Home Buyers:
A professional home inspection is the best consumer protection service available. The purchase of a home is probably the largest single investment you will ever make. You should learn as much as you can about the condition of the property by obtaining a professional home inspection by a licensed Independent Indiana Home Inspector. By doing so, you will understand the need for any repairs before you purchase the property so that you can minimize those unpleasant surprises and difficulties afterwards. On average, our clients save hundreds to thousands of dollars in sellers deferred maintenance repairs or concessions at closing by obtaining our services. Your home inspector will also point out the positive aspects of a home as well as the maintenance that will be necessary to keep your new investment in top condition. After your home inspection, you will have a much clearer understanding of the property you are about to purchase, and will be able to make a more confident buying decision.
Home Sellers:
You may opt for having a pre-listing home inspection prior to placing your home on the market to gain a better understanding of the true condition of your property. The inspection will provide you the opportunity for you to address any repairs needed to place your home in better selling condition. It will also prevent the buyers home inspector from finding a long list of items that will be used for re-negotiation and delays in closing. Obtaining a pre-list home inspection will also serve as an addendum to the sellers disclosure list you are required to fill out, as well as show the potential buyers that you are serious and acting in good faith during the process.
Current Home Owners:
If you are a current homeowner, we recommend that you receive a home maintenance inspection every 2-3 years after you have closed on your property. For about the cost of a basic automotive tune up, a home maintenance inspection can help to identify problems and damage in your home before they become an expensive or irreversible threat to your fiscal well being. Most people perform regular maintenance on their car, yet most people neglect the single most expensive investment they have...their home. Much like a buyer-seller inspection, a home maintenance inspection is a visual examination of your homes systems, mechanicals and structure. Everything from top to bottom is inspected to ensure that everything is in proper working condition. Any defects or damage will be noted in our comprehensive home inspection report.
A common misconception in this industry is that you have to be involved in a real estate transaction in order to hire a home inspector. Not true. All of our services are available to anyone at any time. By hiring a licensed professional home inspector for certain services you can save yourself hundreds if not thousands of dollars off of typical prices charged by large corporate entities. Also, by hiring a home inspector you are getting an unbiased, third party service that only has one agenda, and that is making sure that you and your family get the inspection service you need, done right and at a price that you can actually afford.
No matter whom you are, you can be assured that you will get an Independent, professional, thorough and unbiased home inspection. You will get an easy to read, detailed computer generated report including digital photographs of the inspection. The report is emailed in PDF format to you by 11:59pm the day of the inspection. Most of all, you will have peace of mind by knowing and understanding your new investment inside and out before you sign that dotted line.
We will inspect all visible and accessible components of the home. Our home inspection process is non invasive and conforms to the nationally recognized Standards of Practice of NACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors).
HOME MAINTENANCE INSPECTIONS:
MC2 Home Inspections recommends that you receive a Home Maintenance Inspection every two to three years after you have closed on your property.
In a recent survey, it was discovered that the number one reason that homeowners don't get their homes periodically inspected is simply because they aren't aware that the service is available outside of the real estate transaction period. The fact is that Home Maintenance Inspections have always been available, but they simply aren't marketed by real estate agents or most professional home inspection companies.
First, home-buyers and sellers have been lead to believe that the only time they should be concerned about the health and safety of a property is when an initial financial transaction is occurring, such as when a property is being sold or purchased. This is actually a bit deceiving because every month you own your home; you are engaged in making a financial transaction. You make mortgage payments, pay utility bills etc. So if you are going to make these payments every month, then wouldn't you want to assure that you aren't paying these sums of money into an "investment" that is falling apart around you without you knowing about it? Yet millions of people do just that because of a simple misbelief.
