Home inspection, home inspector

What your home inspection includes: NC minimum standards

Structural (foundation, floors, walls, columns, piers, ceilings, roof)
Exterior (wall claddings, flashing, trim, entry doors, garage doors and openers, windows, decks, steps, porches, railings; driveways, walkways, retaining walls, vegetation, grading and drainage with respect only to their effect on the condition of the home)
Roofing (roof coverings, roof drainage systems, flashings, skylights, chimneys and roof penetrations)
Plumbing (interior water supply and distribution system, fixtures and faucets, functional flow, interior drain, waste and vent systems, functional drainage, hot water heating systems)
Electrical (main service, main panel, subpanels, receptacles, switches, light fixtures, ceiling fans, smoke detectors)
Heating (central HVAC units, fireplaces, gas logs, gas wall units, chimneys, flues, distribution systems)
Air Conditioning (central HVAC units, through the wall cooling units, distribution systems)
Interiors (walls, ceiling, floors, doors, steps, stairways, railings, countertops, built-in cabinets)
Insulation & Ventilation (insulation in the attic and crawl space, vapor retarders in unfinished spaces, ventilation of attics and crawl spaces; kitchen, bathroom and laundry ventilation systems)
Built in Kitchen Appliances (range, oven, cooktops, permanently installed microwaves, range hoods, dishwasher, garbage disposal, trash compactors)

(For a complete list of included and excluded items please refer to the NC Standards of Practice. A home inspector is not allowed to start a fire in a fireplace or light a pilot light in a gas log unit.)

Things I do over and beyond the NC minimum standards

In addition to the above:

I will list all of the appliances with their make, manufacture date, model#'s and serial#'s when available. I will run them through a recall check with the CPSC. This does not provide a warranty of any kind and there is no guarantee that all recalls will be found.
I will also inspect built in central vacuum cleaners and see if they function provided there is a wand to use.
I will inspect EVERY door, window, and receptacle that I can gain access to.
I will provide service information on the home such as when to clean items and have them serviced by professionals to ensure efficient operation.
I will operate the washer and dryer through their shortest cycle to confirm they are functioning and to check for leaks.
I check the temperatures in any refrigeration units.

To inspect every component of the home, all of the utilities must be on. Licensed home inspectors are NOT allowed to turn any utilities on if they are off. This includes circuit breakers, shutoff valves (gas or water) and pilot lights. I do not know the circumstances for which they were turned off and would be responsible for any damages incurred by turning them on. All access panels and doors must be unlocked for a thorough inspection.

Tools I use to inspect your home.

A GFCI tester is used to test the function of a ground fault circuit. It can also be used to check if the receptacle is properly wired. This is one of the most common problems in a home. I check every receptacle that is accessible.

A moisture meter checks the percentage of moisture in a material. This meter is used in areas where I suspect there may be a moisture problem.

I use thermometers to check the temperature of water at the point of use. If faucet temperatures exceed 120 degrees there is a possibility of burns. Checking the temperature is especially important if the home will be occupied by children or the elderly.
I carry an analog and a digital thermometer.

I use an infrared thermometer to check the temperature at the HVAC vents. I also use it to check the temperature in the refrigeration units.

This device checks to see if electrical power is present. On occasion there are wires in the attic and crawlspace that are not terminated. Using this tester I can see if the wire is live and needs immediate attention.

Amp clamps measure the amperage flowing through a wire. If an appliance is not functioning, this device can help determine if the problem is in the wiring to the device or in the device itself.

Carbon monoxide detectors measure the gas in ppm (parts per million). I use this monitor to check the level of carbon monoxide in the house. Carbon monoxide is produced by gas and oil burning appliances. If the appliances are defective carbon monoxide (CO) can build up to dangerous levels. CO is an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas.
Carbon monoxide is harmful because it displaces oxygen in the blood and deprives the heart, brain, and other vital organs of it. Large amounts of CO can overcome a person in minutes without warning—causing lose of consciousness and suffocation.
Besides tightness across the chest, initial symptoms of CO poisoning may include headache, fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, or nausea. During prolonged or high exposures, symptoms may worsen and include vomiting, and confusion in addition to loss of consciousness and muscle weakness. Symptoms vary widely from person to person. CO poisoning may occur sooner in those most susceptible: young children, elderly people, and people with lung or heart disease.
CO poisoning can be reversed if caught in time. But even if you recover, acute poisoning may result in permanent damage to parts of your body that require large amounts of oxygen such as the heart and brain.

A UV light helps identify whether a home has had pets. The pictures show a pet stain on carpet with and without a UV light.