Construction oversights happen. This is the main reason you should even get a brand new home inspected. Oversights in the complex business of construction are common, they maybe didn’t install all the gutters correctly, incomplete plumbing or electrical systems, maybe some roofing components are missing. These oversights can just be because of inadvertently omissions or bad construction practices all together.

Home construction is like a symphony of subcontractors all of whom may be working on several homes at one time. This scheduling can quickly become a nightmare for the contractors and this leads to errors in there work.

Here at Clarksville Home Inspection we not only do final construction inspections, but we also do some inspections for mortgage companies during various phases of construction. The mortgage company will release the next phase of funding based on positive construction inspections.

If you are building a custom home, it is a wise choose to hire an inspection company to advocate for you and make sure the quality of the construction job is the best possible. Home inspectors that do this can prevent some very costly errors.

Home inspectors can also guide you into your new home by explaining how various functions work, like maybe the circuits or garage doors. They may also be able to instruct you as to where settling is going to occur more than other places in the home.

A home inspector that works for you and your family may save you money and security in your new home purchase.

Treating a home that is infested with termites is quite the task. It utilizes special equipment like masonry drills, pumps, large tanks, soil treatment rods and can involve hundreds of gallons of termiticide. The termiticide is injected all along the foundation of the home under concrete slabs and within the foundation itself.

The do-it-yourself treatments more than likely will not work on a large scale such as your home. You can use them for things like mailboxes infested or maybe the sandbox.

The company you choose should be licensed by the Department of Agriculture. Companies should also be registered with the National Pest Management Association. You should call at least 2 companies before deciding whom will be treating your home. Do not be scammed by companies offering timed coupons or trying high pressure tactics to get your business. The amount of damage done while deciding on a company is minimal as termites are slow steady destroyers. Take your time and find the right company in your area for the job.

Clarksville Home Inspection is not a pest management company, but you can call for a recommendation.

Termites cause billions of dollars in damage a year. They feed on wood primarily, but can damage books, insulation, or swimming pool liners and filters. They can even attack living trees, but this is fairly rare.

Termites can invade a home at any time. They are often discovered when the “swarmers” emerge in the spring in your home. Although the flying termites will do no damage after there wings come and you can clean them up with a vacuum. It is an indication that they are ingesting part of your precious home.

Another way to discover the infestation is by finding mud tubers extending from foundation walls, support piers, floor joists, sill plates, etc. The tubers are usually about as thick as a pencil, but can be thicker. The termites use the tubes to travel underground between there colonies.

Termite damage is usually along the grain of the wood with rippling or sunken tracks behinds wall coverings being the only indication of tunneling underneath. You often will see no visible traces that a home is infested. The outer edges of surfaces is usually left intact, so they can be undetected sometimes for years.

Detection often requires the keen eye of a trained professional, like the good folks in here at Clarksville Home Inspection. That said, sometimes even the most experiences inspector can miss infestation because all of the damage is hidden.

In-ground tanks are a sticky situation. A special inspector with a special metal detector is needed to be sure your dream home has an in-ground tank. This inspection can cost up to $250.

You should have a home inspection done prior to getting a tank search inspection though and let the inspector check for signs of a tank even though finding the tank is not part of a standard inspection there are signs of one that can be noted on the inspection report.

These include a visible vent or filler pipes sticking up through ground. A different colored section of concrete filling the leads to the furnace areas. Lines going to the furnace must be covered and a lot of times different fill was used.

If the signs are there the tank search inspection is recommended.

If a tank is found, under no condition purchase the home until the tank and ground is tested for contamination. You have no way of knowing if the tank was abandoned with hundreds of gallons of oil contained in it and that has contaminated the ground over the years. This is an issue you probably wont’ want to inherit all the issues that go with removing or filling an in-ground tank.

If a seller had removed or filled a tank with sand. Your attorney should ask for the township certification that it was done properly by the State DEP. The papers must be filed with the township. You should also ask where the tank was located and have the soil tested for environmental damage to be safe. The testing will let you know that the ground is safe.

Insurance on tanks, make sure that the insurance covers ground contamination and not just the leak. Your attorney should request to talk to the insurance and verify that ground contamination is covered.

Here at Clarksville Home Inspection, we do not do environmental inspections. We will include a courtesy check for signs of an in-ground tank though and can assist you in finding a reputable environmental inspector.