Secondly, many homeowners do not get a maintenance inspection because they believe that the home inspector will find thousands of dollars worth of damage that would cause a financial strain if fixed. But regardless of what the home inspector finds, you need to know the condition of your home. The home inspector cannot force you to fix anything, nor can they condemn your property. In other words, there is no "pass" or "fail" score. The vast majority of homeowners are pleasantly surprised to find that a maintenance inspection discovers the kind of damage that can often be repaired for very little money before such damage grows worse and costs run into the thousands of dollars to repair for you the homeowner.
MC2 Home Inspections is dedicated to helping you maintain your home with this valuable service. This way you can use your homes equity for more important things such as that much needed vacation, a new car or even your next home purchase, rather than extensive repairs due to deferred maintenance on your current home.
ONE YEAR HOME WARRANTY INSPECTIONS:
Your one year Builder's Warranty will expire usually at the end of the first 12 months after closing. In many cases, the one year warranty expiration marks your final opportunity to identify, document, and inform the Builder of items that are in need of repair, adjustment or replacement. All safety hazards, repairs, and adjustments should be professionally documented BEFORE your Builder is relieved of their responsibility under the one year warranty.
MC2 Home Inspections specializes in working with buyers of new homes whose one year warranty is coming to an end. Once you have your home inspected by us you will receive our Inspection report with digital photographs detailing the documentation you need to discuss any home problems with the quality of the materials or the workmanship with your Builder. Educated homeowners with a Home Inspection report in their hands stand a much better chance of getting the Builder to correct those items that are in need of repair or replacement.
We will thoroughly inspect your new home and properly address any warranty issues in writing that may be covered by your Builder. Our detailed and thorough inspections can reveal items that are safety hazards or are not performing their intended function.
Protect your investment and call us to schedule your warranty inspection. We invite you to call our office at 317-605-3432 to speak with us about this service. Time is running out and once the 1 year anniversary of closing on your new home has passed, you are on your own in the Builders eyes.
MOLD TESTING:
Without question, moisture intrusion, moisture damage and mold are some of the most common problems we see everyday. Moisture is a homes number one enemy and molds best friend. Our climate is extremely conducive to mold growth. Heavy snow, rains and flooding are just some of the many factors we deal with almost on a daily basis. Couple those factors with an older home that was not built with moisture prevention in mind at the time and you are bound to have problems. Even todays newer homes can have moisture problems. While construction techniques today are far better than they ever used to be, they are only as good and efficient as the laborers who practice them.
There is a lot of mis-information concerning mold floating around the home inspection industry today. This is, in part, due to the fact that there is a large transition currently taking place in our industry. To end the confusion once and for all, here are some documented FACTS about the most common misconceptions concerning mold.
FACT: You cannot always see mold.
FACT: You cannot always smell mold.
FACT: Approximately 50% of all mold found in homes today is hidden.
FACT: Prolonged exposure to elevated levels of mold spores can cause serious health problems.
FACT: You cannot remove or kill mold on porous surfaces with chlorine bleach.
FACT: KILZ primer does not kill mold nor will it encapsulate mold.
MC2 Home Inspections offers residential mold testing and third party clearance testing for the entire Indianapolis Metro area. We are certified through the International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants (IAC2) as Indoor Air Quality Professionals. We use the very latest in mold testing equipment and techniques, and adhere to nationally recognized formal protocols for mold testing.
Depending on your situation, we will take direct samples of any visual mold via tape lift to determine the type of mold present and its concentration level. If there is no visible mold present, there is still a possibility of it existing somewhere hidden. 50% of all mold found in homes is hidden behind drywall, underneath carpeting or pad, in the duct work etc. In this case we will take air samples using the Micro5 cassette to determine if higher than acceptable levels of mold spores exist in the air that you are breathing. We will drop off the samples for analysis the same day. Based off of the lab analysis we can narrow down the source possibility and offer suggestions on how to remediate the problem.
We purchase the Micro5 cassettes direct from the manufacturer so you can be assured that you will receive the most accurate results from the freshest cassettes.
