Cardinal Home Inspections

If you have a fireplace (or are considering buying a house which has a fireplace), you probably know how nice an amenity that a fireplace can be. It is a wonderful place to gather the family and guests around, it provides warmth and can add stunning ambiance to your home. But traditional wood-burning fireplaces are not energy efficient, and if not operated properly, they can be very dangerous. This article discusses: 1. how a fireplace works, 2. how to improve it’s energy efficiency, 3. what typically goes wrong with fireplaces, and 4. the routine maintenance you should do for your fireplace. How A Fireplace Works Despite their appearance of being all warm and cozy, fireplaces tend to be very inefficient for home heating. In fact, the energy efficiencies of fireplaces typically range from only 10% to a minus 10%. The reason the efficiency can be below zero is that the fire draws in heated air from inside the home and vents it up the chimney. In ot...

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While the inspector makes every effort to find all areas of concern, some areas can go unnoticed. Be aware that the inspector has your best interest in mind. Any repair items mentioned in the report should be considered before purchase. We recommended that qualified contractors or specialist be used in your further inspection or repair issues as it relates to the comments in the inspection report. The Standards of practice for the State of South Carolina, The American Society of Home Inspectors, and the International Association of Home Inspectors make it clear that the Home Inspection is not omniscient.   The InterNACHI standards of practice specify that the general home inspection is a non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of the residential property.  The home inspection is based on the observations made on the date of the inspection. The general home inspection will not reveal every issue that exists or ever could exist, but only those ...

Many homes built on crawl space foundations in the Southeastern United States suffer from poor moisture management. Some of the common symptoms of a crawl space moisture problem are: Mold or moisture damage in the crawl space or living area Musty odors in the living area Condensation ("sweating") on air conditioning ductwork or equipment Condensation on insulation, water pipes or truss plates in the crawl space Buckled hardwood floors High humidity in the living area Insect infestations Rot in wooden framing members These symptoms are most often noticed in the humid spring and summer seasons but can occur at any time of the year. Often, the heating and air conditioning contractor is the first person the residents call to deal with the problem. Typically though, the problem is not due to a failure of the air conditioning system; it results from poor moisture control in the crawl space. For many decades, building codes and conventional wisdom have p...

Water filters provide better tasting and better smelling drinking water by removing chlorine and bacterial contaminants. Point-of-use water filters remove lead from drinking water immediately prior to consumption, thus preventing this harmful substance from entering the body. (top image) The purchase of a countertop filter results in a source of clean, healthy water that costs much less than bottled water. Water filters greatly reduce the risk of rectal cancer, colon cancer, and bladder cancer by removing chlorine and chlorine byproducts from drinking water. A solid block carbon water filter can selectively remove dangerous contaminants from drinking water while retaining healthy mineral deposits that balance the  pH  of drinking water. Drinking clean, filtered water protects the body from disease and leads to overall greater health. A water filter provides clean, healthy water for cooking, as well as drinking, at the convenience of tap water. Water filters re...

“Code” creates a hazy gray area for home inspectors and their customers. A home inspection identifies defects and dangerous conditions. The knowledge about what makes a condition hazardous is rooted in the building code, but home inspectors are not code enforcers. The gray area creeps in where a code violation and a defect cross paths.  Reuben Saltzman for  Structure Tech  says home inspection association Standards of Practice do not require inspectors to determine compliance. That’s a protective measure. Because inspection and code compliance are different, reporting outside the inspector’s authority puts them and you at risk. What’s the Scope of a Home Inspection? Hiring a home inspector can be a confusing prospect, especially with so much on your plate. Home sales are notoriously complicated. Home inspections shouldn’t be. Your inspector will investigate the house from top to bottom, inside and out. They’ll check the electrical system, plumbing, foundatio...

Circuit breakers in the electrical panel should be the same brand as the panel manufacturer .  Some manufacturers make a few different models of breakers and panels.   It is important that the circuit breaker model match the panel model otherwise they are not compatible.