Pool and Spa Inspections Packages.

For those who are residing or planning to move to South Bay it is best to consult a home inspections company that knows the peculiarities of the area as well as has served countless home owners in their search for their new homes, and South Bay Home Inspections is the most respected and most preferred home inspection company in the area of South Bay.

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The Hazards of Asbestos

Asbestos is a mineral fiber found in rocks. These mineral fibers can be made into cloth-like materials. Materials made of asbestos are strong, durable and fire and heat resistant. Asbestos products are not easily destroyed or degraded by natural processes. Because of these properties, asbestos has been used in different consumer, industrial, maritime, automotive and construction products. During the 20^th century, more than 30 million tons of asbestos products have been used in different American homes, schools, buildings and offices.

Asbestos apparently has a bad side to it. Based on studies conducted on workers that have significant amount of time, exposure and inhalation, asbestos can lead to lung and stomach cancer.  Some asbestos materials can break down to small fibers or powders that can be inhaled by workers or residents. These fibers can be so small, that they are not visible to the naked eye, yet they are very harmful if inhaled. Once inhaled, asbestos fibers can become lodged in the lung tissues, and after some years, could lead to cancer or mesothelioma.

But not all products with asbestos are harmful to our health. We should only avoid materials with asbestos that are soft, easily crumpled, cut or destroyed, for they might release fibers that can be exhaled.  Also, based on the studies, people with extensive exposure to asbestos are the ones who are prone to developing cancer and other serious illness.

In the US, asbestos was primary found in heating and insulating system of houses and buildings. Many asbestos containing materials become popular in the country during the 1960’s.Other products containing asbestos are insulating cement, asbestos cloth, thermal seals, boiler insulation materials, vinyl floor tiles, adhesives, HVAC or ventilation and air conditioning units, roofing materials and insulated electrical wires.

When buying a home, it is best to have a certified home inspector inspect the building first in order to determine if the house has some asbestos components and to determine if they are still in good condition or need to be replaced or be completely removed.

At South Bay Home Inspections, we have certified home inspectors that can do visual inspections, and can identify materials with asbestos, as well as make recommendations after finding out if that component is in good shape, or there are better alternatives for that certain part. Our professional home inspectors will also look at your heating and ventilation systems to look for defects and other cause for concerns. Part of the certified home inspection is to look into different parts of the house including the roof, wall, kitchen, garage and patios plus other components.

South Bay Home Inspections can also provide you with Air Sampling as well as Mold Inspections, in order to inform you of the air quality inside your house.

South Bay home inspectors also conducts Pool and Spa Inspection Packages for those who want to be sure that their pool is free from mold, asbestos fibers, insects and other harmful objects.

All our certified home inspectors and mold inspectors are constantly undergoing training for the latest development in the industry of home inspections.

To give you more confidence on why you should choose us as your home inspections company, we at the South Bay Homes Inspections is a proud member of these well known organizations such as the:

ü  American Society of Home Inspectors or ASHI

ü  American Council for Accredited Certification or ACAC 

ü  International Code Council or ICC

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