Most common symptoms from mold exposure: Chronic fatigue, difficulty breathing, headaches, hives, memory loss, coughing, sore chest, loss of concentration, eye redness, difficulties in learning, skin rashes, watery mucus drips from nose, skin redness, thick slime coming from nose, sneezing, itchy nose, mouth, eyes, throat and skin.
Mold is a very common and very serious issue. If you are thinking of buying or selling a home and have ANY concerns at all about Mold, put your mind at ease and have the home tested, if not by us, by someone.
RADON TESTING:
Radon is a naturally occurring cancer causing, radioactive gas you can't see, smell or taste.
According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and estimated to cause 21,000 deaths each year. Radon occurs from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon is found all over the United States and it can get into any type of building - homes, offices, and schools and build up to high levels which could lead to health problems.
Why you should test for Radon.
Radon testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon.
High Radon levels can be reduced.
The EPA recommends that you take action to reduce your home's indoor Radon levels if your Radon test result is 4 pCi/L or higher. It is preferable to correct a Radon problem before placing your home on the market because then you will have more time to address the Radon problem. If elevated levels are found during a real estate transaction, the buyer and seller should discuss the timing and costs of the Radon reduction, as with any other aspect of the home purchase and sale.
Our Radon testing includes the use of a CRM (Continuous Radon Monitor) rather than the typical charcoal canister method. The CRM provides a detailed hourly view of the Radon levels in the home, provides more accurate readings and is less likely to be tampered with during the testing period. The testing period in the home is 48 hours. We understand that time is of the essence during a Real Estate transaction; therefore we always try and schedule the Radon test in such a way where we can place the CRM in the home prior to the initial home inspection. Typically the results from the Radon test will be emailed to you within 24 hours after the Radon test is complete. The results will include a detailed view of the Radon levels in the home and will offer recommendations on whether or not mitigation is necessary.
WOOD DESTROYING INSECT INSPECTIONS:
A proper termite and WDI inspection consists of several steps. An inspection of the exterior of the home, looking for signs of termite activity such as termite shelter tubes, as well as conditions conducive to termite and other WDI infestation (such as wood that is too close to the ground, dead tree stumps by the house, improper grading, or tree branches overhanging or touching the home). The inspector will also look for evidence of infestation by other wood-destroying insects such as Carpenter bees, Carpenter ants, Powder post beetles and Borers.
An inspection of the interior of the home, with special emphasis on the basement, crawl space, garage, door and window frames, and other areas that are particularly prone to WDI infestation. This part of the inspection will be both visual and physical. The inspection typically involves visually inspecting, tapping, probing, and sounding susceptible wood. The inspector will also be looking for live termites and other insects as well as other evidence of infestation (tubing, frass, signs of prior treatments, etc.), damaged wood, and conditions conducive to infestation (such as excessive moisture levels).
A standardized inspection NPMA-33 form developed by the NPMA and adopted by various state and federal agencies, that may sometimes include additional documents attached by the inspector to clarify the inspection findings. This form is typically what your lender will require prior to closing.
Common Wood Destroying Insects:
Lyctid powderpost beetle. The larvae of Lyctid powderpost beetles develop and feed in hardwood. They usually infest furniture, flooring, paneling and molding. The beetles lay their eggs on the surface of wood. The larvae are C-shaped grubs that feed and pupate in the wood. Adults chew out of the wood, leaving circular emergence holes about 1 mm to 2 mm in diameter. Adult beetles are brown and are 3 mm to 5 mm long. The antennae have two-segmented clubs.
Bostrichid powderpost beetle: The larvae of Bostrichid beetles live and feed in wood. They can attack both hardwood and softwood, including bamboo, wicker and weaving material of baskets. The beetles bore into the wood to lay eggs. The larvae eat and pupate in the wood. Adult beetles are 3 mm to 6 mm long. To emerge, they bore round exit holes greater than 3 mm in diameter.
