Massachusetts Home Inspections

No one can build something as large and complex as a house without committing a few errors at various stages of the process. Throughout my years of inspecting, I have learned that all new homes will have their defects of one kind or another, regardless of the quality of construction or the integrity of the builder. This is because human imperfection prevents anything as large and as complex as a home from being constructed flawlessly. The belief that any new product is free of defects and necessarily flawless runs contrary to common sense and experience. The return counter at any department store provides ample evidence of this fact. When applied to new homes, the belief that new means perfect can lead to very costly mistakes. Many home buyers feel that they do not need to employ a professional home inspector because municipal building inspectors regularly inspect new homes. Let me personally tell you that a municipal inspection is not enough. The purpose, scope,...

I decided to create this blog in order to keep home Buyers and Sellers informed, regarding the present condition of their home. My name is David Valley and I am the owner and founder of Massachusetts Home Inspections,LLC. I have performed over 3,000 home inspections throughout the East Coast. I enjoy assisting home owners in determining the present condition of their home. The first thing I would like to do is to sell myself to all homeowners. I will then utilize this blog to periodically post information concerning your home. Please enjoy my Blog. If you hhave any questions, whatsoever...Please email me. When your making a financial commitment of purchasing or selling your Massachusetts home, your best judgment is to rely on the analysis of a skilled professional Home Inspector. I can afford you that expert opinion. I have the trained eye and experience needed to look for visual signs of defects within any home. I'm also committed to providing you with the highest level of profe...

Lead has been mined, smelted, and compounded for thousands of years. Lead is a neurotoxin metallic element that was historically used in paint, gasoline and plumbing materials for many years. Lead was easy to work with for a variety of purposes, which is why mining and smelting of lead has caused millions of tons to be spread into our environment. Lead poisoning occurs only when too much lead accumulates in the body. Generally, lead poisoning occurs slowly, resulting from the gradual accumulation of lead in bone and tissue after repeated exposure. However, it is important to note that young children absorb 50% of a lead ingestion while adults absorb only 10%. Pregnant women should be especially cautious of lead exposure. The presence of lead dust can cause difficulties during pregnancy. Lead enters the bloodstream and can pass the placental barrier from the mother to the unborn child. The fetus can then be poisoned before birth. Lead is very dangerous for children under the age of si...

WATCH AND HEAR LIVE TERMITES IN ACTION Click the computer screen Requires Windows Media Player VIEW ACTUAL SIZE OF LIVE TERMITES NEXT TO A DIME Requires Real Player Of all Wood Boring insects, Termites are definitely the most damaging wood destroying insects out there. Did you know that the average single-family home has as many as three to four termite colonies beneath it (and each colony contains as many as 1 million winged residents). It's very important to prevent these colonies from attacking your home and causing extensive structural damage. Termites must remain in moist areas in order to survive (which I will get into more detail next). Once they arrive into an open space they build mud tunnels in order to remain in a moist environment. The smallest of cracks in your foundation -- usually a basement or concrete slab -- is enough for those sneaky little termites to gain entry into your home. They will utilize the cracks to gain access to the wood framing because it's m...

There are many building envelope issues that can generate significant heat loss, which causes energy dollars to be wasted in a not-so-tight home. And with the rising costs of heating fuels today, keeping a not-so-tight home comfortably warm can be very costly. Homeowners now have the opportunity to reduce their exorbitant monthly heating bills caused from our New England freezing winter months. A good place to start would be a professional Infrared (thermal) Home-Energy Efficiency Inspection. An Infrared Home-Energy Efficiency Inspection is the use of an infrared (thermal) imaging camera that can actually "see" and "measure" thermal energy emitted from the walls, ceilings and floors of a home. It’s simply a non-invasive tool that is used to see what’s actually going on inside many living area walls, ceilings and floors. If there’s cold air infiltrating into a warm room, my infrared camera will sense this temperature difference that is transferring to the most inner ...

I encounter defective components in homes on an everyday basis. There just isn't a perfect home out there, anywhere. The following defects are most likely going to be found on a typical home inspection. The house (as a whole) is poorly maintained – Deferred maintenance represents a potential high cost situation to bring the home back into a satisfactory condition. If the present homeowner (Seller) did not properly care for their home over the years, then someone will need to upgrade the home sooner or later. Preferably sooner than later. In a situation like this, my home inspection report can be utilized as a checklist in order to get the home back up to healthy standards. Poor drainage around the building - All roof water needs to drain away from the building at its lower perimeter in order to prevent water intrusion into the basement. Roof gutters, downspouts and downspout extensions can be installed to rectify any roof drainage problems. Grading (sloped away from the foundation)...

