With a trained eye, a visual inspection is the easiest way to ascertain the age of this area. There are factors that will happen to a roof which we recognize as the age of most roofing systems. Our inspection will highlight the concerns that new homeowners have about the integrity of the roof.

This is an example of an improperly insulated roof that we would inspect. The roof has to breathe. With inadequate ventilation you can cut the longevity of the roof in half and we will inform you how to avoid that.

This is a problem we find way too often; a short leader in the middle of a garage roof or any lower roofing system. This will create water seepage problems. Our inspection looks for these scenarios that could cost you in mentally and fiscally.

There are many ways to tell if your prospective home has a termite problem. Termites eat wood and can cause a large amount of damage which can be a significant structural concern. The damage to the framing and substructure are readily visual to a trained eye. As an Adjunct professor at City Technical college Richmond Home Inspection’s Mark Loffredo is the professional who teaches other professionals about these concerns.

Mud shelter tubes that termites travel through to get from the soil, which is their natural habitat, into the wooden substructure and this is a concern to the homeowner because after termites finish all the natural debris in the soil, dead tree roots fallen breaches and other organic material they will 3 move up into your house. We are seasoned and experts and know what to look for. Termite mud shelter tubes

Heating systems will last upwards of 20 to 25 years if they have been maintained properly. Forced hot water systems have a tendency to last a little longer but they are more complicated and have a lot more moving parts. We can usually tell by the color of the housing of the system how old the system is and what kind of condition it is in. Homeowners think that as soon as you install a new system there is nothing else you have to do. It’s an important investment but not a FOREVER investment. Our report advises how to maintain the system and a timetable to plan ahead for possible costs. There are many components to heating systems, a working knowledge of the system is one of our primary jobs.

Staten Island and Brooklyn, where many of the homes we inspect are located, have very dense clay soil deposits on top of the rock stratum.

Clay has expansive minerals in it which will expand exponentially. This force will work with a break in the weight disbursement at window and door cut outs in the foundation to create “tensile Stress” and will crack the foundation. We will report and advise on findings to help you make the best decisions when buying and maintaining your house. This photo of a severe case of scaling and a breakdown of a foundation was taken during our inspection. We find these possible concerns and address in our reports about how proper drainage and grade are so important.

Our report will let you know why and how to correct it.

There are an enormous number of homes which have what's called handyman wiring. This is work that is done by someone who thinks they know about electrical work. Our inspections will highlight any electrical concerns and make recommendations. We test each home’s wiring. We can tell you what electrical work is good and what is dangerous. We at Richmond Home Inspection are up to date with all building codes and electrical codes. Some conditions can be very dangerous and must be repaired by a licenced electrician. These photos are of substandard electrical systems. We alert you to substandard systems because we know that in some cases banks will not give you a mortgage to purchase a home with substandard systems installed.

We see a fire waiting to happen and will alert you to it.

There are plumbing concerns even with fairly new homes. We will inspect the plumbing system to determine if the system will pass all building codes helping you avoid costly repairs and fines. This is a photo of an illegal gas line for a BBQ grill. This is something that we look for and include in the full inspection report you and your attorney receive.