Anobiid powderpost beetle: Anobiid powderpost beetles are 4 mm to 6 mm and develop in softwood or hardwood in structures. They are very common in subflooring of buildings. The beetles lay their eggs in cracks or on the surface of the wood. The larvae bore into the wood and feed on it. Adult beetles emerge from the wood by boring circular emergence holes about 2 mm to 3 mm in diameter.
Old house borer: This beetle is 15 mm to 25 mm long, flattened and grayish-black. The area behind the head has two shiny black spots. The larvae spend two to 10 years feeding on sapwood of pine, fir, spruce and other softwoods. Adults emerging from infested wood bore oval emergence holes 6mm to 15mm long.
Eastern subterranean termite: Eastern subterranean termites live in colonies composed of workers, soldiers, reproductives and supplemental reproductives. During the spring, the reproductives swarm and leave the colony. The reproductives are black and have a thick waist. The antennae are straight and both pairs of wings are the same length. Subterranean termites feed on wood, but nest in the soil. They construct mud tubes from their nests to the wood in structures.
Carpenter ants: Carpenter ants are large ants, about 13 mm to 15 mm, that nest in hollows of wood. The nest is usually associated with wood decay or termite damage in a house. Outdoors, carpenter ants nest in mulch or debris. The Florida carpenter ant is red and black, whereas the Eastern carpenter ants (found here in Indiana) are jet black. Carpenter ants do not eat wood; they hollow it out for nests.
Carpenter bees: Carpenter bees are 20 mm to 35 mm long. They closely resemble bumble bees, except the abdomen of a carpenter bee is a shiny metallic greenish-black, and the abdomen of a bumble bee is very hairy. These insects sometimes build their nests in solid wood such as weather boarding, railings, supports and trim of buildings. Their nests are in the form of tunnels three to six inches deep in the wood. The entrance hole is about 12 mm in diameter. The holes are very clean and appear as though they were made by a drill. Damage to wood is seldom extensive.
WELL AND SEPTIC INSPECTIONS:
Well Inspection
We will examine all of the visible components of the well and will report on whether the integral parts of the well and pressure tank are operating satisfactorily, i.e. water pressure, functional flow, proper cycling etc. The inspection will also include a water test for Bacteria i.e. Ecoli and total Coliform. The water sample will be sent to a local laboratory and the results will be emailed within 48-72 hours. You will also be provided with a report that will outline the inspectors’ findings on the day of inspection.
Septic Inspection
We will examine all of the visible components of the septic system. We will perform a tracer dye test which consists of adding an intense dye into the system and running 60 gallons of water per bedroom (typically 30 minutes). Our goal is to introduce a one day amount of water through the septic system and then check the septic field for any seepage and or odors. The tracer dye is fluorescent in color and in most cases can easily identify leaks within the septic system. We do limit the inspection to 100 feet of the home. You will be provided with a report that will outline the inspectors’ findings on the day of inspection.
WELL WATER TESTING:
There is no such thing in nature as "pure" water. Nearly all water contains contaminants, even in the absence of nearby pollution-causing activities. Many dissolved minerals, organic carbon compounds, and microbes find their way into our drinking water as water comes into contact with air and soil. When pollutant and contaminant levels in drinking water are excessively high, they may affect certain household routines and/or be detrimental to human health.
Obvious problems, such as staining of plumbing fixtures and laundry, as well as many objectionable tastes and odors, may be evidence of excessive levels of contaminants in your water supply. Many of these impurities are naturally present and are considered a nuisance, presenting no hazard to human health. The presence of most harmful contaminants, however, is not always obvious and such contaminated water may not cause health-related symptoms for many years. As a result, the only way that you can ensure that your water supply is safe is to have a periodic laboratory water analysis done on your drinking water.
What's in your drinking water? Don't take a chance on risking your families health. We offer a comprehensive water analysis that includes testing for: Nitrate/Nitrite, Bacteria (potability) Ecoli, and Lead.
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