Why should you hire
me to inspect your building?
Because I am an architect and I have
inspected thousands of buildings. I have a vast pool of experience
available to help you. Architects are unique in that they inspect
the dynamic state of the building in detail to avoid long expensive
problems for you. Architects are licensed by all States in America
as the lead building construction professional who directs all
the other building professions to complete a building project.
They have a minimum of 5 years of college and 3 years of experience
(and often much more) before they can take the licensing exam
which is over 40 hours long. They are tested on design, engineering
of structural, mechanical and electrical systems plus many other
subjects. When licensed, architects are in many states also licensed
engineers for electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems. No
person is as well acquainted with the building as the designer
because he knows the laws that govern the building type, performance
information of all its component parts and the costs to build
and maintain the systems under all weather condition over extended
lengths of time. I am also licensed by the United States Federal
Housing Administration (FHA) as a HUD 203 (k) Plan Reviewer and
Fee Inspector. It is the unique training and experience that
I have as a very experienced architect that directly benefits
you.
What value added service
do I bring to a building inspection? My inspections cover
all the major building systems and component parts including
the electrical, mechanical, plumbing and structural. This is
not a "checklist" type inspection that any non trained,
non licensed individual can offer "an opinion" upon.
This is an inspection based upon 37 years of experience as an
designer, architect, master planner and forensic architect and
is completed as a customized report for each building. Even a
simple building is a system of component parts that have complex
interactions of forces of compression, tension, moisture infiltration,
thermo dynamics, hydro dynamics plus environmental and biological
dynamics. Only the licensed architect understands all of these
in the fullest sense.
Should you be there
for the building inspection? Yes. Please come a
little early and dress in casual clothing because you will be
asked to view any deficiency that is found, be it in the basement
or attic. We will inspect the building together and you will
benefit from my knowledge with an understanding of what is found,
as it is found.
Is the building site
inspected by me?
Yes. The building site
is inspected by me for many things including topography and natural
constraints of the property, soil types and potential problems,
water problems and proper water drainage away from the house,
legal constraints affecting the building site, plus basic landscape
and maintenance suggestions.
Is the structure of
the building inspected by me? Yes. The
structural system is what a building must literally stand upon,
so I start my inspection by looking at the structural integrity
of the foundation to ascertain it's psychical health. I look
for cracks, leaking water, indications that water came through
the foundation and stayed for an extended period of time. Water
can also linger with in a hollow concrete block wall and cause
a condition called "spalling" on the inside. This is
the slow yet eventual degradation of the unit due to water infiltration.
Potential causes may be lack of proper exterior drainage for
the foundation wall, major pipe broken near exterior foundation
wall, incorrect materials used to build the foundation wall and
many others. The building structural system also includes the
load bearing wood, steel or concrete members that carry all the
weight of the building along with the weight of the occupants
and all their possessions. Each and every part must work in harmony
with the others and be of the correct type and size for its legal
intended use. Is there evidence of dry rot, or decay? Is there
dampness? Is there evidence of wood destroying insects and rodents?
Are there excessive settlement cracks and non level surfaces?
Are there bulges in walls, cracks in girders, sagging roof lines
and sloping floors? If so, I will tell you about these issues.
Are the exterior and
Interior of an building inspected by me? Yes. The
exterior and interior walls are checked for damage, leaks or
water infiltration, good or bad maintenance, lack of insulation,
structural integrity and potential structural alteration capabilities.
This is often a search for subtle information that is like looking
for a finger print, rather than looking for the hand.
Do I inspect for termites
and rodent infestation?
No! I know what termite and rodent
infestation look like, but I am not licensed to use and provide
the toxic chemicals needed for this service. I will be happy
to recommend a good licensed individual to you for any problems
we discover during the inspection.
Are older homes inspected
differently from new homes by me? Yes.
Older homes are different than new
homes and experience is needed to understand what products were
used in them that are no longer are available. Older homes often
will have concurrent electrical system problems, such as aluminum
wiring in the walls with plaster walls laid up over wood slat's.
Please consider that older homes I inspect, do receive
the same close attention as new homes in the inspection process,
for example; electrical systems are looked at for the correct
size of service for the building, correct wire type usage, wiring
violations and potential for future expansion if needed. Mechanical
& plumbing systems are checked for proper functioning, insulation,
correct maintenance and leaks. All products have a known useful
life expectancy and this is taken into account when inspecting
systems and component parts.
Are building code
violations looked for and noted to the home owner by me? Yes.Code violations
are noted during an inspection and can vary from not important
to life threatening. Life threatening violations are always discussed
with the client in detail. If the violation is significant, the
client will be called before the report is completed and made
aware of this.
Can other professional
services be performed (such as zoning code analysis) as an additional
service to find potential code restrictions before you buy? Yes.Zoning code analysis is a service
that I can provide (but is an additional cost) and this can save
you great amounts of future discomfort. For example, what are
the current legal front, side and rear setback requirements for
this individual building and how will this effect any plans for
future expansion of the building? I am qualified to answer these
questions for you.
Is there any way to
know how long component parts of the house (such as a dish washer,
or roof) should last on the building I am inspecting? Yes
there is! Component parts of all buildings have developed a know
expected life expectancy and there are industry standards that
are published that list them. For example (under normal conditions)
an asphalt driveway should last 10-20 years; an clothes dryer
should last 5-7 years; an warm air furnace should last 15-20
years; paint on the exterior should last 5-8 years; aluminum
siding should last 40 years. I use these standards to tell you
when you can expect an expensive repair based upon its existing
age and physical condition.
Examples:
Property Condition Assessment Survey,
2,700 SF Residential Home in Sherman,Connecticut.
Property Condition Assessment Survey,
1,400 SF Residential Home in Sherman, Connecticut.
Due Diligence Building Condition Survey,
Rolling Homes LLP, West Deptford Township, N.J. 16 .13 acres
with 177 mobile homes and 6 buildings.
Due Diligence Building Condition Survey,
Asylum Hill Ventures I, LLC, Hartford, Connecticut. Eight Residential
Buildings with 177 apartment units.
Building Inspection, The Commons, Cincinnati,
Ohio. 236,281 S.F., 12 story, luxury office complex with attached
6 story garage.
Building Inspection, One American Center,
Nashville, Tennessee. 21.88 acre, 13 building, 288 apartment
units.
Building Inspection, Linden Lane Apartments,
Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. 159 apartment units.
Building Inspection, Cedar Grove Apartments,
Ellenville, N.Y. 100 apartment units.
Building Inspection, Hyde Park Apartments,
Hyde Park, N.Y. 195 apartment units.
Building Inspection, Hillside Homes,
Bronx, N.Y. 1,496 apartment units, a complex covering five square
blocks.