The quality of the air we breath in our home is always a concern, as its a place we want to feel relaxed and safe in. Depending on the cause, bad air quality can result in possible heath issues, sometimes serious ones.
One risk is the chemical formaldehyde. This is a chemical that we may only think of as being used in a science lab, but it is commonly used certain types of building materials as well as house hold items.

Where is formaldehyde found?
Formaldehyde can be found in a lot of pressed lumber like plywood or particle board. If there is tobacco smoke in your home, this can also be a source. It can also be emitted from certain textiles, fuel burning appliances, or glues.
Since formaldehyde is not visible you will only notice it by a strong pungent smell. The smell, however, is not the only thing to worry about with this chemical.
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What are the dangers?
Some signs that you are affected by formaldehyde are; watery eyes, respiratory problems, fatigue, or other allergic reactions. The most notable danger that can come from formaldehyde is cancer, usually upper throat cancer. While the connection between the level and the amount of time exposed is not clearly known at the moment, the fact that it is a carcinogen is an undeniable fact.
For information on alternatives to materials that use formaldehyde, please give us a call or you can also email us.

In recent years Bed Bugs, have become an epidemic. Their hard to see, love to travel and not so easy to eliminate, so what do we know about these pesky invaders, and what can we do about them?
Although bed bugs are found in mattresses, they are by no means limited to beds, in fact they can hide in an alarming number of places. Anywhere from furniture, curtains and clothing to picture frames and books
What do they look like?
Bed bugs are rather small, especially when first hatched. An adult bed bug is flat, oval and has a orangey, rust colored body.
See the signs
Bed bugs are rather shy in nature, so it is usually easier to look out for the signs of their presence. These include blood spots, and stains from fecal matter, also some crushed bug remnants, they are also known to emit a musty smell (it should be noted though that this is not always present)
These little parasites enjoy biting us as well which can leave itchy bumps on our skin.
How to treat the problem
It is not advised for homeowners to try to treat the problem themselves, as if not careful they can make the problem worse. PMPs or Pest Management Professionals are best for treating the problem as they can look for the bugs at the beginning stages of their development.
Trained dogs are also successfully being used in the detection of bed bugs as they can detect an odor that is emitted by the bugs.
Please contact us for more information on how to detect the presence of bed bugs in your home

When buying a home, it is important to make sure that a radon test has been performed. A certified home inspector usually does this as part of the seller's home inspection. You might ask yourself, though, what exactly is Radon? How dangerous is it? How common is it? What is involved in testing my home for it? Here are some answers to those questions:

​What is Radon?
Radon is a radioactive gas, that cannot be detected without testing for it.

How dangerous is it?
Radon causes cancer and is responsible for causing many cases of lung cancer per year. Because radon is undetectable, it means the occupants are unknowingly breathing in this dangerous gas. If you are a smoker and your house contains high levels of radon, it is especially dangerous.

How common is it to find radon in a home?
It is very common and is detected in many homes both old and new throughout the States.

What is involved in testing for radon?
​There are a couple of different methods that can be used to test for radon. This involves placing a testing device in the lowest level of your home for a certain amount of time so that radon levels can be determined. It's important to note however that it must be placed in an area that will be totally undisturbed.

​Please contact us, your local certified home inspector for more information on radon testing. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Owning a Log Home is a dream for many, so when that dream finally comes true, you want to make sure your Log home will be a structurally sound one. Here are a few things to look out for before purchasing your home

Logs used at the time of construction contain a certain level of moisture which varies depending on whether the logs were freshly cut or not. Over time, these logs will dry out and start to shrink causing the home to settle. This can result in the home losing some height. If this has not been accounted for when it was constructed, it could spell disaster for the home.

What could happen? Partition walls may not be able to take the weight of the wood bearing down on them causing too much stress to the wall. The same can happen to doors and windows. Staircases can be greatly affected also, as they can become uneven.

This is just a few of the things that need to be taken into consideration with a log home.

Of course, a skilled builder who's familiar with log home construction would take all of this into consideration before beginning construction.
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A certified home inspector will also be able to point out any obvious, dangerous signs of a poorly constructed log home. Please feel free to give us a call.

Buying a house that has been foreclosed on can be very appealing, as the price could be much lower than market value. However, there are many pitfalls that one can fall into if your not careful or experienced in the foreclosure home market.
An ideal way to purchase a home that is about to be foreclosed upon is a pre-sale. This is when someone is able to buy the house by communication with the current owner, before the foreclosure process begins or is finished. But this is easier said than done and often separates someone who has done their homework from someone who hasn't.

There are some places to look for a potential pre-sale home. One way is to ask your local county offices how to search for new notices of default. You could also look in the local newspaper in the "legal notices" for upcoming houses in the local auction. Check for the name of the owner, the address of the house, and try to get in contact with the owner to see if you can strike a deal before the auction.

These are just some tips on how to find a potential deal in a home about to be foreclosed upon, which will get you started in the adventure of finding a deal on a new home for living or for an investment.

Have you recently built a new home? Congratulations! So, now that you have completed the construction of your new home, it’s time for you to take care of it. Now that all of the boxes are unpacked inside, the photos are already hanging on the wall, at the same time the furnishings are arranged the way you like it to be, it’s the time for you to start considering if you can keep your home in a tip-top condition. Just like anything else, your home needs regular maintenance to make sure everything will be in good shape. 

It can be quite intimidating to consider the several tasks you need to do with your new home. It's composed of the long list. The good news is that we will guide you to deal with that issue. First of all, be sure to have us perform an 11th Month Warranty inspection before your builder's warranty is up. That way we can identify issues before the warranty is up and give you a list of maintenance items.

After that, for you to maximize your effectiveness and get all the maintenance items done, you might like to consider making a home maintenance calendar for your own good. Whether on paper or online, you can write down all the task you need to do on a monthly, quarterly, and biannually basis. 

Need an 11th Month Warranty Home Inspection? Contact us!

Knowing how your home works is very important in taking proper care of it. This video shows you the basics of how one of your home's systems work - Your plumbing system.