Are you buying a home in Hockinson? If so, you have many important things to consider. You may fall in love with a property, but there can be potential headaches hiding beneath the surface.
Our home inspection services are designed to provide peace of mind while also avoiding potential financial pitfalls as well as big safety concerns. Whether you’re buying or selling a home, an inspection is always a wise investment. In our experience, the cost of a home inspection more than pays for itself with the issues uncovered and negotiated if buying a home, or peace of mind if you are a homeowner needing to know what repairs are most urgent. Proactively maintaining a home saves money in the long run.
Home Inspection Services
Regular home inspections serve multiple purposes. Not only do they cover routine maintenance tasks, but they also play a crucial role in identifying potential issues at an early stage, allowing for timely repairs before they escalate into major problems.
45th Parallel Home Inspection reports offer valuable information that empowers buyers and homeowners to make important decisions that can reduce future costs and improve the long-term outlook for a property. Specialty and concise inspections can also prioritize critical areas of a house or urgent repairs and can save money and headaches in the long term.
Our comprehensive inspections encompass all accessible areas of your residence, including structural elements and mechanical systems, as well as plumbing, HVAC, electrical systems, roof, attic, and crawlspaces. We produce in-depth reports, complete with high quality photographs, going over our findings and offering specific suggestions on what should be done moving forward.
Sewer Line Inspections
Regular sewer line inspections play a pivotal role in maintaining your plumbing system. We focus on your main sewer line, from your residence to either the city sewer connection or septic tank. By using cutting-edge camera technology and advanced locating equipment, we:
- Identify possible issues before they escalate
- Locate existing concerns that require immediate attention.
- Direct you in your next steps to returning the sewer line to a satisfactory condition.
Sewer lines are susceptible to deterioration over time due to various factors, including tree root intrusion, ground shifts, or natural pipe aging. Consistent and regular inspections serve as a proactive measure by identifying these issues early on, potentially reducing repair expenses, and preventing health hazards and property damage associated with sewage backups.
Radon Testing
Using industry leading Radon measurement equipment, we are able to provide a detailed report of Radon concentration in your home. This invisible and scentless gas has the potential to infiltrate homes through foundation cracks, wall gaps, or water sources. Radon is recognized as a carcinogen and can lead to lung cancer when exposed to heightened levels over an extended period of time. Radon causes the second most lung cancer deaths in The United States after smoking.
Conducting a radon test enables you to identify if elevated levels are present in your home, empowering you to proactively address the situation. Effective measures, such as sealing crawlspaces and installing ventilation systems, can be implemented to mitigate exposure.
The process of radon testing is straightforward, providing a clear understanding of the gas levels in your home. If mitigation is deemed necessary, it’s generally a cost-effective solution.
Home Health Checkups
Annual home health checkups are, in our opinion, a very good idea. Every day, we inspect houses with major damage to areas like the crawlspace that has occurred over a long period of time. Catching developing issues in a timely manner is critical to minimizing cost. Our meticulous inspections cover a number of areas of your home that often go overlooked, like your roof, attic, and crawlspace. We’ll look at the insulation, plumbing, signs of water intrusion, pest activity, and more.
Having this information helps you budget for repairs, but also possibly minimize costs by catching issues early. In just a matter of an hour or two, our inspector can complete the inspection then provide a detailed report complete with photos.
Adhered Stone Veneer, EIFS, Stucco Inspections
Adhered stone veneer is a thin layer of manufactured stone used to enhance the exterior of a property. Proper installation is crucial in preventing potential issues like moisture infiltration, structural damage, and mold growth.
Stone veneer has great curb appeal, but sadly, if installed improperly many times leaving the house prone to water intrusion and damage. We’ve seen firsthand a number of instances where this was the case. So having a detailed inspection is important. Moisture testing below the surface can also help reveal hidden issues such as decay in the wall structure.
Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS) serves as an insulation and aesthetic cladding technique in building exteriors. However, without proper installation and ongoing maintenance, EIFS can succumb to moisture-related problems. Water infiltration through cracks, failed sealant, or improper installation can lead to mold, rot, insect infestation, or deterioration of underlying materials.
Stucco, renowned for its timeless and sophisticated appearance, includes multiple layers of mortar applied over water-resistant barriers and wire lath on the exterior wall. Stucco and adhered stone as basically the exact same process, and thus, often share the same defects and water intrusion issues. A detailed inspection with moisture probing can help identify apparent, and also hidden issues.
Whatever the stucco type, proper detailing is vital to thwart water intrusion. A comprehensive visual inspection, coupled with precise moisture probing, is vital in assessing the underlying structure and if repairs might be needed.
If you’re buying a home in Hockinson and it has adhered stone, stucco, or EIFS, we can perform an inspection including moisture testing under the surface to find hidden issues.
If you need a full home inspection, or a specialty inspection of your Hockinson home, contact us, and we can help!
FAQs About Troutdale OR Home Inspections
Common questions and answers for home buyers and sellers alike
A stucco inspection involves performing a visual inspection, followed by invasive probing to check for elevated water content and decay in the wall structure behind the stucco. A detailed report is provided outlining the findings of the visual and invasive inspection portions.
If owning a home containing stucco, a stucco inspection can help you avoid costly repairs by catching problems early before they become major issues. If purchasing a home having stucco, it can help identify issues including costly necessary repairs before you purchase the home allowing you to negotiate repairs before purchase.
It depends. We do many inspections that have repairs that can be handled with a few thousand dollars because they are maintenance items or small repairs. Sometimes, we find issues and recommend the complete removal of the stucco and damaged wall structure below and re-siding the building.
The most expensive repair we have heard following our inspection process is approximately $300,000. Yes, that is three hundred thousand dollars. Those customers really got their money’s worth with our inspection. We estimate that almost every stucco inspection uncovers more in the cost of repairs than our inspection costs, making it a very good investment.
It depends. It starts at about $800. That would be for a situation where there is a smaller section of stucco such as on the front of the home only, one story, and not many windows. We evaluate every house to determine how much time it will take to perform the inspection, write the report, and provide a quote. It typically ranges from $800 to $3000 for most homes. It can be more depending on height, size, complexity, decks, number of windows, and other openings.
For larger commercial buildings, depending on the same factors of size, complexity, number of windows and openings, and height it generally starts around $2500. We will review and provide a quote.
Traditional stucco is made from cement, lime, and sand, and is applied in 3 layers totaling about ⅞ inch thick. EIFS (synthetic stucco) is a very thin ⅛ inch finish coat over prepared insulation boards for added energy efficiency. While looking like hard coat stucco at a glance, it is very different and much more fragile compared to hard coat stucco.
We use specialized tools like moisture meters and moisture probes to measure moisture content and assess the condition of your walls. Sometimes, Infrared cameras are helpful, but any moisture content or decay can only be verified with physical probing of the wall structure under the stucco.
A typical stucco inspection can take anywhere from three hours to all day, depending on the size and complexity of the home. On larger homes or commercial buildings, it can take multiple days.
At 45th Parallel Home Inspection, we are committed to providing you with comprehensive and accurate inspection reports. Our expertise in home inspections can help protect your home investment. Contact us today to schedule your inspection.
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