RESIDENTIAL INSPECTIONS
Residential Property Inspections
Our service includes a complete visual inspection of the home to assess its condition and identify potential issues. We often uncover issues that can arise from deferred maintenance, physical damage, poor installation, or systems approaching the end of their service life. Our inspection includes a comprehensive review of the home's systems and components.
A thorough inspection brings critical insights into a home's condition, helping you navigate financial decisions confidently and safeguard your investment. Gain the knowledge you need so that you can better protect you and your loved ones — contact us for your home inspection needs.
Helping You Understand the True Condition of Your Property
After the inspection, you’ll receive a comprehensive report featuring descriptions of systems and components, plus recommendations to repair and maintain your largest investment.
What we often uncover:
Deferred Maintenance
Physical Damage
Poor Installation
Aging Systems
A house inspection includes a Free Thermal Scan to help find water leaks.
We start on the outside of the house and inspect the roof for any signs of missing shingles, old age or areas vulnerable to leakage. Then we work around the home and inspect the foundation, grading, windows, walls, chimney, gutters, electrical, decks and air conditioner.
Once inside, the electrical panel is the next stop and we are looking for any signs of improper installation like double taps or undersized wires. This is where you’re informed of the location of the main disconnect switch and it’s amperage.
A typical detached house will have some type of furnace. Whether it’s a high efficiency gas furnace, propane furnace or boiler, we inspect them all. A furnace can last anywhere between 18 to 25 years and sometimes even longer depending on the maintenance and care it receives.
Each home will have a water heater. Most often it’s a tank with a fuel source such as gas or even electricity. Many homeowners are now choosing a tankless water heater to save on energy.
After all this, we locate the main water shut off and inform the buyers of its location.
Now that some large items have been inspected, we work our way through the basement, inspecting for any signs of structural movement, significant cracks in the foundation, or water leakage.
After the basement we travel through each floor inspecting the electrical, plumbing, heating/cooling, and windows in each room. At the same time, the interior of the house is scanned with a thermal camera (also known as infrared). Thermal cameras can help find missing insulation or water leakage that isn’t easily seen. If we see a suspicious reading it’s checked with a moisture meter to confirm whether or not moisture is present.
Finally we inspect the attic. Most homeowners don’t spend too much time up there and sometimes decades have passed since the last time the attic hatch was opened. But, it’s very important to make sure it’s healthy. A good attic will have plenty of insulation and ventilation which helps keep your energy bills low and deters mould growth.
A typical detached home inspection takes roughly 2-2.5 hours to perform. After the inspection, you will have an opportunity to ask any questions that weren’t answered during the inspection. We are happy to answer all questions.
Once back at the office. The report will be sent as a PDF to your email with photos, illustration, defects and descriptions.
This is just a brief summary of what’s involved in a home inspection for a detached property. The actual list of items inspected is much larger! Our goal is to inform you of significant issues that potential homeowners should be aware of before deciding to purchase a home. We want homeowners and soon to be home owners informed with the knowledge they need.
Are you concerned about Mold in your home?
Find out if mould is growing in your home with air samples, surface samples or a full Mould Inspection. All of the samples taken in your home are sent to a laboratory for analysis and you will receive a report stating the types of mold found and the quantities of the molds. This helps us determine whether or not you have a mold problem.
Don’t let mold destroy your home or compromise your health!
Different types of mould can vary in colour and look. It is beneficial to know what kind of mold is growing. Some are more harmful than others like Stachybotrys or Chaetomium, which most people refer to as “toxic black molds”. A surface sample will come with a report from the lab stating the type of mold present and the level of contamination.
Regardless of the genus, indoor mold growth is undesirable and should be remediated.
Full Mold Inspection (with lab report)
During a full mold inspection, we will scan the house (or just a specific area of concern) with a moisture meter and thermal (infrared) camera for any signs of moisture or water leaks, these will eventually lead to mold growth if left unrepaired. Any visible signs of mold growth will be noted in our inspection report and a surface sample can be taken.
Three air samples are also included during a full mold inspection and of course if you are concerned about more areas in your home. We can take more if needed.
You will receive a lab report stating the types and quantities of mold present and our summary as to whether or not the air quality has been impacted by mold growth. Our mould inspection report will also be included and note any conditions favorable to mold growth.
Air sampling for mould
Typically, when it comes to air samples. Three samples are taken, a minimum of one should come from the outside. The indoor samples should come from the area of concern inside the building or the most commonly used area. Three air samples is a minimum but we can take as many as you like. Some clients prefer to have each room sampled, as each area can vary greatly.
Mould spores are everywhere in nature and comparing the inside and outside samples gives us a baseline. If mould spores are found inside the home that aren’t found outside or they are in much higher numbers. There may be mould growing in the home.
Samples are sent to a third party testing laboratory and lab reports are delivered within 2 business days. Faster lab reports available (rush service fees will apply).
CastleTech Inspections is unbiased towards the results and will simply report our findings, we do not remediate or remove. Our goal is to educate you. Call today to Book!