This picture is a perfect example of the problems that are associated with Aluminum wiring. Note letters A and B (the insulation jackets are melted), which I will explain "Why" in the third paragraph and C (mixing copper wiring with aluminum wiring on the same breaker). Aluminum wiring can not be mixed with copper wiring and breakers can not be double tapped with two wires, unless designated by manufacturer and the breaker connnection will contain a special clip for double tapping. Aluminum wiring is very easy to identify due to it's obvious aluminum color. Aluminum wiring is not to be confused with tin coated copper which looks similar to aluminum wiring but aluminum wiring has distinguishing characteristics and is a solid conductor. During the 1970's, aluminum (instead of copper) wiring became quite popular and was extensively used throughout the United States. Since that time, aluminum wiring has been implicated in a number of house fires, which caused jurisdiction...

I know everyone works very hard for their money (in order to pay the bills), but what you don't realize is how much of your hard earned energy dollars are actually slipping right through the cracks of your home. Keeping your home at a comfort level (by conditioning it) can be very costly. I know everyone would like to reduce their energy bills in our freezing winter months and then again, in the summer cooling months? Well, a good place to start would be a professional infrared home-energy efficiency inspection. My infrared inspection will actually show you where you are wasting your hard earned energy dollars, and at the same time, I will demonstate how you can properly seal those areas that are pulling your energy dollars to the outside of your house. There are many building envelope anomalies that can generate significant heat and air conditioning loss, which causes your energy dollars to be wasted in a not-so-tight home. Sources of Air Leakage in a Typical Home My...

There are a host of applications for infrared cameras and there are many issues (throughout the average building) that can be easily detected through infrared imaging.I would like to go explain the many applications that can be detected with infrared imaging. I will start with... Detecting Hidden Moisture Intrusion Moisture is the leading cause of costly building upgrades today. Scanning interior surfaces of your building can reveal excess moisture due to roof leaks, plumbing leaks, moisture entering your building at wall penetrations, leaks around windows and doors, locating hidden dampness under resilient flooring, and many other susceptible areas throughout your home. Moisture on most building materials can easily destroy the structural integrity of a building and nurture Mold within days. The first step in any moisture problem remediation is to quickly and accurately locate and remove all sources of moisture in order to prevent wood rot and Mold. I’ll be able to instantly detect th...

ITA (FLIR) CERTIFIED THERMOGRAPHER Wouldn’t you just love to have the ability to actually observe what’s going on behind those finished walls and ceilings of your existing or prospective home? Well, with today’s outstanding technology, I am now able to make this possible for all my clients. As part of my on-going commitment to reliability, I am now offering a valuable preventive and predictive maintenance option. It’s called…Infrared Inspections, also known as Thermal Imaging. There is so much information regarding this spectacular technology that I’m going to break this down into sections in order for you to fully understand infrared technology, and its uses and applications. Thermal imaging (IR) is highly advanced technology that was originally developed by our high tech military for use in enhancing night vision in advanced weapons systems during the Korean War. It was used extensively by our ground forces for general theatre scanning, target acquisition and sighting enemy obje...

Home Maintenance Your home is one of the single biggest investments you'll ever make, so be sure you that you do all you can to care for it properly. A well-maintained home usually sells more readily and usually brings a higher price. It's also more comfortable and regular care minimizes any unexpected repair work and expenses. Regularly scheduled small repairs and upgrades to your home can and will keep costs from becoming exorbitant. This comprehensive maintenance schedule I'm presenting to you is simply a general guide for you to follow. The actual timing is left up to you to decide, and you may want to further divide the list of items (for each season) into months. Now, let's get to work. FALL IS NOW HERE.... And another freezing winter is right around the corner. So before any of that cold weather arrives here in New England, here's your annual checklist of items that should be performed in order to get your home ready for the change of season. Have all your he...

Many home buyers peruse neighborhoods looking at listed properties from outside the home before inquiring with the listing agent to show them the inside. Keep in mind that Buyers appreciate a clean look in the homes they are viewing. Within 15 seconds, a Buyer has quickly developed an opinion of your property at first glance. A first impression is hard to shake and if the prospective Buyer doesn't like the looks of the house from the outside, they probably won't inquire at all. You'll never get a second chance to make that first impression. In order to get prospective home Buyers past your front door, you need to add some curb appeal. Prospects would rather see how great your home really looks, than hear how great it could look, "with a little work". So, allow me to assist you in showing your house off to it’s fullest potential. Here's a list of items that will definitely add value to your home... OUTSIDE MAINTENANCE A well-manicured lawn, neatly trimmed shrub...

Your home is one of the single biggest investments you'll ever make, so be sure you do all you can to care for it. A well-maintained home usually sells more readily and usually brings a higher price. It's also more comfortable and regular care minimizes any unexpected repair work and expenses. Regularly scheduled small repairs and upgrades to your home can and will keep costs from becoming exorbitant. The maintenance schedule I'm presenting here is a general guide for you to follow. The actual timing is left for you to decide, and you may want to further divide the list of items for each season into months. Let's get to work. WINTER Clean or replace furnace air filters every other month during the heating season. Periodically check vents outside (intake and exhaust) to make sure they are not blocked by snow or debris. Then vacuum all heating supply registers, return grills, baseboards or radiators inside the home. After consulting your hot water tank owner's manual,...