Quote:
Originally Posted by GLOW
there's several "drive-by" inspectors out there, i guess to go with the level of RE agents flooding the market. my 1st home used such inspector (i was ignorant), my 2nd home i had more experience so i went to about it differently to find a better one.
the guy i used walked us through the entire home and described what he's looking for, what he expects, what he's doing to test it. showed us the instruments he used to look for etc. found several things for us to keep in mind in terms of repairs or to negotiate so we should choose (doubt you get to do that anymore these days).
while it's true they cannot be intrusive they can use meters to detect mold and moisture, and also conduct tests to try to flush out leaks. water damage is the scariest thing for me  
that being said after going around with him once, it makes sense what to look for, minus owning the instruments for moisture. |
Phone any sort of reputable company which does haz mat testing, the honest ones who arent just looking to fuck ignorant home owners over will tell you air testing within a home does nothing because mold spores and mildew are not present in the air you breathe most of the time. They are trapped in the walls and on insulation.
And even with mold present, only a few certain types are dangerous in terms of air quality etc. and again, this cannot be tested to be certain without a sample of the area. So cutting open drywall, removing vapor barriers, getting a sample, having a lab test it.
Building new builds we've had many different moisture meters, and with this comes many different readings. The best moisture meters are quite expensive ($600-$800) and even some of the higher end ones do not give an exact reading but rather a range. So an inspector tests in an area which sees considerable moisture such as a bathroom, kitchen, attic space, etc. moisture which can escape or dry over time is not an issue, as it will not create hazardous conditions, however if this reading gives a red flag to an inspector, you might have just loss the house of your dreams on a sample taken in an area which dampens and dries constantly.
Building envelope and the inner structures of walls in homes are not there to completely "seal" the home from outside elements, this "seal" is what created the leaky condo crisis.
Building envelope is developed as such to let moisture come and go, but never get trapped.
Some of these house in Vancouver are over 100 years old, still standing, still solid structurally. Even though they do not have modern day building assemblies, something is obviously working correctly within their structure.